General Transcription 101

General transcription is a type of transcription which ranges from podcasts, meetings, webinars, interviews, meetings,lectures and so on and so forth. It deals with a lot of things also, from a simple conversation of a client, a lecture explaining a new product, new medical breakthroughs, etc.

Because of its vast topics, patience plays a big part of doing this kind of transcription in terms of researching. There are times that the clients give a "hint" on what the recording is all about, but often times, you get the gist of the topic as you transcribe the dictation. It's a must to stay focused on the topic on hand.

It's important to know the clients specifications because sometimes, clients base their payments on the specific instructions they give for that particular report. Be it the spaces, speaker headings, punctuation marks, time stamps, etc., a transcriptionist should always adhere to these specifications to ensure a good working relationship with the client.

When it's a conversation, lecture or interview type of transcription, one must master the changing of speakers, distinguishing who's speaking is the tricky part of the report. Sometimes, one gets lost on this part of the report because speakers often overlap in the conversation, so be on the lookout of changing voices.

Always stick to the turnaround time agreed upon. Some clients are very strict on this especially if the job they gave you has a deadline on their part too. Some will also give you an extension if they deem that the report wouldn't make it on time, especially if the type of report is a bit challenging for the transcriptionist's part. It is important to keep the communication lines open between the client and transcriptionist regarding this part so that it ensures a good working relationship on both ends.

Payment on this type of transcription is based on an audio hour rate. Sometimes it ranges from $10 up to $30 per audio hour recording and could sometimes depend on the quality of audio encountered.

General transcription is an ideal avenue for transcriptionists who love to do various types of topics, which unlike medical transcription and legal transcription are specifically categorized. General transcription covers almost all sorts of topics from A-Z, name it, they have it. There are 4 things to remember in general transcription, listen, transcribe, research and focus.