Cheap Transcription Services: How Rev Measures Up in Price

It’s no surprise: Data is now the most valuable resource for organizations, according to a recent PWC report. In fact, 86 percent of executives say they’re racing against other companies to maximize data value. The challenge? Beyond sheer data volumes, the bulk of usable data is unstructured — it’s not neatly organized into tables, charts and graphs that easily deliver actionable insight. While there’s no hard number here, estimates suggest that 90 percent of all data is unstructured.

This is problematic when it comes to customer data. Now considered critical to business success, the value of this data often comes from unstructured consumer surveys. Other common sources include unprocessed audio or video files of focus groups, market research interviews and customer support transactions. 

Bridging the gap between information and action requires accurate, on-demand conversion from information to insight. Solutions such as cheap transcription services are one way to solve this problem, but the transcription market is diversifying. With human experts and automated solutions now viable as cost-effective options, what’s your best bet? 

Who offers the best value for transcription budgets? And who does it without sacrificing quick turnaround times or transcription accuracy?

Not Always Apples-to-Apples: By the Numbers

The easiest way to compare cheap transaction services? Stack our service up beside popular competitors and see who has the lowest price. But this doesn’t tell the whole story.

Consider: Our high-quality transcription services start at $1.50 per minute. With an innovative platform that delivers high-quality content on-demand, we’ve attracted attention. Major brands like CBS, Viacom and PBS now use our services.

But what about our competitors? TranscribeMe offers audio file transcription services starting at $0.79 per minute. Scribie sits one cent higher at $0.80 per minute. There’s a clear-cut winner here, right? Not so fast. In fact — that’s the problem.

Get us to complete your transcription and you get a 12-hour turnaround time with 99 percent accuracy. Opt for TranscribeMe and you’ll be waiting a full day for transcriptions. Choose Scribie and it takes 36 hours between file submission and complete transcripts. Plus, you’ll be charged more if your file isn’t clean or doesn’t have  “American speakers”. We can easily handle any English-speaking audio or video file and for an additional $0.25 per minute, we’ll capture every syllable in your file — perfect if you require detailed records for HR or need deep dives into market research results.

Bottom line? Slightly lower prices don’t always mean better outcomes. Longer delivery periods and file restrictions can turn seemingly great deals into money and time sinks.

The Human Touch

Also a factor in choosing the best cheap transcription services? How speech-to-text conversion takes place. Our $1.50 per minute rate includes access to more than 40,000 experts in the United States. These native English speakers must meet high-quality standards before working on any customer files. In addition, our team of trusted reviewers works with transcriptionists to ensure accurate, consistent and timely delivery.

Other services, such as Trint, offer purely automated services at a rate of $60 per month for unlimited day-to-day transcriptions. The caveat? Despite advancements in AI-driven tools they, still struggle to capture human nuance. Here’s why:  Human experts can identify word choice from inflection or surrounding context. AI tools rely on algorithms that deliver technical perfection, but lack consistency and flow. While automated transcription services can reduce the up-front costs of conversion, they often fall short in long-term value.

The Automation Advantage

Despite the challenges, there’s value in automation — if you’ve got the right technology for the job. Our automated transcription services recently beat out tech giants such as Google, Amazon and Microsoft for per-word accuracy. 

Even better? You pay just $0.25 per minute for our automated transcription services and enjoy a 5 minute turnaround time with 80% or better accuracy. While other solutions can match our pricing they can’t touch our speed — pay the same at Scribie and it takes at least 30 minutes to receive your completed file. 

Getting started is easy — simply upload files from your computer or paste in a web URL, and our AI tool gets to work. Transcriptions are delivered in 5 minutes, and you get access to our web-based editor to catch and correct any errors.  This cost-effective transcription method helps lower the price of good-quality audio files. These include files with minimal background noise and clear voices, letting you get the quickest and more accurate transcription for the cost.

Value-added Features

Face value doesn’t always tell the whole story. We offer high-quality transcription services for $1.50 per minute, and automated options for just $0.25 per minute. But your transcription purchase also includes value-added features.

Not 100 percent satisfied with the results or the process? Get in touch and we’ll do everything we can to resolve the issue. Need even more detail in your transcriptions? For $0.30 per minute, sync every word to audio with timestamps and have options for verbatim at $.50/min. We also offer rush services if you need professional transcription but can’t wait 12 hours. For an extra $1.25 per minute, get your file back five times faster. 

Plus, every transcription is completely confidential. All files are private and protected from authorized access, and our transcription experts sign both NDAs and strict confidentiality agreements. And if you’re pressed for time, don’t worry about uploading files — instead, place your orders directly from Dropbox, Google Drive or Amazon S3.

How do we measure up in price? We’re not the cheapest professional transcription service. But with an industry-leading 12 hour turnaround and 40,000+ experts, we offer the best value for your budget. Our automated transcription services, meanwhile, deliver 80 percent accuracy in just five minutes. 

By any measure — price, accuracy or professionalism — we’re way ahead of the game.

How Rev Measures Up in Price

• Comparable cost for human transcription with quicker turnaround times
• Industry-leading AI transcription services in just five minutes
• Value added features to streamline your transcription experience
• The best value for your transcription budget