Transcription Options
If you have an audio or video file that you need to get transcribed, this page describes some automated options to consider. But keep in mind, though, that none of these options (including paid transcription services from NVivo and MAXQDA) provides a 100% perfectly accurate transcript. You will always have to correct your transcript.
Note: If you want to pay a human to transcribe things accurately (so no or minimal correction is needed later), you could try Rev or Transcript Divas.
First is a comparison table of some of the automated options. Use the side menu or click on a particular tool in the table to get more details.
| Option | Cost | Transcription Formats | File Type Generated | Languages Supported | Ethics Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 – Word Transcription | $0 (300 minutes/ month limit) | just text; with speakers; with timestamps; with speakers and timestamps | Word document | 80+ languages/ dialects | UofT’s Research Ethics Board has approved this approach in the past if you stated that you were keeping all files on OneDrive using multifactor authentication (but of course that depends on your particular situation and what you wrote in your research ethics protocol). Read more information on how the service works under the About Transcribe heading at the bottom of the page. |
| aTrain | $0 | with speakers; with speakers and timestamps | Text file | 57 languages | This is a program you run locally on your computer (with no need for internet access), so it is very likely that the Research Ethics Board would approve this approach. |
| Zoom | $0 | with timestamps; with speakers and timestamps | VTT file; Text file | 49 languages/ dialects | Keep in mind that the recording and transcript are stored on Zoom’s servers in Canada (but Zoom's US servers are still used for real-time data processing). This may or may not be acceptable for research ethics. |
| Microsoft 365 – Clipchamp Transcription | $0 | with timestamps | VTT file or Word document | 80+ languages/ dialects | This is similar to using the Microsoft 365 Word solution above. |
| YouTube | $0 | with timestamps | VTT file | 67 languages | Keep in mind that the recording and transcript are stored on YouTube's servers. This may or may not be acceptable for research ethics. |
| NVivo Transcription | $25 USD/hour (bulk discounts available) | with speakers and timestamps | Word document; Text file | 43 languages | Keep in mind that the recording and transcript are stored on Lumivero’s servers. This may or may not be acceptable for research ethics. Read more about their data security. |
| MAXQDA Transcription | From $23.80 USD for 2hrs up to $178.50 USD for 20hrs. You can also get 60 minutes free to get started. | with speakers and timestamps | Text file | almost 50 languages | Keep in mind that the recording and transcript are stored on MAXQDA's servers. This may or may not be acceptable for research ethics. Read more about their data security. |
Technique: Qualitative Data Analysis | Tools: NVivo