Transcription Service: AI Audio to Text with Speaker Identification

Professional transcription service converts audio and video files to accurate written text using WhisperX large-v3 AI with automatic speaker identification (Pyannote 3.1). Upload any audio format, receive transcripts in 1-3 minutes with speaker labels and timestamps in 4 formats (TXT, SRT, VTT, JSON). No subscription required—pay $0.15 per minute only for transcripts you purchase.

This complete guide explains how transcription services work, features to expect, use cases for business and research, pricing comparison, and how to choose the right service for your needs. For a quick overview of our AI transcription capabilities, visit our transcription service page.

What Is a Transcription Service?
How Our Transcription Service Works
Transcription Service Features
Audio Transcription Service Use Cases
Transcription Service Pricing
Why Choose BrassTranscripts
Professional vs Manual Transcription
Supported Formats
Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a Transcription Service?

A transcription service converts spoken words in audio or video recordings into written text. Professional transcription services use advanced AI speech recognition (like WhisperX) or human transcriptionists to produce accurate transcripts for business meetings, research interviews, podcast episodes, video content, and legal proceedings.

Modern AI Transcription vs Manual Transcription

AI transcription services (like BrassTranscripts):

Process audio with speech recognition AI models
Complete in minutes (1-3 minutes per hour of audio)
Cost $0.10-0.30 per minute
Professional-grade accuracy for clear audio
Automatic speaker identification available
Suitable for most business, academic, and content uses

Manual human transcription services (like Rev):

Human transcriptionists listen and type
Complete in 24-48 hours
Cost $1.00-2.50 per minute
Premium accuracy (99%+)
Best for poor audio, heavy accents, specialized terminology
Required for legal/medical critical transcription

Hybrid approach (BrassTranscripts model):

AI generates initial transcript in minutes
User verifies and corrects if needed
Combines speed and affordability with human oversight
Suitable for 95% of transcription needs

What Makes a Professional Transcription Service

Essential capabilities:

Accuracy: Professional-grade speech recognition
Speaker identification: Automatic labeling of different speakers
Multiple formats: TXT, SRT, VTT, JSON outputs
Fast processing: Minutes, not hours or days
Language support: 50-99+ languages
Security: Audio and transcript privacy protection

BrassTranscripts meets all professional standards with WhisperX large-v3 AI, Pyannote 3.1 speaker diarization, 99+ language support, and processing in 1-3 minutes per hour.

How Our Transcription Service Works

BrassTranscripts converts your audio to text in 5 simple steps:

Step 1: Upload Audio or Video File

Upload any audio format (MP3, M4A, WAV, AAC, FLAC, OGG, Opus, WebM, MPGA) or video file (MP4, MPEG). Drag and drop files directly into your browser or click to browse.

File specifications:

Maximum size: 250MB
Maximum duration: 2 hours
Minimum duration: 5 minutes
Formats accepted: 11 audio/video formats

Step 2: AI Processing with WhisperX

WhisperX large-v3 model processes your audio in 1-3 minutes per hour. The AI performs four simultaneous tasks:

Speech-to-text conversion: Converts spoken words to written text
Language detection: Automatically identifies language (99+ supported)
Speaker identification: Labels different speakers using Pyannote 3.1 voice analysis
Timestamp generation: Adds precise timing for each transcript segment

Processing speed:

10-minute audio: ~30 seconds
30-minute audio: ~1 minute
60-minute audio: ~1-3 minutes
120-minute audio: ~3-6 minutes

Step 3: Preview First 30 Words Free

Before paying, preview the first 30 words of your transcript. This free preview shows:

Transcription accuracy for your audio quality
Speaker identification working correctly
Language detection accurate
Formatting and structure

Use the preview to verify quality before purchasing the full transcript.

Step 4: Purchase Full Transcript

Pay only for transcripts you need. Pricing: $2.25 for audio 1-15 minutes, then $0.15 per additional minute.

No subscription required:

No monthly fees
No minimum commitments
No account required (optional for easier access)
Same rate whether transcribing 1 file or 100 files

Step 5: Download in 4 Formats

Immediately download your transcript in all 4 formats:

TXT: Plain text for reading, editing, analysis
SRT: Subtitle format for video captioning (YouTube, Vimeo)
VTT: Web video captions (HTML5 standard)
JSON: Structured data with timestamps, speaker labels, metadata

All formats included in price—no additional fees for multiple formats.

Start Transcription Service →

Transcription Service Features

Professional features included with every transcript:

Automatic Speaker Identification

Pyannote 3.1 speaker diarization automatically detects and labels different speakers throughout your audio. The AI analyzes voice characteristics (pitch, tone, timbre, cadence) to distinguish speakers and assigns consistent labels.

How speaker identification works:

Voice activity detection: Identifies when speech occurs
Feature extraction: Analyzes voice characteristics per segment
Speaker clustering: Groups similar voices together
Label assignment: Assigns Speaker A, Speaker B, etc. consistently

Speaker identification transcript format:

Speaker A: Welcome to today's meeting. Let's review the quarterly results.

Speaker B: Revenue increased 23% compared to last quarter.

Speaker A: That's excellent progress. What were the main growth drivers?

Speaker B: New customer acquisition increased 40%, and existing customer expansion added 15% growth.

Works best with:

2-6 speakers
Clear voice separation
Minimal overlapping speech
Distinct voice characteristics (different pitch, gender, accent)

Learn more in our speaker identification guide.

99+ Languages with Auto-Detection

WhisperX large-v3 supports 99+ languages with automatic language detection. Upload audio in any supported language—no need to specify language beforehand.

Commonly transcribed languages:

English: US, UK, Australian, Canadian, Indian
European: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Russian
Asian: Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Bengali, Vietnamese, Thai
Middle Eastern: Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Hebrew
Latin American: Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese (Brazilian)
And 80+ more languages

Multilingual audio: Handles code-switching (speakers alternating between languages) within the same audio file.

Multiple Output Formats

Every transcript includes all 4 formats at no extra cost:

TXT (Plain Text):

Easy to read and edit in any text editor
Compatible with Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages
Best for: General use, analysis, archiving, content repurposing

SRT (SubRip Subtitle):

Standard subtitle format for video
Compatible with YouTube, Vimeo, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro
Includes timestamps and speaker labels
Best for: Video captioning, subtitle creation

VTT (WebVTT):

Web standard for HTML5 video
Advanced caption features (styling, positioning)
Browser-native support
Best for: Website video players, web content

JSON (Structured Data):

Complete transcript with metadata
Word-level and segment-level timestamps
Speaker labels with timing information
Best for: Custom processing, software integration, data analysis

Fast Processing Speed

WhisperX processes audio at 20-60x realtime speed:

Audio Duration	Processing Time
5 minutes	~10-15 seconds
15 minutes	~30-45 seconds
30 minutes	~1 minute
60 minutes	~1-3 minutes
120 minutes	~3-6 minutes

Start receiving transcripts minutes after upload—no 24-48 hour wait times.

Privacy and Data Security

Your audio and transcripts are secure:

Audio retention: 24 hours after upload, then automatically deleted
Transcript retention: 48 hours after purchase, then automatically deleted
No AI training: Audio and transcripts not used for model training
No third-party sharing: Data never shared with external parties
Secure processing: HTTPS encryption for all uploads and downloads

Process sensitive business meetings, confidential research, or private content with confidence.

Transcription Accuracy

Accuracy depends on audio quality:

Clear audio (studio recording, quality microphone, quiet environment): Professional-grade accuracy suitable for business and academic use
Good audio (smartphone recording, moderate background noise): High accuracy, may need minor corrections
Poor audio (low-quality recording, loud background, multiple overlapping speakers): Lower accuracy, may require significant editing

Preview feature lets you verify accuracy before purchasing. If transcription quality doesn't meet needs, the 30-word free preview reveals this before payment.

For audio requiring 99%+ accuracy (legal proceedings, medical records), consider human transcription services like Rev.

Audio Transcription Service Use Cases

Professional transcription serves diverse needs across business, research, education, and content creation.

Meeting Transcription

Convert team meetings, client calls, board meetings, and video conferences to searchable text documentation.

Benefits:

Reference specific decisions without re-listening
Share meeting notes with absent team members
Create action item lists from discussions
Document project decisions and rationale
Enable keyword search across meeting history

Meeting types:

Internal team meetings
Client consultation calls
Stakeholder interviews
Video conference calls (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet)
Board meetings and executive sessions

Read our meeting transcription workflow guide.

Interview Transcription

Research interviews, journalism interviews, user research, and customer discovery calls benefit from accurate transcripts.

Research applications:

Qualitative research analysis and coding
Thematic analysis across interview sets
Evidence documentation and quote extraction
Pattern identification
Dissertation and thesis research

Business applications:

User research and customer discovery
Stakeholder interviews
Candidate interviews (with consent)
Expert consultations

See our interview transcription research guide.

Podcast Transcription

Podcast creators use transcripts for SEO, accessibility, and content repurposing.

Podcast transcript benefits:

SEO: Google indexes transcript text, improving discoverability
Accessibility: Deaf and hard-of-hearing audience access
Show notes: Generate detailed episode summaries
Content repurposing: Transform episodes into blog posts, social media content
Quote extraction: Pull powerful moments for promotion

Read our podcast transcription service workflow.

Video Transcription

Video creators transcribe content for captions, subtitles, and accessibility compliance.

Video content applications:

YouTube video captions and subtitles
Training video documentation
Webinar transcription
Educational video accessibility
Marketing video optimization

Compliance requirements:

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessibility
WCAG 2.1 standards for web content
Section 504 and 508 for education and government

Learn about video transcription.

Lecture Transcription

Students and educators transcribe lectures for study materials and accessibility.

Student benefits:

Study guides from lecture recordings
Note-taking support
Exam preparation materials
Review of complex topics

Educator benefits:

Lecture material documentation
Course content accessibility
Resource creation for students
Flipped classroom content

See lecture transcription for students.

Legal and Compliance

Legal professionals transcribe depositions, hearings, consultations, and evidence recordings.

Legal applications:

Deposition transcription
Court hearing documentation
Client consultation records
Evidence recording transcription
Arbitration and mediation sessions

Note: Critical legal proceedings requiring certified transcripts should use specialized legal transcription services with human review.

Medical Documentation

Healthcare providers transcribe consultations, rounds, and medical education content.

Healthcare applications:

Patient consultation documentation
Medical rounds transcription
Medical education lectures
Continuing education content

Note: Patient health information requires HIPAA-compliant transcription services. BrassTranscripts is suitable for non-PHI medical content (education, lectures, research).

Content Creation

Content creators transcribe audio and video for repurposing and multi-platform distribution.

Content applications:

Video content → blog posts
Podcast episodes → newsletter content
Webinar transcription → slide deck notes
Interview transcripts → article quotes
Audio content → social media snippets

Transcription Service Pricing

BrassTranscripts uses simple pay-per-use pricing with no subscription fees.

Pricing Structure

$2.25 flat rate for audio 1-15 minutes $0.15 per minute for audio 16+ minutes

Audio Duration	Total Price	Effective Rate
5 minutes	$2.25	$0.45/min
10 minutes	$2.25	$0.23/min
15 minutes	$2.25	$0.15/min
30 minutes	$4.50	$0.15/min
45 minutes	$6.75	$0.15/min
60 minutes	$9.00	$0.15/min
90 minutes	$13.50	$0.15/min
120 minutes	$18.00	$0.15/min

Formula: Price = $2.25 + (minutes - 15) × $0.15

What's Included in Price

All features included (no extra charges):

Automatic speaker identification (Pyannote 3.1)
All 4 formats (TXT, SRT, VTT, JSON)
99+ languages with auto-detection
Fast processing (1-3 minutes per hour)
30-word free preview
Timestamps in all formats

No hidden fees for:

Speaker identification ($0 extra)
Format conversion ($0 extra)
Multiple speakers ($0 extra)
Language detection ($0 extra)
Rush processing (standard is already fast)

Pricing Comparison

How BrassTranscripts compares to other transcription services:

Service	Model	30 Minutes	60 Minutes	Type
BrassTranscripts	Pay-per-use	$4.50	$9.00	AI
Rev.com	Pay-per-minute	$45.00	$90.00	Human
Otter.ai Pro	Subscription	$17/mo*	$17/mo*	AI
Trint	Subscription	$60/mo	$60/mo	AI
Sonix	Subscription + usage	~$32/mo	~$32/mo	AI

*Otter.ai Pro includes 1,200 minutes/month (~20 hours). Exceeding limit requires plan upgrade.

When BrassTranscripts is most affordable:

Variable transcription needs (some months heavy, some months zero)
Project-based transcription (1-15 hours per project)
Consistent low-to-medium volume (0-10 hours/month)
Anyone avoiding subscription commitments

When subscription may be more affordable:

Consistent high volume (15-20+ hours every month)
Team usage across multiple members

See our affordable transcription services comparison.

Payment and Billing

Payment methods accepted:

Credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover)
No account required for payment
Secure payment processing

Billing:

Pay per transcript
No recurring charges
No subscription cancellation needed
No minimum purchase requirements

Refund Policy

100% money-back satisfaction guarantee: If transcription quality doesn't meet your needs, contact support@brasstranscripts.com for full refund.

Free preview reduces refund need—verify quality before purchasing full transcript.

Why Choose BrassTranscripts Transcription Service

Key differentiators that make BrassTranscripts the practical choice for professional transcription:

No Subscription Lock-In

Pay only for what you use:

$0 during months with no transcription needs
No wasted subscription fees
Same rate whether transcribing 1 file or 100 files
Cancel anytime (no cancellation needed—no subscription)

Subscription comparison:

Otter.ai: $17/month every month (even if transcribing 0 hours)
Trint: $60/month every month
BrassTranscripts: $0 during inactive months

All Formats Included

4 formats with every transcript (TXT, SRT, VTT, JSON) at no extra cost.

Competitor pricing:

Some services charge extra for SRT/VTT formats
Some limit to 1-2 format options
Some require format selection before processing

BrassTranscripts approach: All formats included automatically. Download whichever formats you need, now or later.

Speaker Identification Standard

Automatic speaker diarization included with Pyannote 3.1 at no extra charge.

Competitor pricing:

Some services charge $0.02-0.05 extra per minute for speaker ID
Some don't offer speaker identification at all
Some require manual speaker labeling

BrassTranscripts approach: Speaker identification standard on every transcript. No per-speaker charges (absurd concept—speakers are part of the content).

Preview Before Payment

30-word free preview before purchasing full transcript.

Why this matters:

Verify transcription accuracy for your audio quality
Check speaker identification working correctly
Confirm language detection accurate
Evaluate if AI transcription suits your needs

Competitor approach: Many services require payment before seeing any transcript content. BrassTranscripts preview reduces risk.

Fast Professional Processing

1-3 minutes per hour of audio using WhisperX large-v3.

Comparison:

BrassTranscripts: Minutes
Human services (Rev): 24-48 hours
Some AI services: Hours (queued processing)

When speed matters:

Immediate meeting documentation needs
Fast content turnaround for social media
Same-day project deliverables
Time-sensitive research analysis

Simple Transparent Pricing

One pricing model: $2.25 + $0.15/minute after first 15 minutes.

No complexity:

No tiered plans to choose
No usage limit calculations
No overage fees
No account minimums
No hidden charges

What you see is what you pay.

Professional Transcription Service vs Manual Transcription

Understanding when AI transcription serves your needs and when human transcription is necessary.

AI Transcription (BrassTranscripts)

Best for:

Clear audio quality
Standard accents and speech
Business meetings, interviews, podcasts
Content creation and documentation
Academic research
Most professional applications

Strengths:

Speed: Minutes instead of days
Cost: $0.15/minute vs $1-2.50/minute
Availability: Instant processing, no wait times
Consistency: Same quality every time

Limitations:

Accuracy depends on audio quality
May struggle with heavy accents
Specialized terminology may need correction
Poor audio quality reduces accuracy

Recommended approach: AI transcription + human review. Use BrassTranscripts for fast initial transcript, then review and correct as needed. Total time still 90% less than manual transcription.

Manual Human Transcription (Rev, GoTranscript)

Best for:

Legal proceedings requiring certified transcripts
Medical records and patient health information
Poor audio quality with loud background noise
Heavy accents or non-standard speech
Extremely specialized technical terminology

Strengths:

Premium accuracy (99%+)
Human judgment for unclear audio
Legal certification available
Better with poor audio quality

Limitations:

Cost: $1.00-2.50 per minute (10-15x more expensive)
Speed: 24-48 hours turnaround
Availability: Limited by human transcriptionist capacity
Scalability: Can't easily scale to large volumes

Cost comparison (60-minute audio):

AI transcription: $9.00
Human transcription: $60-150
Savings: 85-95%

Hybrid Approach (Best of Both)

Optimal workflow for most users:

Process audio with BrassTranscripts ($9 for 60 minutes)
Review transcript while listening at 1.5x speed (~40 minutes)
Correct any errors or unclear sections
Total cost: $9 + 40 minutes of your time

Compared to:

Manual transcription yourself: 4-6 hours of your time
Human transcription service: $60-150 + 24-48 hour wait

Hybrid model saves 85% time and 85-95% cost while maintaining accuracy through human oversight.

Supported Audio/Video Formats

BrassTranscripts accepts 11 audio and video formats covering virtually all common recording types.

Audio Formats Accepted

Compressed audio formats:

MP3: Universal compatibility, most common format
M4A: Apple/iTunes format, high quality compression
AAC: Advanced audio coding, streaming quality
OGG: Open-source compressed audio
Opus: Modern high-efficiency compression
MPGA: MPEG audio layer

Uncompressed audio formats:

WAV: Professional recording standard, no compression
FLAC: Lossless compression, archival quality

Web audio formats:

WebM: Web audio format, browser-compatible

Video Formats Accepted

Video files (audio extracted):

MP4: Universal video format, most common
MPEG: Standard video format

Note: Video files are processed by extracting audio track. Visual content is not analyzed—only audio is transcribed.

File Specifications

Maximum file size: 250MB Maximum duration: 2 hours Minimum duration: 5 minutes

Typical file sizes:

MP3 (128 kbps): ~60MB per hour
M4A (128 kbps): ~60MB per hour
WAV: ~600MB per hour
MP4 video: Varies (100-500MB per hour typical)

If your format isn't supported: Convert to MP3 or WAV using free tools:

VLC Media Player (Windows/Mac/Linux): Free, converts any format
Online converters: CloudConvert, FreeConvert, Zamzar
macOS: QuickTime, iTunes built-in export
Audio software: Audacity, GarageBand, Adobe Audition

Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate is your transcription service?

Transcription accuracy depends primarily on audio quality. Clear audio with minimal background noise produces professional-grade transcripts suitable for business and academic use. Poor audio quality, heavy accents, or excessive background noise may require manual correction. Use the free 30-word preview to verify accuracy before purchasing.

What languages do you support?

WhisperX large-v3 supports 99+ languages with automatic language detection. Common languages include English (US, UK, Australian, Canadian), Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Russian, Hindi, and 80+ more. No need to specify language—detection is automatic.

How long does transcription take?

Processing takes 1-3 minutes per hour of audio. A 60-minute audio file typically completes in 1-3 minutes, a 30-minute file in 30-60 seconds. After processing completes, download transcripts immediately in all 4 formats.

Do I need a subscription?

No subscription required. Pay only for individual transcripts you purchase. No monthly fees, no minimums, no commitments. Same $0.15/minute rate whether transcribing 1 file or 100 files.

What formats do you provide?

Every transcript includes all 4 formats: TXT (plain text), SRT (subtitles), VTT (web captions), JSON (structured data with timestamps and speaker labels). All formats included in price—no additional fees.

Is my audio secure?

Audio files are stored for 24 hours after upload, transcripts for 48 hours after purchase, then automatically deleted. Audio and transcripts are not used for AI model training or shared with third parties. All uploads and downloads use HTTPS encryption.

Do you offer speaker identification?

Yes. Automatic speaker identification using Pyannote 3.1 labels different speakers throughout the transcript (Speaker A, Speaker B, etc.). Included at no extra charge. Works best with 2-6 speakers with distinct voice characteristics.

Can I try before I buy?

Yes. Every transcript includes a free 30-word preview before payment. Preview shows transcription accuracy, speaker identification, and formatting. Verify quality before purchasing full transcript.

What if the transcript has errors?

BrassTranscripts offers 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee. If transcription quality doesn't meet your needs, contact support@brasstranscripts.com for full refund. The 30-word preview helps verify quality before purchasing.

How much does your transcription service cost?

$2.25 for audio 1-15 minutes, then $0.15 per additional minute. Examples: 30-minute audio costs $4.50, 60-minute audio costs $9.00. All features included (speaker ID, 4 formats, 99+ languages). No subscription required.

Do you transcribe video files?

Yes. MP4 and MPEG video files are accepted. The system extracts audio from video and transcribes the speech. Visual content is not analyzed—only audio is processed.

Can I transcribe poor quality audio?

AI transcription works best with clear audio. Poor quality audio (loud background noise, distorted recording, very quiet speakers) will produce less accurate transcripts. Use the free 30-word preview to check accuracy before purchasing. For extremely poor audio, consider human transcription services.

Get Started with Professional Transcription Service

Ready to convert audio files to accurate text transcripts with speaker identification?

BrassTranscripts transcription service:

Upload any audio format (11 formats supported)
AI processing in 1-3 minutes per hour
Automatic speaker identification included
Preview first 30 words free
Download TXT, SRT, VTT, JSON formats
Pay $0.15/minute, no subscription

Simple process:

Upload audio/video file (up to 250MB, 2 hours)
Processing completes in minutes
Preview 30 words free
Pay $2.25 + $0.15/minute
Download all 4 formats immediately

Cost examples:

15-minute audio: $2.25
30-minute audio: $4.50
60-minute audio: $9.00
120-minute audio: $18.00