Freelancer Vs Transcription Service: Quality and Cost?

Transcription services and online freelancing are two sectors in the transcription industry.

So, when in need of a transcriptionist the choice always comes down to either hiring a transcriber or hiring a professional transcription service.

However, people have no dearth of information to understand which one between the two outweighs the other.

Freelancers and transcription services can deliver excellent results.

But when you extensively consider how reliable you want your transcript to be. Here is when the dilemma sets in.

Quality transcripts are the most essential thing among the many factors considered when seeking a transcription service.

How likely is the freelancer or the transcription service capable of delivering quality and reliable transcripts?

Acquiring such information can significantly impact your decisions when deciding which is the best-fitted method to get your recorded dialogue transcribed, whether you are a doctor, a researcher, a media personnel, a corporate, or a legal practitioner.

In order to address which method outshines the other, this article compares how freelancers and transcription services perform their transcription work.

Impacting the likelihood of you making the best decisions on which option is best suited for releasing quality transcripts that are cost–effective.

So, let us lay out the differences simply so you can deeply understand. However, let's first expound on the meaning of the two transcription processes.

What Are Freelance And Transcription Services?

When you hear the word freelance, it means people working for themselves rather than being employed by a single company or organisation.

Freelancer transcriptionists are people who are self-employed. They work independently, offering their transcription services to different clients on a project basis.

On the other hand, transcription services entail a set business that hires specialised teams of transcriptionists.

Transcription services usually follow outlined working protocols, and every staff member employed must follow the working procedures.

Therefore, when you hire a freelancer, you are relying on an individual to transcribe your project, unlike a transcription service, where everything turns into a business venture. But between the two, which service best releases accurate transcripts that are of quality?

Is it the freelancer or a transcription service? Let’s get to it.

A Transcription Agency Versus the Freelancer: Which One Is A Better Choice?

It can often be a difficult choice to distinguish between freelancers and transcription services when you are looking for the best solutions to transcribe your data.

Each option has its own merits and demerits.

So, let’s do the right thing. And distinguish how best the two services release accurate and quality transcripts.

At the same time, identifying the correct method that provides pocket-friendly transcription services.

Let’s have a look at how the options perform transcription work to allow you to make effective decisions regarding which method is best for your transcriptions. Here is how to make the right choice.

1) How Accurate Is Your Transcript?

Freelancers versus transcription services vary widely in skills and experience. Unless a freelancer specializes in the transcription area, the better it is.

Sometimes freelancers possess no skills at all. But can highly accept these transcription projects since they need work to keep them going.

Therefore, how capable is the freelancer to produce accurate and quality work in such scenarios? Just hear me out. Reputable transcription services hire skilled and experienced transcribers, making them fit to transcribe any spoken dialogue.

Moreover, transcription services often involve quality data control processes to ensure your transcripts are well checked, reviewed, edited, and formatted.

When it comes to quality transcripts, transcription services often exceed those of freelance transcriptionists.

2) Which Option Is Cost-Effective?

Transcription services, unlike freelancers, tend to have higher costs. Freelancers offer more affordable transcription charges.

Why is this so? Freelancers often do not need to rent office spaces or pay their support staff. A freelancer can comfortably work at home without having to move from one place to another.

So, most of them work with such flexibility. Meaning that unlike companies that need to pay their staff, cater for their commuting and allowance expenses.

Freelancers' work has fewer demands. In turn, making them not ask for more pay. Typically, they charge lower fees than transcription services.

3) Which Option Secures Your Data The Most?

Freelancers versus transcription services. Who maintains high data security protocols? Unless you sign a work non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with a freelancer.

There can be a greater risk of mishandled data from the freelancer. And professional freelancers who can ensure tight security for your data are hard to find.

This is the point where the differences between freelancers and transcription services become more transparent. Many freelancers operate casually, and this casual approach may not be appealing to clients seeking secure data approaches for their sensitive information.

Transcription services often involve a security framework in their core operations. They have set data security protocols and integrated encrypted file transfers.

Not forgetting most of them usually undergo security certifications such as HIPAA, GDPR, and others.

4) Which Option Handles The Most Projects' Capacity?

Minding about the bulky projects that you need transcribed. Which service is the best suited for you? Freelancers are more effective with fewer jobs.

The more jobs you present to the freelancer. The more likely you are to get your projects delayed, and sometimes not worked on. Unemployed people are likely to disappear and go long without responses when overloaded with jobs.

Unlike the employed transcriptionists, who would be monitored every day. Your bulk projects are safer with transcription services.

Transcription services can easily accommodate your bulk projects, as the competition in the market is very high. Transcription services keep up with the transcription pace no matter how many projects they get most times.

5) Who Is Most Specialized in Transcriptions?

Transcription services involve the right expertise for the job. Most times, transcription services hire specialized transcribers.

Transcription services hire people who have spent years working in particular industries. For instance, a medical transcriber may be a nurse who decided to switch into the transcription sector.

While at times, legal transcribers can be law students who are conversant with the legal terminology. The agencies again train the transcriptionists from time to time to upgrade their skills.

And sometimes, these companies can assess the transcriptionist's level of skills before hiring. So, transcription services employ people with the best skills and transcriptionists best fitted for the jobs.

Employing such personnel in every field makes the transcription services more remarkable compared to freelance transcriptionists. Therefore, if a transcription service is not using the AI transcription tools, the human transcribers with high expertise get to work.

Freelancers often develop expertise and more skills as they grow. And sometimes can enrol for transcription classes to understand how particular projects, such as those from the medical and legal fields, should be carried out.

In comparison, companies or agencies involve more specialised transcriptionists, unlike freelancers. But the method you decide to settle for often depends on your personal preference.

Conclusion

Apart from the above-mentioned factors, other factors may be taken into account when considering the best choice to settle for your transcriptions. You might have smaller projects that are well-suited for freelancers, and you might have complex projects that are best suited for transcription services.

But at the same time, settle for a service that can handle both simple and complex projects such as Verbalscripts' transcription services. This company accepts all projects, whether big or small.

Verbalscripts is a professional transcription service that provides accurate and affordable transcripts within the stipulated time.

Whether you are an individual or a company of any size. Verbalscripts is ready to assist you in transcribing your recorded speech.

The company has well-trained medical transcribers, legal transcribers, academic transcribers, and many more. According to your project needs. You will precisely get what you want.

With Verbalscripts, the variety of projects that you have can easily be handled. Visit their online site and you will be assisted.