Transcription Quote Template
An hour of a clear one-on-one interview and an hour of a noisy focus group with eight voices are both “60 audio minutes”, but they are not the same work. Quote the style, the number of speakers and the audio quality, and a conference call never gets typed at an interview rate.
No sign-up. Totals, tax and deposit are worked out for you; print it or save it as a PDF.
Free download (no sign-up): Excel / Word
This quote as a file you can fill in and send: the line items below, with amounts, tax and the total worked out by formulas.
How to use this file
- Download it and open it in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers, Word or Google Docs.
- Put in your business details and the client, then replace the example lines and prices with your own. In Excel, amounts, tax and the total update as you type.
- Check the payment terms, then save it as a PDF and send it to the client.
Example line items
| Item | Unit | Qty | Example price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean-verbatim transcript | audio minute | 60 | 1–2.50 / min |
| Speaker labels (3+ speakers) | audio minute | 60 | 0.25–0.75 / min |
| Timestamps at each speaker change | audio minute | 60 | 0.25–0.50 / min |
| Difficult audio or heavy accents | audio minute | 20 | 0.50–1.50 / min |
| Caption file (SRT/VTT) timed to video | audio minute | 60 | 0.50–1.50 / min |
| Rush turnaround (within 24 hours) | audio minute | 60 | 0.50–1.50 / min |
Amounts are examples before tax, not price advice. Add sales tax or VAT where it applies.
What to put on the quote
- Total audio length, file format and how the files will be shared.
- Style: full verbatim (every um and false start), clean verbatim, or edited for reading.
- Number of speakers, how they are labelled (names or Speaker 1, 2) and who provides the names.
- Timestamp interval, output format (Word, Google Doc, SRT) and the delivery date.
- How inaudible passages are marked, and how long recordings and transcripts are kept before deletion.
Common mistakes
- Quoting from the length the client mentions, then receiving three hours of audio instead of one.
- Delivering clean verbatim when the researcher needed every pause and filler kept for analysis.
- Charging the standard rate for a recording full of crosstalk that takes three times as long.
- Guessing at names and product terms instead of asking for a glossary, then correcting them all on revision.
Deposit, balance and validity
50% upfront for new clients, balance on delivery; repeat clients are invoiced monthly. Pricing follows the audio length received, rounded up to the next minute, with a 15-minute minimum. Quote valid for 14 days.
Questions people ask
What does clean verbatim remove?
Fillers like um and uh, stutters and false starts. The meaning and word choice stay as spoken.
Can you transcribe a recording in two languages?
Yes, if both are covered; mixed-language audio is quoted at the higher of the two rates.
What happens with words you cannot hear?
They are marked with a timestamp, such as [inaudible 12:04], rather than guessed, so you can check the recording.