Timestamping in Transcription: All You Need To Know (2024)

Are you looking for a transcription job to make extra money from home?

If your answer is YES then look no further as we have got you covered.

In our previous post, we have already provided a list of jobs to get paid to type but this post will walk you through some different timestamping formats in transcription.

If you are looking for a transcription job to make money from the comfort of your home then you are at the perfect place.

Without any further ado, let’s get started:

What is Timestamping in Transcriptions?

Timestamping in Transcription is referred to as inserting time codes in the transcript.

It is calculated in seconds and minutes.

It indicates when the adjacent text was spoken in the audio, making it easier for users to identify which part of the audio corresponds to which section in the transcript.

Notably, timestamps are usually placed based on the frequently asked by clients.

Depending on the requirements of clients, you will have to place a Timestamp in transcriptions.

For example: If a client asks you to place a timestamp in transcription every three seconds, your document will look like the following:

My Doc : (00:00:00) >> (00:00:03) >> (00:00:06) >> (00:00:09) >> (00:00:12).

Note: The first and second set of zeroes depict an hour while the third set is for a second.

For the unversed, timestamps in transcriptions are usually placed to convert video into the text format (eg: subtitles and captioning).

Timestamps and timecodes can also be used while converting an audio file to text.

If you are working on a client’s project, make sure to read the requirements of the client carefully before you start working on the project.

The reason why I am urging you to read the client’s requirements is that the demand for using timestamps duration varies from client to client.

If you are having trouble placing timestamping in transcription manually, you can make use of transcribing software to get the work done.

The transcribing software that professionals suggest the most is Express Scribe.

If you have not downloaded Express Scribe yet, you can download it now by clicking on the link.

Irrespective of which transcribing software you are using, make sure your timestamping format has hour, minute and second sections (00:00:00).

If you enjoy the transcribing job and want to make it a full-time job then you must understand the transcription formatting and editing styles.

You can’t make your client happy unless or until you don’t know how transcription formatting and editing are done.

As mentioned above, if you to make a career in transcription, you should take a 7 Lesson Mini-course.

Once you complete this course, you will be able to decide whether transcription is the best career option for you or not.

This course will teach you typing, writing and editing skills for free.

What Are Different Ways of Using Timestamps in Transcription?

As mentioned above, timestamps are usually used for converting video or audio files into text format (captioning and subtitles).

Here are different ways of using timestamps in transcription:

Start and End Timestamp

Sometimes, you are given audio and video that do not have any dialogues.

In that case, clients want you to timestamp at the beginning and the end of the transcription.

The same applies when a client requests you to timestamp a particular part of the video or audio transcribed.

Phonetic Timestamp

If a client wants you to do the phonetic timestamp in transcription but you come across a word or sentence where you are not sure of the spelling.

In that case, you will have to write the word as you heard and add a phonetic timestamp in the transcript.

Ex: My friend and I went to Dubai last year but my friend did not (00:00:06) buy anything.

‘Did not’ is the word you are not sure of.

Inaudible Timestamps

Similar to Phonetic Timestamps, Inaudible timestamps are used when you come across a word or sentence which you can’t figure out in the audio.

The only difference here is you will have to add ‘Inaudible’ and include timestamp instead of writing what you hear like phonetic timestamp.

Ex: My friend and I wanted to go to Dubai on Christmas 2022 ‘Inaudible’ (00:00:06) but he backed out.

The word that I could not hear properly is 2022.

Cross Talk Timestamps

As the name suggests, you will have to add cross talk timestamps when you could not understand which speaker is speaking what.

This usually happens when you are given a video or audio wherein multiple speakers are speaking at the same time.

In that case, you simply need to add ‘cross-talk’ where you could not understand which speaker is speaking what and then proceed to the next part.

Speaker Change Timestamp

When you are given a video or audio and asked to add a Speaker Change Timestamp, you simply need to use the timestamp code in the transcript when a new speaker starts speaking.

Notably, in this type of video, you would not need to focus on the time interval.

All you need to do is focus on the video or audio and add a timestamp code when a new speaker starts speaking.

This type of timestamp format is usually used in interviews and podcasts where more than one speaker are present.

Specified Interval or Periodic Timestamps

This is the timestamp code or format that we mentioned at the beginning of this post.

In specified interval or periodic timestamp, you are asked to insert or use timestamp code after every 10 seconds, 30 seconds or 2 minutes.

Before you start transcribing the video or audio, make sure to read the client’s requirements properly.

How To Insert a Timestamp In a Document?

There are plenty of transcribing tools or software out there that you can use to add or insert timestamps in a document.

If you still have questions related to timestamping and time coding, I advise you to check the above mentioned FREE course right now.

Once you complete this course, you will have enough knowledge about timestamping, editing skills, writing and typing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

That’s everything you need to know about timestamping in transcription.