Transcription Add-On Services
Add-ons let you customize a human transcription order. This article covers Timestamps, Verbatim, Rush, Premium Transcription, Instant First Draft, and Burned-in Timecode Sync: what each one does, what it costs, and how to add it.
To add one, turn it on in Human transcription preferences at checkout.
Add-ons can’t be added after the order is placed.
In this article
Timestamps
Price: $0.30 per audio minute. AI transcripts include timestamps at no charge.
A timestamp marks the point in the recording where a passage is spoken, so you can find it in the audio or video quickly. Without the add-on, a human transcript is plain text with speaker names.
Two kinds of timestamps
- Paragraph timestamps appear at the start of each paragraph, at each speaker change. They’re best for skimming and finding a section quickly. In a downloaded Word file, each paragraph timestamp links back to that spot in the Transcription Editor.
- Inline timestamps appear within the text itself. They give you more precise points to work from.
Example
Speaker 1 [00:59]: So sometimes [00:01:00] if color coding is easy for jogging your memory on important sections, you can highlight…
When you download, check Include paragraph timestamps, Include inline timestamps, both, or neither.
When to choose Timestamps
- Editing video or podcasts, when you need to find a clip in the recording
- Quoting interviews or research, when you need to cite where something was said
- Reviewing long recordings, so you can jump between the transcript and the audio
Timestamps start at 00:00:00. If your recording has its own running timecode, you can shift the timestamps with Offset timestamps in the Transcription Editor. You can also match an on-screen timecode with Burned-in Timecode Sync, which requires this add-on.
Verbatim
Price: $0.50 per audio minute for human transcripts. AI transcripts can also be verbatim; set this under AI Transcript Settings in your account settings.
Every human transcript is one of two styles: standard (non-verbatim), which is the default, or verbatim, which you add at checkout. Both capture exactly what was said, in the speaker’s own words. Neither one is paraphrased or summarized. The difference is whether the natural hesitations and slips of everyday speech are kept or removed.
Standard (non-verbatim)
A standard transcript is lightly cleaned up so it reads smoothly. The transcriptionist removes:
- Filler words, such as “um,” “uh,” and “you know” when it’s used as filler
- False starts, where a speaker begins a sentence and then restarts it
- Stutters and repeated words
- Non-speech sounds, such as laughter
Standard is the best choice for most people. It works well for meeting notes, interviews you plan to quote, articles, and research where what was said matters more than how it was said.
Verbatim
A verbatim transcript keeps everything exactly as it was spoken, including:
- Filler words (“uh,” “um”)
- False starts (“She only had 10... I mean, she only had 15 minutes.”)
- Stutters (“He w-wasn’t too s-s-sure about it.”)
- Laughter
Choose verbatim when how something was said matters as much as what was said. Common examples are legal or investigative work, academic or qualitative research that studies speech patterns or hesitation, and scripts or captions that must match the audio exactly.
The same sentence in each style
- Verbatim: “So, um, we— we were thinking that, uh, the launch could, you know, maybe move to— to June? [laughter]”
- Standard: “So we were thinking that the launch could maybe move to June?”
Without the add-on, you get a standard transcript. Verbatim takes more work, so turnaround can be longer. Add Rush if you need the transcript sooner.
Rush
Price: $1.25 per audio minute.
Rush puts your files at the front of the line. They’re prioritized and completed by Rev’s top transcriptionists, and delivered up to 5x faster than standard turnaround. Unlike Instant First Draft, a Rush order is the finished human transcript, not an AI draft.
How it works
Longer files are split into segments that several transcriptionists work on at once. The segments are then combined into one transcript. Because different people transcribe different segments, speaker names may be inconsistent on files over 30 minutes. You can fix them in the Transcription Editor, or add Premium Transcription to have the reviewer make them consistent.
Rush vs. other faster options
- Rush (paid): Up to 5x faster, and your files are prioritized.
- Shorten Turnaround (free): Up to 2x faster by splitting files 30 minutes or longer. Turn it on in your File preferences.
- Instant First Draft (paid): An AI draft right away while the standard-speed human transcript is in progress.
When to choose Rush
- You have a deadline and need the finished human transcript as soon as possible.
- You’ve added Verbatim or Premium, which take longer, and need them faster.
To add Rush to every human transcription order, turn on Rush My Order in your File preferences. That setting only applies to orders placed on the desktop site.
Premium Transcription
Price: $1.75 per audio minute, added to the standard human transcription rate.
Every human transcript is made by a professional transcriptionist. With Premium Transcription, a second expert transcriptionist also reviews your finished transcript against the audio before it’s delivered. This second pass catches errors the first pass may have missed. It’s especially useful for difficult audio, technical terms, and recordings with many speakers. Premium: The same, plus a second expert review for 99%+ accuracy that also handles speaker consistency and any instructions or reference materials you provide, backed by a redo guarantee.
Turnaround: Because of the second review, Premium orders take longer than standard ones. If you need Premium faster, add Rush as well.
What Premium adds
- A full second review: An expert reviewer goes through the whole transcript again and corrects words, punctuation, and formatting.
- Consistent speaker names: Long files and Rush orders are split among several transcriptionists. The reviewer gets the full file back together, makes speaker labels consistent throughout, and fixes any errors where the segments were joined.
- Special instructions: Premium is required if you need handling beyond Rev’s standard guidelines, such as specific terms, spellings, or formatting rules. The reviewer applies your instructions.
- Every transcript format: Premium works with every transcript format and file type Rev offers.
Standard vs. Premium
- Standard: One professional transcriptionist (or several, on split files) completes the transcript. This is right for most recordings with clear audio.
- Premium: The same, plus a second expert review that also handles speaker consistency and any instructions or reference materials you provide.
When to choose Premium
- Audio with heavy accents, crosstalk, background noise, or specialized vocabulary (medical, technical, legal, academic)
- Long recordings, or Rush orders where consistent speaker names matter
- Work going straight to publication, broadcast, or production, where the transcript needs to be ready to use without your own editing pass
- Projects with specific spellings, terms, or formatting needs
Instant First Draft
Price: $0.10 per audio minute.
Instant First Draft gives you an AI transcript of your file within moments of placing a human transcription order. You can start reading, searching, and editing it in the Transcription Editor right away. When the human transcript is finished, it’s delivered as well.
The draft is AI-generated, so expect some errors, especially with difficult audio. Use it to get started, not as your final copy.
When to choose Instant First Draft
- You need to start working with the content today but still want a human-verified final transcript.
- You want to review or pull quotes from a recording while the human transcript is in progress.
If your order is already in progress, order an AI transcript of the same file instead.
Burned-in Timecode Sync
Price: Free. Requires the Timestamps add-on.
Some videos, especially production footage and edit exports, show a running timecode on screen (for example, 13:48:12:05). This is called burned-in timecode. Normally your transcript’s timestamps start at 00:00:00. With Burned-in Timecode Sync, Rev reads the on-screen timecode and matches your timestamps to it, so the transcript lines up with what your editing software shows.
Requirements
- A video file with the timecode visible on screen
- The Timestamps add-on on the same order
- A timecode that runs continuously through the whole video, with no cuts or jumps
When to choose it
If you’re editing video and need transcript timestamps that match your footage’s timecode.
Because this is a beta, it may not always work. If your timestamps don’t match, set the start time yourself with Offset timestamps in the Transcription Editor.