Are you submitting a file for our Human service? Excellent! Here's everything you need to know.
Languages and translation pairings
See this article for an overview of all the languages we offer for transcription and captions, and the translation pairings we offer for subtitles.
Services
Familiarise yourself with the different services that we offer:
Transcription: Audio converted to text format. This text does not appear on the video itself and is written in paragraphs. You can choose to convert your transcript to subtitles yourself using the button within the transcription file on our platform. Example: transcribing a classroom discussion.
Captions (same-language subtitles): Video with audio converted to text format, appearing on the video itself. The text syncs with the audio's timing and is presented in a maximum of two lines (unless otherwise requested), without significantly disturbing the viewing experience. Example: adding subtitles to an e-learning course on marketing.
Foreign language subtitles: Subtitles translated into a language different from the video's audio. Example: English subtitles for a Japanese-language documentary.
Please note that we first caption your audio in its original language before we translate the captions into your target language. If you order a translation without requesting a proofread source, we will fail it (this should not be possible to begin with).
You will receive translated subtitles for all the audio that is spoken in the specified source language, as well as translated subtitles for all on-screen text (OST) that is written in the source language. Any audio in the target language does not need translation and is therefore not captioned; nor is on-screen text.
Style and formatting
Happy Scribe's transcripts and subtitles should strike the perfect balance between readability and accuracy. To do so, we employ the following principles:
What | Explanation |
Transcription of spoken audio | We transcribe spoken audio. We transcribe what is said, even if there are embedded subtitles on screen that say something different. We do not add any context regarding the speaker or the way the audio is spoken, nor do we capture sounds. This way we improve the readability of all transcripts and captions. |
Clean-read | We transcribe the spoken audio in a clean-read format, which means we filter out unnecessary filler words, false starts, stutters, and unintended repetitions. We also correct pronunciation mistakes to keep transcripts and captions legible. This enhances the clarity and flow of our transcripts. |
Capturing speech word for word | It remains essential to capture the speaker's character and intentions as accurately as possible. We do not correct grammar mistakes made by speakers, nor do we paraphrase any speech. In this way, we can ensure the faithful representation of any speakers. |
All comprehensible speech captioned | We only caption words and sentences that are understandable. If our linguists are uncertain about certain parts, they use [inaudible] or [crosstalk] tags. This helps to maintain accuracy. |
Subtitle specifics | We aim for our subtitles to be as legible as possible. Our linguists adhere to the following rules, in order of prioritisation:
All of our subtitles are separated by a minimum gap of 2 frames to comply with visibility standards. |
On-screen text | We do not subtitle on-screen text, not even if it is nearly identical with speech (we subtitle the speech instead). However, we do translate it. For subtitling same-language OST, please reach out to hi@happyscribe.com. |
Punctuation and word formatting
For all matters above and for punctuation and word formatting, we ask all our linguists to closely follow our Happy Scribe guidelines, unless otherwise specified by the customer. You can these guidelines here.
Limits to transcribable content
We unfortunately cannot transcribe the following content:
Type of file | Explanation |
Multilingual files | We transcribe only the requested language(s). If an audio file contains multiple languages, we transcribe the requested language and label the remaining segments in other languages as [foreign language]. This can improve accuracy, as our linguists may not be fluent in those foreign languages. |
Inappropriate content | Our freelancers unfortunately cannot transcribe the following content:
If you are unsure whether your content falls within these categories, feel free to reach out to hi@happyscribe.com. |
Unworkable files | We cannot transcribe files with less than 20% transcribable, spoken, and understandable audio in the correct language. Unworkable files include those with over:
|
Language flavour
Please specify the language as well as its flavour (regional variation or dialect) for the transcript or subtitles, such as Dutch (Belgium) or Spanish (Mexico). Your transcript will be returned to you according to the flavour of the audio. If you notice this is not the case, please feel free to reach out to us at hi@happyscribe.com.
Translation
We also offer specific flavours for translation into:
English (United States or UK)
Spanish (Latin America or Spain)
Note: for the second person singular, we use tú as a standard for es-ES translations and usted as a standard for es-LATAM translations.
Portuguese (Brazil or Portugal)
This helps our freelancers use the correct spelling, vocabulary and formatting rules. If your preferred dialect is not listed, you may make a special request through hi@happyscribe.com.
No flavour specified
If you select any language followed by (multiple accents) or if the language you select on the platform is somehow missing its flavour notation (e.g. it just says "es" instead of "es-LATAM"), we ask our linguists to stick to what we label the default version.
Without a flavour specification:
English will be British English 🇬🇧.
Spanish will be Spanish from Spain 🇪🇸.
French will be French from France 🇫🇷.
German will be German from Germany 🇩🇪.
Portuguese will be Portuguese from Portugal 🇵🇹.
Dutch will be Dutch from the Netherlands 🇳🇱.
Mandarin will be simplified Mandarin from mainland China 🇨🇳.
Arabic will be Standard Arabic 🇸🇦.
Style guides
Every user has the ability to create a style guide and attach it to their file. Style guides offer more control over the technical specifics of your transcription, subtitles or translation. Currently we support:
Custom subtitle presets (CPL, CPS and minimum duration, shot changes).
Verbatim transcription.
Notation tags exclusion.
Correcting speakers' grammar mistakes.
Customised speaker identification.
Any of these requests have to be added to your style guide and cannot be made in any other way. It is also important to note that custom subtitle presets may sometimes prove difficult to follow (e.g. low CPS when speakers are talking fast). We are putting in our best effort to accommodate all your specifications.
Turnaround time
When you place an order, you will receive an estimated turnaround time for your file. However, external factors such as language or translation requested, file difficulty, length, and upload time may affect the actual delivery time. We strive to deliver your file within the claimed timeframe and always provide a predicted delivery time as well as any updates as soon as this time has changed. If you're under time constraints, please notify hi@happyscribe.com so we can set expectations and try to meet your deadline. In case of significant delays, we will proactively reach out to you.
Is there anything unclear from this article or do you have further questions about the type of content we can subtitle and transcribe for you? Do not hesitate to reach out to hi@happyscribe.com.
Other available services
Anything missing from the style guides feature? Or are you a business with custom requirements? You are welcome to reach out.
We have successfully taken up the following requests in the past:
Transcription with data annotation
Subtitles with speaker labelling
Subtitles for the d/Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (SDH, also known as Closed Captions)
Translation with adaptation and/or localisation, comic feature
Multilingual content
Please reach out to sales@happyscribe.com so we can discuss your needs.