With clear audio, automated transcription accuracy typically exceeds 95 percent . The gap between a great transcript and a rough one is almost never the engine. It’s the recording.
What moves accuracy most, in order
- Audio quality. A dedicated microphone beats a laptop mic across the room, every time.
- Crosstalk. Overlapping speakers are the hardest thing in transcription; one voice at a time transcribes nearly perfectly.
- Background noise. Record in the quietest room available.
- Specialized vocabulary. Product names, drug names, legal terms: custom vocabulary teaches them once, for every future file.
- Language setting. Auto-detect is right most of the time; set it explicitly for short, noisy, or mixed-language files.
Testing accuracy before you commit
The honest test is your own audio, not a benchmark. Upload a real recording, the kind your team actually produces, and read the result. The free trial includes enough transcription to do exactly that, and if your evaluation file is longer than the trial cap, ask us to extend it: book a free consult.
When automated isn’t enough
Legal records, published interviews, compliance archives: order human transcription on the same file and get the highest accuracy available, reviewed by a person.
Related: Custom vocabulary · Supported languages · Human transcription