Verbatim Transcripts vs Clean Verbatim: What’s the Difference?

Shane Mirkovich VP Global Client Experience

Transcription of conference calls or company meetings can be helpful for many professionals to have as a reference; however, others rely on verbatim transcripts to document an interaction that supports legal or business requirements. Let’s discuss the difference between the two and the uses.

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Verbatim Transcription Explained 

Verbatim, Adjective: Corresponding word for word to the original source or text 

Verbatim transcription captures every single word and every syllable that is uttered in an audio file. 

When verbatim transcripts are necessary, everything that the transcriptionist hears on the recording is transcribed. It really is a true reflection of exactly what was said, and a better reflection of how people speak. 

These can be an interview, deposition, witness testimony and more. Verbatim transcripts capture the exact spoken word, including pauses, stutters, and other noises.

While verbatim transcription is exact, it can be difficult to read the final product.

Verbatim transcripts sample.

Verbatim is the standard for the highest level of accurate speech transcription for legal proceedings or court proceedings where the exact details are critical. 

Clean Verbatim Transcription Explained

Non-verbatim transcription – also known as “clean verbatim” – excludes all unnecessary speech to make a transcript more readable without changing the meaning or structure. 

In clean verbatim transcription, you will see that all unnecessary speech is removed without changing the meaning or structure of the conversation within the transcript.

Below is the same example we posted above completed using clean-verbatim transcription.

Clean Verbatim Transcript Example 

Corporate, finance and business clients are examples of industries that may not require precise detail and often request clean verbatim transcripts. 

Learn how VIQ Solutions can help you capture and transcribe interviews, evidence, and information anytime, anyplace, from anyone. Contact us today.


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