Everything you need to know about Speechpad’s transcription, captioning, and translation services. If you can’t find your answer here, email support@speechpad.com.
Speechpad provides accurate, affordable, and fast transcription and captioning handled entirely by human transcriptionists. Every file is completed by a real person, with no automated speech recognition. We guarantee 99% or better accuracy on every order, backed by a 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee. Clients across legal, medical, academic, and media industries have relied on us since 2008.
No. Every file is transcribed entirely by a human transcriptionist. We do not use AI, automated speech recognition, or any machine-assisted tools at any stage of the transcription, captioning, review, or quality assurance process. That is why we can confidently guarantee 99% accuracy on every order.
Yes. We guarantee 99% or better accuracy on every order. If the work doesn’t meet your expectations, we’ll make it right. If we can’t, we’ll refund your money in full. Read more about our Satisfaction Guarantee.
Speechpad consistently outperforms Rev on accuracy, speed, and price. Our transcription starts at $1.30/min versus Rev’s $1.90/min, and every file is completed by a human transcriptionist. See our full Speechpad vs. Rev comparison.
Our client base ranges from Fortune 500 companies to individual researchers and content creators. Industries we regularly serve include:
We offer three main services:
Our pricing is transparent with no hidden charges. Optional add-ons are:
Read our Pricing Pledge for the full breakdown.
Faster turnaround is available on request. Contact us to discuss your needs. Turnaround time for transcription is guaranteed for files up to 30 minutes.
Yes. Our standard pricing includes up to four speakers. If there are more than four speakers that must be individually identified, an additional charge of $0.50/min or higher may apply depending on the number of speakers and the nature of the conversation. We will always reach out to you for approval before any additional charges are applied. You will never be billed for something you did not agree to.
Our pricing assumes audio that is clear and understandable without significant background noise or crosstalk. If the audio is difficult, we will do our best to meet your requested turnaround. In cases where the difficulty warrants a surcharge of up to $1.00/min, we will always contact you for approval first. We only charge the surcharge if we successfully complete the file. If we cannot complete it, you will not be charged and will receive a full refund.
Yes. We offer custom programs for high-volume users and enterprise engagements. Email us at support@speechpad.com to discuss your project.
Yes. Email us at support@speechpad.com for details on API access and integration.
All Speechpad transcriptionists sign a confidentiality agreement before their first assignment. They are prohibited from disclosing any information found in the files they work on. If your organization requires additional confidentiality agreements, our transcriptionists will sign them. No personally identifiable information is retained, shared, or used beyond completing the transcription. Read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service for full details.
For files involving minors, protected health information, or other sensitive content, no personally identifiable information is retained, shared, or used in any way beyond completing the transcription. All transcriptionists are bound by confidentiality agreements and can sign additional agreements provided by your organization if required.
Yes. Customer data is secured using AES 256-bit encryption. Access to customer files is restricted to an as-needed basis only. We do not share customer data or personally identifiable information with outside parties. Credit card information is securely encrypted and inaccessible to our personnel. Read our Security Pledge for full details.
Your files are stored securely on our servers. If you require automatic deletion after a set period, let us know once and we will configure this in your account so it happens automatically going forward. You are in full control of your data retention preferences.
Yes. Enterprise customers often require NDAs. Email us at support@speechpad.com and we will arrange it.
We offer clean copy and verbatim transcription. Clean copy is lightly edited to remove filler words, false starts, and repeated words. Verbatim is an unabridged word-for-word account including every utterance and non-verbal sound. Timestamps, legal formatting, and medical formatting are available as add-ons.
We accept most common digital audio and video formats.
If your format is not listed, email us at support@speechpad.com and we will let you know.
Yes. There is no difference in price for transcribing audio or video files. If your video could benefit from captions, the best value is to order Standard Captions. You will receive both a transcript and a caption file in one order.
Yes. We guarantee 24-hour turnaround for files up to 30 minutes. For files longer than 30 minutes, we can usually still meet the 24-hour window, but if anything changes, a member of our team will reach out to you proactively with an update. We always aim to deliver within your requested timeframe, and if we are unable to, you will hear from us before the deadline, not after.
Yes. We support transcription and translation in 27 languages and dialects, all handled by native speakers. See our foreign languages page for details.
Standard Captions are ADA compliant and work across most video platforms including YouTube, Vimeo, and Wistia. They include a free transcript with every order. Premium SDH Captions meet FCC broadcast standards and include rich sound descriptions, music cues, and speaker identification for films, TV shows, and streaming content.
Yes. Speechpad’s Standard and Premium Captions satisfy ADA requirements as an effective method of making audible materials accessible to hearing-impaired individuals under 42 U.S.C. 12103(1)(A).
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires public accommodations to provide auxiliary aids that ensure equal access for people with disabilities. Closed captions are recognized as an effective auxiliary aid for making aurally delivered content accessible. Speechpad’s captions satisfy these requirements.
Yes. Speechpad’s Premium Captions satisfy FCC quality standards for broadcast video as detailed in FCC Document FCC-14-12, including:
We provide all industry-standard caption formats:
Premium Captions also include the option of burned-in open captions. If you need a specialized format, email us at support@speechpad.com.
Yes. Every caption order includes a free transcript, timestamped or clean copy, your choice. Publishing the transcript alongside your video makes every spoken word searchable, which improves SEO and helps new viewers find your content.
Yes. We charge $1.00/min to turn an existing transcript into Standard Captions. The price includes an edit pass of the transcript, and you will be able to download caption files in any of our supported formats.
Create a free account at speechpad.com/register. It takes less than a minute and no credit card is required. Once signed in, upload your files, select a service and turnaround time, enter your payment information, and submit your order. When your files are complete, download them directly from your account.
We accept all major credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Invoice payment is also available for qualifying accounts, though there is an application process. To apply, select Pay By Invoice when placing your order and follow the instructions.
In most cases, yes. Email us at support@speechpad.com to cancel. If your file has already been accepted by a transcriptionist, we will refund your order amount less any costs incurred up to that point.
Every order is actively monitored by a Speechpad admin from the moment it is placed. We check order progress throughout the day, and if anything is falling behind, we step in immediately. If a file is proving difficult, we find a transcriptionist with the right expertise for it. If we anticipate a delay for any reason, we will reach out to you proactively and keep you informed. We never leave you wondering.
If a file requires additional time or a surcharge due to audio difficulty, we will always contact you for approval before proceeding. We only charge for work that is successfully completed. If we cannot complete a file, you will not be charged and will receive a full refund. This is what it means to work with a human team rather than an automated platform. You have a real person looking out for your order.
Every Speechpad transcriptionist goes through a rigorous vetting process before their first assignment, including transcription proficiency testing, grammar testing, and signing a confidentiality agreement. Many of our transcriptionists have been with us for more than 10 years. We know what each of them is good at, and we route files accordingly. Those with expertise in legal, medical, or technical fields handle the files that require it.
Speechpad uses a multi-tier quality assurance system. Reviewers check every completed file before it reaches the customer, ensuring only top-quality work is delivered. A dedicated QA Team oversees reviewers and regularly audits approved work. Reviewers receive one-on-one feedback and are guided individually to maintain quality. If a customer rates a file below 4 out of 5, the reviewer is placed on probation or suspended depending on the circumstances.