Live Transcription Services

Secure On-Site, Remote and Hybrid Live Transcription for Organisations

The Typing Works provides professional live transcription services for companies, government bodies, universities, research organisations and other institutions that need an accurate written record of meetings, interviews, hearings, conferences and events.

Our experienced UK transcription team can provide:

• On-site live transcription at your premises or event venue
• Off-site live transcription through an approved remote connection
• Live note taking and near real-time transcription
• Immediate draft transcripts
• Fully checked and professionally formatted transcripts
• Human transcription for confidential or sensitive work
• Secure alternatives where remote attendance required, or cloud-based recording is not permitted

Whether you require a live record during the event, an immediate working draft or a polished transcript following the meeting, we can design the service around your security requirements, technical environment and intended use of the transcript.

What Is Live Transcription?

Live transcription is the process of transcribing spoken discussions into written text while a meeting, interview, hearing or event is taking place.

Depending on the service selected, the transcript will appear in real time, be supplied as an immediate draft shortly after the event or be reviewed and professionally edited before delivery.

Live transcription can be used for:

• Corporate meetings and board meetings
• Government meetings and consultations
• Academic research interviews
• Focus groups and workshops
• Conferences and seminars
• Hearings, inquiries and disciplinary meetings
• Staff consultations and grievance meetings
• Training sessions and presentations
• Public engagement events
• Online meetings using Microsoft Teams, Zoom or other approved platforms
• Accessibility and inclusion support
• Formal records, reports and research analysis

We offer several different live transcription options because the fastest or most automated service is not necessarily the right service for every organisation.

On-Site Live Transcription Services

For on-site transcription, one of our professional transcribers attends your meeting, interview, conference or event in person. The transcriber listens to the discussion and produces a live written record using equipment agreed with the client in advance. The transcriber can work from within the meeting room, from an adjacent secure room or from another controlled area at the venue.

On-site transcription is particularly suitable where:

• Participants are discussing confidential or sensitive information
• Remote access to the meeting is prohibited
• The organisation does not permit external cloud-based services
• Internet access is restricted or unavailable
• Audio cannot leave the premises
• The event is being held within a secure facility
• A government, research or corporate security policy requires personnel to be physically present
• The client wants the transcriber to see who is speaking
• The discussion involves several speakers, technical terminology or frequent interaction

Where permitted, we recommend making a secure audio recording in addition to the live transcript. This allows the transcriber to review difficult passages, overlapping speech, names, specialist terminology and sections affected by interruptions or background noise.

An immediate draft can still be supplied at the end of the session. A checked and polished version can then be produced within an agreed turnaround period, often within 60 minutes (depending on the length).

We can arrange the audio recording as part of the service, which can range from two securely managed digital recorders positioned at different points in the room through to individual mics for speakers. This can improve speaker coverage during larger meetings, subject to the client obtaining any necessary permissions and participant consent.

This is a bespoke service – contact us to discuss your requirements.

Off-Site and Remote Live Transcription

Our off-site live transcription service allows a UK-based transcriber to listen to the meeting through an approved remote connection.

This may involve:

• Joining a Microsoft Teams or Zoom meeting
• Accessing an approved audio stream
• Listening through a secure conference platform
• Receiving audio from a client-controlled meeting system
• Working from a recording supplied immediately after the meeting

Remote live transcription can reduce travel costs and make it easier to provide coverage across the UK. It can work particularly well for online meetings, research interviews, webinars, internal discussions and events with clearly identified speakers.

When Remote Live Transcription May Not Be Appropriate

There are circumstances where remote working introduces additional security, confidentiality or operational risks.

For example, a client may not allow:

• External users to join its meeting platform
• Meeting audio to be transmitted outside its network
• Confidential information to be accessed from a home-working environment
• Meetings to be recorded
• Data to be processed through a public cloud service
• Personal data to be transferred outside the UK (or EU)
• Unapproved software, applications or meeting bots
• Audio or transcripts to be stored on third-party systems

Internet instability can also affect the quality of a remote live transcript. Audio compression, connection failures, muted microphones and poor speaker identification may all reduce accuracy. This does not necessarily mean that live transcription is impossible. We can help you identify a more suitable arrangement.

Possible alternatives include:

• Sending a transcriber to your premises
• Positioning the transcriber in an adjacent secure room
• Providing a client-controlled audio feed
• Using an organisation-issued device
• Working through an approved virtual desktop or remote-access environment
• Preventing any recording from leaving the premises
• Producing a live draft followed by on-site verification
• Transcribing from a securely supplied recording after the meeting
• Agreeing bespoke retention and deletion arrangements

We will not ask you to weaken your security requirements simply to accommodate our service. Our role is to find a transcription workflow that fits your organisation’s requirements.

Human Live Transcription

Our human live transcription service is suitable for organisations that require professional judgement in a secure environment rather than an unreviewed automated transcript.

A human transcriber can:

• Understand context and the direction of a discussion
• Recognise when a speaker corrects or qualifies an earlier statement
• Apply client-specific formatting
• Identify likely names, organisations and technical terms
• Flag genuinely unclear wording rather than inserting an inaccurate guess
• Distinguish between speakers
• Follow anonymisation instructions
• Recognise confidential or off-the-record sections
• Create a readable transcript rather than a continuous stream of unedited text

Secure Live Transcription for Government and Public-Sector Organisations

Government bodies and public-sector organisations may need live transcription for consultations, inquiries, interviews, internal meetings, public engagement exercises, hearings and research projects.

We understand that these assignments may involve:

• Personal data
• Special category data
• Commercially sensitive information
• Policy discussions
• Safeguarding information
• Employment matters
• Confidential consultations
• Restricted access environments
• Formal procurement and information governance requirements

We can discuss on-site attendance, approved remote access, human-only transcription, confidentiality agreements, data processing agreements, access restrictions and bespoke deletion arrangements.

Documents relating to our security procedures and accreditations can be supplied as part of procurement, due diligence or supplier onboarding.

Academic and Research Live Transcription

The Typing Works has extensive experience supporting UK universities, researchers and academic institutions.

Our live academic transcription services can be used for:

• Research interviews
• Focus groups
• Participant workshops
• Conferences
• Seminars
• Lectures
• Research advisory meetings
• Public and patient involvement sessions
• Qualitative research
• PhD and postgraduate research
• Sensitive research involving vulnerable participants

We can work to your research protocol and ethics approval requirements. Services can include anonymisation, participant codes, speaker labels, specialist templates, timestamps and intelligent verbatim or full verbatim transcription.

Corporate Live Meeting Transcription

Our business live transcription service provides companies with a reliable record of important discussions without requiring a member of staff to take extensive notes.

It can be used for:

• Board and committee meetings
• Strategy meetings
• Staff consultations
• Workplace investigations
• Grievance and disciplinary meetings
• Client interviews
• Training and development sessions
• Annual meetings
• Conferences and webinars
• Market research
• Product research
• Internal reviews

We can provide a detailed transcript, concise meeting notes or a transcript from which your own team can prepare formal minutes.

Immediate Drafts and Polished Transcripts

A live transcript is normally a working draft.

During a fast-moving discussion, the transcriber must keep pace with the speakers. There may be sections requiring later confirmation, particularly where people speak at the same time, use unfamiliar terminology or are positioned some distance from the microphone.

We can therefore provide two stages of delivery:

Immediate Live Draft

A working transcript supplied during or shortly after the meeting.

This is suitable where the client needs rapid access to the substance of the discussion and accepts that the document may contain passages requiring checking.

Checked and Polished Transcript

A professionally reviewed transcript supplied within an agreed period after the event.

The transcriber can check the live draft against the recording, correct speaker labels, verify terminology, improve punctuation and apply the required formatting.

Allowing a secure recording usually produces a substantially more accurate final transcript. Where recording is prohibited, we will explain what level of accuracy and checking can reasonably be provided from the live notes alone.

Our Information Security Accreditations

The Typing Works takes confidentiality and data security seriously.

Our security arrangements include:

• ISO 27001-accredited secure UK file upload services
• Cyber Essentials certification
• UK GDPR-aligned processing procedures
• Secure UK-based file transfer options
• Controlled access to client files
• Confidentiality agreements where required
• Data processing agreements where required
• Password-protected documents on request
• Secure transcript return options
• Agreed retention and deletion arrangements
• Human-only transcription

Cyber Essentials certification demonstrates that recognised technical controls are in place to help protect systems against common internet-based cyber threats.

ISO 27001 provides an internationally recognised framework for managing information security risks through documented controls, processes and continual review.

Copies of relevant certificates and supporting security information can be supplied during your procurement or supplier approval process.

Preparing for Live Transcription

A small amount of preparation can significantly improve the quality of a live transcript.

Where possible, please provide:

• The meeting agenda
• A list of expected participants
• Preferred speaker names or participant codes
• Specialist terminology and acronyms
• Presentation slides or background documents
• The required transcript format
• Anonymisation instructions
• Confirmation of whether recording is permitted
• Details of the venue or online platform
• The required delivery time
• Any confidentiality, data protection or security documents

For in-person meetings, clearly positioned name cards and suitable microphones can make speaker identification considerably easier.

For hybrid or remote meetings, participants should use individual microphones where possible and avoid speaking over one another.

Why Choose The Typing Works?

The Typing Works was established in 1993 and provides professional transcription services to universities, public-sector bodies, NHS organisations, businesses and researchers across the UK.

Clients choose us because we offer:

• Experienced UK-based transcribers
• On-site and off-site live transcription
• Secure workflows for sensitive information
• Experience with complex, multi-speaker recordings
• Academic and specialist terminology knowledge
• Flexible transcript formats
• Immediate drafts and polished final versions
• Personal support from an established UK transcription company
• ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials security credentials

We do not believe that every client should be placed into the same automated workflow. We will help you choose a service based on the purpose of the transcript, the sensitivity of the information, your budget, your deadline and your organisation’s security requirements.

Request a Live Transcription Quote

Tell us:

• The date and location of the meeting
• Whether it is in person, online or hybrid
• The expected duration
• The number of speakers
• Whether a recording is permitted
• Whether you need an immediate draft
• When the polished transcript is required
• Whether human-only or hybrid transcription is preferred
• Any security, confidentiality or procurement requirements

We will recommend an appropriate live transcription solution and provide a clear quotation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you provide live transcription at our premises?

Yes. Subject to availability and location, a professional transcriber can attend your premises, meeting venue, conference or event. We can also discuss arrangements for secure and restricted-access sites.

Can a transcriber join our Microsoft Teams or Zoom meeting?

Yes, where your organisation permits external access and the platform provides adequate audio. We will agree the connection method and security arrangements before the meeting.

Is live transcription completely accurate?

A live transcript is produced while people are speaking and should normally be treated as a draft. Accuracy depends on audio quality, speaker behaviour, terminology and whether a recording is available for checking. We recommend a professionally reviewed final transcript where accuracy is important.

Can we receive the transcript immediately?

Yes. We can provide an immediate draft during or shortly after the meeting. A checked and polished transcript can then be supplied within an agreed turnaround period.

Can you work where remote access is prohibited?

Yes. We can discuss sending a transcriber to your premises, using an adjacent secure room, working from a client-controlled audio feed or transcribing within another approved environment.

Can you transcribe confidential government or research meetings?

We regularly support confidential and sensitive projects, subject to reviewing the assignment, access requirements and information security conditions. Confidentiality agreements, data processing agreements and security documentation can be provided where required.

Do you provide live captions?

Please tell us whether you need a live working transcript, captions visible to participants, accessibility support or a formal post-event transcript. These are different outputs and will require different technical arrangements.

How much does live transcription cost?

Pricing depends on the duration, audio recording solutions required, location, number of speakers, required turnaround, travel requirements, transcript format and whether the service is on-site or remote access. Contact us for a bespoke quotation.