HOW TO HIRE · BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

How to hire a transcriptionist in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to transcription. Here is how to protect the recordings, agree the style and check the price.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a transcriptionist in five steps

  1. Check the recording qualityClear audio is faster and cheaper to transcribe.
  2. Say who is speakingNumber of speakers, names and any specialist terms.
  3. Choose the styleClean verbatim or full verbatim, with or without timestamps.
  4. Agree how files are sharedA secure upload, not an email attachment.
  5. Set a deletion dateFor the audio and the transcript copies the transcriptionist holds.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses transcriptionists or transcription services in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Sample work, references and data handling are the checks.

Ask for a short sample transcript of a similar recording.

Processor terms for personal data

A transcriptionist handling recordings for you processes personal data on your behalf. The ICO's guidance sets out what the written contract between you must cover, including confidentiality, security and deletion.

Put those terms in writing before sending recordings with personal details. ico.org.uk →

ICO fee

A business or sole trader processing personal data must pay the ICO data protection fee unless exempt.

Check the transcriptionist on the ICO register. gov.uk →

Secure storage

Data protection rules, enforced by the ICO, require personal information to be kept secure. Interview audio can include health, opinions or other sensitive details.

Ask where files are stored, who can access them, and whether any automated tool sends audio to third parties. gov.uk →

VAT

Transcription is standard-rated, so a registered transcriptionist adds 20% to the rate per audio minute and to poor-audio or rush surcharges. Registration becomes compulsory once a transcriptionist has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the transcriptionist for the VAT number before sending audio and for the fee and VAT shown separately. gov.uk →

“How do you price transcription, per audio minute or hour?”

A good answer: A clear rate, how partial minutes are charged, and extras for difficult audio.

“Which transcript style will you use?”

A good answer: Clean verbatim or full verbatim, as you choose.

“Will speakers be labelled and timestamps added?”

A good answer: Yes or no, and at what interval.

“Who does the transcription, and where?”

A good answer: A named transcriptionist or team, and whether any work is subcontracted.

“How will the transcriptionist store and delete my recordings?”

A good answer: Secure storage and deletion on a set date.

“Do you use automatic speech recognition?”

A good answer: An honest answer, and whether a person checks every line.

“What is the transcription turnaround?”

A good answer: A date, and the rush rate.

Getting the quote right

  • Rate per audio minute or hour, and the audio length
  • Who actually attends to your recordings: the transcriptionist you hired, or subcontracted typists
  • Style, speaker labels and timestamps
  • Surcharges for poor audio or many speakers
  • Turnaround and rush rate
  • Data handling and deletion
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% on the per-minute fee and surcharges

Walk away if

  • Asks you to email sensitive recordings
  • No answer on where files are stored
  • Machine transcripts sold as human-checked
  • Subcontracts without telling you
  • No deletion date
  • Charges per started hour without saying so

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Transcriptionists near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Audio reviewQuality, speakers and specialist terms checked.
  2. TranscriptionThe recording typed in the chosen style.
  3. Speaker labels and timestampsAdded as agreed.
  4. ProofreadThe transcript checked against the audio.
  5. Delivery and deletionTranscript delivered securely; files deleted on schedule.

Clean verbatim
A transcript without fillers and false starts.
Full verbatim
Every word, pause and filler recorded.
Timestamp
A time marker showing where text falls in the audio.
Speaker label
A name or tag showing who is speaking.
Audio hour
One hour of recording, the usual unit for pricing.
Processor
Someone handling personal data on your behalf.

AFTER

When the job is done

Spot-check against the audioListen to a few minutes and compare.
Confirm deletionAsk for written confirmation the files are deleted.
Store the transcript securelyIt holds the same personal data as the recording.
Leave an honest reviewYour review helps the next person choose; Locufy only accepts reviews of booked work. If there is a problem with the transcriptionist, the make-it-right step gives them a chance to fix it first.

STEP 1Start with the transcriptionistSet out the problem, the date and what would put it right. Trading as a business, the transcriptionist owes you reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and where that was missing you can require the work done again or a lower price.
STEP 2Make-it-right on LocufyUnder four stars, you are asked whether to send the problem to the transcriptionist before reviewing. We chase it with them, and your review follows.
STEP 3The consumer helplinesTrading Standards takes complaints through the national helplines: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland, which is its own helpline there.
STEP 4Take it to small claimsIf nothing else works, claim from the transcriptionist in the small claims court: up to £10,000 in England and Wales, up to £5,000 in Scotland by simple procedure, and up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a transcriptionist: questions people ask

No licence, register or qualification applies in any UK nation.

Yes, if they contain personal data; keep them secure and agree written processor terms with the transcriptionist.

Clean verbatim tidies speech; full verbatim keeps every filler and pause.

No UK publisher prices transcriptionist work in a way we can quote with confidence. Audio quality, number of speakers, timestamps and turnaround set the price. Ask two or three transcriptionists for written quotes against the same brief; the transcriptionist price guide explains what moves the price.

For rough notes, sometimes; for research or legal use, ask for human checking.

From a day to a week, depending on audio length and turnaround.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in business & professional

How to hire: Translation ServiceHow to hire: InterpreterHow to hire: Proofreading ServiceHow to hire: Market ResearchHow to hire: Business ConsultantHow to hire: CV WriterHow to hire: Grant & Bid WriterHow to hire: Management ConsultantAll 701 hiring guides →

Transcriptionists near you

Transcriptionists in LondonTranscriptionists in ManchesterTranscriptionists in BirminghamTranscriptionists in GlasgowTranscriptionists in BelfastAll transcriptionists on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. ICO — contracts between controllers and processors
  2. gov.uk — pay the data protection fee
  3. gov.uk — data protection and your business
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  6. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  7. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  8. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register