VideoText workflow guide
Preparing for the GoTranscript qualification test? This guide covers exactly what the test evaluates, the most common formatting errors that cause failures, and how to practice before submitting.
Choose Rev, GoTranscript, TranscribeMe, Scribie, or a custom client specification. Each guideline has distinct rules for verbatim level, speaker label format, timestamp intervals, inaudible notation, and maximum paragraph length.
Clean verbatim removes fillers, false starts, and repetitions for readability. Full verbatim preserves all spoken content. Applying the wrong level is the most common single reason transcripts fail marketplace QA — it cannot be fixed without re-reading the source audio.
A single speaker must have exactly one label format from the first occurrence to the last. Mixed formats (JOHN SMITH / John / J. Smith) require a find-and-replace pass across the full document before any other formatting work.
Rev-style: timestamps every 2 minutes or at each speaker change. GoTranscript: no timestamp requirement by default. TranscribeMe: per-speaker-turn timestamps. Paragraph length limits range from 8 lines (Rev) to no limit (some custom clients).
Verify inaudible notation consistency (all [inaudible] or all [INAUDIBLE], never mixed), check bracket format for crosstalk sections, confirm verbatim level is consistent throughout, and validate that paragraph length does not exceed the client's maximum.
Clean verbatim text. Speaker names in CAPITAL LETTERS followed by a colon. Timestamps in [HH:MM:SS] format at 2-minute intervals and at speaker changes. No paragraph longer than 8 lines. Inaudible sections marked [inaudible]. False starts and fillers removed.
Optional full or clean verbatim per client request. Speaker labels in "Speaker Name:" format with consistent capitalization. [inaudible] notation for unclear audio. No timestamp requirement unless client specifies. Paragraph breaks at topic shifts rather than fixed intervals.
Structured document with consistent heading-style speaker labels, paragraph breaks, correctly formatted timestamps, and clean or full verbatim as specified. Formatted for direct delivery — no manual cleanup required before attaching to the client email.
Reduce revision risk before submitting marketplace jobs. A pre-delivery formatting check catches the label inconsistency, timestamp format error, or verbatim level mismatch that triggers a QA rejection and unpaid revision.
Create a consistent formatting baseline across a team of transcriptionists working on the same client account — so reviewers spend time on content accuracy, not fixing label formats.
Turn raw AI-generated transcripts into readable interview documents: speaker structure, consistent punctuation, accurate paragraph breaks, and timestamps that let readers verify context in the source recording.
Page 1: "JOHN SMITH: Thanks for joining us." Page 3: "John: So as I was saying..." Page 7: "Speaker 1: Right, exactly." — All three refer to the same speaker. Label drift of this kind fails QA at every major transcript marketplace.
[00:05:12] on page 2, (00:05:12) on page 4, [5:12] on page 6, and 00:05:12 on page 8 — all in the same document. Most style guides require a single format, and inconsistency triggers automatic rejection on automated QA systems.
"[inaudible]", "[INAUDIBLE]", "[unclear]", and "[crosstalk]" appearing in the same file for the same type of audio problem. Rev requires "[inaudible]" in lowercase brackets. GoTranscript uses a different notation. Neither accepts a mix of styles.
Pages 1–4 are clean verbatim (fillers removed). Pages 5–8 switch to full verbatim (fillers preserved). This happens when an ASR tool applies different post-processing across transcript segments — and it fails QA because the verbatim level is supposed to be consistent throughout.
Clean verbatim by default. Speaker names in ALL CAPS followed by a colon. Timestamp format [HH:MM:SS] every 2 minutes and at speaker changes. Maximum paragraph: 8 lines. Inaudible: [inaudible]. Crosstalk: [crosstalk]. False starts and filler words removed.
Clean or full verbatim per client request. Speaker format "Speaker Name:" with title case. [inaudible] for unclear audio. No timestamp requirement by default (client can request). No strict paragraph length limit. Crosstalk marked with [crosstalk].
Strict verbatim — all fillers and false starts preserved. Timestamps required at each speaker turn. Speaker format "SPEAKER NAME:" in caps. Specific bracket format for technical notation. Paragraph breaks only at speaker changes.
Many agencies specify hybrid rules that don't map cleanly to any standard guide — for example, Rev-style speaker labels but GoTranscript-style verbatim and no timestamps. These combinations must be documented explicitly because the formatter cannot infer them.
The GoTranscript test provides a short audio clip (typically 2–5 minutes) and requires you to transcribe it according to GoTranscript guidelines. It tests: clean verbatim accuracy, timestamp placement, speaker label format, inaudible notation, and punctuation. You must reach a minimum accuracy threshold to pass.
The test audio is typically 2–5 minutes. Allow 30–45 minutes total for transcription and review. Do not rush — careful review after transcription to catch filler words, check timestamps, and verify speaker labels is essential for passing.
GoTranscript requires approximately 85–90% or higher on the test transcript to be approved as a transcriber. The exact threshold is not publicly stated but test transcripts are evaluated by their QA team. Both accuracy and formatting compliance factor into the score.
The most common test failure is forgetting the mandatory timestamp requirement. Every speaker segment must start with [HH:MM:SS]. Missing even one timestamp results in QA failures. The second most common mistake is keeping filler words that should be removed under clean verbatim.
Use VideoText's free transcription tool to generate a draft transcript from any audio, then practice editing it to meet GoTranscript standards: add timestamps to every speaker segment, remove all fillers, convert speaker labels to "Speaker N:" format. Use the Guideline Format tool to validate your work before the real test.
