Microtapes probably produce the best quality recordings of any analogue recording system. They should not be confused with mini tapes which are slightly larger. Micro tapes measure 5x3.3cm or approximately 1.25x2 inches. They are frequently used for dictation but some of the recording machines also have external microphones, allowing these tapes to be used to record good quality interviews. We would not recommend them for recording groups as microphones might not be powerful enough. Please note that because tape quality can be so variable (though usually good with micro tapes), and it can also be hard to judge the exact length of the recording on an audio tape, we are unable to give a per audio minute quote for tape transcription. Our hourly rate is £20 per hour of time taken but it is important to understand that it takes around four hours to transcribe one hour of clear, good-quality one-to-one interview and it can take much longer if the quality is poor in any way.

The one major issue we have found over the years with micro tapes is that they are prone to breakage when reused. As they are quite expensive this is a serious disadvantage if you are on a budget. We can often splice together a broken tape for you, but this will sometimes incur an extra cost as it is time consuming and, more importantly perhaps, we cannot guarantee success. If the tape casing breaks it is likely to be unusable. Even if we are successful the tape will probably only be usable to continue the transcription and perhaps be played back through once or twice, before it snaps again.

Provided the tape is not re-used and there are no major issues adding to the time taken such as strong accents, background noise or a need for verbatim transcription then you should be able to safely assume a time for micro tape transcription of between three and four hours to transcribe an hour of dictation, or four to five hours to transcribe an hour of one-to-one interview. Please fill in our on-line quote request form or phone us on +44 (0)1953 880206 to get a quote tailored to your exact needs.

Please see our FAQ and transcription times pages for more information on the time taken to transcribe.

Digital recording is becoming more affordable all the time and it has many advantages over analogue recordings, so consider switching to digital! See our articles pages for information on choosing the right equipment and digital versus analogue.