Let’s take a look at three other popular digital audio file formats:

  • WMA: Windows Media Audio or the .wma format was originally introduced by Microsoft as an alternative to challenge the growing popularity of the mp3 format. One reason why the .wma format is well-known and used by many could be because it is already loaded in a Windows software cd. Is the sound quality as good as that of a mp3 format file? That is a debatable question as Microsoft firmly advocates that any audio which is encoded with WMA ends up sounding better than an mp3 audio file with the same bit rate. .wma file formats are a good option for those who have lengthy bits of text to record, since the file size is around one thirty-sixth of a .wav file.
  • DVF files: The full form of DVF is ‘Digital Voice File’. This file extension is a compressed audio file format used in Sony digital audio recorders. In fact, this file format was originally installed in hand-held voice recorders which allowed users to download audio files directly to their PC running on either Windows or Apple software. If you would prefer to stick to a .wav format, all you need to do is use a Sony Digital Voice Editor for conversion purposes. Overall, this file format is ideal for recording audio files because of its small size, which makes it easier to send to your transcriptionist as an email attachment.
  • TrueSpeech: This file format by the DSP Group was originally designed for personal computers, laptops and other personal communication devices. In fact, this format is integrated into Windows Media Player and is also the format used for voice chat on Yahoo Messenger. However, this format is ideal for recording one to one interviews or for dictation purposes because it does not capture focus group discussions or group interviews as clearly. Make sure that any background noise is kept to a minimal when recording the audio file.

The best way to decide which file format is ideal for both you and your transcriptionist is to have a word with her before recording any audio clips or dictation. EQ Trans allows clients to upload digital audio files in any format and our transcriptionists would be happy to assist you in this regard.