All Questions Asked on Transcription Discussion Board

I’ve had phone interviews where one side keeps cutting out - do you mark that somehow?

Posted by Meghan in Editing & Proofreading

During one of my recent phone interviews, the audio kept cutting out from one side, and it made the conversation a bit difficult to follow. It got me wondering - do interviewers usually make a note of technical issues like this separately, or...

• May 06, 2026
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Comment:

Yes, interviewers usually understand when technical issues happen during a phone interview, especially if the connection problem is obvious. Most of the time, they won’t judge the candidate based on something outside their control. What matters more is how you handle the situation. If you stay calm, ask for clarification when needed, and continue communicating professionally, it still leaves a positive impression. However, if the audio issues seriously affected the flow of the conversation, it can sometimes have a small impact. In that case, it’s perfectly fine to send a brief follow-up message thanking them for the interview and mentioning that the connection issues made parts of the conversation difficult to hear.

I occasionally work with recordings where the audio briefly cuts out or skips, making timestamps confusing.

Posted by Meghan in Editing & Proofreading

During transcription or editing, I sometimes encounter audio that cuts out briefly or jumps ahead in the recording. This creates uncertainty about where the next timestamp should go and whether the timeline should be adjusted. I want to maintain a...

• Mar 16, 2026
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Comment:

Always follow the actual audio timeline - never adjust timestamps just to make the transcript look smooth. If the audio cuts, skips, or jumps, place the next timestamp where the sound actually resumes, not where it “should” be. For gaps, you can add tags like [audio gap] or [inaudible] to keep things clear. Avoid fixing or stretching time, as it reduces accuracy and can cause issues in syncing or professional use.