sales-transcribeme

What this skill does

# TranscribeMe Platform Help

## Step 1 — Gather context

If `references/learnings.md` exists, read it first for accumulated platform knowledge.

1. **What's your primary goal?**
   - A) Transcribe audio/video files (batch transcription)
   - B) Integrate TranscribeMe API into a pipeline
   - C) Compare TranscribeMe to alternatives for my use case
   - D) Set up HIPAA-compliant medical/legal transcription
   - E) Troubleshoot a specific issue (turnaround, accuracy, uploads)

2. **What accuracy level do you need?**
   - A) Good enough — AI-only is fine ($0.07/min)
   - B) High — human-edited, ~98% ($0.79/min)
   - C) Guaranteed 99% — two-step human review ($1.25/min)
   - D) Verbatim with fillers — 99% guaranteed ($2.00/min)
   - E) Not sure yet

3. **What type of content?**
   - A) Sales/business calls
   - B) Medical (HIPAA required)
   - C) Legal (court proceedings, depositions)
   - D) Academic research/interviews
   - E) Call center recordings (high volume)
   - F) Mixed

Skip-ahead rule: if the user's prompt already contains enough context, skip to Step 2.

## Step 2 — Route or answer directly

| Problem domain | Route to |
|---|---|
| Choosing a live meeting recorder or note-taker | `/sales-note-taker {user's question}` |
| Batch AI-only transcription with translation/subtitles | `/sales-sonix {user's question}` |
| Building a coaching program from call recordings | `/sales-coaching {user's question}` |
| General CRM-to-tool integration (Zapier, webhooks, iPaaS) | `/sales-integration {user's question}` |

When routing, provide the exact command: "This is a {problem domain} question — run: `/sales-{skill} {user's original question}`"

Otherwise, answer directly below.

## Step 3 — TranscribeMe platform reference

**Read `references/platform-guide.md`** for the full platform reference — service tiers, pricing, integrations, data model, workflows.

If the question involves the API, also read `references/transcribeme-api-reference.md`.

Answer the user's question using only the relevant section. Don't dump the full reference.

## Step 4 — Actionable guidance

You no longer need the platform guide — focus on the user's specific situation.

**Tier selection framework:**
- **Bulk/non-critical audio, speed matters most** → Machine Express ($0.07/min, ~3x audio duration turnaround)
- **Business calls, interviews — "good enough" accuracy** → First Draft ($0.79/min, 1 business day)
- **Legal, medical, compliance — accuracy guaranteed** → Standard ($1.25/min, 1-3 business days, 99%)
- **Court proceedings, depositions — every word matters** → Verbatim ($2.00/min, 2-5 business days, 99%)
- **Cost comparison vs AI-only**: Sonix Standard is $10/hr ($0.17/min). TranscribeMe Machine Express is cheaper at $0.07/min but with no accuracy guarantee. For human accuracy, TranscribeMe First Draft at $0.79/min is the entry point.

**When TranscribeMe beats pure AI:**
1. Heavy accents, overlapping speakers, noisy audio — human review catches what AI misses
2. Domain-specific terminology (medical, legal) — human transcribers trained in verticals
3. Compliance requirements — HIPAA BAA available, 99% accuracy guarantee with SLA

If you discover a gotcha, workaround, or tip not covered in `references/learnings.md`, append it there.

## Gotchas

> *Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about plan-gated features and integration gotchas that may be outdated.*

- **No live/real-time transcription.** TranscribeMe is upload-only — you must upload a recorded file. For live transcription, use Fathom, Fireflies, or Otter.
- **API access requires contacting TranscribeMe.** You must request an API key via a form — there's no self-serve key provisioning. Plan for lead time.
- **Turnaround times are estimates, not SLAs.** "1 business day" for First Draft can stretch longer during peak periods. Rush service is available but limited to files under 70 minutes with quality audio.
- **Timestamps are at ~30-second intervals.** If you need precise word-level timestamps, TranscribeMe may not be sufficient — pure AI tools like Sonix offer tighter timestamp granularity.
- **No native integrations.** No Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Zapier, or CRM connectors. Everything goes through the web portal or REST API. Plan for custom integration work.
- **Chunked upload required for large files.** Files must be split into 5MB chunks for the preferred upload method. The simple upload endpoint is being deprecated.
- **BrainTree handles payment.** Credit card management goes through BrainTree's SDK, not TranscribeMe directly. This adds complexity for API-only integrations.
- **Machine Express has no accuracy guarantee.** The $0.07/min tier is fully automated AI with no human review — accuracy varies significantly with audio quality.

## Related skills

- `/sales-sonix` — Sonix platform help (batch AI transcription in 53+ languages, translation, SRT/VTT subtitles, REST API, SOC 2/HIPAA)
- `/sales-note-taker` — Comparing AI meeting note-takers and conversation intelligence platforms. TranscribeMe is a backend transcription service, not a live meeting tool.
- `/sales-integration` — General tool integration patterns (Zapier, webhooks, iPaaS)
- `/sales-do` — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do`

## Examples

### Example 1: Choosing TranscribeMe vs Sonix for medical transcription
**User says**: "I run a clinic and need HIPAA-compliant transcription for patient consultations. Should I use TranscribeMe or Sonix?"
**Skill does**:
1. Notes both offer HIPAA compliance — TranscribeMe with human review, Sonix AI-only
2. Compares: TranscribeMe Standard tier ($1.25/min) gives 99% accuracy with trained medical transcribers; Sonix ($0.17/min) is cheaper but relies on AI + custom dictionary
3. Recommends TranscribeMe Standard for patient safety-critical transcription where accuracy is non-negotiable; Sonix for lower-stakes internal notes where cost matters more
**Result**: Clear recommendation based on accuracy requirements and risk tolerance.

### Example 2: Building an API pipeline for call center recordings
**User says**: "I need to auto-transcribe 500 call center recordings per day via the TranscribeMe API. What's the architecture?"
**Skill does**:
1. Reads the API reference for endpoint details
2. Sketches the pipeline: S3 event → Lambda → chunked upload (5MB chunks) → `POST /orders` → configure settings (language, type, speakers) → `POST /orders/{id}/place` → poll `GET /recordings/{id}/status` → `GET /recordings/{id}/transcription` for JSON results
3. Notes: no webhook for completion — must poll status endpoint; OAuth2 token expires every hour — implement refresh token flow
4. Recommends First Draft tier ($0.79/min) for call center volume as balance of cost and accuracy
**Result**: Working pipeline architecture with TranscribeMe-specific constraints and cost estimate.

### Example 3: Turnaround too slow for deadline
**User says**: "I submitted 3 hours of legal depositions on Standard tier and they said 1-3 business days but it's been 4 days. What do I do?"
**Skill does**:
1. Explains turnaround times are estimates — longer files and peak periods cause delays
2. Notes: files over 90 minutes add 1 extra business day per TranscribeMe's policy
3. Recommends contacting support (though response times are inconsistent per reviews), and for future submissions: break long files into <70 minute segments, consider rush service for time-sensitive work
**Result**: Practical workaround plus prevention strategy for next time.

## Troubleshooting

### Turnaround delays on human-reviewed tiers
**Symptom**: Transcription takes longer than the quoted 1-3 business days
**Cause**: Files over 90 minutes add extra processing time; peak periods slow the human transcriber queue; audio quality issues require more review passes
**Solution**: Break long recordings into segments under 70 minutes before submitting. Use