Rates of three Dutch agencies
| Provider | Price per audio minute | Per audio hour | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murmel (software) | €0.024 incl. VAT (€0.02 excl.) | €1.45 incl. VAT with credits; 12 hours a month for €10.89 with Basic | An hour of audio usually within a minute |
| Wijtypen | From €1.55 (clean verbatim), from €1.70 (full verbatim) | From €93 | Up to 5 working days (recordings up to 60 minutes), rush on request |
| Mijntranscript | From €1.10 (clean verbatim), from €1.90 (full verbatim); +€0.10 per extra speaker | From €66 | 5 to 10 working days |
| JM Language Solutions | €2.00; unclear audio +€0.50 | €120 | Not stated; rush +30% |
Clean verbatim means the agency leaves out "uh", repetitions and false starts; full verbatim puts everything on paper. The difference is explained in what is verbatim transcription. Murmel writes numbers the way you would type them.
What it costs: two examples
One one-hour interview, for example for your thesis
At an agency you pay €66 to €120, plus any surcharges for extra speakers or poor audio, and you wait 5 to 10 working days. At Murmel the hour costs €1.45 incl. VAT; the smallest purchase is €6.05, good for over four hours. The transcript is there within a few minutes. Then you review it with the audio alongside. How long that takes depends mostly on the recording: a calm conversation with one microphone needs little correction, a noisy café more. See also transcription for research.
10 hours a month, for example council meetings
Ten hours at an agency costs €660 to €1,200 a month. With Murmel Basic it is €10.89 incl. VAT, as 12 hours are included in the plan. Even if reviewing takes you a good while per audio hour, the gap stays large. For council meeting records see transcription for government.
When a human is better
- Very poor audio. A phone in a coat pocket, lots of background noise or people talking over each other. An experienced typist hears more than software.
- Legal or official record. If every word must be right and you are not the one signing off as corrector, have a person do it, in full verbatim.
- No time to review. An agency delivers; you do nothing. At Murmel reviewing remains your job.
- Other languages. Murmel does Dutch and English. For other languages you need an agency or another service.
Combining both: Murmel as first draft
- Run everything through Murmel firstUpload your recordings and put names and jargon in the vocabulary so they are spelled right from the start.
- Correct in the editorClick a word and you hear the audio from that point. Fix what is wrong, rename speakers and search by keyword.
- Send only the hard recordings to an agencyIf a recording turns out too poor, send only that file to a typist. You get the rest for a fraction of the price.
- ExportTo Word, PDF, TXT or a subtitle file. Then choose whether the recording is kept or deleted automatically.
Other alternatives to een transcriptiebureau
- Murmel vs Amberscript: software and human transcription from the same Dutch provider.
- Murmel vs Happy Scribe: software with human proofreading as an extra.
- Murmel vs Good Tape: software with a free hour to try.
All services side by side are in the overview of transcription software for Dutch. Murmel pricing is on the pricing page.
How this comparison was made
This page was written by Murmel itself, not by an independent party. Murmel has no affiliation with de genoemde bureaus. On 22 October 2026 these public pages were checked: the rate pages of Wijtypen, Mijntranscript and JM Language Solutions. Only what they state has been used. Prices and features change, so always check the de genoemde bureaus website itself before you decide. Murmel has not measured the accuracy of de genoemde bureaus, so this page makes no claim about it. How Murmel itself is measured is described in the benchmark methodology. Spotted a mistake or an outdated price? Let us know via contact and it will be corrected.
Frequently asked questions
What does a transcription agency cost per hour?
At the three agencies checked, €1.10 to €2.00 per audio minute, so €66 to €120 per audio hour, with surcharges for extra speakers, poor audio or rush.
Is AI as good as a human typist?
With a clear recording software gives a usable first draft that you can review quickly. With poor audio or a lot of crosstalk an experienced typist is better. Murmel quotes no percentage for your recording; try it with a file.
Does Murmel offer human correction?
No. Murmel is software. You correct in the editor yourself, or send a hard recording to an agency.
How fast is Murmel?
Up to 85 times faster than real time: an hour of audio is usually done within a minute. You get an email as soon as the transcript is ready.