Professional Chinese transcription services
Native Mandarin and Cantonese linguists turn your interviews, meetings and research recordings into proofread transcripts in Simplified or Traditional characters.
4.6 on G2 4.7 on Trustpilot
SOC 2 Type II
GDPR compliant
Trusted by 6m+ users and 41,000+ teams of all sizes
Who we transcribe Chinese for
Teams working with mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong choose human transcription when tone, names and context must be right.
Market and consumer research
Consumer interviews and focus groups in Mandarin or Cantonese, delivered in a consistent format for your insights team.
Business and due diligence
Expert calls, supplier meetings and interviews in Chinese, transcribed in full with every speaker identified.
Media and entertainment
Interviews, documentaries and shows in Mandarin or Cantonese, with timestamps for editors, translators and subtitlers.
Mandarin and Cantonese, by native linguists
Chinese files are handled by native-speaking linguists from our vetted partner network, under the same quality guidelines as all our professional work. We cover three variants: Mandarin from mainland China, Mandarin from Taiwan and Cantonese from Hong Kong.
Tell us which variant your recording uses so it goes to a linguist who speaks it natively.
Simplified or Traditional characters, 99% accurate
Mandarin from mainland China is transcribed in Simplified characters, while Taiwanese Mandarin and Cantonese are transcribed in Traditional characters. Each transcript is checked against the audio, with speaker labels and timestamps.
Share a glossary with the preferred characters for names, brands and products, and choose clean read or verbatim depending on how you will use the transcript.
Chinese transcripts back in 48 hours
Standard turnaround for Mandarin and Cantonese is 48 hours for recordings under 2 hours. Recordings of 2 to 3 hours take 4 days, and longer recordings take 5 days.
For large projects, such as a research program across several Chinese cities, we plan volumes and delivery dates with you upfront.
Confidential handling for sensitive Chinese recordings
HappyScribe is SOC 2 Type II certified and GDPR compliant. Your Chinese files are encrypted in transit and at rest, and everyone who works on them is bound by a confidentiality agreement (NDA).
Expert calls, deal discussions and research interviews stay in your private workspace, where you decide who can view, edit and share each transcript.
Included in every Chinese transcript
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Speaker identification
Each speaker is labelled, so interviews, panels and focus groups read clearly from the first line.
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Timestamps
Timestamps tie every passage back to the recording, so you can check a quote or cut a clip in seconds.
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Clean read or verbatim
Choose a clean, readable transcript or a verbatim one that keeps every hesitation, repetition and false start.
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Glossaries and style guides
Share names, brands and technical terms once. Our linguists follow your glossary and style guide on every file.
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Word, PDF, SRT and more
Edit the transcript online, then export it to DOCX, PDF, TXT, SRT, VTT and other formats.
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Translated transcripts
Need the Chinese transcript in another language too? We pair transcription with professional translation.
How our Chinese transcription service works
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Tell us about your project
Share the language variant, volume, deadlines and transcript style you need. Our team confirms scope and delivery with you.
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Native linguists transcribe and proofread
A native Chinese speaker transcribes your files, labels speakers, adds timestamps and checks every line against the audio.
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Receive your transcripts
You get an email when each file is ready. Review it in your secure workspace and export it in the format you need.
Customer Reviews
4.7/5 on Trustpilot
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Easy to use this service, and I got exactly what I needed. I would definitely recommend to anyone who is looking for good, professional transcription services.
Lynn Hayne Trustpilot -
Impressively accurate and very fast transcription service! I saved so much time on my Master's thesis by using HappyScribe! Really great value and I would highly recommend!
Deirdre Quinn Trustpilot -
The accuracy of HappyScribe's transcription is amazing. Hardly any manual corrections needed.
John Verbrugge Trustpilot
Chinese transcription FAQ
Do you transcribe both Mandarin and Cantonese?
Yes. We cover Mandarin from mainland China, Mandarin from Taiwan and Cantonese from Hong Kong, each handled by native-speaking linguists.
Will my transcript be in Simplified or Traditional Chinese?
Mainland Mandarin is transcribed in Simplified characters. Taiwanese Mandarin and Cantonese are transcribed in Traditional characters. Tell our team if your project needs a different convention.
How long does Chinese transcription take?
48 hours for recordings under 2 hours, 4 days for recordings of 2 to 3 hours and 5 days for longer recordings. Large projects get a delivery schedule agreed with our team.
Can you translate Chinese transcripts into English?
Yes. We can pair Mandarin or Cantonese transcription with professional translation into English or other languages. Ask our sales team to include it in your quote.
Is my Chinese audio kept confidential?
Yes. HappyScribe is SOC 2 Type II certified and GDPR compliant, files are encrypted in transit and at rest, and every linguist who works on your Chinese recordings is bound by a confidentiality agreement. Enterprise teams can also add SSO and access controls for their workspace.