As a freelance transcriptionist, my role will likely involve typing speech from audio or video files into a written format. I may be transcribing legal proceedings, medical records, corporate meetings, or other conversations. A transcription service is a business service that converts speech (either live or recorded) into a written or electronic text document. Transcription services are often provided for business, legal, or medical purposes. The most common type of transcription is from a spoken-language source into text such as a computer file suitable for printing as a document such as a report.