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Turnaround Service Levels

Updated

This process explains the various turnaround time options available for transcription and captioning in your account, clarifies upload deadlines, and outlines file duration limits for each service level to ensure timely delivery and SLA compliance.

Prerequisites

  • Requires a Pro or Enterprise account for full turnaround options.

  • Two-Hour and Same Day services are not available to Express accounts.

  • Be aware of 3Play Media’s business hours: Monday–Friday, 8 am to 8 pm ET, excluding U.S. federal holidays.


Transcription turnaround times

 

Steps to Turnaround Service Levels

 

1. Upload Your File

  • Upload your media file before 8 pm ET on a business day for that day to count as Day 0.

 

2. Choose a Turnaround Level

  • Turnaround guarantees apply only within the stated duration limits. If these limits are exceeded, we will make every effort to meet your requested turnaround, but it will no longer be guaranteed.

  • Select one of the following options:

    • Standard (Default – 4 business days)
      Upload by 8 pm ET → delivery by end of 4th business day.
      File limit: max 4 hours; cumulative limit: 40 hours/day.

       

    • Expedited (2 business days)
      Upload by 8 pm ET → delivery by end of 2nd business day.
      File limit: max 2 hours; cumulative limit: 40 hours/day.

       

    • Rush (1 business day)
      Upload by 8 pm ET → delivery by end of next business day.
      File limit: max 2 hours; cumulative limit: 20 hours/day.

       

    • Same Day (8 hours)
      Upload before 8 pm ET → delivery within 8 hours.
      File limit: max 20 minutes; cumulative limit: 10 hours/day.

       

    • 2-Hour
      Upload before 8 pm ET → delivery within 2 hours.
      File limit: max 10 minutes; cumulative limit: 4 hours/day.

       

    • Extended (10 business days)
      Great option for non-urgent requests. 
      File limit: max 4 hours; no cumulative limits. Available via account upload, FTP (in “extended_service” folder), or API parameter (turnaround_level=extended)

 

3. Note the Limits and Upload Carefully

  • Ensure your file’s duration and total daily uploads do not exceed the stated limits. Turnaround guarantees apply only within the stated duration limits. If these limits are exceeded, we will make every effort to meet your requested turnaround, but it will no longer be guaranteed.

  • If 3Play misses your selected turnaround (and it wasn’t due to duration violations), you'll be charged only for the level of service actually delivered.

 

4. Understand Holiday Impacts

  • Turnaround timelines pause on Federal U.S. holidays (including observed days like the Friday after Thanksgiving) and resume the next business day.

  • If the holiday falls on a Sunday, it is observed the following Monday. 

  • New Year's Day
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • Presidents' Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Columbus Day
  • Veterans Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Friday following Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Eve
  • Christmas Day

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