FAQ article
Can confidential Mandarin recordings be transcribed without cloud ASR or AI?
Confidentiality is not just a promise on a website. It should be translated into access, transfer, retention, and deletion rules before work begins.
Short answer
Yes. For sensitive projects, transcription can be scoped as offline manual work: a human transcriber listens locally and types the transcript directly, without generic cloud ASR or AI correction unless the client explicitly approves those tools.
What to prepare
Share only the minimum necessary context in the first message: approximate length, language scope, expected turnaround, why the material is sensitive, and whether generic ASR / AI tools must be excluded.
What should be scoped
Agree on named access, transfer method, storage location, retention window, deletion confirmation, and whether any tool-assisted quality check is permitted. Clear scope reduces unnecessary file exposure and review loops. A complete pre-transfer checklist lives in the buyer's guide: confidentiality section.
How FingerPower handles it
For sensitive projects, FingerPower can align on NDA-based collaboration, controlled access, offline manual handling, agreed retention terms, and deletion procedures before detailed materials are transferred.
Next steps
Review service scope
See how mixed-language, terminology-heavy, speaker/number-critical, and confidential offline projects are scoped.
See services →Compare a real sample
Anonymized comparisons showing ASR error patterns, human correction, and offline workflow differences.
See samples →Start a project conversation
Share language mix, terminology density, speaker/number requirements, turnaround, and confidentiality needs.
Contact FingerPower →Free resource
Mandarin transcription buyer's checklist
A short PDF covering NDA terms, file handling, terminology preferences, and turnaround expectations — written for first-time and recurring buyers.
We will send it from service@fingerpower.com after a short check. The PDF is currently being finalized.
Related articles
When should Mandarin transcription be human-led instead of AI-only?
When the recording is used for research or decision-making, the question is not whether AI can produce text, but whether the final document can be trusted.
Read article →Why is Mandarin-English mixed transcription difficult?
The problem is not simply whether English should be kept. Mixed-language transcription requires bilingual judgment, because ASR and unqualified transcribers can turn English terms into unrelated Chinese.
Read article →