Introduction
We all like to watch videos, but sometimes you must have felt that the subtitles make it easier to understand and enjoyable. The companies producing such videos and audios also understand our needs. That’s why the transcription jobs are on a boom right now. Various websites are giving out excellent opportunities to earn by converting the audios into written files.
If you are also willing to earn some side income by transcription, then you are on the right page. Today we will see some good websites and platforms which can provide you with excellent transcription jobs and earning opportunities.
What is a transcription job and what are the necessary skills?
Transcription refers to the process of listening to the audio and writing them down in a document. You are provided with an audio recording and you have to listen carefully to what is said and type it down. Then you will send the typed file to the client who will then check the quality of your work and pay you for the time spent.
To become a good transcriptor you are expected to have the following skills and tools:
- Good listening skills
- A good command of grammar to edit your written piece.
- Ability to work under pressure because most of the tasks are time-bound.
- Good typing skills (speed and accuracy)
- Ability to follow the commands of your client.
- Honesty and reliability
- Good quality speaker and high-quality headphones to listen to the audio properly and knowledge of MS word to write down the content.
- Good internet connection
- Transcription software for better productivity.
Good websites to check out for awesome transcription jobs:
Babble Type:
One of the most popular websites for getting remote transcription jobs, Babble Type will help you get professional work. You will get general audios for transcription which will make your tasks a bit easy. Benefits of transcription jobs on babble type are:
- You can work flexibly according to your time but you have to make sure that you are meeting the deadline.
- You will get steady work on this website.
- The average pay for transcribing a 15 min audio is around 10 USD.
- You will receive weekly payments through PayPal.
How to get transcription work on this website?
- You need to give some tests to show your skill. These tests might take up to three hours.
- When the quality of your work is assured you are hired and start getting highly paid transcription work.
Average pay that you can expect: you can expect around 10 USD for transcribing one audio.
Quicktate:
Another good website for getting transcription work is Quicktate. If you are a beginner, this website can give you a good start. The audios that you will receive for transcription are usually mail messages, medical audios, phone recordings, conference calls, legal audios, etc. The videos might be small like two to three minutes duration or long ones like two to three hours.
The website does not specifically ask for your experience but they would prefer a good command of English grammar and punctuation.
Average pay: The pay would be based on the number of words and the genre of audio. For instance, you will earn around 1 USD for every 400 words, if it is general audio. But if it is medical audio, you would earn 2 USD for the same number of words.
The payments are received weekly in your PayPal account.
Benefits of Quicktate:
- You can get good opportunities 24*7
- You can work according to your preference.
- You can choose from different subjects like legal, medical, general, etc.
How to get transcription jobs on Quicktate?
- Create your typist account on the website by filling in all the details.
- Read properly and Agree to the six agreements on the website.
- Take the typist test to show your skills.
- You will also be required to take a background check test that is usually around 20 USD.
- After all the steps, you will get good transcription jobs.
Speak write:
Speak write is also a good website to get verified transcription jobs. You can get both legal and general audios on this platform. The client base of speak write is over 65k which ensures that you get ample transcription job opportunities. You get the autonomy to create your work schedule. You can choose to work on audios as per your convenience and after completing the transcription of one audio you will put the document on the website.
Expected pay: The expected pay for transcribing audios on speaking write is usually 12 to 15 USD per hour. You get paid twice a month either through cheque or direct bank transfer. The top earners on this platform make around 3000 USD in a month by transcribing audios.
Requirements for Speakwrite: You should be either Canadian or a US citizen and have a typing speed of at least 60 words per minute.
GMR Transcription:
GMR Transcription is a worth trying platform for beginners and it has received a good rating from top transcriptors in terms of available transcription opportunities and pay scale.
Before hiring you as a transcriptor, the company asks you to transcribe some audios (which add up to two hours). Once hired as a transcriptor, you will be asked to transcribe at least four audios in a month.
How to apply at GMR Transcription?
To become a transcriptor at GMR, you have to visit their website and click on the careers page where you will get the option to submit your resume. You will receive audio in your mail for transcription for testing your capabilities. After taking the test, you have to wait for two weeks after which you will be hired based on the test score.
Expected pay: The actual pay is disclosed only after selection. But you can expect around 7.50 to 10 USD an hour for a beginner and an experienced person, the pay can increase to 15 USD.
Go Transcript:
Go Transcript is another platform where you can get high-paying transcription jobs.
Pros of this platform:
- Some of the top transcriptors rate this website as worth relying on.
- The platform is user-friendly and you get ample transcription work on this platform.
- As a beginner, you would like to have constructive feedback on the transcribed files so that you can improve in the future. Go Transcript provides the right feedback from top editors that can help you to improve your services.
Cons of this platform:
The problem with Go Transcript is that you might get some audio of non-native speakers which are difficult to transcribe. So if you are ready to transcribe challenging audios which might not be very easy to transcribe, you can go ahead with Go Transcript.
How to get a job on Go Transcript: You have to register on this website and you will be hired after you pass an audio transcription test.
Expected pay: The basic pay for a beginner is around 6 USD per hour. But some of the most skilled people on Go Transcript earn around 1215 USD in a month. If you have a good typing speed, you can earn more money on this platform.
3Play Media:
3PlayMedia is also considered a good platform for transcriptors.
Pros of this platform:
- High pay for work.
- Both English and Spanish transcriptors get good opportunities on this platform.
Cons:
- At some point in time, the transcription jobs become so few that only a few people can grab them.
- The training period for transcriptors is long.
- No guarantee of job security.
- You need to have 75 words per minute typing speed.
How to apply for this platform?
The procedure to apply for 3PlayMedia is quite simple. You have to visit their website and fill the application form with all the correct details. You will see an audio file on the screen which is there to test your transcription skills. You have to transcribe that audio and upload the file. Based on your transcription, you will receive a response from them.
Expected pay from transcription: You can earn around 10 to 30 USD per hour for audio transcription which is higher than other websites.
Rev:
A great platform with a high rating, Rev offers you ample opportunities to earn by transcribing audios. The payment comes through a PayPal account.
Pros of Rev:
- Some of the most skilled people on Go Transcript earn around 1215 USD in a month. If you have a good typing speed, you can earn more money on this platform.
- You get in-house transcription editing software from this website. So no need to purchase any extra software
- If you don’t want to continue with transcription work, you can apply for a Captioner job to earn more.
Cons of working on this platform:
- You might face problems while coordinating with the administration because some people claim that they don’t provide much help.
Expected pay:
You can earn around 3 to 11 USD an hour i.e. 0.30 cents to 1.10 USD for one-minute audio.
How to get started on Rev:
- First, visit the Rev website and register on the platform by giving a small typing test and a grammar test.
- Even if you don’t complete the test in one attempt, you can re-attempt it after forty-five days.
Transcribe me:
Transcribe me is another high-paying transcription platform. It is suitable for both experienced and new transcriptors. The platform is not only confined to US citizens.
Expected pay rate: You can earn around 20 USD for one hour of audio from Transcribe Me. The payment comes through a PayPal account.
How to get started on this platform: To register as a transcriptionist on Transcribe me, you have to clear a simple transcription test after which you will become qualified for different transcription opportunities.
Casting words:
Casting words provides ample transcription opportunities for people all across the world. Both newcomers and experienced transcriptors are welcomed on this platform. You will not only transcribe the audio but also make sure that it is error-free.
The benefit of using casting words:
- You get the option to listen to the audio before accepting the transcription task.
- Besides audio, you also get an option to transcribe videos.
- If you want to take a break from transcription, you can start editing transcripts or grade them according to audio quality.
- You get all the information about your jobs, payment, review, feedback, etc. on a freelance dashboard.
- You get ample transcription opportunities and work according to your availability.
Cons of this platform:
- Your work will be graded based on your performance which means that your earning will fluctuate according to the grades. For instance, if your grades are between zero to four, it usually points towards rejected work and you won’t receive any pay. The highest pay is received when you get grades 8.5 to 9.
Expected pay: The payment is based on per-minute audio. You will receive your payment on Friday through PayPal. The payment for one-minute audio is usually around 8.5 Cents to 1 USD.
How to get started on this platform?
You first have to register on the platform by giving a transcription test and showing that you are older than eighteen. After creating an account, you will see different available transcription jobs. Below each job posting, you will see the amount of time allotted for that task. If you want to work on that assignment, simply click the ‘work on this option.
Dictate Express:
Dictate Express is also considered a good transcription platform for beginners.
Pros of this platform: You can use Voice recognition technology for increasing your typing speed while transcribing audio.
Cons: Although you have the autonomy to choose your working time, you have to transcribe at least 45 minutes of audio in a day.
Expected pay: The website does not mention the exact pay but according to the former users, you will be paid around 9 USD per hour. For each line, you can earn around 0.3 to 0.7 Cents.
How to get selected as a transcriptor on this platform: To register as a transcriptor on Dictate express, you have to qualify for four tests aimed at checking your transcription skills. These are spelling tests, confusing word use, use of commas and punctuation, and an audio transcription test (which is usually around 4 minutes). Make sure that you have read the instructions carefully before giving these tests.
Scribie:
Another audio transcription platform that pays handsomely is Scribie. Scribie provides great transcription opportunities but you have to make sure that your work is accurate as much as possible.
Pros of becoming a transcriptor on Scribie: You get access to an automated transcript platform which saves a lot of effort.
How to get registered on this platform?
- Visit the website and register by filling in the application form.
- You need to fill in your accurate email id and give an audio transcription test based on which you will be hired as a transcriptor.
Expected pay:
According to the registered Scribie users, they make around 200 to 300 USD in a month, according to the time they devote.
Speechpad:
Founded in 2008, Speechpad is known for high-quality transcription services and top clients like Amazon, Netflix, etc. the payment is good but they usually look for an experienced transcriptor.
Expected pay: you can earn around 0.25 USD for one-minute audio. The payments are made through PayPal each Friday.
How to get started as a transcriptor at Speechpad:
To become a transcriptor at Speechpad, you will need to clear a basic grammar test and fill an application form with correct details. You need to score at least 94 points on this test to become eligible for becoming a transcriptor on this platform.
1-888-Type it up:
Considered as one of the highest paying transcription jobs, Type it up is often open for experienced transcriptionists. You can work on both audio and video transcription.
Expected pay on this platform: 1-888-Type it up pays around 30-180 USD for one-hour audio. You will be paid through PayPal or Payoneer twice a month (the 15th and last date of the month).
How to become a transcriptor on this platform?
- First, visit the website and fill out the application form.
- You will see some training material that will help you to become better at transcription.
- Then you need to give a transcription test, aimed at testing your seriousness about the job, which costs around 39 USD.
- The audio in the test is usually two to three minutes.
Some other platforms that you can check out for transcription opportunities:
Besides these websites, you can also avail yourself highly paying online transcription jobs on
- Tigerfish,
- AccuTran Global (much advised for beginner because of simple English test),
- Daily transcription (only from US and Canadian citizens),
- Birch creek opportunities,
- Appen,
- Accutron global
- transcription hub,
- terescription,
- ubiqus,
- Transcription Divas,
- Pioneer Transcription,
- Bam, etc.
Different factors that influence the transcription payment:
- Experience: Experience in any field will fetch you more money than beginners. For instance, a beginner is usually paid 3 to 11 USD per hour for transcription but if you are an experienced person, you can expect more than 20 USD per hour. So the more accuracy and experience, the more you can earn.
- The duration of audio: Different audios have different durations and the period of audio is also a deciding factor for the payment you will receive. Some transcription jobs are completely based on the duration of audio i.e. they pay according to the timing of audio rather than words or number of hours spent.
- The average time taken for transcription: Another factor that will influence the pay scale is the quality of the audio and how fast you can decipher it. If the audio quality is rough, you might have a problem in transcribing and the company will pay you more.
Also, if you have a good typing speed, you can complete the transcription work in a lesser duration and earn more money. Always remember that the time taken to transcribe the audio is always more than the actual duration of the audio. So the faster you complete one audio, the more you can make through transcription.
Rounding up:
Transcripting audios can be a great pastime that can help you earn in your free time. Various platforms provide you an opportunity to earn from transcription. In this article, we saw several good websites for beginning as a transcriptor. You can make your account on more than one website and get the benefits of all these websites. As you keep on working you will start becoming experienced and your earnings would increase. But in the beginning, you might have difficulty getting the work. Don’t give up and gradually, the transcription job would help you earn a significant amount of money.
FAQs (Frequently asked questions)
Ques 1: How to identify the best transcription opportunities?
Ans: You can assess the transcription job based on three parameters: the behavior of your client, frequency of work or assignments you are receiving, and good pay (according to an hour or the number of words). You can go through the feedback of the website and the client to decide if the payment is verified or not.
Ques 2: How much time one should spend on a transcription job if he is a beginner?
Ans: As a beginner, you might have a problem understanding the audio and getting a hang of it. So usually one-hour audio will take around four to six hours i.e. fifteen-minute audio can be completed in 1-1.5 hours. This time also includes typing and proofreading the file besides listening to the audio.
Ques 3: Is transcription worth doing for earning?
Ans: Transcription jobs might look tough in the beginning but as you become good at typing and listening, you can earn good pay and make it a full-time career based on how much time you want to put in it.
Ques 4: What are some of the techniques through which a beginner can make a good amount of money from the transcription?
Ans: The best way to master the art is to start. So you can start by transcribing audio at a rate of 3 to 9 USD per hour. Gradually you will understand the technique to do it fast and with more accuracy and you can start charging as high as 24-40 USD per hour and people who want accuracy and experience will pay you what you demand.
Another thing that you can do is to use some software Trint, descript, etc. for making the audio legible. Use headphones for clarity and practice typing to increase your speed and accuracy. For proofreading, you can use Grammarly.
