I like typing, however I’ve zero artistic writing means. ZERO. I’ve blogged earlier than, however it normally means sitting for hours at my pc with a couple of clumsy sentences written and no concepts for the right way to proceed.
Once I bought pregnant with my first baby, I needed to take one thing I knew I used to be actually good at—typing, grammar and punctuation—and switch it into an income-generating aspect gig I might do at house.
Right here’s how I discovered my first few transcription jobs
I discovered a course, Transcribe Wherever, and rapidly knew I had discovered one thing that was going to work for me and assist me discover transcription jobs that herald additional revenue. (Right here’s The Write Life’s overview of the Transcribe Wherever course in order for you particulars.)
Typing precisely what I hear from audio requires no creativity, except you depend the artistic punctuation required to interrupt up somebody’s looooong run-on sentence into smaller chunks.
What it does require is all the issues I already knew I used to be good at, and the course taught me the right way to use these abilities to construct a enterprise.
Now two years later, I’ve three children (yep… a two-year-old, a one-year-old, and a new child. No, we don’t get a lot sleep). I’m nonetheless doing transcription jobs from house, and regardless that my household is rising and holding me busier than ever, I’m additionally making extra money from transcription than ever earlier than as I get higher at my work and discover nice shoppers.
I work part-time working as a distant transcriptionist, about 20 hours per week, and I’m persistently ready to herald round $2,000 monthly for my household.
The place to search for transcription jobs
If you happen to’re seeking to get into the world of transcription, I’ve put collectively a listing of corporations the place you need to think about searching for work, together with a number of choices for authorized transcription jobs.
They’re loosely ordered in response to how a lot expertise you might want to work there and the way a lot you may anticipate to earn by these jobs. So should you’re aiming for on-line transcription jobs for newcomers, the primary few gadgets on this record are the most effective place to begin.
Needless to say most of those corporations pay on a per audio minute price, which doesn’t translate to how lengthy it takes to transcribe it.
The overall normal within the transcription trade is a 4:1 ratio, that means it normally takes round 4 minutes to transcribe one minute of audio.
Right here’s the place to search for on-line transcription jobs.
1. Rev
One of many greatest and most well-known transcription corporations, Rev at all times appears to be hiring new candidates. It has checks that it’s important to full earlier than you’re employed—the Rev transcription check and grammar quiz—however it appears to at all times have work obtainable.
Sometimes, you may select your individual schedule and do as a lot or as little work as you need.
Rev has a popularity for low pay, about 30 cents to $1.10 per audio or video minute. However if you wish to get began and have a very versatile schedule whilst you’re studying and constructing your abilities, this is likely to be an excellent match. It’s additionally a strategy to check out on-line transcription jobs and earn some cash to see should you take pleasure in it earlier than you spend money on coaching.
No expertise is required, though you do need to cross a check. Rev additionally has choices for video captioning work, which pays at 54 cents to $1.10 per audio or video minute, and if a overseas language, subtitle work for $1.50 to $3 per audio or video minute.
My good friend and colleague Kristie Cooley began out working for Rev and says: “I loved having the ability to go browsing at any time of the day to choose work. Its system can also be tremendous consumer pleasant!” On the flip aspect, nonetheless, she additionally reported that the individuals who grade your accomplished transcripts may be inconsistent and provides completely different directions or suggestions.
2. TranscribeMe
TranscribeMe is one other good possibility should you’re searching for on-line transcription jobs for newcomers.
The corporate solely pays 25 cents per audio minute, however they break all of their work up into smaller chunks of two to 4 minutes. That makes this firm a pleasant selection when you have solely a restricted period of time to spend on transcription or if you wish to acquire expertise with a big number of audio supplies.
3. SyncScript
SyncScript’s pay price nonetheless isn’t spectacular, however it’s greater than the primary two choices on this record, beginning at 57 cents or 63 cents per audio minute based mostly on the project kind. That is one other firm to contemplate should you’re seeking to get your toes moist within the transcription trade.
SyncScript is sort of at all times working advertisements to rent new transcriptionists. The corporate requires a typing pace of 70+ phrases per minute and 98 p.c accuracy. It additionally requires new candidates to transcribe a seven-minute check audio and cross a grammar check. When you’re on the group, they ask you to be obtainable to transcribe a minimal of three audio hours per week.
Cooley says about working for SyncScript: “Their communication is superior! Each single one of many recordsdata that I’ve gotten are tremendous clear audio.”
4. Focus Ahead
Focus Ahead is one other transcription firm that allows you to work as a lot or as little as you select. It does all types of transcription, from focus teams, conferences, and TV logging. The corporate pays 40 cents per audio minute, paid biweekly by way of PayPal, with alternatives to take part in higher-paying assignments the longer you’re with the corporate. It, too, requires candidates to cross a transcription check to high quality.
5. Every day Transcription
Every day Transcription often advertises for brand new transcriptionists to affix their group, and it pays the next price than among the corporations described above, about 75 cents to 85 cents per audio minute.
It offers coaching so you may study as you go, and it pays weekly by way of verify. Its work tends to concentrate on video and tv transcription, however you’ll additionally discover some authorized and educational work.
Every day Transcription requires a abilities evaluation check and a transcription check to get began, and you might want to have typing abilities of a minimum of 50 phrases per minute.
6. Ubiqus
I spent a while working for Ubiqus (now Acolad) after I first bought began, so I can verify this can be a good firm to work for. The corporate provides common, authorized, and medical transcription jobs.
Their pay construction is a bit completely different than most different corporations; it pays per phrase as a substitute of per audio minute. The speed of pay varies relying on the content material of the audio.
It’s onerous to match a per-word price with a per-minute price, and there are loads of variables reminiscent of how rapidly or slowly somebody talks, however it roughly averages out to round $1 per audio minute, give or take. I personally want a per-minute price, as a result of then precisely how a lot a job can pay you earlier than you begin it. With a per-word price, you actually do not know how a lot you’ll make on a job till you’ve already accomplished it.
7. Allegis
Allegis focuses on all types of industries, together with insurance coverage and authorized transcription (so this firm can be an excellent match should you determine to take the authorized model of the Transcribe Wherever course, the place I did my coaching).
The corporate generally posts openings for novices with no transcription expertise. You simply need to keep watch over their job postings.
Charges are proportional to the shopper contract, so Allegis doesn’t present pay charges on its web site. Plus, the quantity you earn for transcription jobs is dependent upon how briskly (and precisely) you may full the project.
Nevertheless, Glassdoor experiences that hourly pay ranges from $2 to $36 for transcribing jobs, whereas one Reddit consumer says you may anticipate to make $15 to $20 per hour should you kind 100 or extra phrases per minute.
It’s difficult to match a per-hour or per-page price with a per-audio-minute price, however typically you could have extra incomes energy as a authorized transcriptionist than a common transcriptionist as a result of it’s a specialised subject. Authorized transcription jobs are sometimes formatted very exactly, with particular margins, a set variety of strains per web page, and a particular variety of characters per line, so every web page is identical quantity of typing.
I haven’t labored with Allegis personally, however transcriptionist pals of mine say it requires a weekly quota from transcriptionists, so that you don’t have fairly the identical diploma of flexibility. It additionally has intervals of time with much less work obtainable, so it’s not at all times constant.
8. Deposition Companies, Inc.
That is an alternative choice for locating authorized transcription jobs. Deposition Companies, Inc. (now eScribers) offers a two-week on-line coaching program for its authorized transcription work. It focuses on transcribing depositions, hearings, conferences, and seminars.
It pays a per-page price, however it doesn’t specify publicly what that price is, solely that it equals out to about $15 to $20 per hour.
9. Audio Transcription Middle
The Audio Transcription Middle has the next pay price than lots of the beforehand listed corporations for its freelance transcription jobs: $1 per audio minute.
Its transcription check is difficult, and also you’ll probably want a good quantity of expertise — particularly with focus teams involving a number of audio system—to cross it.
A lot of its work focuses on oral historical past interviews and focus teams. It has a web-based utility and requires a resume and canopy letter as nicely. It additionally requires a screenshot of a typing check exhibiting a efficiency of 75 phrases per minute or extra with a minimum of 98% accuracy.
10. TranscriptionServices.com
One other firm that experiences its at all times hiring distant transcriptionists is TranscriptionServices.com.
It requires that you simply cross a 10-minute check as a way to be part of the group, and it mentions that it contains fairly difficult audio. Primarily based on the issue of its check, this firm sounds finest suited to those that have already got some expertise with on-line transcription jobs below their belts.
Transcriptionists who work with this firm have full flexibility to set their very own schedule with no manufacturing commitments. Although the present pay price is unclear, the web site says it pays competitively for transcription work. Nevertheless, it used to begin at $25 per audio hour for very clear audio as much as $50 per audio hour for probably the most difficult audio.
One noteworthy reality about this firm is what it calls its social mission: “For each order, we offer a month’s value of listening to support batteries to a recipient in a growing nation.”
11. GMR Transcripts
GMR Transcription works with universities, authorities and medical establishments, non-profit organizations and extra, so you may anticipate authorized, educational and medical on-line transcription jobs should you work with this firm.
Though it doesn’t record pay charges on its web site, the corporate says, “Our transcriptionists/translators sometimes earn between $1,000 to $3,000 monthly, relying on their abilities and the form of work they take.”
If you happen to’re keen to tackle tougher assignments or full assignments with fast turnaround instances, you’re prone to earn far more. Plus, though no expertise is required for this transcription job, the extra you could have, the higher.
To use, submit a resume and take a brief transcription check. Like many others on our record, GMR Transcripts permits you to work once you need and as typically as you need. And all you might want to begin is a pc with high-speed web, Microsoft Workplace, a foot pedal and over-the-ear headphones.
12. Scribie
Scribie provides common transcription jobs you are able to do from house, offering freelancers quick audio clips of 10-minutes or much less that you simply get to decide on your self—meaning you’re not obligated to work on any project you’re not inquisitive about.
Earlier than you apply and take its certification check, you may apply with tons of its apply checks to make sure your abilities are as much as par. As a result of past an excellent typist, the corporate at all times desires transcribers who can right guide and automatic transcripts.
As soon as employed, transcription jobs with this firm pay $5 to $25 per audio hour. Fairly than obtain a weekly or month-to-month payout, your earnings accrue each day in your Scribie account, and you may switch them to your related PayPal account at anytime.
A bonus: Right here’s the right way to get the most effective transcription jobs
I’ve shared a number of corporations which can be stable choices once you’re simply getting began as a transcriptionist. However I’ve had probably the most success—and undoubtedly made the most effective cash—discovering my very own shoppers to work for.
This may embrace so many alternative folks and professions: pastors, public audio system, podcasters, attorneys, medical doctors, writers, journalists, analysis corporations.
Advertising and marketing your self and searching for shoppers is a time-consuming course of, however as soon as you discover the best ones, your incomes potential is way greater working for your self moderately than as a subcontractor for another person.
For instance, Rev costs their shoppers $1 per minute for transcription, they usually pay their subcontractors about half of these earnings. You probably have your individual shoppers and cost them the identical price, you’d hold that complete $1/minute to your self.
Once I calculate my hourly price for transcription jobs, I sometimes make between $30 to 45 per hour. It’s a broad vary as a result of some audios take for much longer to do than others, relying on the content material and the standard. I’ve elevated my hourly price by having excessive requirements about the kind of audio materials I settle for and utilizing tips to extend my pace, reminiscent of having a large number of autocorrects.
Simply remember the fact that once you work for your self, you’re chargeable for all the go-between along with your shoppers and all the enterprise administration facets of the job, whereas as a subcontractor, all you actually need to concentrate on is the precise transcription work.
A number of locations to search for your individual shoppers embrace LinkedIn, Fb teams, and even Craigslist—I discovered my absolute best shopper there, in addition to many smaller one-off jobs. You would possibly wish to share details about your companies by yourself web site as nicely, like I do for my firm, Q Transcription.
A remaining observe of encouragement
As you begin out, bear in mind it’s OK to begin small.
I started as a subcontractor for a few large transcription corporations, and initially, I used to be thrilled to make round $200 a month. As I bought sooner and extra skillful doing transcription jobs from house, I used to be in a position to earn extra.
After a couple of months, I knew my skills have been value extra, and I began searching for shoppers of my very own so I might cost the next price.
I at the moment have 4 shoppers who hold me extraordinarily busy, and I not work for any of the businesses I began out with. I’m in a position to make an excellent revenue every month whereas staying house with my youngsters, which is strictly why I bought into transcription within the first place.
If this sounds completely overwhelming, the Transcribe Wherever course, the place I did my coaching, features a module on advertising and constructing your small business.
Professional tip: Begin with its free transcription mini-course to see if this trade is an efficient match for you.
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