I like typing, however I’ve zero inventive writing capability. ZERO. I’ve blogged earlier than, but it surely often means sitting for hours at my laptop with just a few clumsy sentences written and no concepts for how you can proceed.
Once I bought pregnant with my first little one, 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 residence.
Right here’s how I discovered my first few transcription jobs
I discovered a course, Transcribe Wherever, and shortly knew I had discovered one thing that was going to work for me and assist me discover transcription jobs that usher in further earnings. (Right here’s The Write Life’s evaluate of the Transcribe Wherever course if you’d like particulars.)
Typing precisely what I hear from audio requires no creativity, until you rely the inventive punctuation required to interrupt up somebody’s looooong run-on sentence into smaller chunks.
What it does require is the entire issues I already knew I used to be good at, and the course taught me how you can 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 residence, and regardless that my household is rising and retaining 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 every week, and I’m constantly in a position to herald round $2,000 monthly for my household.
The place to search for transcription jobs
For those who’re trying to get into the world of transcription, I’ve put collectively a listing of corporations the place you must contemplate on the lookout for work, together with a number of choices for authorized transcription jobs.
They’re loosely ordered based on how a lot expertise you must work there and the way a lot you’ll be able to anticipate to earn by these jobs. So in case you’re aiming for on-line transcription jobs for newbies, the primary few objects on this checklist are the perfect place to begin.
Understand that most of those corporations pay on a per audio minute fee, which doesn’t translate to how lengthy it takes to transcribe it.
The final normal within the transcription trade is a 4:1 ratio, which means it often 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 largest and most well-known transcription corporations, Rev all the time appears to be hiring new candidates. It has exams that it’s important to full earlier than you’re employed—the Rev transcription check and grammar quiz—but it surely appears to all the time have work accessible.
Usually, you’ll be able to select your personal schedule and do as a lot or as little work as you need.
Rev has a repute 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 when 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 in case you get pleasure from it earlier than you spend money on coaching.
No expertise is required, though you do should 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 you recognize 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 be tremendous consumer pleasant!” On the flip aspect, nevertheless, she additionally reported that the individuals who grade your accomplished transcripts could be inconsistent and provides completely different directions or suggestions.
2. TranscribeMe
TranscribeMe is one other good possibility in case you’re on the lookout for on-line transcription jobs for newbies.
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 alternative in case 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 fee nonetheless isn’t spectacular, but it surely’s larger than the primary two choices on this checklist, beginning at 57 cents or 63 cents per audio minute based mostly on the project kind. That is one other firm to think about in case you’re trying to get your ft moist within the transcription trade.
SyncScript is nearly all the time operating adverts to rent new transcriptionists. The corporate requires a typing velocity 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 workforce, they ask you to be accessible 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 permits 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. Day by day Transcription
Day by day Transcription steadily advertises for brand new transcriptionists to affix their workforce, and it pays the next fee than a few of the corporations described above, about 75 cents to 85 cents per audio minute.
It supplies coaching so you’ll be able to be taught as you go, and it pays weekly by way of verify. Its work tends to deal with video and tv transcription, however you’ll additionally discover some authorized and educational work.
Day by day Transcription requires a abilities evaluation check and a transcription check to get began, and you must have typing abilities of no less than 50 phrases per minute.
6. Ubiqus
I spent a while working for Ubiqus (now Acolad) once I first bought began, so I can affirm this can be a good firm to work for. The corporate affords common, authorized, and medical transcription jobs.
Their pay construction is somewhat completely different than most different corporations; it pays per phrase as an alternative of per audio minute. The speed of pay varies relying on the content material of the audio.
It’s laborious to check a per-word fee with a per-minute fee, and there are quite a lot of variables resembling how shortly or slowly somebody talks, but it surely roughly averages out to round $1 per audio minute, give or take. I personally want a per-minute fee, as a result of then you recognize precisely how a lot a job can pay you earlier than you begin it. With a per-word fee, you actually do not know how a lot you’ll make on a job till you’ve already accomplished it.
7. Allegis
Allegis makes a speciality of all kinds of industries, together with insurance coverage and authorized transcription (so this firm can be an excellent match in case you determine to take the authorized model of the Transcribe Wherever course, the place I did my coaching).
The corporate typically posts openings for novices with no transcription expertise. You simply should regulate their job postings.
Charges are proportional to the consumer contract, so Allegis doesn’t present pay charges on its web site. Plus, the quantity you earn for transcription jobs relies on how briskly (and precisely) you’ll be able to full the project.
Nevertheless, Glassdoor reviews that hourly pay ranges from $2 to $36 for transcribing jobs, whereas one Reddit consumer says you’ll be able to anticipate to make $15 to $20 per hour in case you kind 100 or extra phrases per minute.
It’s difficult to check a per-hour or per-page fee with a per-audio-minute fee, however typically you might have extra incomes energy as a authorized transcriptionist than a common transcriptionist as a result of it’s a specialised area. Authorized transcription jobs are sometimes formatted very exactly, with particular margins, a set variety of strains per web page, and a selected variety of characters per line, so every web page is identical quantity of typing.
I haven’t labored with Allegis personally, however transcriptionist associates 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 accessible, so it’s not all the time constant.
8. Deposition Providers, Inc.
That is an alternative choice for locating authorized transcription jobs. Deposition Providers, Inc. (now eScribers) supplies a two-week on-line coaching program for its authorized transcription work. It makes a speciality of transcribing depositions, hearings, conferences, and seminars.
It pays a per-page fee, but it surely doesn’t specify publicly what that fee is, solely that it equals out to about $15 to $20 per hour.
9. Audio Transcription Heart
The Audio Transcription Heart has the next pay fee 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 doubtless 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 effectively. It additionally requires a screenshot of a typing check exhibiting a efficiency of 75 phrases per minute or extra with no less than 98% accuracy.
10. TranscriptionServices.com
One other firm that reviews its all the time hiring distant transcriptionists is TranscriptionServices.com.
It requires that you just cross a 10-minute check as a way to be a part of the workforce, and it mentions that it contains fairly difficult audio. Primarily based on the problem of its check, this firm sounds finest suited to those that have already got some expertise with on-line transcription jobs beneath 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 fee 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 truth about this firm is what it calls its social mission: “For each order, we offer a month’s price of listening to help batteries to a recipient in a creating nation.”
11. GMR Transcripts
GMR Transcription works with universities, authorities and medical establishments, non-profit organizations and extra, so you’ll be able to anticipate authorized, educational and medical on-line transcription jobs in case you work with this firm.
Though it doesn’t checklist 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 type of work they take.”
For those who’re prepared to tackle tougher assignments or full assignments with fast turnaround occasions, you’re more likely to earn rather more. Plus, though no expertise is required for this transcription job, the extra you might have, the higher.
To use, submit a resume and take a brief transcription check. Like many others on our checklist, GMR Transcripts helps you to work if you need and as usually as you need. And all you must begin is a pc with high-speed web, Microsoft Workplace, a foot pedal and over-the-ear headphones.
12. Scribie
Scribie affords common transcription jobs you are able to do from residence, offering freelancers brief audio clips of 10-minutes or much less that you just get to decide on your self—meaning you’re not obligated to work on any project you’re not enthusiastic about.
Earlier than you apply and take its certification check, you’ll be able to observe with tons of its observe exams to make sure your abilities are as much as par. As a result of past an excellent typist, the corporate all the time needs transcribers who can right handbook and automatic transcripts.
As soon as employed, transcription jobs with this firm pay $5 to $25 per audio hour. Slightly than obtain a weekly or month-to-month payout, your earnings accrue day by day in your Scribie account, and you may switch them to your related PayPal account at anytime.
A bonus: Right here’s how you can get the perfect transcription jobs
I’ve shared a lot of corporations which can be strong choices if you’re simply getting began as a transcriptionist. However I’ve had probably the most success—and undoubtedly made the perfect cash—discovering my very own shoppers to work for.
This will embody so many various folks and professions: pastors, public audio system, podcasters, legal professionals, medical doctors, writers, journalists, analysis corporations.
Advertising your self and on the lookout for shoppers is a time-consuming course of, however as soon as you discover the appropriate ones, your incomes potential is far larger working for your self somewhat than as a subcontractor for another person.
For instance, Rev prices their shoppers $1 per minute for transcription, they usually pay their subcontractors about half of these earnings. You probably have your personal shoppers and cost them the identical fee, you’d preserve that whole $1/minute to your self.
Once I calculate my hourly fee 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 fee by having excessive requirements about the kind of audio materials I settle for and utilizing methods to extend my velocity, resembling having a mess of autocorrects.
Simply needless to say if you work for your self, you’re answerable for the entire go-between along with your shoppers and the entire enterprise administration facets of the job, whereas as a subcontractor, all you actually should deal with is the precise transcription work.
A couple of locations to search for your personal shoppers embody LinkedIn, Fb teams, and even Craigslist—I discovered my perfect consumer there, in addition to many smaller one-off jobs. You may wish to share details about your companies by yourself web site as effectively, like I do for my firm, Q Transcription.
A closing 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 residence, I used to be capable of earn extra.
After just a few months, I knew my skills have been price extra, and I began on the lookout for shoppers of my very own so I might cost the next fee.
I at present have 4 shoppers who preserve me extraordinarily busy, and I now not work for any of the businesses I began out with. I’m capable of make an excellent earnings every month whereas staying residence with my youngsters, which is precisely 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 corporation.
Professional tip: Begin with its free transcription mini-course to see if this trade is an efficient match for you.
An authentic model of this story beforehand appeared on this web page. We up to date the publish so it’s extra helpful and correct for our readers.
