TranscribeMe Review – Worth It? (What to Expect)

TranscribeMe is a website that claims you can earn extra cash by working as one of their freelancers. So, if you are looking for a way to earn additional income, you might be interested in joining this site.

However, before you hit the sign-up button, I suggest you read this TranscribeMe review because it will show you exactly what to expect from it. That way, you can properly evaluate if TranscribeMe is truly worth it or not.

So, let’s go ahead and take a closer look at what TranscribeMe has to offer, shall we?

What is TranscribeMe, and what does it offer?

TranscribeMe is a website that specializes in providing freelance transcription services to its clients. For you to earn, you must become one of their freelancers and take on transcription jobs. And yes, it is a legit site since you can really get paid for the transcription jobs you take on.

However, this doesn’t automatically mean that TranscribeMe is worth it. To find out if you should sign up for this site, you must first understand how it works. And the only way to do so is to examine the earning opportunity it offers so you will have a clear idea of how much time and effort is needed to earn from it.

So, here’s how to earn from TranscribeMe.

The earning opportunity – Transcription jobs

After you sign up as a transcriber for TranscribeMe, you’ll have to answer the entrance exam for English transcriptions. That’s because when you start as a TranscribeMe transcriber, you will be in the General transcription pool, where full audio files are sliced into small chunks called jobs.

However, the English Transcription entrance exam is sometimes not available. The reason for this is that TranscribeMe has an excess of English transcribers, and they don’t always need new ones. So, when this happens, you unfortunately don’t have any other choice but to wait it out.

But if you manage to pass the English entrance exam, you will be able to take on transcription jobs. You just have to log in to the member dashboard and go to the Jobs section. When starting, most of the audio files you have to transcribe are in the 2–4-minute range. Sometimes, you’ll encounter 8-minute files, but they aren’t very common.

Now, in case you don’t know, to work as an effective transcriptionist, you’ll need to use a few equipment like a foot pedal and comfortable headphones. This equipment will allow you to work efficiently (especially the foot pedal).

After you complete a transcription job, you’ll have to submit your work for review. When it is approved, you’ll receive compensation. Later, I will explain how you will get paid.

One thing I noticed is that there’s very stiff competition for English transcription jobs, so it’s a bit hard to find opportunities when starting.

While working as a transcriber for TranscribeMe, you’ll have the chance to move up the ladder the longer you keep working on transcription jobs. So, you just have to be patient, and you will eventually be able to earn decent money from it.

Recommended: Check Out the Best Transcription Jobs for Beginners

How do you get paid?

When working as a TranscribeMe transcriptionist, you’ll be paid per audio hour. So, you must be able to finish transcribing audio files quickly to earn efficiently. When starting, your rate will be $15 per audio/hour, which isn’t a bad rate.

Every time you complete a transcription job, the compensation will be credited to your TranscribeMe account balance. Once you’ve earned at least $10, you’ll be able to cash out your earnings via PayPal. This is the only payment method it offers, so if you don’t have a PayPal account, then I suggest you create one and have it verified before you become a TranscribeMe freelancer.

The payment system of TranscribeMe is relatively straightforward. I like the fact that uses a convenient payment system like PayPal. If you are interested in more sites that use a convenient payment system, I suggest you also check out the top sites that pay via PayPal.

How much money can you make?

As mentioned above, TranscribeMe does offer a competitive rate for transcribers. However, the main problem with this website is that there aren’t a lot of job opportunities for English transcribers. But if you happen to be able to transcribe other languages, then you’ll be able to earn a decent amount from it, in my opinion, because then there are ample opportunities to earn.

But if you are an English transcriber, then you’ll hardly find opportunities to earn, in my experience. When I was testing the site, the English entrance exam wasn’t available, which means they are not accepting any new English transcribers.

So, the earning potential of TranscribeMe will mostly depend on your skill set. If you can transcribe other languages apart from English, then you will be able to earn a decent amount from this site. But if you can’t, then you are better off finding other ways to earn, in my opinion.

Can you use it on mobile?

TranscribeMe doesn’t have a mobile app you can download, and based on the earning opportunity it offers, there’s really no point in using it on mobile devices, in my opinion. You’ll need to sit in front of a computer if you want to earn from it because it is practically impossible to transcribe audio files using your mobile device.

As mentioned earlier, you’ll also need to use a couple of pieces of equipment, like a foot pedal and comfortable headphones to efficiently transcribe audio files. These are not requirements, but they will be able to help you transcribe more efficiently, so you can still say they are needed, in my opinion.

So, to answer the question above, NO, you can’t. You’ll need a laptop or a desktop to earn from TranscribeMe.

Who can join TranscribeMe?

The site is not very specific about which countries it is available in, but based on what I found out, it is available more or less worldwide. So, you should be able to sign up as a freelancer regardless of where you live.

To register, you just have to fill out the registration form and submit it. Then, you’ll be asked to complete your profile. During this step, you’ll have to be very honest with your work experience as a transcriber.

As explained earlier, if you can do transcription services in other languages, you’ll be able to earn a decent amount from this site because the competition isn’t that stiff. You’ll find lots of opportunities to earn.

Depending on the language you choose, you’ll have to answer the entrance exam for that language. As mentioned earlier, the English entrance exam is sometimes disabled, so they were not always accepting new English transcribers.

After you are able to pass the entrance exam, you’ll be able to take on paid transcription jobs for the language you have chosen.

Can you get support?

If you have any questions about the site or your account, you can check out the FAQ page of TranscribeMe. It discusses in detail most of the basic topics you need to know about the site.

But if you can’t find the answers you are looking for, then you’ll have to contact support. To do so, you have to email them directly at training@transcribeme.com. Overall, I would say TranscribeMe does provide decent support for its members since it offers a convenient way for you to ask for assistance.

Final Verdict

TranscribeMe is a legit freelance transcription site that will let you earn by taking on transcription jobs. It has a couple of decent features, but it also has a few disadvantages you need to know.

To help you with your decision, I have summarized its pros and cons so you can get a clear overview of what it offers.

Pros:

• Offers decent payment rates
• Offers payment via PayPal

Cons:

• English transcription opportunities are not always available
• You’ll need to use a computer to earn

TranscribeMe is not a bad freelance transcription site, in my opinion. However, the fact that English transcription opportunities are not always available makes it quite hard for English transcribers to earn from it. But if you can transcribe other languages, then this can be a decent site to earn from, in my opinion.

But, as an English transcriber, you are better off finding other transcription sites to join because you will find it very hard to earn from this site, in my opinion. For that, I suggest you check out the best freelance sites to join if you are looking for freelance transcription opportunities.

Now, if you are not very specific on how you can earn extra cash, I recommend you check out the top survey and GPT sites in your country instead. The sites on this list all have good earning potential, so you should be able to earn a decent amount in no time.

If you have any comments, questions, or experiences with TranscribeMe, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.