Many people have asked me if doing transcription jobs is a good way to earn extra money.
And let me just reveal right away that it potentially can be a great way to make money online.
And since I have come across several sites that offer these jobs over the years, I decided to make a guide of the best transcription jobs for beginners.
This guide will help you identify if this earning opportunity is right for you.
It will also show you a list of legit options you can choose from to get started. I will include a summary of each option, so you can easily determine which one will fit you best.
Who are transcription jobs for?
Before we talk about the options you can go for, let’s first discuss who this kind of job is for so you will know if transcription jobs are a good fit for you. You see, sometimes, there are misconceptions about transcription jobs.
It’s not necessarily a difficult job to do, but you do need some experience on some platforms. So, it’s a bit hard to find a site you can join if you are just starting as a transcriber.
Plus, even though this kind of job doesn’t require any formal education, you still need to be quite good at the language you prefer to work in (it doesn’t have to be English). But probably the most important factor you need to consider before you dive into this kind of earning opportunity is that you need to be a fast typer.
If you want to earn efficiently from doing transcription jobs, you have to be able to finish a job quickly. In the next section, I will explain why this matters.
And lastly, you need to have the proper equipment/software to handle the job. Most experienced transcribers use a foot pedal for easier hands-free manipulation of audio software. And speaking of audio software, you also need one that will work with a foot pedal.
These are just a few of the most important things you need to keep in mind before you begin working on transcription jobs.
How much can you earn?
The next thing we need to discuss is the amount you can earn from these jobs. It is important that you also head in with the proper expectations in terms of earning potential.
With this kind of job, you can potentially earn a full-time (around $2,000 to $5,000 per month) income, provided you become a good transcriber. If you are just starting, the amount you will earn will be nowhere near the amount mentioned above.
So, if you are just a beginner, you have to work your way up to that kind of pay rate. The important thing is that you need to build your reputation as a good transcriber so that you can demand high pay. And this kind of thing will take months or even years to do.
If you prefer to earn a full-time income the fastest possible way, you can check out how you can earn a full-time income through online methods instead.
And as I’ve mentioned earlier, you have to be a fast typer if you want to earn efficiently from this kind of job. The reason for this is that you will get paid per audio minute and not the actual minute it takes for you to finish a job.
Think of it this way: if person A takes an hour to finish a 5-minute job and person B only takes 30 minutes to finish the same job, then naturally, person B will be able to take on more jobs. Hence, they will be able to earn more.
That’s why you must be a fast typer because that will allow you to earn more.
9 Best transcription jobs for beginners
So now that you know what to expect from this kind of job, it’s time we discuss the actual options you can choose from.
All the options listed below are legit, and most of them are free to join. I will keep updating this guide if I find new options that are worth it, so make sure to bookmark this page and check back on it from time to time.
#1 – Happy Scribe
Happy Scribe is a website that offers transcription services to different companies. Most of the jobs you have to do are basic transcription jobs as well as adding captions to videos.
You will get paid per audio minute (€0.90 to be exact). Your average monthly earnings will be around €450. It is available worldwide, so you can sign up as a transcriber regardless of where you live.
Happy Scribe pays twice a month (on the 1st and 15th of each month) via Wise (formerly known as TransferWise). It offers a good number of jobs at any given time, so you can expect to earn regularly, more or less.
#2 – CastingWords
The next option is called CastingWords. It is another site that offers audio transcription services to its clients.
To become a CastingWords transcriber, you need to go to their workshop page and apply from there. You will have to go through a test so that the site can determine if you have the skills to complete the jobs.
It is available more or less worldwide, so there’s no restriction on who can apply. CastingWords uses PayPal as its payment system, so make sure you have a verified PayPal account before you apply.
#3 – TranscribeMe
Another website that offers transcription services is called TranscribeMe. You can earn around $15 to $22 per audio hour.
And just like with most of the sites listed on this list, you will have to apply for the position first. You will have to pass the test they will give to have a chance of getting accepted. But fortunately, it is also available globally, so you should be able to apply without any issues.
You need to have a verified PayPal account if you want to work as a transcriber for TranscribeMe. The average monthly earnings for this site are around $250.
#4 – Quicktate
Quicktate is a website that offers call auditing and transcription services to clients. Most of the jobs will involve transcribing audio files and calls.
The files you need to transcribe can be anything from to-do lists, legal and field notes, medical reports, letters and memos, voicemails, and more. There are a decent number of jobs available at any given time, so you will be able to find a job to earn from regularly.
However, be aware that if you want to become a transcriber for this platform, you will need to undergo a background check, and it will cost $20. So, it’s not exactly free to join. Plus, just like with any of the sites on this list, you will have to go through a test when you apply.
Quicktate pays via PayPal, so make sure you have a PayPal account before you apply.
#5 – Scribie
The next option is called Scribie. This site boasts that they have over 50,000 transcribers who can perform any transcription service.
It offers its services to many different companies and individuals, so there’s a decent number of jobs available at any given time. As a beginner, the average earnings is around $400 if you are working eight hours a day.
If you are an advanced transcriber, you can potentially earn around $1,600 per month if you work eight hours a day. It pays via PayPal, so withdrawing your earnings will be very convenient.
#6 – Rev
Rev or Rev.com is one of the bigger transcription platforms around. It offers a lot of jobs for transcribers, and it also accepts beginners and experienced ones. This site is especially known for doing subtitles and captions for videos. I know quite a number of YouTubers that use them for transcription services.
Just be aware that Rev only accepts a specific number of transcribers per location, so there’s no guarantee that you can apply as a transcriber immediately. You might have to come back and keep checking if it is available in your country if you are really interested in working for this site.
It pays weekly via PayPal for all the work completed.
#7 – GoTranscript
GoTranscript is a website that offers transcription services worldwide. So, you can apply as a transcriber regardless of where you live.
It has many clients, so the jobs available will be pretty decent. You will be able to earn regularly as a transcriber for this site. The average earnings per month will be around $150.
It also offers transcription jobs for many languages like French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and more. And based on my experience, jobs in languages other than English will pay more, so it’s a good way to earn money if you are fluent in other languages.
#8 – Daily Transcription
Daily Transcription, as the name suggests, is a site that offers transcription and captioning services to its clients, and to earn, you have to work as one of their freelancers.
Once you get accepted as a freelancer, you can access the member dashboard, where you can see all the available jobs you can apply for.
Every time you complete a job, you will earn a certain amount. You will be paid per audio minute of the file you transcribed or captioned. At the end of every week, Daily Transcription will send you a check for everything you’ve earned within that week. It will be sent via postal mail if you live in the US or Canada.
If you live somewhere else, you will have to request a different payment method, which will usually be through PayPal or bank transfer. It is only available in certain English-speaking countries and you should only apply for this job if you can type at least 50 words per minute.
#9 – CrowdSurf
CrowdSurf is another website that specializes in offering transcription services to its clients. So for you to earn, you have to work as one of their freelance transcribers and complete jobs.
Every time you earn from the transcription jobs it offers, it will be credited to your WorkMarket account. It offers a few payment methods, including direct bank transfer, PayPal, and WorkMarket Visa. The payment methods that will be available for you will depend on your location.
It is available more or less worldwide, so you can sign up as a member anywhere in the world.
Final Thoughts
So as you can see, there are quite a number of good sites you can join if you are a beginner transcriber. But as I’ve mentioned earlier, before you head into this kind of earning opportunity, you need to make sure that you have the proper skill set as well as equipment because working as a transcriber isn’t as easy as you might think.
And as I’ve explained earlier, you can potentially earn a full-time income from this job if you have the experience and reputation. But as a newbie, you will have to be very patient because the earning potential will be significantly lower.
If you want to maximize your earnings, I highly suggest you join multiple sites so you can gain access to more jobs. I will keep updating this guide if I find more sites that are worth it. So make sure to bookmark this page and check on it from time to time for new opportunities.
If you have any comments, questions, or you know of any site that offers transcription jobs that you think belong in this guide, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.
Thanking for sharing this wonderful content. Can you please specify which one of these platforms can be accessed worldwide?
You can find all the info in the article above.
hi mikael
do you know some of them that dont work with paypal only
i live in carribean and paypal is not allowed in my region maybe you know of something
thanks!
As you can see in the article above, several of the platforms on that list offer other payout options that PayPal.
Thanks Mikael for the above information. I have watched the eight minute video and followed up on the given sites ; I have subscribed to all of them but it has not been fruitful.
Regards,
Alex from Kenya
As I explain above, it takes time to build up an income as a transcriber and it is not a good option for all.
Hi Mikael.
Thanks for the article. I’m wondering if there’s any freelance copy typing sites out there. I enjoy typing long pages of text within a timeframe and I’ll be grateful of an opportunity to earn from this.
You can see a list of the best data entry sites here. It sounds like something like that you might be interested in.
can u please tell how to apply as a transcribter ??
I explain good ways to get started in the article above.
Hej, hvorfor kan jeg ikke finde denne artikel i den seneste tid på bloggen, denne artikel viser, at opdateringstiden er 2024.7.22, men jeg fandt den ikke i bloggen.
The blog roll shows the newest published articles. This article was originally published a long time ago but was updated on the date you mention. That is why it says “Last updated” at the top instead of “Published”.