CastingWords Review – Worth It? (What You NEED to Know)

CastingWords is a website that offers a way for you to earn by working as a freelance transcriptionist. Now, if you are a freelancer looking to earn extra cash, then you might be thinking about joining.

However, before you hit the sign-up button, I urge you to read this CastingWords review, as it will show you what you need to know about the site. That way, you can properly gauge if it is worth it or not.

So, let’s dive in and see what CastingWords is all about, shall we?

What is CastingWords, and what does it offer?

CastingWords is a website that offers transcription services to its customers. So, for you to earn from it, you’ll have to work as one of their transcriptionists. And in case you are wondering, yes, it is a legit site because it really offers legit transcription opportunities.

But is it worth it, though? Well, the only way to find out is to understand how it works. To do so, we must examine the earning opportunity it offers. That way, you’ll have a clear idea of how much time and effort is needed to earn from it.

So, here’s how to earn from CastingWords.

The earning opportunity – Transcription jobs

Once you become a CastingWords freelancer, you can gain access to transcription jobs when you log in to the member dashboard. Take note that there are several types of jobs available, but they will mostly involve doing transcription tasks.

Typically, you’ll find transcription, improving and editing transcripts, determining audio quality, grading transcripts and edits, and approving transcripts and edits jobs. Now, you’ll only gain access to certain types of jobs depending on the badges you’ve unlocked.

Their badge system works like a merit/demerit system where you can earn or lose badge points depending on the quality of the work you submit and if you submit it before or after the deadline. You’ll get your Beginner badge after completing your first job.

Then, after 10 badges, you’ll get the next badge. After that, you’ll earn your next badges depending on the number of badge points you accumulate. The important thing to remember is that you must always submit quality work to get more badges or just to keep your current badges.

As for how to start working on a job, when you log in to the dashboard, you’ll see all the jobs you can work on. I suggest you filter the jobs listed to “Available Jobs” so you can see all the jobs that you can work on.

Then, when you see a job you want to work on, just click it to see the full details, like the deadline and the length of the file you must transcribe.

Now, the most important thing you must remember is that when working on a transcription job, you’ll be paid per audio minute and not for the actual time you spend completing the job.

As for the rate you will be paid per audio minute, it will usually depend on how quickly the transcription will be delivered and what level you have reached as a transcriptionist. For next-day jobs (meaning you must submit the transcription the next day), the rate per audio minute will be significantly higher. Later, I will discuss the typical rates you will get.

But as a beginner, don’t expect to get paid a lot. You have to work your way up, so you must be patient. The good thing is that a decent number of jobs are available at any given time, so you won’t run out of opportunities to earn.

Recommended: Check Out the Best Transcription Jobs for Beginners

How do you get paid?

Every time you complete a job, you will earn a certain amount, which will be credited to your CastingWords account balance. Then, you can withdraw your earnings via PayPal in two ways. You can wait for the scheduled transfers every Friday at 10:00 AM Pacific Time or request a fund transfer immediately.

But to do so, you’ll need to earn at least $1 and have been working for at least one week to request a fund transfer. It’s a very straightforward process, and the best thing about their payout system is that you’ll receive the full amount because they will shoulder the PayPal transfer fees.

Not a lot of websites do this, so consider it a unique advantage. Plus, you can also just let your earnings accumulate until you can earn an amount that you prefer before you withdraw your earnings.

Overall, I would say its payout system is relatively straightforward and convenient. I like the fact that it offers a convenient payout method, and you will receive the full amount when you withdraw your earnings.

If you are interested in more sites that use a convenient payout method, I recommend you also check out the top sites that pay via PayPal.

How much money can you make?

As for how much you can earn from it, that will entirely depend on how good you are as a transcriptionist and how much time you are willing to invest in it. As mentioned earlier, there are a decent number of jobs available at any given time, so you won’t run out of opportunities to earn.

Now, the amount you can earn per job will depend on how long the audio file you will have to work on. As mentioned earlier, you’ll get paid per audio minute, and the typical range is $0.08 to $1.

You can only expect to get paid the smallest rate if the job you do is very easy. For more complicated jobs, expect the rates to be more in the range of $0.80 to $1, which is a decent rate, in my opinion.

The best way to maximize your earnings from CastingWords is to always make sure you submit quality work. That way, you can quickly earn badges so you can gain access to more jobs, which will lead to more earnings.

Overall, I would say its earning potential is quite decent. It’s not the highest-paying transcription site out there, but their rates are well within the industry standard, in my opinion.

Can you use it on mobile?

CastingWords is not meant to be used on a mobile device since the work involved requires the use of a computer. Aside from that, you’ll need to use specific devices like a foot pedal to help you transcribe files more efficiently. This can only be used on a computer.

So, to answer the question above, NO, you can’t. But you can still access the member dashboard to check if there are available jobs since the site is optimized for mobile use. That’s about the only thing you can do on your mobile phone.

Who can join CastingWords?

CastingWords is only available in the US and only in specific states (refer to the photo below).

As shown in the photo above, you can only apply as a freelancer if you live in the US and you don’t reside in these states – California, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, and West Virginia.

If you live in any of the states above, you are not eligible to apply as a freelancer. As for the application process, you will be asked to provide basic information and fill out a brief bio. Then, applicants are directed to a transcription test, which involves transcribing a short audio file.

The test serves as an introduction to their assignment format and also allows CastingWords to verify that your work is accurate, displays correct English usage, and that you have the necessary skills to do what they will ask you to do.

However, if their system does not direct you to the test but sends you directly to your Dashboard, you are not required to take the test. I’m not exactly sure why this happens, but that’s what they say on their FAQ page.

If that happens, check your email for your welcome message, which will provide further info and links to the Style Guide and other resources. Whether you have to take the test or not, one thing remains true – you’ll have to read and understand the full-length Style Guide before working on paying assignments.

You are only given 90 minutes to finish the test, and if you fail to submit it on time, you’ll have to wait another 24 hours to take it again. After you’ve finished the test and completed the onboarding process, you can start taking on jobs.

If you took the test and they rejected your submission, they may or may not ask you to retake it, depending on the type of issues that caused the rejection. They are not exactly clear on why they accept or reject applications, but if I were to guess, they reject applications where the applicants made simple errors, which means they are not skilled transcriptionists.

They want to make sure they only accept applicants who have the skills to produce quality transcriptions.

Can you get support?

If you have questions about the site, you can check out the FAQ section. It discusses most (if not all) of the important topics you need to know about CastingWords. But if you can’t find the answers you need, you can contact their support team instead.

All support is provided by email, so be sure to email them from the address associated with your account, so they can look you up. You can send your inquiry to support@castingwords.com.

Overall, I would say it does provide decent support to its members since it offers a convenient way for you to ask for help. Plus, their FAQ page is quite comprehensive, so you will most likely find the answers you are looking for unless they are job-specific.

Final Verdict

CastingWords is a legit site that will let you earn by completing transcription jobs. It has a couple of good features, but it also has certain limitations you need to consider.

Let me wrap up this review by summarizing its pros and cons so you can see a clear overview of what it offers. Then, you can decide if it is for you or not.

In my opinion, CastingWords is a decent site to earn extra cash if you are a transcriptionist. It pays a decent amount per job, and it offers a convenient payout method.

The only downside is that it only accepts applicants from certain states in the US, so working for them is not for everyone. That’s why if you are not eligible to join, I suggest you check out the best freelance sites you can join instead. You’ll definitely find a site you can join regardless of where you live.

Now, if you don’t want to rely on a 3^rd party website to find earning opportunities, then your best option is to build your own online business. For that, I suggest you check out this guide on how to build your own online business.

It will teach you how to set up your online business from top to bottom so you can get leads even when you sleep.

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