Online transcription is a great choice if you’re looking for a flexible job that can be done from home.
What’s more there are lots of different companies that are actively recruiting for transcribers, so providing you can meet a few criteria the jobs are there for the taking!
Being a freelance transcriber means that you can set your own hours – although you will need to hit deadlines for assignments you take on – and work at home in your PJs.
It’s a really great option for work at home parents.
A good way to get started is to send out as many spec emails or applications to companies that offer online transcription work as possible.
Some may have no positions, or not be quite the fit for you. But be persistent and you’ll find some work.
It’s also sensible to have more than one agency on the go if you want to make a little more money with this, as some transcribers report companies can be quiet at times. Having more than one company with you on the books means you’re more likely to stay busy.
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Ways to earn an extra £1,000 a month
What does a transcriber do?
Transcription jobs from home involve listening to audio recordings or speech and typing out the content into written documents.
The type of recordings you may be transcribing varies massively. Some areas and sources that transcribers may be asked to type out include:
- Lectures
- Conference calls
- Meetings
- Podcasts
- Personal voice notes
- Interviews
- Phone messages
- Webinars
There are various types of industries that would employ the help of a transcriber. These specialities may include financial or corporate, legal, data, medical or captioning of video recordings.
How to get started in transcription working from home
It is possible to get started right away with transcription work. Many roles do not ask for a CV full of experience or qualifications.
For certain areas of online transcription, such as medical transcription, you may be required to have prior experience or have a qualification so that you can understand the terminology used in highly technical recordings.
Other criteria you may need to fulfil and tools you may need to pick up transcription jobs from home include:
- An excellent command of the English language. Some organisations will ask that you have a grade C or above in English GCSE, but this is not universal.
- Good spelling and grammar skills.
- Typing speed of 65wpm or sometimes more.
- Access to a fast and secure internet connection.
- Access to a computer. Having a foot pedal is not essential but this can really help to speed up your work! You use it to slow down the audio or pause it, so your hands can keep on typing.
- A pair of quality headphones.
- Transcription software such as Express Dictate. There is some free software out there but some companies will specifically ask you to use the software that their clients already have.
When applying for transcription jobs some companies may request that you carry out a speed test to assess your typing. Not all companies will do this, but it’s worth considering whether you can type reasonably fast as being able to get through assignments quickly will increase your ability to earn more as you’ll be paid based on the work rather than the amount of time spent completing it.
If you do want to improve your skillset then you could try taking a course, such as this run by Pitman Training to give you the skills needed.
It’s worth trying to get started with transcription work first, before paying for a course. There’s no harm in diving in!
If you find your typing needs a little work, then try a course.
What can you earn doing online transcription?
The amount you can earn doing transcription work at home varies from £5 an hour to £20 an hour.
How much you earn may depend on how quickly you can complete assignments, as many companies pay you by the word rather than for the amount of time it has taken you. Some will provide a fee per minute, but will expect you to be able to type to a certain speed so that you are completing a certain amount of work in that time.
It also depends on the type of company you end up doing work for and whether you are doing particularly specialist work such as legal transcription.
You may find it easy to find assignments on website such as Fiverr or Upwork, but not all of these will pay well.
Online transcription jobs UK
There’s a wealth of online transcription jobs available for people in the UK that can be done from home.
Some of the companies are UK based, but many international companies are also willing to recruit UK transcribers.
Online transcription jobs can come from companies that connect transcribers with firms or individuals that need services.
Otherwise you may find transcription work direct from individuals who want help with transcribing their content. This type of direct work can be found on sites such as Fiverr as well as jobs sites including Indeed.
Where to find online transcription jobs
We’ve talked about how you can get started with being a freelance transcriber so let’s take a look at some websites where you can find home-based transcription jobs.
Each company has slightly different requirements for applying to work with them, so follow the individual instructions carefully.
Several require you to carry out an online test to try and assess your typing speed before you can apply for work.
Be sure that you set aside time and carry these out in a quiet room so that you can focus on the tasks.
Accuro
This is a UK based company that employs experienced transcribers to carry out medical and legal transcription services along with a range of other areas.
The company is quite specific about what software you will need to have in order to work for them. You can find out more and apply to be a transcriber with Accuro here.
Bristol Transcription Services
Another agency you could try signing up to is Bristol Transcription Services.
They offer transcription services to a range of different businesses. Get in touch with them via their website.
Cambridge Transcriptions
Cambridge Transcriptions is based in the US but is seeking transcribers for legal and commercial projects.
You can send your CV and a cover letter to them, details on how to apply here.
Capital Typing
This is a US company that is recruiting transcriptionists with experience.
They want you to complete a test online before sending over your full details.
You can find out more on the Capital Typing site.
Casting Words
This company offers transcription employment on a freelance basis.
It’s worth noting with this company, as with others, that if your work that you submit isn’t up to scratch then you won’t be paid for the assignment. This is just an important thing to be aware of when getting started with any of these companies.
But Casting Words a great option for freelance workers as you take on the assignments that you have the time to complete.
Daily Transcription
This company claims its top transcribers earn between $250 and $950.
Daily Transcription asks that you have decent software such as Express Scribe. They ask that applicants live in the US or Canada, but will take applicants from other nations if they speak a second language.
Dict8
This is a UK based medical transcription company that employs former NHS secretaries and admin staff.
So you will need a very specific background in medical administration to work for them, but this is a good option if you do tick the boxes!
You can find out more about applying to work with Dict8 here.
Go Transcript
You can earn an average of $150 a month from Go Transcript according to the website.
They have a wide range of types of assignments so the work is quite varied.
Kendall Creek Communications
This company is not a great beginner’s opportunity. You will need to take tests to show you can fulfil criteria in terms of speed.
But if you have prior experience either in transcription or secretarial work then it’s a good option to try.
Rev
The Rev website offers transcriptionist and video captioning working.
You can earn from $0.30 to $1.10 per audio/video minute working for them. So your speed at typing will decide how much money you can make.
You will need to take a quick quiz before getting started to assess your English and grammar.
Scribie
Working for Scribie involves transcribing audio files into text and reviewing audio transcripts for accuracy.
You can submit an application here.
Take 1
This company requires you to have audio typing experience and to have a typing speed of 80wpm. You will also need to have 20 hours of availability per week.
But it’s a great opportunity for working from home if you tick those boxes!
Remember with the companies that are looking for experience, you can always build this by working for individuals on Fiverr and/or taking a course.
Take Note
Take Note bills itself as the UK’s best transcription service. It is open to taking on new members of its team of home-based transcribers.
There is an application process that involves taking a test to assess your skills. You can take a practice test first so that you can see what’s involved ahead of taking the actual test.
There is no minimum number of hours you have to work, so you can choose whatever number of transcription jobs you would like to do.
Find out more about working for Take Note here.
Transcribe Me
Transcribe Me claims to have the industry’s best rates when it comes to earning money for transcribing from home. They pay $15 to $22 per audio hour with monthly earnings averaging $2,200.
The clips to be transcribed can be as short as two to four minutes in length. You transcribe, send in the work and then either take a break or take on another task.
Find out more about working for Transcribe Me here.
Transcript Divas
This is a UK based company that says it prefers candidates to have prior experience and fast, accurate typing skills.
Transcript Divas advises people who do not have the requirements it lists to try getting some training or get started with entry level positions using websites such as Fiverr.
Find out more and apply to work with Transcript Divas here. You can find out how much you can earn with the site in this review from Wealth Inflator.
Transcription City
This is a big UK-based transcription firm but it asks for five years experience in transcribing.
If you do have the experience and can type at 60wpm then this is a great company to apply for work with if you want to work from home.
There are full details about working for Transcription City here.
UK Transcription
UK Transcription is open to applications for work. You will need typing speed of 75wpm and some experience.
You can find out more about working with them here.
Working Solutions
Working Solutions says that its workers can earn $105 a day.
You work from home as an independent contractor and can set your own hours to fit in around your life. Find out more about jobs with Working Solutions.
Final thoughts on home-based transcribing jobs
If you’re looking to get started as a transcriber then I wish you the best of luck!
Beginners may want to start with odd jobs available on sites such as Fiverr or Upwork – which may pay a little less than the companies listed above – before going on to apply for freelance work with firms in the industry.
This is a fantastic option if you do want to work from home doing flexible hours that you can increase or decrease depending on your availability.
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