Imagine you could earn some extra money by doing simple transcriptionist work from home. If your basic English and typing skills could provide you with the supplemental profit you desperately need.

This idea seems like it’s a whole world away from you, doesn’t it?

It doesn’t have to be this way. The secret of making money from the comfort of your chair is just a few scrolls away. Read on and find out how to make money by being a transcriptionist.

What is Transcription?

Basic transcription work means listening to audio files and turning it into written content. Transcription work is needed in multiple areas such as meetings, court proceedings, lectures etc. This form of transcription is called general. The other two types are medical and legal transcription. Legal transcription is often looked as part of general transcripts while you need a special certificate to do medical transcription work.

What are the Requirements?

The first thing you need to do is ask yourself is whether you meet the necessary qualifications for the job you’re applying for. Of course, we will exclude the medical transcription from the picture since most of the people don’t meet the necessary requirement for being a medical transcriptionist. You must have a HIPAA certification to ensure the privacy of patients. As a result of that, we’ll focus on general and legal transcription.

My experience as a transcriptionist taught me that almost any proficient English speaker can earn money doing transcription work. However, to stand out in the business, you’ll have to have these skills:

  • Fast typist – fast turnaround brings more money so if you’re able to do more work than your competition while keeping the quality of the transcripts intact, you’re going to be successful in the transcription business.
  • Listening skills – good listeners earn more doing transcription work because there accuracy rate is higher.
  • Perfect grammar – maybe the most important thing about being a transcriptionist is to have flawless grammar skills. Correct punctuation, tenses and spelling will bring you real bucks.
  • Computer literacy – basic computer skills are needed to become a good transcriptionist.
  • Patience – transcription isn’t easy work and it’s often monotonous so you’ll need to be patient.

How Much Money will it Bring?
In most of the English-speaking countries, transcription work isn’t something you’re going to live off. Instead, you can expect to earn enough to buy something extra at the end of the month. It all depends on how many hours would you devote to your additional activity of transcribing files. A general guideline is that you’ll need 4 minutes of work to transcribe 1 minute of the audio/video file.

For example, TranscribeMe pays $20 per hour. But that’s just an example, there are companies paying less and there are companies paying more. It all depends on your transcription level and how many hours are you willing to work. So, before you start working, make sure you explore your options.
Best Websites for Transcription

There are a lot of online transcription service websites but some of my favorites are:

  • TranscribeMe – payment is starting from $20 per audio hour
  • Rev.com – they pay freelancers $0.4 – $0.65 per audio minite which makes $24 per audio hour
  • Scribie – around $20 per audio hour

Final Thoughts

If you were in doubt before, now you can rest assured that transcribing audio and video files online is a legitimate way to earn yourself a reasonable income. Moreover, it’s not a job anyone can do and it won’t make you a millionaire. Nevertheless, the pros beat the cons convincingly. All in all, transcription work is a great way to make extra money. You just need to arm yourself with the right skills and an appropriate mindset and you’re good to go!

Author's Bio: 

Misty Jhones