TranscribeMe Review: Find Work at Home Transcription Jobs
Updated on: by Amy Kennedy
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Are you looking to make money from home on a flexible schedule?
TranscribeMe might be the right place for you, but there are several other transcription companies out there, too.
It can be tough to decide which ones to sign up for as far as how they work, how much money you can make, and how much work is available without sending in your details and trying it out.
That’s why we want to give you the most up-to-date information possible on these companies, so that you have the info you need to decide if it’s the right place for you before going through a complicated application process!
This review is all about TranscribeMe, one of the most talked-about companies on work at home sites and forums.
We’re basing our information on reviews from real people who have worked with the company, our own research, and the information provided on the official website.
What is TranscribeMe?
TranscribeMe is a company that offers transcription, translation, and automated transcription services to clients.
TranscribeMe works with both individuals and companies with its services.
The industries it tends to work with most are marketing, consulting, medical, and technology.
The company has been around since 2011, so it’s pretty established at this point.
In fact, it’s one of the companies I hear about most when I browse work at home forums and websites, especially when it comes to transcription and translation work.
The company’s founders are Greg Feerer and Alexei Dunayev and it’s based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Transcribers can sign up with TranscribeMe to work remotely as independent contractors.
So, you might be wondering – TranscribeMe vs Rev: what’s the difference?
Rev is another company that’s really popular in the transcription world with remote workers who want to work their own schedules to earn money from home.
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They definitely do have some similarities, so keep reading to learn more about TranscribeMe, its jobs, and how it stands out against other transcription companies.
Working for TranscribeMe
Some people who aren’t familiar with transcription work think that transcribers basically get paid to type.
However, if you’ve done transcription work before, you know that there’s a lot more that goes into it than that!
Transcription can be tough work.
It relies heavily on fast typing, but it’s just as important to have active listening skills and know how to decipher language from the audio that might include specific dialect and accents.
With TranscribeMe, you’re expected to have enough experience to pass an entrance exam, which can be difficult to pass if you’ve never transcribed before.
Here’s how you can earn cash with the company:
How to Earn Money
TranscribeMe offers two jobs for remote workers: Transcription and translation.
However, it doesn’t list much information on the site for translators.
Its FAQ section is focused only on transcription work, so I assume TranscribeMe lists its openings for translators elsewhere – maybe on a job search site like Indeed or ZipRecruiter?
TranscribeMe files are sent in by clients who need the files transcribed into text.
The audio files can be lengthy, but TranscribeMe breaks them down into shorter files up to one minute in length to help distribute the work between each transcriptionist in its work system.
Unlike other companies that’ll give you an hour-long file to transcribe, TranscribeMe’s smaller files can be useful for people who don’t have huge chunks of time to spend on files and prefer to have shorter audio clips to transcribe for more flexibility.
Another benefit of shorter clips is that there’s more work for everyone to go around!
You’ll work within TranscribeMe’s work hub, which is where you’ll see available audio clips, select the ones you want to work on, and then turn them in.
Once you’re done, your work goes through the Quality Assurance (QA) process where an editor will check its quality and accuracy.
When your work gets accepted, you get paid!
How Much Does TranscribeMe.com Pay?
TranscribeMe.com pays on a weekly schedule with PayPal.
Your exact pay depends on the length of the file and complexity of the work, so it can vary with each file you do.
However, the website states that you can earn anywhere, on average, from about $15 to $22 per audio hour.
Remember, though, that an audio hour is different than a regular hour.
An audio hour refers to the length of a file.
If you transcribe a file that’s an hour long, that’s one audio hour.
That file could take you two hours to transcribe.
If it pays $15 for the audio hour, you’ll only make $7.50 per hour (and, to be honest, it’ll take most people longer than that to transcribe one hour of audio!).
TranscribeMe notes that the average earner on the site makes about $250 per month, with top earners making over $2,000 per month.
TranscribeMe is relatively transparent when it comes to earnings, at least!
It’s also important to note that you can make more if you do technical transcription work, like those in the medical or legal industries.
The Application Process
To apply to TranscribeMe, you’ll first need to register an account to sign up for the Work Hub.
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Once you’re signed up, TranscribeMe will send you an exam that tests your knowledge of transcription and makes sure you have the skills to do it.
The company will give you access to its style guide to read before completing the exam, so you know how to format your transcription work correctly.
The first part of the exam is multiple choice to test your knowledge about common terminology and other things related to transcribing and the company’s style guide.
The next part of the exam requires you to transcribe two audio files as samples to prove your skills.
TranscribeMe is one of the few companies that doesn’t require you to have prior transcription experience but be aware that it’ll be challenging to complete the exam if you’ve never transcribed anything before.
What Do I Need to Get Started?
TranscribeMe has very few requirements for its transcriptionists, which is awesome news for anyone looking to enter this field without prior experience.
You need to be 18 years old and have excellent English skills, including grammar, punctuation, slang terms, vocabulary, etc.
You also need a working PayPal account to get paid.
TranscribeMe doesn’t require any special equipment, but it could be helpful for you to have headphones, a foot pedal, and transcription software.
You do, of course, need a reliable internet connection and a working computer or laptop.
TranscribeMe Training
Since this job is catered mostly to the entry-level transcription crowd, the company offers free training to its transcribers!
The training is all online and you can complete it at your own leisure.
You’ll learn more about the company’s style guide and how to transcribe audio files efficiently and accurately to maximize your income with TranscribeMe.
The company also says on its website that its transcriptionists are eligible for career advancement opportunities as they grow and learn, which can help move you into higher-paying positions in the future.
Flexibility
You’re an independent contractor with TranscribeMe, so you won’t have to work a set schedule and you’re free to work with other transcription companies!
What Do Others Say About TranscribeMe?
There’s a lot of information floating around about TranscribeMe in forums and reviews, which are good places to find out some details about working there that you wouldn’t otherwise know.
Here are a few of the most common praises and complaints I’ve found:
Pro: Quick and Easy PayPal Payments
PayPal is one of the most convenient ways to get paid for remote workers, so it’s understandable that this is a common pro I see with reviewers.
Throw in the fact that TranscribeMe pays weekly for everything you’ve completed the previous week, and it’s safe to say that you can rely on steady, convenient payments with the company.
Pro: Transparency
Take a look around TranscribeMe’s website and you’ll find a lot of transparency, which I really appreciate it (and a lot of workers appreciate, too!).
The company says in several variations that its intentions are helping entry-level workers find work and learn the ropes of transcription so that they can eventually move up the ladder into higher-paying positions.
Never does it promise tons of money (it’s even open about the fact, as I mentioned earlier, that the average earnings are about $250 per month) or a full-time income.
Instead, it’s honest about what it does and what it has available for you – take it or leave it.
Pro: Supportive Community
TranscribeMe doesn’t just leave you hanging once you get signed up.
You’ll have access to training materials to help you learn more about transcription and the company’s process.
You’ll also be able to jump into the community forums to interact with other transcribers, quality assurance editors, and other team members who are there to help you out.
Con: Low Pay
There’s no denying that the pay at TranscribeMe isn’t grand.
However, this company is pretty open about the fact that it focuses on working with entry-level transcriptionists who want to get their foot in the door.
Without experience, you aren’t going to make much more than you would at TranscribeMe, unless you just really have a natural talent for transcription.
Con: Quality Assurance Can Be Tough
I’ve read some complaints about the QA team being “too tough” when grading your work.
This one gets tricky because we don’t really hear it from both sides of the coin.
The workers who mention this say things like silly punctuation or spelling mistakes caused their work to be denied.
But we don’t really know if that’s all there was to it or if an editor actually found several mistakes.
So, I’ll say this: It’s best to always check over you’re your work – three or four times if needed – before sending it in.
There are plenty of free spelling and grammar checkers you can use to help, like Grammarly.
Con: Work Can Go Fast
I like TranscribeMe’s Work Hub where you can log in when you have time to work and choose the tasks you want to work on.
It seems like a convenient way to work flexibly, especially when most audio files are no more than a minute long.
However, TranscribeMe’s philosophy of broken-down files meaning more work for all doesn’t always work out as expected.
Sometimes, there’s barely any work to grab.
Other times, all the work goes so quickly after getting added that you might not have a chance to pick one for yourself.
There can be hundreds of tasks one day and barely any the next.
It’s just the way of the transcription world and it all depends on how many clients TranscribeMe has and how much work each client has for you.
Unfortunately, this isn’t just unique to TranscribeMe; you’ll find this issue with most similar sites, too.
Transcription vs. Translation: Choosing Your Path at TranscribeMe
When considering a career in transcription or translation, it’s important to understand the fundamental differences between these two paths.
While both involve working with language, they require distinct skills and serve different purposes.
At TranscribeMe, you have the opportunity to explore both options, but it’s essential to choose the path that aligns with your strengths and interests.
Choosing Your Path: Factors to Consider
Here are factors to consider before deciding the one that best suits you:
1. Language Proficiency
Consider your proficiency in different languages.
If you have strong command over multiple languages, translation may be a better fit for you.
However, if you excel in understanding and transcribing spoken content in a single language, transcription might be your preferred path.
2. Cultural Knowledge
Think about your cultural knowledge and awareness.
Translation often requires a deep understanding of cultural nuances and context, as you need to accurately convey meaning across languages.
Transcription, while still important, may require less cultural expertise and focus more on capturing spoken content accurately.
3. Written vs. Spoken Preference
Consider whether you enjoy working with written or spoken content.
Transcription involves converting spoken words into written text, while translation involves working with existing written content.
If you have a preference for one over the other, it can help guide your decision.
4. Listening Skills
Assess your listening skills.
Transcription requires active listening and the ability to decipher accents, dialects, and sometimes poor audio quality.
If you have a strong ability to comprehend spoken language, transcription may be a suitable choice.
Translation, on the other hand, relies more on reading and understanding written text.
5. Typing Speed and Accuracy
Evaluate your typing speed and accuracy.
Transcription requires fast and accurate typing to keep up with the spoken content.
If you are a proficient typist, transcription could be a good match.
Translation, while also requiring a good typing speed, places more emphasis on the ability to convey meaning and maintain the original tone and style.
6. Interpersonal Interaction
Consider your preference for interpersonal interaction.
Transcription often involves working independently, listening to recordings, and transcribing them without direct contact with others.
Translation may involve more communication with clients, editors, or other translators, as you collaborate to ensure accurate and culturally appropriate translations.
7. Career Goals and Opportunities
Think about your long-term career goals and the opportunities each path may offer.
Transcription and translation can lead to different career trajectories.
Consider which path aligns more closely with your aspirations and provides avenues for growth and advancement.
TranscribeMe Review: Is It a Legit or a Scam?
TranscribeMe is definitely a legitimate place.
I base this determination on its reviews, BBB rating, website information, and proofs of payment.
Do I think it’s the best place for everyone who wants to transcribe from home?
No – I think it’s an excellent place for entry-level transcriptionists to earn some money, learn more about transcription, and interact with other transcriptionists.
You can always check out the company’s FAQ section to learn more about the work it offers and decide if it’s somewhere you want to apply to.
TranscribeMe workers: Please share your experiences with the company in the comments below to help other readers! What do you like about it? What could be better?
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Comments
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Nancy Jones
November 19, 2012 at 8:00 am
this is the website that TranscribeMe uses to keep their transcribers up to date on changes at TranscribeMe.
Transcription Company.
alice
January 21, 2013 at 8:07 am
This site is rubbish, it hardly works, every time i go on ‘jobs’ it gives me ”All work is currently assigned. Please check back shortly for more work and thank you for working with TranscribeMe.” Tried repeated times to get a ”job”, nothing. Waste of time!
Kelvin
May 19, 2013 at 12:26 am
Alice, work is not always available. You just need to hit that Jobs tab every few minutes to look for work. You’ll get some eventually.
Jennifer
April 10, 2020 at 6:45 pm
Though this comment is old, I do want to say that, yes, it is true that at times work is scarce because TranscribeMe depends on its clients to keep providing the files they need to have transcribed. If clients don’t upload files, there are no jobs to do.
One of the drawbacks of the old workhub was that you manually had to refresh the page to see if new jobs were available. There was an interface upgrade recently (end of 2019) and now the jobs page autorefreshes every certain number of seconds. If a job is available, you’ll know about it instantly. This makes things easier for transcribers so we don’t have to sit around in front of the computer all day, manually refreshing and waiting for something to pop up.
Silvia
February 20, 2013 at 4:07 pm
I was accepted as a transcriptionist for this company. After having completed hundreds of audio files, I was informed that I would not be getting paid due to low quality work. I have a master’s degree and excellent grammatical skills. This website is a SCAM so BEWARE. What they do is hire you as a transcriptionist and after completing numerous files for them, they refuse to pay you for your work.
Kelvin
May 19, 2013 at 12:28 am
Silvia, that is absolutely not true! You need to inquire about your payments, MULTIPLE times in order to get paid. That was what happened with my first payment. But now I was promoted to a QA, so I’m earning even more with TranscribeMe. TM is definitely not a scam, but they have closed registration.
ppreacherswife
February 25, 2013 at 11:46 pm
I have been doing transcription for TranscribeMe for several months and was just promoted to QA. It is not a scam. They pay on time, have great communication, which can be rather difficult when working across continents, and I love the shorter files. Working for them has given me valuable experience that is needed to break into the transcription field. I love working with them!
Kelvin
May 19, 2013 at 12:29 am
I agree! Ever since I became a QA, I’ve been earning a lot more money. But it is frustrating when they don’t have work available.
Jill
July 30, 2013 at 10:46 am
Alice andSilia are correct. This company is frought with non patment issues and many other management problems. I worked for them for 8 months. I had so much trouble getting paid I finally gave up. After sending 11 emails over the course of 2 months, they finally paid me the measly $25 they owed me. This company will never make it,
Jennifer
April 10, 2020 at 6:50 pm
Nice to see that 7 years after this comment was made the company is doing fine and has plans to continue growing and branching out into new areas as well. I’ve been with TranscribeMe for close to 2 years now, and I’ve never had problems with any of my payments.
QA_Expert
November 21, 2013 at 8:37 pm
This company is thriving and getting more clients everyday. If you are a quality transcriber you will do very well here. I am making 35/hr audio hour and the audio is nice and clear.
I have never had a problem getting paid. They won’t keep you around if you don’t know how to spell or do poor quality work. So there are a lot of bitter people who just wanted to get money for the garbage they called transcribing.
If you take pride in your work, apply. There currently is plenty of work available and I could work 24/7 if I wanted to!
Miranda Grimm
November 22, 2013 at 8:54 am
Thanks so much for sharing with us!!
Mary
August 26, 2015 at 4:39 pm
I’ve been trying to pass the actual test. I’ve studied and studied and I still can’t pass the test. Do you have any tips for a beginner?
Erica
August 27, 2015 at 5:22 am
Mary,
You may want to contact TranscribeMe for advice. But if I remember, on the test you have to be very careful not to put extra spaces between words or sentences. Make sure you’re only putting one space between words and between sentences.
L. Clark
March 30, 2016 at 6:02 pm
Would you please suggest the best equipment for a beginner transcriptionist and what is a QA. Thanks for your help.
Jessica
December 28, 2013 at 1:10 pm
I just started with this company. I was hired on as QA, which indicated there would be more work available – but so far, what little work I have found has all been regular transcription bits. After approximately 2 weeks of being hired on, I have less than $15. My only complaint is the lack of work available, but I’m hoping it’s because of the holidays.
bob
April 9, 2014 at 3:07 pm
This isnt always good for beginners. my girlfriend who wasnt a beginner and had previous experience was told they had to remove her from the system because she her work quality was not good enough. they do judge you now and do random screenings but there very picky. also there audio is always really, really quiet. and they expect you to hear every person and write down what everyone is saying even if multiple people are talking at once. they’ve changed a lot. its also 20 dollars per hour audio now too.
Gloria
August 1, 2014 at 10:02 pm
I easily passed the first exam and part I of the final exam and then I ran into a brick wall. There is obviously something wrong with part II of their exam. However, they keep saying that it’s me. I don’t think so. There is nothing indicating that I passed the first part, and supposedly, you only get 2 chances to retake any of the tests. I’ve taken part ll at least 10 times and I keep going in a loop. Their response was there was nothing wrong with their program. Really, well how come I’m on on a merry-go-round??? There was a problem during the training also. One screen locked up for 2 days. They said there was nothing wrong then either and then all of a sudden it was okay. They give no feedback as to what your score is or what parts of the exam(s) you failed. So you can take it endlessly and not really know what you’re doing wrong – very frustrating for a beginner. This seemed like a good gig but I have major reservations after this………..
Carrie
August 4, 2014 at 12:47 pm
Did you ever get through part II of the final exam? I am having the same problem.
Nick
August 6, 2014 at 9:35 pm
Dang it, me neither. I got some pointers after I emailed them out of frustration, tried it 3 more times after that, still nada. This sucks.
Rae
August 9, 2014 at 2:47 pm
Same here. I’m about to email them but please let me know if you find out anything that helps!
Rae
August 9, 2014 at 2:55 pm
Does the message always come up for you guys in the same place? I don’t know if all the tests go in the same order, but I have an already typed out transcription to edit (the one about shooting footage and B-roll), an audio transcription about interviewing people, a question about which [inaudible] marks are correct, a question that has you circle mistakes in an interview with a French author, then an audio transcription about Twitter. It always gives me the message after the audio transcription about Twitter.
Stephanie
August 12, 2014 at 1:52 pm
I too am having the same problem. Cannot pass part two of the final exam.
Gladys
August 16, 2014 at 10:50 am
I cannot past through the part II of the exam, I emailed them and told me that maybe something is really wrong with my answers, well I don’t think so I am not deaf I can hear clearly and I know where to put the right punctuation marks. Their training sucks, I don’t think they have a new worker because no one seems to pass part 2 of the final exam.
Sarah
October 7, 2014 at 9:24 am
I am having the same problem in the same place. I’ve never failed a test in my life and I’ve failed this one twice. I did find a bug in the training and emailed to ask for clarification, but got no answer. It was teaching about multiple speakers and the directions on the side asked for full verbatim with all the ums and ahs but then when it showed the transcription to compare to, they had done clean verbatim. I wonder if there is something similar in the exam…..
Jo
May 29, 2015 at 8:59 pm
I don’t view this as cheating because there are dozens of forums solely dedicated to the difficulty of the last recording on Part Two of the final exam. There is obviously a “common sense” problem. Additionally, I am sure the editors/webmasters of this page will remove my comment if they find it controversial or against their business model. So I am including the version of the transcription that I passed with:
“use it as a client-generation platform. [Creators in?] Twitter already use Twitter. If you’re already on all those sites all the time, great. Use some tools and spend some time leveraging all those platforms. I come to a lot of these conferences”
The quotations are not included, but all other punctuation and capitalization is correct.
Maria
August 11, 2014 at 10:14 am
Did you ever pass the test? I’m having the same problem, just can’t pass it.
Samantha
August 18, 2014 at 7:44 am
Same problem! After the transcription about Twitter!!!!!! SO ANNOYING – no one has this figured out yet? Or supposedly none of us are qualified to transcribe? 😉
Robert A.
August 25, 2014 at 5:36 am
Wow! So sorry to read of all of you having issues with exam completion. I feel fortunate then. I went through all tests without any problems. I finished it today, and up came the website that said “Congratulations.” Then I was at the Workhub page, but nothing was there about “work.” I assume that if there’s work, something will be there, otherwise it’s just blank like right now. But it’s nothing like the page in the training. I see nothing about my account or anything that was shown in the training about those tabs. (????) I’ll see what happens this coming week.
P.S. I THOUGHT THOSE EXAMS WOULD “NEVER” END. LOL
Sarah
October 7, 2014 at 9:25 am
When did you take the test? Was it recently?
Sheeroh
January 28, 2015 at 6:17 am
The author needs to update that they no longer have their short tests on punctuation, accuracy etc. Now, you go through the Transcriber Training and take the exam. It’s a bit frustrating but TMe give you five attempts. If you are keen with the training, you’ll pass on the second or third attempt.
Miranda Grimm
January 28, 2015 at 1:56 pm
Thanks Sheeroh!
Scarlett
March 5, 2015 at 9:22 pm
After two attempts, I have also made “too many errors” to become a transcriber for TM. I have never transcribed before, but I too have very good grammar and am well educated (master’s degree). One portion of the test is a paragraph that must be edited. The paragraph is so hard to follow, it is impossible to understand, let alone edit! I have not been impressed. Sarah, I also noticed the mistake where it asks you to transcribe in Full Verbatim, but in actuality is looking for CV. Also- BEWARE! The training and exam portion take HOURS to complete and it gives you no indication how far along you are. If you make it to the end, you’ll have no idea what to focus on for improvement because it doesn’t tell you. It just let’s you know you’ve been denied due to too many errors.
Alicia
July 8, 2015 at 10:53 pm
Is the part you’re talking about the paragraph with the “friend Eric Williams” or whatever his name is? I find it very hard to follow as well as there is no way to tell without hearing it whether the “Because at the beginning is capitalized or if it’s in the middle of a sentence or in some places where to put certain punctuation. I have read the style guide like three times and have taken the training and test twice. I still fail the second part of the exam. It’s so frustrating! And, with no feedback whatsoever, I have no idea what to look for or work on.
Lori
March 27, 2015 at 4:45 pm
I’ve been getting the same thing. I also caught the mistake where it asked you transcribe in Full Verbatim, but in actuality was looking for CV. I have been in medical transcription for fourteen years. This test didn’t even seem that hard. However, I can’t seem to get past the Twitter part. After this third time, I think I’m done. I’ve lost my job recently due to electronic medical records/voice recognition and I’m looking for a way to continue to work from home, but it is looking so grim!
Jacob
January 18, 2016 at 3:58 am
I think there really is something wrong with the exam.
Emily
February 16, 2016 at 1:07 am
I passed it on the first try, and even in your comments I see errors you are making. For example the first line for the twitter transcription is “use it as a client generation platform. If you’re using Twitter already, use Twitter. ” it is perfectly clear and you should not have used a [?]
Coromir
March 22, 2016 at 8:49 pm
Do you mind helping the rest of us pass? I can’t seem to get it right!
Darryl
March 14, 2016 at 3:18 pm
I’ve heard a lot of complaints about the TranscribeMe exam. If you’re having trouble passing it, check out this document: https://www.scribd.com/doc/304673260/TranscribeMe-Exam-Answers. $5 for the full thing, and it helped me pass. Making $$ now, finally! 🙂
Ma Ro
August 16, 2016 at 2:46 pm
Its not in all countries because not all countries have paypal.
Sharon Allaire
January 20, 2018 at 11:47 pm
“When I first joined TranscribeMe, the audio files were around 2 minutes in length, and there was no way to download them into a program like ExpressScribe unless you downloaded a web downloader program, which I did, because it made transcribing the audios much easier in the beginning.”
Hi Erica, Thank you for the info on TranscribeMe. From your article, what web program did you download to use the foot pedal instead of hotkeys?