Is Working For TranscribeMe Worth It? (Detailed Review)

Is Transcribeme worth it? If you’ve been asking yourself this question, below is my Trascribeme review and thoughts to give you insight.

Without a doubt, millions of freelancers across the globe rely on transcription to pay their bills, some to supplement their primary income sources.

That’s the case partially because there is so much freedom that comes with working from home as a transcriptionist.

We can’t ignore the ease of transcribing as compared to doing other online jobs either.

Are you looking to get started? TranscribeMe is a transcription site I would like to introduce you to.

You’ve probably heard of it, but I doubt you’ve formed an opinion about it. Let’s take those doubts away with this in-depth review of TranscribeMe.

What is TranscribeMe?

TranscribeMe is a platform that pays freelancers to transcribe audio and video files.

It is open to newbies and sets minimal equipment requirements for transcriptionists.

Partly, this is because it has its own software and doesn’t expect freelancers to use third-party transcription systems.

In fact, they discourage this, citing the development of errors when transferring text from the third-party word editor to TranscribeMe’s own.

TranscribeMe was founded in 2011 and has now over 100,000 transcriptionists divided into sections based on skill level, experience, and demographic factors.

Its clients include law firms, medical practices, marketing agencies, researchers, students, entrepreneurs, and podcasters.

Is TranscribeMe Legitimate?

TranscribeMe is a legitimate and tested-and-tried source of income for thousands of transcriptionists worldwide.

The platform is well-rated on many review sites and boasts the reputation of offering what it promises and paying its transcriptionists on time.

Its workflow may not be consistent enough for a primary source of income, but as a side hustle, it certainly meets the minimum.

Is TranscribeMe Worth It?

TranscribeMe is worth it if you wish to use the extra time on your hands to make money.

The competition for work is high, but the number of clients is also high, at least compared to other transcription sites.

If you’re contemplating joining TranscribeMe, by all means, go ahead.

Our article on RippleMatch Review might interest you.

How Much Can You Earn From TranscribeMe?

TranscribeMe fancies describing itself as the platform with the industry’s best rates.

It pays its transcriptionists $15-$22 per audio hour and up to $2,200 per month to its highest earners.

Your pay rate bracket may change as you gain experience, so what you earn at the start is not necessarily what you will be making after a few months.

If you wish to join the top earners fast, consider seizing the advancement opportunities for medical and specialty-style transcriptionists.

Can You Earn A Living Wage From TranscribeMe?

It is highly unlikely that you will, especially if you live in first-tier countries where the living wage is relatively high.

However, you can generate decent income to complement whatever you get from your day job.

The accepted transcription rate for a moderately experienced transcriptionist is four minutes per audio minute, which translates to roughly $4 per hour.

How Does TranscribeMe Work?

To understand how TranscribeMe works, you may need to look at it from a client’s point of view because that’s who the company was built for. I’ll give you a brief tour.

TranscribeMe clients, as affirmed earlier, look to have the speech in their audio and video files converted into text.

This can be for presentation in court, marketing, translation afterward, publishing in a blog, printing, or some other personal or professional reason.

Since many clients need the transcripts for official purposes, a high level of accuracy is required.

That’s why they don’t rely on artificial intelligence in the first place, you would think. And it’s why it’s so easy to be jettisoned if you don’t produce documents that are at least 98% accurate.

The work is passed down to you with clear instructions and a fixed deadline. By this, I mean the platform assigns you work as opposed to giving you a pool of assignments to select from.

You’re supposed to hear through the white noise, dialects, and accents and put in text what the target speaker says.

Once you are done, a reviewer will go through your work and submit it to the client. And that’s the end of the deal. The client gave an audio file; they have received a text document.

Now it’s time for the person who did the work to receive compensation. Your earning is credited to your TranscribeMe account, where it accumulates and is sent to you at the end of the week via PayPal.

Note that TranscribeMe only issues payment to people who have at least $20 in their accounts.

One thing I like about TranscribeMe is that it has its own transcription and editing software.

You don’t have to download other applications or pay for services elsewhere to complete assignments. It is also compatible with all major foot-pedal brands.

How To Join TranscribeMe

Registration

First, you will enter your registration details. The platform is interested to know your name, country and province or region of residence, time zone, etc., before giving you an entrance exam.

TranscribeMe advises against taking the exam before going through their style guide.

This is because the rules matter in the exam as much as they do in actual projects and may impact your chances of being accepted.

The TranscribeMe Exam

The exam is the most important part of the sign-up process.

It lets the guys at TranscribeMe into your transcription knowledge and guides their decision to accept or reject your application.

Understandably, this makes the sign-up process seem like a concrete wall. But is it that difficult? In a word, no. It’s just hectic and too long for someone who wants to start earning immediately.

Someone who has read the style guide and learned their way around the TranscribeMe software should not struggle with the questions.

Here is what the TranscribeMe exam entails:

A crutch words and informal speech quiz, which involves converting informal speech with informal contractions like “wanna,” “sorta,” etc. and filler words such as “like,” and “um” into formal text
Style guide questions, which necessitate reading the style guide beforehand
True-or-false questions in clean, verbatim
Multiple-choice questions in the use of words and tags in specific situations
An audio exam section

Ensure you understand each question before typing an answer. Accuracy is key, and you want to get it right from the entrance phase.

There is no shortcut to good performance. Things that will affect the quality you produce include your keenness and the equipment you have.

A good pair of headphones is mandatory (as a rule of the thumb). If possible, get yourself a foot pedal too.

It will increase your speed and efficiency and raise your earning potential in the process.

Also, take the time to read the document about TranscribeMe’s features before getting started.

Once your registration has been accepted, TranscribeMe will take you through training and put you on a short waitlist.

You won’t start earning immediately but you can be sure to get your call-up eventually.

Transcribing

And to the most important part: transcribing! As stated above, TranscribeMe is a little different from Rev and other sites in distributing assignments.

Its algorithm matches profiles with jobs and sends invitations directly to user emails.

It is both a good and bad thing. First, it creates an uneven playing field and limits freelancers’ ability to grow.

It also causes inconvenience as jobs are assigned when available instead of when you can do them.

Thankfully, the deadlines are not strict. You can also decline an assignment if you are not in a position to do it.

You will find this system favorable if you are experienced and have a track record of delivering quality.

You will always receive priority, albeit at the expense of newbies and other potentially more hardworking people.

TranscribeMe expects you to transcribe and edit your work from their platform, not copy from a different editor or use third-party transcription software.

Reviews And Complaints

TranscribeMe, like any freelance platform under the sun, receives praise and criticism in equal measure.

Those who seem to enjoy it the most are clients and freelancers who appreciate legit sites.

There are people who have positive things to say about TranscribeMe simply because they love transcription, and the site offers them actual paying jobs.

As this reviewer notes, the company gets back to you shortly after you pass your exam, which is something you’ll value if you have used other transcription sites.

On the flip side is plenty, at least according to people who claim to have used TranscribeMe.

No prizes for guessing what they hate most, though, because it can’t get worse than having to accept $4 per hour for any service.

The exam is apparently really hard for some people, too, and an absolute waste of time if the application is eventually rejected.

The above review highlights baseless account termination, which is reaffirmed by this user:

Overall, TranscribeMe is a so-so platform with its fair share of pros and cons.

To avoid wasting your time doing a difficult exam and undergoing unnecessary training, it’s best that you understand what transcription is about and set realistic expectations.

What I Like About TranscribeMe

It is free to join, and geographic restrictions do not apply
Assignments are sent directly to your email
Payment is weekly and guaranteed for all work done. The payout limit, $20, is also relatively low.
Experience is appreciated