Transcribe.com Reviews: A Scam Or Legit Transcription Site?

transcribe.com reviews

Welcome to my Transcribe.com review!

In this article, I will reveal to you everything you need to know about making money on Transcribe.com and on similar transcription websites.

I will also show you the best opportunities for you to make money online as a transcriptionist. I am 100% sure that you will find this helpful and valuable.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to me in the comments below and I will be more than happy to help you out.

Transcribe.com Review – Quick Summary

Product Name: Transcribe.com

Product Type: Transcribing Jobs Online

Best for: People Who Do Not Want to Earn Good Money Online.

transcribe.com reviews

Summary: Transcribe.com is one of the major transcription companies online among Babbletype, Quicktate and a few other ones. As you probably know of those other sites, it is easy to get started but the earnings are very low.

Is Transcribe.com Recommended? No. There are numerous better ways to make much bigger money online. If you want to earn money by transcribing, I recommend checking out this resource or clicking the button below:

NOTE: Transcribing online can make you a full-time income if you follow these steps. However, if you are planning to make a big money online (+$5,000-10,000/month), you should not rely on transcribing.

If your goal is to make big money online by doing something you love, I recommend following this step-by-step training. It will not make you rich overnight but the earning potential is much greater than by transcribing.

Transcribe.com Video Review

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What is Transcribe.com?

Transcribe.com is one of the numerous transcription websites, and it promises that members can earn up to $400 and more than that weekly.

Transcribers can enroll with their services and transcribe different files for clients. It is a work at home site, meaning that you can do the work from the comfort of your home or basically anywhere you want.

The site claimed that they have many writers transcribing different items such as

  • Documents
  • Dissertations
  • Business meetings
  • Preachings, sermons and other speaks.

Items for transcription differ, and the site claims that jobs are always available for its workers. What you earn from the company depends on what you are able to produce and your level of expertise.

The time it takes for items to be transcribed varies. It can range from a few minutes to several hours. This is determined by different factors such as your level of expertise, the volume you are transcribing, and the type of transcribing instruments you use for the work.

Who Can Work for Transcribe.com?

The company claims that the job is for anybody who passes the assessment. Moreover, to enroll for their services, the company does not demand previous experience as a condition for acceptance.

In the image below, you can also see other requirements that can help you to finish the transcriptions.

Previous experience is not 100% requirement on Transcribe.com based on my researches but it’s certainly a plus.

Having previous experience can be an advantage, because it can help you do the work faster and better.

There is no training required before you can work on the website, however, you need to familiarize yourself with their writing style or preferably you follow this training to make more money for transcribing.

Furthermore, you need to study their formatting guide to make an excellent transcription, when you are working for them.

Moreover, you have to take 3-step assessment before you can become a good transcriber with the company. Their services are not for you if you fail the assessment tests.

You will provide transcription materials you need for the work. You should equip yourself with the necessary tools to help you facilitate your work such as:

  • Computer
  • High-speed Internet connection (recommended)
  • Transcription software
  • Foot pedal
  • Headset (Not necessary but I recommend)

The assessment is not that difficult if you were doing transcriptions before. The company requires a verbatim transcription. You have to download the file you want to transcribe.

Before you can receive payment from the website for jobs done, you must have a PayPal account where payments would be sent. If you currently do not have PayPal account, they have a platform that can help you to set one without difficulties.

 

Transcribe.com Jobs – How Does Transcribe.com Work?

Once you applied to work for them and you pass the test, then you can begin. You do not need to become an expert transcriber before you can be accepted to work with them.

However, you must endeavor to familiarize yourself with their system. This can assist new members, especially those going through their tests.

You must first apply and you do that right in their website. The company is readily available for Americans and you must be at least eighteen years before you can work for them.

When you apply, you go through the assessment tests, and if you do well, you are ready to start earning money for the company. The work is straightforward.

You have to download the file you want to transcribe and then listen to carefully it so that you can make a perfect transcription. When the transcription is finished, it must be perfect and it has to be a verbatim report of the file you are transcribing.

When you have a work to do, you should know that the work is time stamped. This is to ensure that you submit files fast. This simply means that there are a number of hours to do the job.

You must stick to the time allocated for the work. To have a perfect job, most transcribers use transcription software to help them do the job fast and meet the deadline.

transcription.com process

This is the simple process for Transcribe.com clients. I would rather be a client on Transcribe.com than a transcriptionist with a little salary.

Based on my own previous experiences of such freelancing jobs, I find deadlines very helpful also for the freelancer because they give a good rhythm for your work. If you do not have deadline, you will most likely postpone the job until it really must be done. Therefore, the deadline serves both you and the client.

The company even recommends such software for the speedy execution of the job. The software is not free and it is not mandatory that you own them. However, the company recommends it so that you can always deliver a superior quality work.

When you have finished the project and proofread it, the file ID has to be included when you are uploading the completed documents to the company.

The process is simple once the company has accepted you:

  1. You have to find work to do
  2. Complete the task
  3. Submit the completed transcription to them.
  4. When you have submitted, you can check back for a feedback 
  5. Wait for the payment.

There is a simple requirement and that is you pass the test to become one of their transcribers. The only thing that you will do is that you must pass the assessment test. Moreover, you must ensure that you do fine quality work for the company.

Anybody can do the job very well, and you can do very well if you have your own transcription software. Based on my and other people’s experiences it is important that you maintain the high quality of work or otherwise the company may easily end your collaboration.

Many clients have left positive reviews of Transcribe.com on Trustpilot. The quality of your work is very important for Transcribe.com.

How Much Does Transcribe.com Pay?

Transcribe.com pays their transcribers based on some estimations around $20 per audio hour. Therefore, the salary is more or less the same like on TranscribeMe, Babbletype or other similar sites. However, note that this is not an exact salary and only made based on the estimations.

One thing is clear:

The pay is not worth the amount of efforts they put in doing the job. 

However, any project has a price tag and you have to see it before you begin to do your work. Moreover, the price tag varies and it depends on the difficulty and file length.

There is the assumption that the payment rate varies and it depends on the accuracy of the jobs done. If you submit a low quality job, you will receive your payment, but it has to be a low rate.

Many transcriptionists have reported on Glassdoor.com reviews that the salary is not good on Transcribe.me.

Therefore, my conclusion is that if you are willing to work for a small salary, Transcribe.com is a legitimate company to earn some extra bucks. But if you want to earn a good money online, this place is not for you.

Why would you earn $5 per hour when you could earn $50 per hour on other sites at the same time?

If you want to make more money as a transcriptionist, I recommend following the steps that Janet Shaughnessy teaches.

On the other hand, if you want to make passive income online like I do (meaning that you can generate money even while you are sleeping), I advise following the exact steps that I have followed to make it happen.

If I can do it, you can do it. I will also reach out to you personally to make sure you learn everything and start making money online like I am doing. I am excited to see you succeeding.

Transcribe.com Requirements

There are no very strict requirements for anybody to work for the company. The most important thing is just that you can just deliver high-quality results. 

Another important requirement is that you have to be eighteen years of age before you apply to work for the company. Moreover, you have to be an American resident.

Test or assessment is equally required before you are accepted to work for the company. You do not need to have previous experience before you can be accepted to work for the company.

This site accepts beginners. The company requests that you have transcription software and one of the tools they recommended for the job is Express Scribe.

Moreover, the company recommends software known as a foot pedal. This tool is important because you need it to rewind the file. If you get all the requirements the company mentioned, it means that you must spend around one hundred dollars to get started.

Whom is Transcribe.com For? (and NOT for)

Transcribe.com is for transcribers and membership is readily available for many Americans. You do not need to be an expert before you can write for the company.

Even though it is open for everybody, you still must be a serious and fast transcriber to be a good worker for the company. None of the companies do not want to collaborate with a person who does not have the skills to deliver the best results.

If you want to increase your income significantly as a transcriber, these steps will definitely take you further.

The company is not for unserious people. If you are not committed to the delivery of high quality work, then the company is not for you. But I believe that you are a serious worker because you are reading my blog. 😉

Or at least you will become successful if you follow my advice and the steps that I have taken myself to generate a full-time income online.

Pros & Cons of Transcribe.com

Pros

  • The company is work at home site, which means that you can earn money without stepping out of your house.
  • Transcribe.com is a legitimate company and pays their transcribers as promised.
  • You do not need to make a heavy investment before you work for them.
  • There are no tough requirements, but you must pass the assessment test before you become a worker with them.

Cons

  • The payment is poor; it is not worth the efforts put in.
  • You are not building your own business because you will be working for someone else and building their business. This means that the earning potential is very low.
  • Completing their tasks can be very time-consuming in the long run.
  • Having low paying job on Transcribe.com can distract you from better opportunities.

Is Transcribe.com Worth It?

There is no doubt that transcribe.com is a genuine and legitimate company. The problem with the company is that the pay is not worth it.

Some jobs can last for several hours but the money you get at the end of the is not really worth it.

Let’s say that you would earn $20 per audio hour. A good transcriber can transcribe that in 4-5 hours which means that your hourly salary would be around $4-5 per hour.

This is way below the minimum salary in the U.S. In addition, there are hundreds of online job sites where you could easily make more than $15 per hour.

If you have spend your precious time doing other jobs, you would receive much more money. Because of that, the company is not worth it for transcriptionists. Instead of spending time and resources, it is better to look use a better alternative that can provide you with more payments to take care of your responsibilities.

Is Transcribe.com a Scam?

I want to answer this question because it was asked by multiple people on Google.

Transcribe.com is a legit transcription site. It is not a scam. Many people can testify that they have earned money using this transcribing platform.

The site is legitimate and legal; the only problem is that the platform may not be the best for earning money. If you are a beginner, you can hardly make it in this company. For more experienced transcribers who qualify, the payout just isn’t good enough.

You should not expect that what you earn here would take care of your responsibilities. This means that you have to depend on other things to sustain yourself.

I have also noticed from my own experience that if you spend time on many online job sites, you are spreading yourself too thin and you may not reach your full potential. It would better to concentrate on only one site to until you make a full-time income online.

It is still good to keep in mind that nobody can say that the company has cheated him or her in any way.

Moreover, owners of the company are well known. There is nothing in them that shows that they are fake. The salary sucks, but that does not mean that you would be cheated. It’s clear for us from the beginning.

Best Ways to Earn Money Online as a Transcriptionist

The fact that Transcribe.com’s payout is not very good, does not mean that the hope would be lost for transcribers. Far from that, there are other ways you can earn a good income as a transcriber.

Janet Shaughnessy has worked more than a decade in the online transcription industry and made very good money doing that.

transcribe anywhere Janet Shaughnessy

Janet Shaughnessy is the world’s #1 transcription trainer.

During the recent years, she has been educating other people to make a full-time income online as a transcriptionist. Learn more about her courses here or just click the button below.

For those of you who want to make money by other ways than transcribing, I suggest following this step-by-step training. It has taken me from 0 to making a full-time income online. If I can do it, you can do it.

I will be more than happy to help you out to achieve the same and that’s why I will immediately reach to you when you join the community.

What kind of experiences do you have with Transcribe.com or other similar transcribing sites?

Would you like to get my personal help and support to make more money online?

Let me know in the comments below!

If you have any questions, just leave a comment below and I will be more than happy to help you out.

By Roope Kiuttu

Hello! I am Roope "Robert" Kiuttu, the founder and owner of YourOnlineRevenue.com. I created this website back in 2015 to help you to make money online. You can ask me anything and I'll be happy to help you out. I help people daily to make more money online and I love seeing people succeeding. If you want to get my 1-on-1 support and help to make money online as well, get started HERE.

22 comments

  1. For someone like me who is trying to test the waters first of online income options, I get bombarded with too much information to be honest. But I really find this article meaty and helpful. I get all I wanted to know in one go through the links and the comment section as well. I will take note of your advice that I need to concentrate on only one site and eventually build a career on it instead of juggling too many tasks that might weigh me down.

    1. I see. I’m happy to hear that you found this article helpful and valuable 🙂

      Just let me know if you have any questions on making money online and I’ll be happy to help you out!

  2. Sounds like an easy task, but not being a native English speaker, it’s always a challenge to get the audio perfectly right. I worked on customer service for a call center a while, although I could provide a good service, sometimes I would struggle and hesitate a bit certain accents. Also, the article mentions that the pay is not good.

    1. I understand. English is also my second language so I know what you mean.

      Transcribing jobs may be somewhat easy but I am personally looking for a higher income (+$10,000/month) and that is impossible with transcription jobs.

  3. The benefits of working on Transcribe.com after passing its assessment test are very appealing for those looking to earn money online from doing transcription jobs. At least, the individual can easily work from home with either laptop or desktop computer as long as there is strong and stable internet connection.

    Also looking at Transcribe.com keeping its promises of paying its works is another good advantage of working for the company but it’s only the poor money earned for doing so much job that ruins working on the site.

      1. Well, it’s true that all transcription jobs doesn’t pay money that is commensurate to the efforts put in working on such transcription sites. Even though Transcribe.com holds up its end of the deal by paying its workers, it’s still a stressful way to earn lesser money.

  4. It sounds good. But as with a lot of these online money making sites, the reality is a lot different to what is promised and how it sounds. The fact that some people just aren’t happy with the pay is not a good sign because for the time and effort needed for these types of jobs, there are much better options out there to make money (especially ones that you yourself have suggested Roope).

    1. Yeah, the pay is not that good on Transcribe.com and on similar transcription sites.

      That’s why I recommend Transcribe Anywhere for those people who want to make serious money with transcribing.

      1. Hi Roope, I’m pretty serious about making money with transcribing. I’ve tried applying with one of the transcription websites however I failed the assessment.

        To tell you honestly, I didn’t know why I failed because the audio is quite clear and I work in a call center so somehow my listening skill as for me is okay and so is my writing I guess. But I think there’s more to it.

        Maybe the shift of the speakers or punctuation, not really sure. So right now I’m doing typing training online. I’ve been receiving emails from Janet Shaughnessy as you recommended and I’ll start from there. I’ll start for the free courses and I’m willing to shell out money if I can afford it to prepare me before I start applying again.

        Thank you for your recommendation and looking forward to learn more about making money through transcribing.

        1. I see, I see.

          I am happy that you are receiving tips from Janet because she’s really an expert on how to make money online with transcribing. I recommend following her tips because she has done it so much herself and afterwards educated thousands of people worldwide to make money online with transcribing.

  5. I recently applied for a transcription job at GoTranscript and the test was a bit hard so I’m not sure if I’m going to pass. I might try this website, keyword: might. As you have stated, it does seem like it’s not at all that worth it to try. I would also like to ask, several times have you stated that this website and job is readily available for Americans, does that mean it’s not fit for Filipinos and such?

    Ah, since I’ve mentioned GoTranscript, I was wondering if maybe you have a review for it too? Whether it’s a scam and if it’s worth it.

    Thank you for all the help.

  6. Based on my own research, that’s actually the average rate of short transcription jobs that are also offered by some other transcription sites. So it’s no different. Well, I guess this is good for those who are just looking for a little extra… some jobs on the side to supplement their regular 9 to 5 jobs.

    And yes, I agree that if one has to pursue transcription as a career, not just in this company but with any other transcription sites out there as well, you have to have not only the skills, but also the necessary equipment to make the task efficient and make the most out of it. a good computer, headset and a foot pedal are the three transcription must-haves.

  7. I am an old member of a similar transcribing site that pays me 2.5 dollars per 10 minute audio file, and honestly I hate myself for doing it. Aside from the hassle and bustle of applying for the membership alone, the ratio of what you will earn to the amount of time you’ll waste isn’t that worth it at all.

    Honestly, such job is quite attractive in third world countries, especially for students. If you don’t care wasting your time on such a time and effort demanding work, then it is your choice.

    However, if you want to take this to the next level, I have a little advise that I can contribute. If you still love transcribing after reading this good article, then go for freelancing sites! Why? Because you can earn more than 3 dollars an audio file. I have earned 35 dollars for a single 20 minute audio file.

    If you live in countries like the Philippines, you can agree to me that 35 dollars is quite a lot! The only investment you have to do is gain a good reputation. Gaining it though is not as simple as it seems, but it will be worth the while in the long run. So again, if you want earning good sum of money, I agree with Roope, Don’t do transcribing jobs. But if you still want to push through then take my little advice.

  8. First of all, you need to take courses if you haven’t already and those will cost you around +80 EUR depending on your knowledge in general. Then once you meet the requirements, you can apply to work for them. I agree, the payout they offer is really small compared to the other sites. So in general, you need to work a lot just to cover the cost of the course you took before singing up to work on their site.

    I agree with Roope, affiliate marketing is the way to go when you wish to earn money online.

    1. Yeah, with affiliate marketing the earning potential is much higher than with transcribing. With affiliate marketing one can earn even +$10,000/month which hardly would be possible with transcription jobs. In addition, the most successful affiliate marketers are making hundreds of thousands of dollars each month which would be completely impossible with transcription freelance jobs.

  9. Wow, this is a really detailed and informative article, thank you for taking the time to compile all this information for our benefit. I’m very glad I came to this website.

    Actually, I have been using transcription websites as one of my sources of side income for a few months now. I already have a full-time job that I am happy with, but it often leaves me a lot of free time – it would be a shame if I didn’t put it to good use as well. I considered Trascribe.com since I became unhappy with the company I was previously using, but I believe I can now make more than an educated guess in my choice. Transcribe.com seemed quite attractive due to how easy you can just start doing work, but if it really is so time-consuming for a much-too-low pay salary, I will probably reconsider my options.

    Thank you very much for the review again, very helpful!

  10. “If you get all the requirements the company mentioned, it means that you must spend around one hundred dollars to get started.” So, to get started in this site, transcribe.com, one has to shell out more money?

    I don’t think I would go to that level. I am looking for good income online but not to the point I have to invest extra money. I know I can find something better by hard work and honing my skills more. Kudos to you…Your article is a good read. Thanks for the detailed information.

    1. Hello Gina,

      If you have the tools that they require, you don’t need to spend a single dollar. But if you do not have transcription tools it may be required to get them. I think that $100 is a very little investment if you get a good online job. But as I stated in this article I think that transcribe.com is not one of them.

      By the way, have you already started the training on wealthy affiliate? You can started for completely free and I will be sure to help you out to make money online.

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