Transcription Jobs UK - Earn Money Typing & Transcribing at Home
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- Created: Friday, 14 May 2021 11:38
- Last Updated: Friday, 14 May 2021 23:42
Transcribing is a fantastic way to make a few extra £££s online working from home. There are some basic requirements, but it's a job that you could start doing today in most cases.
There are plenty of ways of making money from home these days but if you’ve never thought of transcribing then you should really put it at the top of your list! Online transcription jobs have a huge demand and pay very well once you get your proficiency up.
Transcription Jobs UK
Can I make money typing from home? The short answer is, yes, and here's how...
So let’s break down what you need to start, how to find transcription jobs in the UK, and who are the best companies to work for right now.
What is Transcribing?
First, let’s get to grips with what transcription actually is. Simply put it is the act of typing out a recorded piece of audio, word for word. You listen to a piece of audio or watch a video and copy down each word that is said. That’s it.
There are a few different types of transcription, each of which requires a different level of skills and experience and sometimes different equipment (don’t worry we’ll break all of this down for you later).
General Transcription
This is your basic transcription, taking a piece of audio and typing up what is said. This can cover a wide range of formats; lectures, conference calls, speeches, phone calls, dictation, videos, podcasts. The list is pretty endless.
They also cover a broad range of topics, from business and marketing to media and academia.
Medical Transcription
This is a specialised practice that requires specific training and qualification. It involves transcribing doctor's and nurse’s dictations and transcribing them to patients’ records.
Realtime transcription
Working from home you will mostly be working from pre-recorded audio, but there are real-time transcription jobs that require you to transcribe on the fly. Subtitles for live TV, for example, require live transcriptions as there are no pre-planned scripts or pre-recordings. These often pay more but require far more experience and typing speed of 200 wpm.
For our purposes here, looking for home typist jobs in the UK, we’ll focus on general transcriptions jobs as these have few to no barriers to entry, and can be done in your own time.
What are the basic skills you need?
There are a few basic skills that you will need to succeed as a transcriber:
Fast and Accurate Typing - In many instances, agencies offering transcription work are looking for people who can type between 65-80 words per minute (wpm) and a 98% accuracy. (for reference real-time transcription you’ll need to be able to type between 180-220 words per minute.)
This might sound like a lot, but you may surprise yourself at how quickly you can type, and if you’re not quite at that speed yet, with a little practice I promise you it’s very achievable.
Good Language Skills – the audio you get will vary in quality as well as the variety of accents you’re likely to come across. You’ll need a good grasp of the English language to make sure there’s nothing you misinterpret.
Computer Skills – You’ll also need a basic understanding of programs like Microsoft Word, and audio playback software like windows media player.
Discretion – There may be times when what you are transcribing is confidential audio. In these situations, the company is trusting you not to share that information.
What Equipment do you need to start?
In most cases, all you need is a computer and an internet connection to get started working from home. Headphones are a bonus as they help you focus on just the audio you are transcribing.
Some companies ask you to also have a pedal, which allows you to pause/play the audio using your foot. This is great for speeding up your work, but not essential.
How Much can you Earn?
This is the big question, and the answer might surprise you.
Transcription work is usually paid per minute. That’s per minute of audio, not per minute of your time.
On average you can earn between 40p-80p per audio minute. This means, depending on how quickly you can type, you could earn as much as £16 per hour.
For more difficult jobs the pay can be more, and if you are doing real-time transcription then this could as much as £50 per hour.
Do you need Formal Training?
For general transcription, no, there is no formal training that you need to go through. Practice and self-improvement are always a good idea, though, and the faster you type the more money you can make.
There are ways to test and improve your skills before you even start which will give you the best chance of succeeding. Here are some links to help you get started:
Practice transcribing from audio - with different accents and levels of difficulty. You can take a practice transcribing from audio here.
Test your typing speed – how many words per minute can you reach. I had a lot of fun trying to beat my top number here.
Practice entrance test (audio) – some companies require you to pass a test to join. There's a sample test transcribing audio for you to practice with here.
Practice entrance test (copy) – same as above but copying written text rather than audio. There's a sample test transcribing copy for you to practice with here.
Where and How to Start?
How to find transcription jobs in the UK? Now that you’ve got to grips with what transcribing is, and you’ve had fun practicing your typing skills, let’s get into the nitty-gritty.
The good news is, we’ve taken the hard work out of looking for you and listed some of our favourite companies hiring in the UK below.
They’re listed based on entry criteria and difficulty. So first up are the entry-level companies for those with absolutely no experience, and then we scale up from there.
Way with Words
This is a great company to start with. They provide training for those that have never done transcription work before, and the potential to scale your earning as you get better is great too!
Requirements: No previous experience necessary! Training is given if necessary.
English as a first language
Your own computer
Up to date antivirus software
Can use Microsoft Word
Pay: $0.45 - $1.73 per audio minute
How to apply: Simply sign up and then work through their training and assessments
Our thoughts: Great company for first-timers. Can set your own hours. The better and faster you get, the more you’ll make!
Scribie
They’re an American company so they pay in dollars but they do hire from the UK. They also provide short audio clips (10 mins or less) which are great for new transcribers. You can control the amount you work and they have no minimum time requirements from you.
Requirements: Good communication skills
Proficient in spoken/written English
Excellent comprehension of American/British/Australian/Indian accents
Your own computer
Pay: $5 - $25 per audio hour
$5 bonus for every 3 hours completed
Paid via paypal
How to apply: Online test
Our thoughts: Great company to start with. Short audio clips. No particular time commitment. They also have a log of practice and test resources before you start.
Transcribe Me
They are similar to Scribie. They’re based in the UD but hire from anywhere as long as your English is good enough. They provide short clips to work on (often 5 mins or under) and they don’t require any specific time commitments. So you can control when and how much you work.
Requirements: Your own computer
Additional training given
Pay: $15 - $22 per audio hour
Paid via PayPal
How to apply: Simply sign up with just an English test.
Our thoughts: Flexible working and delivery times. Very reputable company. Perfect for a bit of extra income.
Take Note
They have a lovely ethos and they are keen for you to enjoy and get something out of the work too. Solid rates of pay and not the most difficult requirements to join.
Requirements: 65 wpm
English GCSE grade C or above
Your own computer
Fast internet service
Up to date antivirus software
Headphones
Based in the UK
They will provide transcription software
Pay: From 45p per audio minute. Est £6.75 - £9 per hour
How to apply: Fill in an application
Pass initial tests
Additional training then given
They do have a practice test you can take before applying
Our thoughts: Great reputation. Friendly company with family focus approach. They don’t have the fastest typing requirement either so another great one to start with.
McGowan Transcribe + Translate
One of the leading companies in the UK for transcriptions. Because of this, they are looking for experience.
Requirements: Must be able to transcribe 90 mins of audio 4 days per week.
Your own computer
Up to date antivirus software
DBS certificate
Additional training given
Pay: Varies but very competitive
How to apply: Phase 1 – Fill in an application form, complete a 5-minute transcription test
Phase 2 – Work on live files (you will be paid) to test whether you are a good fit
Our thoughts: Flexible working and delivery times. Very reputable company. Perfect for a bit of extra income.
Take1 Transcriptions
Transcription work in TV working on shows for the BBC, Channel 4, Sky. Something a bit different from all the others. But they are looking for people with a lot more experience.
Requirements: Experience required
80 wpm
Available 20 hours per week
Good knowledge of current affairs
Your own computer
Fast internet connection
Pay: Starting at 40p per audio min. Rising to 60-80p per audio min
How to apply: Send in your CV
Complete basic spelling and grammar test
Our thoughts: Working on some very interesting TV projects. Something a bit different. Ideal for faster typers
UK Transcription
They specialise in audio interview transcriptions. seeking transcribers for an immediate start. They offer some of the best rates in the industry, interesting subject matter, and total autonomy over your workload.
Requirements: 75 wpm
UK bank account
Excellent English
Bonus points for including IHRTHJDH in your application subject line! (genuinely)
Pay: Very competitive
How to apply: Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with CV and short cover letter with experience and availability. To get an application form
Copy typing and audio typing tests after application
Paid trial files after that
Our thoughts: Flexible working and delivery times. We like their sense of humour!
Pagesix Transcription Service
Home-based audio transcribers that post jobs for you to search through rather than sent directly.
Requirements: 70 wpm
Live in the UK
English as first language
Your own computer
Flexible availability
Pay: Competitive
How to apply: Initial Online spelling and grammar test
Then audio typing test
Our thoughts: Flexible working. Well established company with a good amount of work
Freelance Transcription Services
Joining a transcription agency is not the only way to make money typing from home. You could also offer up your transcription services on freelancer sites. This way the clients come directly to you, and you could potentially make a little more in the long run by cutting out the middle agency taking its cut.
Note: It will take time to grow a client base and you may very well have to start charging much lower fees.
Fiverr
Fiverr is one of the largest freelancer websites online offering everything from copywriting and transcription to animation, editing, and social media management.
It is a fairly simple process joining and setting up a fiverr account, and it’s free to join too, though they do take a 20% cut of every sale you make.
Once you have your profile you then create a ‘gig’, which is basically a service you are offering at a price you set.
Customers searching for transcription work can then see your gig and hire you to do the work.
There are a lot of great articles and youtube videos about the best way to set up a fiverr profile if this is a route that interests you. Or you could jump on over to skillshare and sign up for a free trial - they have courses on everything on there!
Upwork
Upwork is another massive online freelancer site, though it actually works the opposite way to Fiverr.
You set up your profile, but instead of customers finding you, they post their requirements and you bid for the work.
Again there are an awful lot of very good guides on how to make the best of Upwork out there.
Want to earn money from home? Here are 100s of ways to earn cash from home in 2024
Whichever route you take I wish you the best of luck in this new adventure. If you have any questions or just want to update us on how you are getting on then please do let us know in the comments below.
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