Transcriber

Transcribers, also called transcriptionists, are people who listen to audio files or watch videos and type out what they hear, producing a written record of the content.

There are dozens of types of audio you can transcribe, but some of the most common include:

• Podcasts
• Interviews
• TV shows and movies (for subtitles)
• Court proceedings
• Medical records
• Academic lectures
• Presentations or seminars
• Business meetings
• Personal notes and memos

Transcription also sometimes features an editing or proofreading component. That’s because transcripts come in several varieties:

• Verbatim: This means the text is written exactly as spoken, with filler words (“um” and “uh,” etc.) left in.
• Clean: In “clean” transcripts, filler words have been removed, but the text is otherwise unedited.
• Edited: In addition to being transcribed, the text has also been worked over by an editor, resulting in an essentially publication-ready document.

Transcription is a remote-friendly side hustle, and it’s relatively easy to get into; all you need is a laptop and an internet connection, although having additional equipment (like headphones and a foot pedal to stop and start audio files) helps a great deal.

Most people are qualified to do transcription work, although to succeed, you do need to be a fairly fast typer, with 40 words per minute (wpm) being the bare minimum. You also need to be focused and have strong attention to detail, since it’s easy to make careless errors when transcribing long files.

You don’t need any formal credentials to do general transcription work. However, to work in specialized subfields (primarily medical and legal transcription), you may need to get certified.

If you’re interested in niching down, look into these certifications to start with:

Medical transcription

• Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist (from the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity)

Legal transcription

• Certified Electronic Reporter
• Certified Electronic Transcriber (both from the American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers)

Use these tips to get your transcription side hustle off to a good start:

Don’t neglect your equipment

We mentioned several tools and pieces of equipment you should consider acquiring, such as an ergonomic chair and keyboard and a foot pedal.

These tools are optional, and it’s understandable if you’re resistant to the idea of getting them—who likes spending money when they don’t have to?—but most transcribers find that they’re worth it.

This is a surprisingly physically demanding side hustle, and it’s easy to burn out or even injure yourself by spending hours every day typing in an uncomfortable position.

Consider getting transcription software

Similarly, while it’s possible to transcribe with just a word processor and an MP3 player, it’s challenging.

There are relatively cheap software tools, such as Express Scribe and oTranscribe, that can make your life a lot easier. Their functionality includes:

• Removing or minimizing background noise
• Enhancing voices when they’re very faint
• Slowing down or speeding up audio
• Automatically transcribing text (you’ll still have to check and correct it)

If you shell out for decent equipment and professional transcription software, you’ll probably find that you make back your investment fairly quickly. After all, the easier and more pleasant you can make your side hustle, the more often you’ll do it (and the more efficient you’ll be).

Insist on clean audio (and charge more when it’s poor quality)

We’ve spoken to several transcribers, and one thing they all agree on is that audio quality matters a lot.

When audio is unclear, whether because the environment was noisy or the recording equipment wasn’t very good, it takes longer to transcribe. That means you’ll spend longer completing the job, and because transcribers are usually paid by the audio minute (rather than per minute worked), that also means you’ll make less money.

If you haven’t worked with a client before, don’t be shy about asking for an audio sample before you accept a job from them. If it’s hard to make out what you’re hearing, it’s okay to reject the job or ask for more money.

Pros

Transcription has a lot to recommend it. This side hustle is:

• Remote-friendly: Again, this is a job you can do from home (or from anywhere else you like). All you need is a quiet, comfortable space to work from.
• Flexible: As with most freelance work, you can do this on basically any schedule and accept as much or as little work as you like.
• Low stress: Transcribing is a straightforward job that doesn’t generally require interacting with people. This is a great side hustle for introverts.
• Potentially fun: You’ll probably sometimes have the chance to transcribe podcasts or interviews that you’re genuinely interested in. It’s hard to beat that.

Cons

Of course, transcription has plenty of downsides, too. It’s also:

• Occasionally tedious: We’ll be honest—not all of the audio you’ll get will be interesting. Sometimes, it may bore you to tears, and transcribing it will essentially be repetitive, rote busywork. You’ll have to be disciplined to stay on task.
• Threatened by AI: Like many white-collar freelancing gigs, the entire field of transcription is under pressure from AI, which is getting increasingly good at parsing audio. It’s possible you’ll spend time and money on setting up a transcription side hustle only for the job market to vanish in a few years.
• Competitive: Even if AI doesn’t swallow all the transcription jobs, this is a field with a relatively low barrier to entry, which means there are a lot of other people out there competing with you for jobs. You’ll have to work hard to land clients, especially if you demand fair compensation for your time (unfortunately, many freelancers don’t, which drives down prices).