Transcription is key to making audio and video content accessible to everyone, and unless you can type really, really fast while listening to a bunch of different voices talking over each other (and have the time to do so), you’re going to want to outsource that.
A freelancer is an affordable option to ensure accuracy with your closed captioning and transcribing needs.
Here are the best places to find them.
Table of Contents
- 13 Best Freelance Websites for Transcription
- 1. Rev
- 2. TranscribeMe
- 3. Fiverr
- 4. Scribie
- 5. GoTranscript
- 6. Athreon
- 7. Tigerfish
- 8. Speechpad
- 9. Averbach Transcription
- 10. Freelancer
- 11. Transcription Services.com
- 12. People Per Hour
- 13. Truelancer
- Where Can I Find Freelance Transcribers?
- What Do Freelance Transcribers Do?
- Is Hiring a Freelance Transcriber Worth It?
- How Much Does a Freelance Transcriber Charge?
- How to Hire a Freelance Transcriber?
- Best Freelance Websites by Category
- FAQs
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An added benefit of our relationships is that we always try to negotiate exclusive discounts for our visitors.
13 Best Freelance Websites for Transcription
These are our picks based on how much they charge, the variety of freelancers available, and the reliability of accurate transcription.
1. Rev
Best for enterprise businesses
With clients like Yale, Legalzoom, Spotify, and CBS, Rev is probably the most trusted site for transcription services.
Their prices are listed on their homepage (see above), so there is no need to worry about drafting up a mutually-beneficial contract and debating on rates.
Rev uses a combination of freelancers and AI to ensure their clients get the most accurate transcription possible, offering advanced speech-to-text APIs. These speech engines are trained in various topics, industries, and accents to produce quality transcription.
They have a pool of over 70,000 freelancers in addition to these AI solutions, making it a great all-in-one transcription service.
2. TranscribeMe
Best for small businesses
At half the cost of Rev, TranscribeMe is a great, affordable option for small businesses.
Their team of freelancers can transcribe every audio and video file for just under 80 cents a minute. This price point makes it our choice for smaller businesses with tighter budgets.
Trusted by Salesforce, Kaplan, and Cisco, TranscribeMe has been providing businesses across multiple different industries both transcription and translation services in a HIPAA and GDPR-compliant workflow designed to keep information secure and confidential.
TranscribeMe offers AI datasets, speech recognition, and data annotation in addition to their translation and transcription services, all at a competitive price point.
3. Fiverr
Best for one-off projects
If you're looking for a great transcriber, one of the oldest platforms you can check out is Fiverr.
You can filter transcribers based on their experience in audio or video transcription, years of experience, and ability in any specific industry-related language like medical or legal.
There are also filters for budget, service options, and delivery time, allowing you to find a transcriber that can get your project done within a 24-hour turnaround if necessary.
Fiverr allows you to locate your transcriber and contact them to work out the details of your project. Once the terms have been determined, you pay your transcriber upfront through Fiverr’s secure payment platform.
- Read our Fiverr review.
Here are our favorite Fiverr Profiles for Transcription Services:
1. transexpert
Transexpert’s services are affordable and reliable with a large volume of past work, making her a great pick whenever you need quick transcription done.
2. adnanjilani90
adnanjilani90 can transcribe audio and video files accurately and timely at an affordable price range with a turnaround time as fast as 12 hours.
3. madeleine01
As a Top Rated seller, madeleine01 produces clean scripts that eliminate filler words like “uh” and “like” as well as verbatim transcriptions, both for affordable prices.
- Check out our full list of the best Fiverr profiles for transcription services >>
4. Scribie
A pretty affordable transcription option is Scribie.
Offering cheap and quick AI and human transcription services, Scribie has a 100% accuracy guarantee.
They have a 4-step transcription process that involves AI and human editing. Scribie will also provide SRT/VTT files, strict verbatim transcripts, audio time coding, BITC, start/end time, and more.
5. GoTranscript
Offering a 100% human approach, GoTranscript has some of the best industry prices and fastest turnaround times.
Their transcription prices start at only $.84 per minute for all types of video and audio footage including everything from YouTube videos to podcasts.
The three-step process involves uploading your content, setting up payment through PayPal or one of their other easy method, and receiving the transcript directly to your email in as little as 6 days.
6. Athreon
Offering cybersecurity services alongside transcription, Athreon is a great, affordable place to get your transcription services.
Athreon works with a hybrid blend of both AI technology and human ability to produce the most accurate transcription.
Per their website, the full menu of customized solutions they offer includes “dictation, transcription, virtual scribing, speech recognition, system interfaces, mobile apps, analytics, compliance, security risk assessments, security training, dark web scans, breach mitigation, and workflow management.”
7. Tigerfish
Tigerfish has been around and offering transcription services since 1989 and claims GE, ESPN, and United Way as some of their esteemed clients.
Their guarantee is a fully edited transcript in just two hours, which is a pretty impressive promise.
Clients range from video production to consulting to legal, with a large part of their clients being from the government and manufacturing industries. They even transcribe for conventions.
8. Speechpad
With a straightforward price structure, Speechpad makes the process easy right from the start.
Their transcription is done by real human freelancers, not AI, which adds a nice touch when compared to other agencies that use AI first.
They offer a guarantee and a 99% accuracy promise and some of their large corporate clients include Amazon, AAA, and Netflix. Speechpad’s team of over 5,000 freelance transcriptionists are talented and well-paid, making them more motivated to do their best work.
9. Averbach Transcription
If you need transcription done in a rush, Averbach Transcription is the way to go.
Their transcribers are some of the best in the industry and can turn over high-quality, accurate work within tight deadlines.
Users love how communicative, professional, and pleasant the freelancing and management team is to work with, which is important if you’re going to be collaborating on a longer project or during multiple projects. This is evident in that most of Averbach’s clients turn into lifelong customers.
Though their pricing isn’t the cheapest, they do pay their freelancers better than many in the industry and hold them to higher standards, so you do get what you pay for.
10. Freelancer
Freelancer has a secure payment system, so you can hire a freelancer with peace of mind knowing that your money is in good hands.
With profiles of over 50 million freelancers, this site has the most freelancers in terms of sheer numbers. You're bound to find at least one transcription specialist within your budget and with the qualifications necessary to complete any transcription job.
The time tracker and mobile app let you check your transcriber's progress and how much time they have put in so far, even when you're not at your computer.
11. Transcription Services.com
Not all freelance sites offer transcription services in over a hundred languages, but transcriptionservices.com sure does.
They also offer a simple pricing model with no extra charges for other more advanced aspects of transcription like multiple speakers or speaker identification.
Transcriptionservices.com has provided transcription services for companies and positions as high as the vice president of the United States, with specialized transcription services for fields like science and legal content.
The company also engages in philanthropic endeavors, donating a month’s supply of hearing aid batteries to people in developing countries for each order.
12. People Per Hour
Did you wait until the last minute to find a freelancer to transcribe your content? People Per Hour is the way to go.
By looking at freelance transcribers' resumes and portfolios, you can find a transcription specialist with any specialty who fits the needs of your project and your budget.
The great thing is, you're practically guaranteed to find a transcriber who can get your video or audio transcription or closed captioning done right away.
People Per Hour has helped find freelancers, many of them specializing in transcription, for over 100,000,000 businesses across the globe.
13. Truelancer
If you’re looking for a great transcriber, Truelancer is a fantastic resource.
By looking at a list that includes a transcription freelancer's qualifications, any relevant degrees or certifications, location, and rates, you can easily find the best one for your needs. You can also see what their specialty is, such as closed captioning, audio, or video transcription.
To learn more about each freelancer, you can check out the short intro on their profile, which will help you decide if they would be a good fit for your team.
Where Can I Find Freelance Transcribers?
There are a few different options that companies have to find transcription freelancers.
A popular option is to hire a freelance transcriber through open-market places like Upwork and Fiverr for smaller projects and budgets. Larger companies or ones with bigger budgets can use highly-vetted agencies like Rev or TranscriptionServices.com.
For larger enterprises, we recommend a company like Rev, which has years of experience working with major companies.
What Do Freelance Transcribers Do?
Freelance transcribers type audio or video files into a written text format. This is done for legal proceedings, closed captioning, or conversations that need to be put in writing.
Since they are freelancers, these specific transcribers are contractors who are often hired for a short-term project, though you usually have the option to hire them full-time if you both agree to it.
Is Hiring a Freelance Transcriber Worth It?
Hiring a freelance transcriber is worth it to make sure that you have an accurate transcription of your important meeting or closed captions for an audio or video file that you have.
Freelancers are also a more affordable option for smaller startups that have tight budgets and only need a one-time transcription done.
How Much Does a Freelance Transcriber Charge?
Freelance transcribers charge differently depending on their level of experience, expertise, duration, and scope of the project, and how much work you need from them.
You can expect to pay a freelance transcriber around $1.50 per minute of audio or $90 to $200 per audio hour.
How to Hire a Freelance Transcriber?
To hire a freelance transcriber, first, decide how much you can carve out of your budget to spend on one.
Once you have that number in mind, begin your search. If you need transcription for a smaller project, look to a site like Upwork or Fiverr. If you expect to need a transcriber for hours and hours of video or audio content, try Rev or TranscribeMe, services that are more effective for larger projects.
Depending on what platform you use, it’s easy to draw up terms for a contract that you and your freelance transcription expert agree on.
From there, enjoy having the peace of mind that the written version or closed captions for your project are accurate.
Best Freelance Websites by Category
Looking for more of the best freelance websites but need to browse by category? Check out our below freelance website reviews to either expand your portfolio or hire a freelancer for your next project.
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- Freelancing Websites for Editors & Proofreaders
- Freelancing Websites for Digital Marketing
- Freelancing Websites for Video Editors
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- Freelancing Websites for Virtual Assistants
- Freelancing Websites for Software Testers
- Freelancing Websites for Attorneys
- Freelancing Websites for Translators
- Freelancing Websites for Transcribers
- Freelancing Websites for Voice-Overs
- Freelancing Websites for College Students to Find Work
FAQs
Can you freelance as a transcriber?
Yes, you can freelance as a transcriber.
When should I hire a freelance transcriber?
You should hire a freelance transcriber as soon as you know that you will need an important meeting transcribed or closed captioning done for your video or audio content.
Where is the best place to find freelance transcribers for enterprise business?
Rev is the best place to find freelance transcribers for enterprise businesses.
How do I start freelance transcription?
Starting freelance transcription is easy. We recommend signing up with a large agency to get more experience, then upping your rates once your accuracy and efficiency are at a higher level.
Stefan Schulz
Taylor Munsell
Claire Fountain
