Are you considering a transcription job from home? If you can type accurately and precisely, this flexible work from home job might be perfect for you. As you start looking for legitimate transcription jobs that you can do from home, you will come across Rev.
Rev is an option that many new and mid-level transcriptionists should consider. Rev provides consistent work and pays a competitive rate per minute of audio. In this Rev review, we’ll give you all the information you need to decide whether or not you should apply for a freelance transcriptionist or subtitling position.
Rev Review
Rev is a popular website that helps convert audio and video content into text. It offers transcription, subtitling, and captioning services and charges by the minute.
What sets Rev apart is its commitment to fast delivery without sacrificing accuracy or quality, meaning transcriptionists and subtitlers can work quickly and efficiently on content projects. Other services offered by Rev include foreign language subtitling and automatic live captioning for Zoom meetings and webinars. Rev works with everyone from large corporations to small businesses, entrepreneurs, and YouTubers.
How to make money with Rev
There are a few ways you can make money as a freelancer on Rev. The two most common are by becoming a transcriptionist or subtitler.
1. Transcriber
If you enjoy typing and can type pretty fast, Rev’s transcription opportunities are some of the best for remote workers. You’ll be tasked with listening to audio and video content and describing exactly what you heard, which means converting audio content verbatim into a text document.
The material you transcribe can be anything from podcasts and videos to focus group interviews and even class lectures.
2. Captioner
Subtitlers are a bit different from transcriptionists: Subtitlers have to watch a video and type out exactly what is being said. Not only do they have to accurately transcribe what is being said in the video, but they also have to describe any other sounds that may be heard, like music or short sound effects.
Closed captions must be extremely accurate because they are used by people with hearing impairments to better understand and enjoy content. Captioners also time the captions so they appear at the same time as the audio. Rev’s captioning work ranges from creating captions for YouTube videos to creating closed captions for movies and brand marketing videos.
3. Foreign language subtitle translation
Another job you can do through Rev is translating foreign language subtitles. If you speak another language, you can translate subtitles that are written in English into another language so that people who want to watch your content and read the subtitles in another language can do so.
Job Qualifications
To become a transcriptionist or subtitler with Rev, you’ll need strong English skills and the ability to accurately transcribe audio. You’ll also need a desktop or laptop computer and reliable internet to complete the work. This is a great freelance job for beginner transcriptionists as no prior experience is required. Rev currently hires freelancers in the US (except California), Australia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, and Ireland.
How to apply for a job on Rev
To apply for a position with Rev, click the purple “Become a Freelancer” button at the bottom of the homepage and choose whether you want to apply as a Transcriptionist, Subtitler, or Translator.
From there, you’ll answer some basic interview questions, such as:
- What is your highest educational qualification?
- How many years of work experience do you have?
- What topics are you interested in?
- Do you have experience with transcription?
- What is your current employment situation?
From there, you will have to answer a short-form question of a minimum of 200 characters and a maximum of 500 characters.
- Why do you want to work at Rev?
- What is your favorite hobby and why are you passionate about it?
- Where did you last spend your holiday? What did you do?
After submitting the short answer, you will need to accept the terms and conditions. Once your application is complete, you will receive a confirmation email informing you that your application has been received. Rev currently has a 4-12 week waiting period for new applicants. If you are selected to proceed, you will receive another email inviting you to take the qualifying exam.
This transcription test assesses your English grammar skills and gives you the opportunity to demonstrate how you implement Rev’s style rules. If you pass the quiz and are approved to work for Rev, you can get started right away.
Rev has a jobs marketplace where you can search for and apply for projects that interest you. When you search for a job, the audio content, pay rate, and deadlines are all pre-listed so there are no surprises.
You can apply for as many jobs as you like and schedule them as convenient for you. Rev also offers a web-based transcription editor that allows you to capture all English audio in an audio file. Once you complete a project, you can apply for the next one. Rev pays freelancers weekly for all work completed in that pay period.
How much does Rev pay?
Like most transcription jobs, Rev pays freelancers per minute of audio. Transcription projects pay between $0.30 and $1.10 per minute of audio or video. This means that if you transcribe a 25-minute video file, you could make between $7.50 and $27.50 for this project. There is one important note: Rev pays per minute of audio or video, not per minute of work. It will likely take many minutes to transcribe one minute of audio. A good transcription ratio is 3:1, which means it will take you 3 minutes to complete one minute of polished text.
Pay rates vary based on experience, previous projects, accuracy of work, etc. The highest pay is likely to go to transcriptionists who provide the highest quality work. The top earner on this platform makes around $1,495 per month.
Subtitling pay ranges from $0.54 to $1.10 per minute of audio or video, with top captioners on Rev making around $1,570 per month.
Foreign language subtitling jobs are the most highly paid, at $1.50 to $3.00 per minute of audio or video. Rates vary depending on the language you’re subtitling in. The average pay for a translator on Rev is $958 per month.
Rev pays freelancers weekly via PayPal for all work completed. Payments are always made on time, so you don’t have to worry about following up with clients or sending invoice reminders.
Rev Reviews from Real Workers
I’m always interested in hearing reviews from people who have actually tried a work-from-home opportunity, especially if it’s a platform that promises to provide stable work for contractors.
One freelancer gave Rev a 3-star rating (out of 5) on Indeed, calling it a good side hustle. This person said they make about $150 a week working for Rev and that it’s a decent part-time job, but they couldn’t imagine doing it full-time.
It’s a very flexible job, but some people have found the marking process a bit strict. To be successful as a transcriptionist, it’s important to be able to submit accurate work. If you’re completely new to this type of work, it’s a good idea to take the time to practice and hone your skills to catch up with Rev’s standards.
Overall, Rev has a 3.6-star rating on Glassdoor.com and 2.7-star rating on Indeed.
Other transcription companies to check out
Because Rev has a long wait time to hire new transcriptionists, you may want to consider alternatives. The companies below hire independent contractors for a variety of transcription side jobs.
Rev review conclusion
If you’re looking to earn some extra money remotely doing transcription work, Rev could be a good opportunity.
Once approved, jobs will be available to you, and you can set your hours and choose only the jobs with deadlines that work for you. Rev is great as a side hustle, but you can also use the site to improve your transcription skills and earn money while you prepare for better transcription jobs from home.
Remember, transcription requires a computer, a stable internet connection, good English grammar, and good typing and listening skills. To make this side hustle easier, we recommend purchasing a foot pedal to control the speed of the audio clips and some high-quality headphones to help you clearly hear the audio clips you are transcribing.
Transcription is a skill that takes a lot of practice to become proficient at, so keep sharpening your typing skills. If you’d like to learn more about acquiring the skills and training needed for transcription work, check out Janet’s free transcription workshop.
We hope this Rev review has answered all your doubts about this company, if you have any further questions, please comment below.
Originally published on August 23, 2021. Content updated August 2024.
