GoTranscript Review – Is It A Legit Side Hustle in 2023?

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Everyone can agree that extra cash is always welcome, and making money online is the most convenient way to go. GoTranscript sounds simple and promising because you only have to copy down words from video and audio outlets, all from the comfort of your home.

GoTranscript’s potential of making you money on the sideline is tempting, but are they really a legit side hustle in 2023?

To decide if GoTranscript is worth your while, here are a few things to look into:

Is GoTranscript Legit?

Yes, they are 100% a legitimate company that pays you for your work with them. There are countless reviews that prove your efforts for GoTranscript are not in vain. It’s easy to think that online work is a scam, heck, the internet is a scary place, especially when money gets involved!

They have been in the game since 2005 and have endorsements for large businesses like Forbes and Huffington Post. A quick Google search will show you how well-known GoTranscript is and how many workers and clients advocate for the company.

Their social media presence is also an aspect that encourages their trustworthiness. You can even contact them directly from the number available on their website. Glassdoor and Trustpilot have many reviews on GoTranscript; hardly any are bad, and none relate to them being a scam.

What Is GoTranscript?

GoTranscript is a company that offers clients a transcribing, captioning, and translation service for their video or audio files. They charge their clients per audio/video minute and have someone watch or listen to and create written work based on it – which is where you come in.

Artificial intelligence is great. We all know that, but it isn’t as fantastic as humans are at jotting down real-time audio consisting of utterings and mumblings. GoTranscript hires transcribers to write down what they hear from videos and audio files so their clients can add them as subtitles or written records.

Things To Know About Working In GoTranscript

When you think of copying words down from a video or sound recording, it seems basic, but what you need to know is that it is simple, but it isn’t as easy as you’d like to think. Working for GoTranscript will start with a test on your transcribing accuracy, including a specific method and stringent requirements.

This video gives a brief idea of the company and your role as a transcriber:

You’ll Need A Good Pair Of Ears

You’ll need excellent listening skills because you’ll be working on videos and audio where people have thick accents, individuals talking over one another, and potentially some white noise that muffles words into gibberish.

Once you’ve made out what the speaker is saying or the lyrics are droning on about, you’ll have to adhere to how GoTranscript wants you to document it in writing.

You Must Study For The Test

Before you take the transcribing test, you should read through their guidelines carefully to pass, so yes, like any proper test, you will need to study for it. Luckily you can keep the document open while you’re busy with the test! Once you’ve submitted your test, it might take a while for them to review it and send you an acceptance email, so be patient, as some people have even waited up to a month.

They Don’t Pay For How Long It Takes You

GoTranscript pays you per audio or video minute. For a beginner, the rate is $0.60. This means if a 10-minute video takes you two hours, you’re only paid for the 10 minutes of transcribing. It might seem like a low rate, but you learn to get faster as you get comfortable.

GoTranscript is also one of the highest-paying transcribing companies.

You Will Work With Their Software

You won’t get their software straight off the bat, but after the test process, they will give you directions to download it and instructions on how to use it. It might seem intimidating at first, but it will make your life so much more convenient by being able to pedal through time stamps.

There Is No Phone App

They do have an app, but it’s only for clients, so you’ll need a laptop or PC to get work done for GoTranscript.

Transcribing Is Like Proofreading

In most cases, your transcribing job is to take AI-generated audio and edit it so that it is truly accurate to the video, which means you won’t have to write out every word, only what should get corrected.

Requirements Needed To Work In GoTranscript

Transcribing for GoTranscript doesn’t require any qualification, but you do need a certain skill set to be good at the job. You’ll need excellent listening skills to make out words in foreign accents.

You must be 100% proficient in English, including polished spelling abilities and above-basic grammar knowledge. It would be beneficial if you took a quick YouTube crash course in transcribing to prepare.

Once you’ve passed the test and made it as a transcriber, your accuracy is paramount throughout your career, especially for your first three gigs. You get a rating out of 5 for your accuracy, and if you reach below 3.5, you’ll get kicked off.

Lower scores also mean fewer job opportunities. If you’re looking for the most important requirement, it’s accuracy – so know your guidelines and know them well.

For hardware requirements, you’ll need a PC or laptop with a stable internet connection, as most online work does, so you don’t need anything fancy besides maybe a decent pair of earphones for audio clarity. Once you have that, you can sign up and start the test. You can also work with a foot pedal.

Jobs And Opportunities In GoTranscript

On the GoTranscript website, you’ll need to sign up as a transcriber to get to the test and start as one of their transcribers. They also have opportunities for foreign language transcribers and translators who earn much more than basic transcribing.

The main job is transcribing, where you usually work with audio and videos from meetings, interviews, and market research. You also get caption transcribing and creating captions and subtitles. Furthermore, you get foreign language transcription and translation, which pays the most.

If you have consistent 5-star ratings, you may be invited to become a GoTranscript editor, which means you’ll earn more by reviewing other transcribers’ work and giving feedback. It is not guaranteed that you’ll become an editor, even if you’re consistently getting 5 stars, but it is a possibility to look forward to. Plus, high ratings equal more work.

Once you’ve become more experienced, you’ll have the opportunity to complete more complex and higher-paying transcription jobs.

These specialized jobs include:

• Research transcription
• Academic transcription
• Medical transcription
• Legal transcription

Test To Take

Once you’ve signed up and verified your account with GoTranscript, you’ll need to take the test and pass before you can start earning an income. The test isn’t the easiest, and you’ll want to study the guidelines they give you when you sign up.

The first two tests are multiple-choice; if you get the answer wrong, they’ll tell you, and you get to correct it before moving on. The first is a grammar test, and the second is based on transcription rules. The third and final examination is the transcription part, where you’ll listen to audio and write what you hear in the format of the guideline.

The audio may be hard to hear or understand, but this will prepare you for real-life scenarios. You’ll want to keep the guidelines open so that you transcribe correctly. Otherwise, you’ll fail and need to redo it. Your test results will also give your transcriber rating, determining job availability, but you will get rated every time you complete a transcription job.

Once you’ve completed your test, an editor will review it and give you feedback and a rating. This process will take up to 60 days, with the option of sharing a Twitter or Facebook post of Go Transcribe to decrease the wait time to 30 days. This may seem like a long time, but many people have experienced a quicker one-week turnaround.

It is very common to fail the test, but the beauty of GoTranscribe is that they let you take it again immediately after you get your results, and there are no limits on retaking the test.

You can find test answers on the internet, but it always changes, and cheating only means that you put yourself in trouble when it comes to the real job because you need to do it right to stay on the platform. Instead of cheating, look for helpful tips and tricks before taking the test.

Remember that the test will challenge you to ensure you understand the guidelines. Make sure you know how to navigate the following:

• Text formats
• The contrast between full verbatim and clean verbatim
• How to work with speech errors, slang, stutters, interruptions, and repetitive statements

GoTranscript Payment Process

Getting paid is the most important aspect of a side hustle, and GoTranscript is a reputable source that is always on time. Once you’ve completed your transcribing job, they will pay you for all that you’ve done once a week.

The only time you won’t get paid is if you have a low rating of 3.5 after your first three jobs and get kicked off the platform, as you don’t meet the minimum requirements for GoTranscript’s client standards, so make sure you take easy jobs in the beginning and work your way up to prevent losing your place as a transcriber.

GoTranscript states on their website that the average earnings for their transcribers are $150 a month, while experienced transcribers can reach the $1215 mark, which is a perfect amount for a side hustle!

One thing to remember is that their average rate is $0.60 per minute, but some jobs pay a bit less depending on factors like audio length, quality, and turnaround time.

GoTranscript Payment Schedule And Method

GoTranscript pays your whole week’s earnings on a Friday and is done automatically, which means no admin. Yay! The other great thing about payment is that the company covers your withdrawal fees, which lightens the load and prevents you from losing money on your earnings.

The only two compensation modes are PayPal and Payoneer, so you’ll need to set up an account, give GoTranscript your preference, and link it. Another thing to note is that there is no minimum withdrawal on payments, so even if you earn only $2, it will load onto your account on Friday.

GoTranscript Grading And Rating System

As mentioned, your transcribing accuracy is rated out of 5 stars, ranging from 0% to 95% accuracy. The minimum pass requirement for the test is 95%. As mentioned earlier, if you reach a consistent 3.4 stars or below after your first three jobs, you’ll no longer be a transcriber and must sign up again by taking the test.

Here is a closer look at the rating system:

1 Star: 0%-83% accuracy

2 Stars: 83%-88% accuracy

3 Stars: 88%-92% accuracy

4 Stars: 92%-96% accuracy

5 Stars: 96%-100% accuracy

The high accuracy needed seems pretty harsh, but precision is something that they promise clients and what keeps the business at a high status, which is also why they eliminate transcribers if they can’t do the job correctly. Be wary of the feedback they give you to ensure you get used to the guidelines.

GoTranscript penalizes you for things like grammar, not following the guidelines, incorrect interruption transcriptions, and wrong spelling (You might need to research terms used in niches like law or medicine).

Advantages And Disadvantages

Finding the best side hustle takes a comparison between the good and the bad to determine if it’s worth your time. The negatives don’t stand out for GoTranscript, but there are a few. Most people have a stellar experience with them and earn decent cash for their hard work. So, is 2023 the year to join GoTranscript? Let’s have look.

Advantages

Reddit, Quora, Trustpilot, and Glassdoor have many good things to say, and these positives are what make GoTranscript worthwhile:

• Free to sign up and join.
• You can do the test again if you fail.
• Organized payment system.
• Great support system.
• They pay an industry-related rate.
• They cover PayPal fees.

Disadvantages

Out of countless reviews, the bad reviews are few and far between, but they’re complaints about things that are part of how the system works and can’t be changed, as it’s key for GoTranscript to have standards to function optimally.

Some negatives include:

• Many people struggle to pass the test because they make it quite difficult.
• Test results can take up to two months.
• It could take you a long time to transcribe, but they only par for audio/video minutes.
• Some complaints of there not being enough work.
• Reviews take 5 days.
• No autosave when you edit

Steps On How To Get Started 

You’ll first need to sign up and follow the strict verification process. They’ll send you a verification code, then submit a photo of yourself. Then you must take a picture with your face and the written verification number.

Step two is to study the guidelines on https://gotranscript.com/transcription-guidelines. Once you feel like you’ve got an adequate level of understanding, go on to take the test. After the test, you wait for acceptance. Once approved, you can start taking paid transcription jobs that go through editors and then onto the client, leaving you with an accurate score and payment.

You take on as many transcription projects as you like and finish them within the deadlines. It would be worthwhile to start on small jobs to get the hang of things. Once the week is over, you’ll get paid for all the work you’ve done.

Other Side Hustles Similar to GoTranscript

What’s better than one side hustle? More side hustles! GoTranscript, combined with other transcribing companies, will ensure you have a steady influx of jobs without worrying about running out of work. You can also use these other transcription sites if you struggle to pass the GoTranscript test one too many times.

TranscribeMe

TranscribeMe is another reputable website that pays more per minute than GoTranscript. They offer $15-$22 per audio minute, with a $250 monthly earning average. You also work as an independent freelancer, so the same work-from-home freedom aspect applies. They pay through PayPal and have an entrance exam. They are also a global company.

Rev

Rev is another transcription service that hires freelance employees to complete transcribing work. They use PayPal for weekly payouts for the tasks completed. They pay $0.30 to $1.10 per minute for transcription and $0.54 to $1.10 per minute for captioners. Rev has better employee ratings than TranscribeMe.

Some other websites include:

• Casting Words
• CrowdSurf
• Tigerfish – US only
• Transcription Outsourcing LLC
• SpeakWrite
• Transcript Divas
• Ubiqus
• Audio Transcription Center
• SpeechPad

FAQs 

The potential of working for GoTranscript may leave you with some burning questions, and they’re probably good ones. GoTranscript is a great opportunity, considering everything that’s been covered already, but what happens if you live somewhere utterly remote or there are hidden costs? There’s no need to worry, as this review covers all that!

Is Gotranscript Available Anywhere?

No matter where you are, GoTranscript is global, so anyone from anywhere can sign up and start typing their way to some hard-earned money. The only problem is that some countries may not function with PayPal. As a backup GoTranscript pays through Payoneer, but that’s as far as their options go.

Is GoTranscript Free?

Go transcript comes at no cost to you. Sign-up is free, and so is taking the test, no matter how many times you take it. You also don’t pay to work for them, so there is no concern about membership. In fact, they even pay for your PayPal withdrawal fees, so that’s a win-win scenario right there!

You should note that the money you earn from GoTranscript is not taxed, so you’ll need to work that out yourself because you’re considered an independent contractor when you work for them.

Testimonials On GoTranscript

So far, so good on the verdict of GoTranscript being a plausible side income, but what do long-time workers have to say about it? The full testimonials are a mixed bag, but the main issue is that the work output is a lot for little pay, even as an editor.

Like this lady:

In her case, it’s difficult to make minimum wage, but if you’re in another country where the dollar is much stronger than their currency, you might get away with a decent amount of cash in that regard.

This 2023 review shows big-smile energy, with no issues with the pay or experience, showing the good side of GoTranscript.

One problem is that there is an immense struggle to get through the testing phase, which throws many people off from trusting the company.

This person had issues with payment and ratings and took it to Trustpilot, but the good news is that GoTranscript responded, which proves they have a support system to rectify concerns.

Wrap Up

GoTranscript is a legit side hustle in 2023, but it isn’t easy to be a transcriber. You’ll have to get skilled by learning the guidelines thoroughly and maintaining your transcribing reputation. Making decent money with GoTranscript is possible, but it will take some serious effort and a chunk of your time.

Once you get the hang of transcribing, it will become more manageable, and you’ll finish tasks quickly. With a good rating, you can become an editor and earn more. If you’re willing to put in some hard work, you can trust GoTranscript to pay out and fulfill the side-hustle role.

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