Freelance Transcription for Rev

Rev is a company I’ve come across a few times on the forums that regularly hires freelance transcribers and also translators. They are based out of San Francisco, CA, and it appears that they are open to hiring freelancers worldwide. It looks like the transcription you do for them is general, not medical.

Do you need experience?

They specifically state they are looking for skilled transcribers. However, the application page doesn’t ask how much experience you have and instead just requests you provide two transcription samples. If you can do well on your samples, you may have a shot at getting in regardless of how much experience you have.

How much does Rev pay?

They pay between .40 and .65 per audio minute. There is potential for bonuses if your quality is good, which is probably why the rates listed vary. If you’re not familiar with transcription and how it works, remember that transcribing one minute of audio could actually take several minutes depending on it’s complexity. The pay rate Rev advertises for freelancers does appear to be very low and makes me think that this may just be an extra money thing or “filler” work between other jobs. It’s possibly a way to get your feet wet in transcription if you don’t have a lot of experience. However, someone at WAHM stated that she can go pretty fast and is able to average $10 an hour at Rev.
If you actually are a very skilled transcriptionist, you can probably get hired by other companies that pay more than this.

When and how does Rev pay?

Rev pays weekly, every Monday, with Paypal. This is definitely a plus. It’s nice to have access to side jobs that always pay weekly so you can depend on at least a little money coming in regularly.

What is the schedule?

The schedule is another good thing about Rev — there isn’t one. It appears you are free to log in and work whenever you want, choosing from whatever jobs happen to be available to transcribe at a given time.

How does the application process work?

You  have to fill out some basic information — name, address, and so forth — and then transcribe two transcription samples for them. One is a single speaker recording and the other is a multi-speaker recording. They do provide you with their style guide and word template before you start. Then just submit and wait to hear back.
Warning – There is a chance you could go through the entire application process — submitting the samples and everything — only to find out Rev is not hiring. A reader let me know that this happened to her. Apparently they leave their “Jobs” page up as though they are hiring all the time even when they are not. The app process is fairly time consuming. Just wanted to warn you all!

How long does it take to hear back?

This will always vary, but there have been some people on the WAHM forum saying they heard back within just a few days. It does look like they will email you to let you know one way or the other, so if they didn’t accept you, you won’t just be left hanging and wondering if you got in or not. If you don’t get in, you can take their test again in six months.
Keep in mind they are not always hiring. It looks like they always have their application page in place regardless of whether or not they are actively seeking out transcribers. If they aren’t hiring right now, you’ll probably get an email letting you know this after you submit your samples.

Feedback on Rev?

The feedback on Rev indicates that they pay reliably, which is important. Even though the pay is lower than what you might get working for other companies, they offer weekly pay and you could potentially get in with little/no experience.

Where do you sign up?

You can go here to apply for the transcription position at Rev. Please leave a comment if you want to share any extra info about this company.