CastingWords Review – How to work from home transcribing

CastingWords is one of several online transcription services that could allow you to work from home, or just about anywhere.  

There are many ways to make money online. However, be wary of scams which can only be avoided by doing extensive research as you are doing now. Some platforms claim you can make huge money but then don’t deliver, whilst others pay well but it takes you hours to reach the payout threshold, and therefore your hourly rate is poor.

In this CastingWords review, we will delve deeper into everything you need to know about the company. We’ve done the heavy lifting for you to see if it passes as a side gig we recommend.  Remember, a side hustle has to be flexible, consistent, and reliable – in every way!

So, how does CastingWords fair?

Take a look!

 

What is CastingWords?

CastingWords is a transcription company formed in 2005 in New Mexico. The company founders are Rachel Pearson and Nathan McFarland. It was one of the first transcription companies to be founded in the United States. The most impressive thing about CastingWords is that it has stood for all those years.

Transcribing is a competitive niche and so to still be at the forefront way over a decade later means it’s built up a great reputation for both paying clients and transcribers.

To add to their credentials, both The New York Times and The Economists have featured CastingWords in their articles.

The company pays Freelancers to transcribe audios into texts. There is always a lot of projects to choose from, so you don’t need to worry about the availability of work. The platform is suitable for anyone looking to get into transcription, whether a beginner or expert. However, this is a job for those looking for a side gig to supplement their income and not a full-time job.

 

How does CastingWords.com work?

When you log into your account, you will view all the available work, and then you can pick a job to work on, depending on what you can do. 

All the work has a deadline and the amount you will make attached to it. After you complete the task, submit it for review.  Administrators usually do the review, and whatever you are graded will be used in changing the badge level and determining your bonus. The earnings will be sent to you once the job is approved.

The best thing is this platform has very generous deadlines. What’s more, you will not get surprises along the way as you can listen to the whole audio before accepting the job. There is also a wide variety of jobs to choose from, ranging from a few minutes to long hours audios. However, most are short audios so you could do a couple in a day.

CastingWords is multi-lingual and so it’s not just limited to English.

 

How to sign up to CastingWords

Working with the company is as easy as it gets. All you need to do is sign up for free on their official website, work, and get paid for every audio file that is accepted. The platform has minimal restrictions which makes it suitable for beginners or anyone with minimal experience. 

The platform accepts people from all walks of life so you can apply anywhere you are. The only restriction is with PayPal and whether your state will allow you to work as an independent contractor.

The application process is very straightforward as all you will be required to provide is:

• your name
• country of residence
• city
• email address.

You also need to give the PayPal address as payments are made through PayPal. You must also submit a short bio like with many transcription platforms. Once your application has been reviewed, you will be needed to undertake a transcription test to assess your skills.

The test is very simple. You will be given transcription audio clips with durations of 90 secs to 6 minutes. You will be allowed to retake the test a couple of times in case you fail.

To be fair, this is one of the easiest transcription services to sign up to, and we’ve reviewed a few! Scribie,  Daily Transcription, Literably

 

 

How much can you earn with CastingWords?

The platform pays per minute of the audio file. So, the longer the audio, the more you can make from it. The platform generally pays $1 per audio though some may pay more and others less. The budget of the client also plays a big role in the amount you get paid.

The platform also has bonus-based payments that are given to transcribers with outstanding reviews and ratings. 

If you are a skilled transcriptionist, you can make some good money from bonuses for your work. Also, remember that you are not entitled to the whole amount paid by the client. The company will take its share before depositing your share.

?The great thing with CastingWords is they have different types of jobs available, and so this allows you to earn significantly more.

For example, you can choose between simple transcription, editing, or grading and within each, there are different pay scales depending on your current grade.

Here’s the bonus structure:

• Work graded 0-4 is binned and you are not paid.
• Grade 5: Normal advertised pay (no bonus)
• 6: 1.5 x base pay
• 7: 2 x base pay
• 8: 2.5 x base pay
• 9: 3 x base pay

So, consistently perform to your best EVERY time and your earnings can skyrocket – literally double or triple per job.

Another nice feature with CastingWords is their available jobs list advertise the earning rate at grade 7. Do a better job and you’ll know how much bonus you will receive.  The Pay/Min column means you can quickly find the best-paying jobs!

 

How are you paid?

Your earnings will be deposited into your account once the client has accepted the job. However, you need to have reached the cash out threshold of $1 to request a payout. 

Payments are made every Friday at 10 am US Pacific time through PayPal. Ensure you have requested for a payout by Thursday evening for your earnings to be processed by the following day.

All the money in your CastingWords account will be deposited, including any money you subsequently earn after requesting payment.  Nice!

 

Any restrictions?

The platform is very popular because it has very few restrictions. The working conditions are not as stringent as with other transcription companies. 

However, there is a minimum withdrawal threshold of $1. It’s however very easy to attain as most good gigs pay $1. Withdrawal is also limited to once a week, so you need to have requested a payout by Thursday to be paid on Friday.

You have to be at least 18 years old to join and have a PayPal account. You are unable to use somebody else’s PayPal – CastingWords will check!

 

CastingWords online reviews

CastingWords is a great platform, but it is not a bed of roses, especially for beginners. Everyone can make money on this platform, but it can be very challenging to secure a gig for beginners. You need to have good reviews before you can get requested for a job. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the website!

Pros

 

• It’s a legit site for transcribers. Anyone can make money working on the platform.
• The customer support is available 24/7 to answer any questions and attend to any concerns you may have.
• The company is performance-based which can be an advantage for those who have a lot of time to transcribe and great skills in the job.
• Transcription can be done anywhere as long as you have an internet connection, mobile device, and quality headphones.

Cons

 

• The pay is very low for beginners.
• The earnings you make here are just good for pocket money.
• There is no workflow consistency for beginners.
• Getting a job can be challenging when you are new to the site, even for experienced transcriptionists.
• The work environment is very competitive.

 

Is CastingWords legit?

Yes, it’s legitimate. The site has been operating for 15 years and is still running. The company also has a good reputation for paying its transcribers.

There are also a lot of jobs to be done on the platform so you can work on as many jobs as you can. The only thing to remember is that this is a platform for side gigs and not full-time employment. 

Transcription can be very frustrating, but once you get the hang of it, you will be making good money. We recommend CastingWords at any time!

The Better Business Bureau has graded CastingWords A+.

Is there a better way to make money online?

We believe there is an easier way to earn more money with a sustainable plan that will keep you earning a reliable income for years.  

Ever heard of ClickBank?

This is where you can earn money by selling other people’s digital products, instead of spending hours transcribing audio files into text on CastingWords. It’s all online and done from the comfort of your own home.

The process is relatively straightforward.  Choose a niche, such as Languages, and then promote a product of your choice.  You can do this in several ways, for example via Social Media, YouTube, or our favorite way, your own website.

All niches are well covered with loads of products per category, so don’t worry you will find one you like!

Take a look at some products we found on ClickBank that are similar to CastingWords.

 

 

There are so many to choose from and the commission per sale is way higher than watching videos will ever be, between 50-75% per sale. Look at that top one – you will earn 70% commission and the average sale brings you at over $100.  How many transcriptions is that??

The best thing – it’s all digital-based and so you don’t have to buy inventory, worry about running out of stock, or pay joining fees.  ClickBank is free to join and use. 

The best products also give you all the tools you need to be successful.  For instance, they’ll give you articles to place on your website, emails to send your subscribers, videos to promote on YouTube, banner ads, and so on.

All for FREE!

 

Introducing our favorite method…

Put the right product in front of the right person and the commission will roll in, time and time again.

But, that’s the hard part.  So many people try and fail at this – because they do it wrong.  

Do it the right way, from the beginning, and your chances of success are HIGH.  It’s not unheard of for newbies to earn $1000 A DAY.  How many audio files at Grade 9 is that?

You’re obviously interested in making money online, otherwise you wouldn’t have found this article in the first place.  You might be thinking ‘this is too difficult…I’m not good at this sort of thing…I’ll leave it to the gurus’.  

You can do it!

As with anything new, you will have to learn how it all works and there’ll be some failings along the way.  That’s completely natural.

What if we told you there was a training system that eliminates mistakes?  That you could cut and paste their successful business into yours?  CastingWords can’t offer that!  

ClickBank University is hands down the best affiliate marketing training out there.  They have curated an online package so detailed it leaves nothing to chance.

It’s so good, even top gurus like John Crestani, reference it!  It’s the only training offered by ClickBank and given that it is the largest affiliate network in the world it kind of makes sense to use their training.

ClickBank University goes at your pace and fits around your schedule.  This eliminates feeling overwhelmed and enables you to take on this challenge in bite-sized pieces.

All you need to do is dedicate a small amount of time, complete the task, and move on.  By the end of the course, you’re all set up.

Making money while asleep is now a real possibility!