Many people don’t realize that audio transcription takes much longer than just the time to listen to the audio. An average transcriptionist takes 4 hours to convert 1 hour of audio; 3 hours if you’re really fast. If you are fairly new to transcription, it’s going to take you a little longer to get started. Get an idea of your speed and accuracy, and use those to help you determine a price. It’s okay to start out at less than what you would like for the work experience, just make sure you can give an accurate turnaround time to your potential buyer.

When I started bidding on Elance transcription jobs, I had about 2 years of experience. It had been awhile since I worked, so I bid in the $25-$30 range. It didn’t take long to get back up to speed, so I raised my price to $40/audio hour. And even that may be a little cheap for the quality and speed I offer. Hey, if you don’t toot your own horn, nobody’s going to do it for you…

So here are some recently listed transcription jobs from established buyers who use escrow. Links are in the first sentence. Happy Freelancing!

  • This is a really easy job for someone that knows what their doing. I’m looking for someone to transcribe and losely format (a.k.a. paragraphs) on a four and a half hour seminar I did on how to market yourself as a coach.

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  • I will have an ongoing need for transcription of .wav files that will be submitted to provider via e-mail. I will need 24-hour turn around on each file provided. Specific instructions for each document will be provided in the .wav file. Document formats will include Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The proposal needs to indicate the ongoing hourly rate for transcription services as well as estimated turn around. Files will be submitted 2-4 days per week. Provider will need to sign a non-disclosure agreement due to the confidential nature of the information being transcribed.
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  • Approximately 32-33 hours of audio needs transcribed. It must be accurate, with proper spelling and punctuation. It should also be broken down into paragraphs that are easy to read and logically make sense. You will need to notate who is speaking with initials at the beginning of each person’s passage.

    What will be provided:
    Approximately 10-15 hours of audio will be provided within 24 hours of project award. 3 hours of the original audio, which I will specifically name, will need to be turned around within 36 hours, so that I can review the quality of your work and make suggestions. For the remainder of the initial audio, you will have a maximum of 5 days to turn around the transcription.