What is a transcriber and how to become one?

Nowadays all over Facebook Reels and TikTok, you see ads for "become a transcriber". Transcribing is a lucrative business and can be done as a side hustle, like myself. But what does a transcriber do and what do you need to become one?

"a: to make a written copy of

b: to make a copy of (dictated or recorded matter) in longhand or on a machine (such as a typewriter)

c: to paraphrase or summarize in writing

d: WRITE DOWN, RECORD"

- (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transcribe#:~:text=%3A%20to%20make%20a%20written%20copy,%3A%20write%20down%2C%20record

To put it simply, listening to a recording of any sort and typing what is said, word for word. There is however different kinds of transcribing - verbatim and clean verbatim. Verbatim means that every word on the recording needs to reflect in the transcription. Clean verbatim on the other hand "captures words exactly as stated, but editing is conducted. Clean verbatim corrects for filler words, repeated words, and stutters. It essentially transcribes words exactly but for improved readability. Preferences for verbatim transcripts can vary."*

* Danielle Chazen (https://verbit.ai/verbatim-transcription-101-benefits/#:~:text=Clean%20verbatim%20on%20the%20other,for%20verbatim%20transcripts%20can%20vary.)

It is a moderately easy job and can generate a steady second income. If you have the right equipment and skills such as a laptop/PC, moderate typing speed, a keen eye for detail, accuracy, proper knowledge of the English language, grammar, great listening skills, and the willingness to work late hours, you can become a transcriber and generate a second income.

I started transcribing in 2017 and mainly did work for junior advocates who needed a typist to transcribe dictation of legal documents (notice of motion, founding affidavit, heads of argument, etc). I have extensive knowledge as a legal secretary as this is my day job and main income stream and have been working in the law environment for more than 20 years. My client base grew slowly but steadily, mainly by word of mouth. Currently, I am receiving larger projects which include transcribing hearings and arbitrations mainly in the Labour sector.

To start as a transcriber you need to be able to type fast and accurate. With time, your typing speed will increase and there are programs online to assist you with your typing speed and accuracy such as https://rapidtyping.com/. This is a free website where you can do numerous exercises to improve both speed and accuracy.

To be able to transcribe you need to have a computer, stable internet, and transcribing software which includes a footpedal and headphones.

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Listening skills are extremely important when transcribing as well as the understanding of different accents. In South Africa, we have 11 beautiful official languages with their own accents in English. This is one of the more challenging aspects of transcribing but with time you learn to recognize and understand all the different accents and pronunciations.

I was lucky to have had some connections at the Johannesburg bar of Advocates to gain clients and start working as a transcriber. For newbies I would suggest that you search on google for transcription positions. There are many work-from-home transcription agencies out there. Each of these companies will put you through a grammar and spelling test as well as typing a short recording to test your abilities.

In closing, I will list some of the pros and cons of being a transcriber.

The cons of being a transcriber are the late hours. As stated earlier I have a full-time day job which keeps me busy from 8h00 to 17h00 every work day. I attend to transcribing after working hours from 18h00 to 22h00 pm and also over weekends and public holidays. It is also highly possible to receive a recording that was recorded on a cellphone which was not positioned correctly in the meeting/hearing/arbitration and some of the speakers were not recorded clearly. This makes it extremely difficult to hear what was said properly and a 1-hour recording can take you up to 5 hours to complete if the recording conditions are poor.

Pros of being a transcriber is of course the additional income you generate as well as some really interesting recording you get to listen to. I have found that over the years my favourite transcriptions are those of CCMA arbitrations and hearings.

So there you have it, my take on what a transcriber is and what to do to become one.