If you love to read and write and you want a little extra money on the side with a flexible schedule, then CrowdSurf may be a job for you to consider.
CrowdSurf is a dedicated community of freelance transcriptionists who create video captions for the hard of hearing and second language viewers. Most of the jobs you see will be shorter in nature and they are available throughout the day, both day and night.
If you’re looking for a transcriptionist-like job you can do from home, let’s see if the very popular CrowdSurf company is worth joining.
CrowdSurf Reviews
What is CrowdSurf?
CrowdSurf provides transcription services, particularly video captions for the hard of hearing as well as second language users. The company processes a variety of online media and almost always needs new freelance transcriptionists to complete the work.
Whenever a client needs work done, they will upload a smaller-sized video file to the platform, which is then uploaded to the work market, where you can view the job. Each job will show you a brief overview as well as any important details, such as a deadline requirement, etc.
As a freelancer, you can pick the job up if you want to and then start working on it immediately. Most of the files that you see will be smaller in size, so you will find that the average job won’t take much time at all. The nice thing about being a freelancer is that you can work whenever you want and there are no time commitments. It’s as flexible as it comes.
Once you complete the job, you can submit it for approval before your payment is credited to your account.
Requirements
If this sounds like a job of interest, the best thing about it is that no experience is required nor do you have to provide a resume or an interview. You just need to sign up on the platform and wait for your account to get approved. I will get into this next in the following section. For now, let’s take a quick look at the requirements to get started.
While the barrier to start working is low, there are still some requirements, which include the following:
- need to be detailed oriented
- read and write fluently in English
- have a PC or Mac
- internet connection
- basic typing skills (no minimum WPM)
- great listening skills
- excellent proofreading skills
- good judgment/problem solving skills
- team player
As long as you can type what you hear and can do so with limited grammatical errors, you shouldn’t have a problem getting accepted. While optional, the company does recommend over-ear headphones so that you can hear the audio better when transcribing. The free Google Chrome browser is highly recommended as well since it tends to work the best with the in-house software.
Applying
If you’re interested in applying, you will first need to join the company’s Work Market account. You will want to follow this link and then click on “join as an individual” button.
At this time, you can review the requirements, but I already covered the basics above. They can change at any time, however.
The Work Market account creation is very simple, as all you need to do is add your name, as well as your email address and a password.
Once you create a Work Market account, you will then apply to join CrowdSurf group as a new transcriber to review the guidelines and then take a brief assessment.
It’s important that you take this assessment as this is how you will get accepted to start working. As you can see in the screenshot above, you will be asked about 14 questions, all of which are based on the resources you are asked to study. You can only take this assessment once, so if you’re serious about getting this job, it’s highly recommended you study the linked material.
If you do pass, then you will hear back in about a week. During this time, the company will let you know how you can log in as well as how the platform works. You can then start working immediately with your log-in information.
How Much Does CrowdSurf Pay?
How much you make will depend on the project you pick out as well as the demand at the moment. If there’s a lot of work, for example, then you may find that the rates are higher.
Since the jobs are paid on a per project basis, you can expect to make anywhere from $0.15 to $0.20 per minute transcribed. This isn’t the minutes worked; rather, it’s the payment you see when you transcribe one minute’s worth of audio.
Depending on your typing speed, as well as the audio quality, it can take you anywhere from four to eight minutes to transcribe one minute of audio. So, seeing there are 60 minutes in an hour, you could make a few dollars an hour if you can type one minute worth of audio in less than three to four minutes.
Yes, the hourly rate is that low, but some people enjoy doing it as it’s a flexible option to work from home.
CrowdSurf Reviews Online
On Glassdoor, there weren’t many reviews, only 25, and they gave the company an average 3.4 rating, with more than 81% approving the CEO.
According to the reviews, freelancers liked the work variety, the opportunities, flexibility as well as friendly staff. Most reviews, however, were from people that worked in house.
As for the downsides, people seemed to complain about the low pay, lack of training as well as work inconsistency.
Indeed users had a similar rating, giving the company a 3.6/5 rating. Reviewers here liked the flexibility and how easy it was to use. The cons, much like Glassdoor, were similar, with people complaining about the low pay.
Seeing the company isn’t as big as the many I review, I couldn’t find a lot of pros and cons to sift through.
Final Thoughts
4/10Indeed, CrowdSurf is a legitimate company. There’s no doubt about that one, however, you won’t make much working on this site. You will be lucky to make more than a few dollars an hour transcribing audio. If you’re okay with that, then sure, go ahead and sign up, but don’t expect to make much. From what I have heard from other freelancers is that you’re lucky to make $100 to $200 a month typing. Again, it’s a flexible job that some people enjoy doing.In the end, CrowdSurf is meh. It’s legit, but it’s just not a high paying opportunity. Plus, there’s no room for growth or connecting with private clients. With that being said, I will leave it up to you to decide if it’s something you’re interested in. If you do end up working, you will get paid, but it may not be what you’re expecting.
That’s going to do it for now.
If you have worked with CrowdSurf or you want to comment on what’s been written, you’re more than welcome to comment below.
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