CastingWords lets you make money by turning audio into text as a freelance transcriptionist. You might be considering signing up as a freelancer for some extra income.
Many people think about having a job they can do from home. No more rushing through traffic, dealing with difficult colleagues, or watching the clock until it’s time to leave.
The reality of working from home isn’t always as perfect as it seems in your mind though.
I wrote this detailed review of CastingWords to tell you exactly what it’s like before you start. You’ll learn whether this transcription site is actually worth your time.
Let me share my experience with CastingWords and what I found…
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What’s CastingWords and How Does It Work?
CastingWords (CW) is just a regular transcription company that’s been doing its thing since November 2005. They’re based in Los Alamos, New Mexico. It’s pretty simple – you type out what people say in audio files, and you get paid for it. You’ll work as a transcriptionist, turning speech into text. And yes, it’s totally real – they actually pay people for doing transcription work.
You might be wondering if it’s any good. Well, I can’t just tell you yes or no… you’ll need to see how everything works first. We should look at what kind of money you can make there. This way, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into before spending your time on it.
Let me show you how to make money with CastingWords…
Working as a CastingWords Transcriber
You’ll start taking on transcription jobs right after logging into your CastingWords member dashboard. The platform offers different job types – from basic transcription to improving transcripts, checking audio quality, and grading other people’s work.
Your access to jobs depends on your badges. It’s pretty simple – you get points for good work and lose them for not-so-good work or missing deadlines. Your first badge comes after completing one job, and you’ll need 10 badges to move up to the next level. After that, it’s all about collecting those badge points.
Just remember – quality is everything. Submit great work to earn more badges or keep the ones you already have.
When you log in, your dashboard shows all your available jobs. A quick tip: filter the list to “Available Jobs” to see what you can actually work on right now. Click any job to see when it’s due and how long the audio file is.
Important: Your pay is based on the audio minutes you transcribe, not the time you spend working. The rates vary – you’ll earn more for quick turnaround jobs (like next-day delivery) and as you level up your transcriber status.
Starting out? The pay isn’t huge at first. You’ll need to build up your skills and reputation. But don’t worry – there’s usually plenty of work to go around, so you can keep earning steadily.
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CastingWords Jobs and Badges
Your earnings at CastingWords directly connect to your performance grades and badges. They’ve set up this system to reward quality work.
When you start, you’ll get a New Transcriber badge. Once your first task gets approved, you’ll move up to a Beginner badge. Complete 10 approved assignments and you’ll earn the Working Hard badge.
Your badges open doors to more work opportunities. The best part? Higher-paying tasks become available as you collect more badges.
Each assignment you turn in affects your badge level – it can go up or down. To keep your scores high, you’ll need to focus on accuracy in everything you do.
Your badge history impacts your grades and standing with CastingWords. When you maintain consistent quality work, your position becomes more stable.
Poor performance can limit your options. If your grades and badges stay low, you’ll see fewer tasks… until they eventually stop coming altogether.
What’s a CastingWords Workshop?
The CastingWords Workshop is your work hub as a freelancer. You’ll find three main areas:
- A personal dashboard that shows your stats
- A list of jobs you can take on
- Your current assignments (under “My Jobs”)
This Workshop page is basically your roadmap for working with CastingWords. You’ll need to get familiar with two important documents – their Main Style Guide and Quick Start Guide. These will help you nail the work requirements.
Getting to know these guides inside out makes a big difference. Why? Because your transcripts need to pass their quality checks. Plus, when you score high grades, you unlock better-paying assignments.
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The guidelines cover important stuff like:
- For word-for-word transcripts, you’ll type out everything – yes, even background noises and grammar mistakes
- You’ll use special marks like [?] when you’re not 100% sure about something
- Word-for-word jobs can’t be rephrased
- There’s a specific way they want things formatted
- For regular transcripts, you’ll clean things up by removing stutters and filler words
- It’s up to you to double-check tricky stuff like names and unusual words before you submit
How Do You Get Your Money?
You’ll get paid for each completed task into your CastingWords account. Getting your money is simple – you can transfer it to PayPal in two ways:
- Wait for the automatic Friday payments (they happen at 10 AM Pacific Time)
- Cash out whenever you want (as long as you have more than $1)
There’s just one small rule – you need to work for at least a week before your first withdrawal. The cool part? You won’t lose any money on fees because CastingWords pays them for you. Not many companies do this, which makes it pretty nice.
You can also leave your money in your account and let it build up if you’d rather withdraw a bigger amount later. It’s totally up to you.
The whole payment system is really simple to use. I really like that they:
- Make it easy to get your money
- Cover all the PayPal fees
- Let you choose when to get paid
That’s basically all there is to it – just finish your work and get your money when you want it.
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How Much Will You Make?
Your earnings as a transcriptionist come down to your skills and the time you put in. You’ll find plenty of work available, so there’s no shortage of chances to earn money.
Your pay per task depends on the audio length. You’ll get paid per audio minute – rates run from $0.08 to $1.
The lowest rates ($0.08) go to the simple tasks. When you work on tougher files, you’ll earn more – around $0.80 to $1 per minute.
To boost your income on CastingWords, focus on delivering quality work. This helps you pick up badges faster, which opens up more jobs and increases your earnings.
The site pays decent rates that match industry standards. While other transcription platforms might offer more money, the pay here isn’t bad at all.
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Which States Allow You to Work for CastingWords?
CastingWords only accepts US-based freelancers, and you can’t apply from certain states.
You won’t qualify if you’re from New York, Massachusetts, California, the District of Columbia, Indiana, Hawaii, or West Virginia. The good news? If you’re from any other US state, you can apply.
The application is straightforward:
- Fill in your basic info
- Write a short bio
- Complete a transcription test (usually)
Speaking of the test… you’ll transcribe a short audio clip. It shows them if you can handle their formatting rules and if your English skills are up to par. (But here’s something interesting – sometimes their system skips the test entirely and takes you straight to your Dashboard!)
If you don’t get the test, just watch your inbox. You’ll receive a welcome email with links to their Style Guide and other important stuff. And yes, you’ll need to read that whole Style Guide before taking any paid work.
Got 90 minutes? That’s your time limit for the test. Miss it, and you’ll wait 24 hours for another shot.
They’re pretty selective about who they accept. Make simple mistakes, and they might not give you another chance. Why? They’re serious about quality transcriptions.
Can you work on CastingWords from your phone?
CastingWords doesn’t work on phones or tablets. You’ll need a computer because transcription work requires special equipment like foot pedals.
While you can check available jobs through the mobile dashboard, that’s all you can do from your phone. The actual transcription work needs a computer to function properly.
CastingWords Customer Support – Can you get help?
I find CastingWords’ support system really helpful. You’ll probably want to check their FAQ page first – it covers most common questions. But when you need extra help, here’s how to reach them:
- Send them an email through their support ticket system
- Click the “Report a Problem” button right on your assignment page
- Use the Help tab while you’re working in their Workshop
- Join their Facebook group where you can connect with other workers who might have faced similar issues
From what I’ve seen, their support works well. The FAQ answers most basic stuff right away. For specific job questions, it’s super easy to get help through any of these channels.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How to pass the CastingWords test?
Your paragraphs need to stay under 400 characters. It’s simple – just press enter twice to add a blank line between them. You don’t need to add labels when you start a new section.
Starting a fresh paragraph makes sense when you switch to a different topic. Same goes for when you’re talking to someone new – that needs its own paragraph too.
These small formatting rules make a big difference. They help keep everything clear and easy to read for everyone who’ll use your transcription later.
Can you really make money as a transcriptionist?
You’ll find plenty of work as a transcriptionist right now. It’s one of the easiest online jobs to start with, and you can earn good money doing it. As a transcriptionist, you’ll type out what people say in videos and audio recordings. A lot of companies need someone to turn their recordings into written documents.
What’s it really like to be a transcriber?
Transcribing isn’t as simple as you might think. You need to get every single word right, which can be pretty challenging. You’d be surprised how often you have to deal with fuzzy recordings full of background noise. And when you’re working on medical transcripts… well, let’s just say that doctors don’t always realize you’re trying to make sense of their rushed voice notes (…and sometimes they mumble!)
Is CastingWords Worth Your Time?
I’ve tested CastingWords as a transcription platform, and it’s actually legit. You’ll make money by turning audio into text. While it’s got some solid points, there are also a few catches you should know about.
I’d say it’s not bad if you’re into transcription work and want to make some extra cash. The pay per task is decent (nothing spectacular, but fair), and getting your money is pretty straightforward.
Just one thing though… they’re pretty picky about where you live. Right now, they’re only taking people from certain US states, which is kind of a bummer if you’re from somewhere else.
I’m really curious about your take on this – drop a comment below if you’ve tried CastingWords or have any questions about how it works.