I Tried Typing Subtitles for $12 an Hour

Jon Holstead
10 Jul 202205:17

TLDRIn this video, the creator explores the potential of making money by typing subtitles for videos on rev.com. They compare it to a traditional minimum wage job, aiming to see if working from home could be more lucrative. After a lengthy sign-up and training process, they find the job to be time-consuming and not as profitable as expected. Despite the claim of earning up to $110 per minute of audio, the reality is much less, with a test job paying under $1 for 28 minutes of work. The creator concludes that while there are side hustles that can make $20 an hour, typing captions for rev.com is not one of them, as they only made $8.5 for a full day's work.

Takeaways

  • 😀 The video discusses the potential of making money by typing subtitles for videos on rev.com.
  • 🔍 The narrator aims to determine if working from home on this task can be more profitable than a traditional minimum wage job.
  • 💻 The narrator signed up for rev.com and underwent a sign-up test and onboarding process, including reading an 18-page style guide.
  • 📝 The process of signing up and getting accepted took two months due to a long waiting list.
  • ⏱️ The narrator completed two training jobs, which took a total of 50 minutes and paid very little, raising concerns about the pay rate.
  • 💰 The narrator found that the pay for typing captions was significantly lower than the minimum wage, even for short videos.
  • 📉 After completing five jobs in an 8-hour shift, the narrator made only $8.55, which is much lower than what could be earned at a minimum wage job.
  • 🤔 The narrator questions the viability of this side hustle due to the low pay and the time-consuming nature of the work.
  • 📈 The video transcript suggests that while rev.com offers a way to earn money from home, the earnings are not as high as one might expect.
  • 🌐 The narrator compares the earnings from typing captions to other side hustles, such as busking, which can be more lucrative.
  • 🚫 The narrator advises caution when considering rev.com as a side hustle due to the low pay and the potential for eye strain from continuous screen focus.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic of the video?

    -The main topic of the video is the experience of the narrator trying out a job on rev.com, typing up captions for videos, and comparing the earnings to a physical minimum wage job.

  • What is rev.com and what service does it offer?

    -Rev.com is a platform that provides transcription services for videos. It allows people to send their videos to have captions written manually by real people, which can be more accurate than auto-generated captions.

  • How much can one potentially earn per minute of audio transcribed on rev.com?

    -According to the video, one can potentially earn up to $110 for each minute of audio that they transcribe into captions.

  • What was the narrator's initial experience with the signup process on rev.com?

    -The narrator had to complete a half-hour long signup test where they were given sample audio to transcribe. After passing the test, they were accepted but had to wait for two months due to a long waiting list before they could start working.

  • What was the narrator's first impression of the onboarding process and style guide on rev.com?

    -The narrator found the onboarding process and the style guide to be quite extensive, with an 18-page guide that took 20 minutes to read and understand.

  • How much did the narrator earn from their first job on rev.com and how long did it take?

    -The narrator earned 99.8 cents, which is just under $1, for their first job that took 30 minutes of focused work.

  • What was the narrator's strategy for choosing videos to transcribe after completing the training?

    -The narrator's strategy was to start with shorter videos, around a minute or two long, to ensure they could finish the transcription before the deadline and avoid getting penalized on their rev.com account.

  • What challenges did the narrator face while transcribing the videos?

    -The narrator faced challenges such as unclear audio, multiple people talking at the same time, and the need for continuous focused sharp attention, which made the work mind-numbingly boring and physically straining.

  • How much did the narrator earn in total after completing five jobs in a day?

    -The narrator earned a total of $8.55 after completing five jobs throughout the day.

  • What was the narrator's conclusion about the potential of earning money through rev.com compared to other side hustles?

    -The narrator concluded that there are plenty of side hustles where one can make $20 in an hour, whereas with rev.com, they earned less than $1 per hour, making it less feasible compared to other opportunities.

  • What other side hustle did the narrator mention in the video and how much did they earn from it?

    -The narrator mentioned a busking video side hustle where they were making about $25 an hour at one point.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Caption Typing for Rev.com: A Day's Earnings Test

The narrator explores the potential of earning money by typing captions for videos on rev.com. They compare the income from this online job to that of a traditional minimum wage job. The narrator signs up for rev.com, completes a sign-up test, and after a two-month wait, goes through an onboarding process which includes reading an 18-page style guide. They then complete two training jobs, which are time-consuming and pay very little. The narrator finds the work to be mind numbing and eyestrain-inducing, and after an 8-hour shift, they earn only $8.50, which is significantly less than what they would make at a minimum wage job. They conclude that there are more lucrative side hustles available.

05:01

🎷 Comparing Busking to Caption Typing: An Hourly Wage Perspective

In the second paragraph, the narrator contrasts the earnings from the caption typing job with their previous experience of busking. They mention a busking video they made, where they earned about $25 an hour, and compare this to the $0.85 they made from 10 hours of caption typing. The comparison highlights the significantly higher hourly wage from busking compared to the low pay from caption typing on rev.com.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡rev.com

Rev.com is an online platform that connects businesses with freelancers for various tasks, including transcription and captioning services. In the context of the video, it is used as a source of potential income for typing up captions for videos. The narrator explores the possibility of making money through rev.com by comparing it with a traditional minimum wage job.

💡captions

Captions are text versions of the audio content in videos, allowing viewers to read what is being said. They are essential for accessibility, especially for the hearing-impaired. In the video, the narrator's task is to create captions by typing out what they hear in audio files, which is a service offered on rev.com.

💡YouTube

YouTube is a popular video-sharing platform where users upload, share, and view videos. The script mentions YouTube as a platform that generates auto-captions, but these are often inaccurate, hence the need for human-generated captions. The narrator considers the demand for accurate captions as a potential source of income.

💡minimum wage

Minimum wage refers to the lowest wage permitted by law or by a special agreement. In the video, the narrator compares the potential earnings from typing captions on rev.com to the earnings from a traditional minimum wage job, aiming to determine which is more lucrative.

💡side hustle

A side hustle is a part-time job or a small business that one does in addition to their regular job to earn extra money. The narrator is exploring rev.com as a potential side hustle to help get out of debt and achieve financial goals.

💡onboarding process

The onboarding process is the procedure that new employees or freelancers go through to become familiar with a company's policies and procedures. In the script, the narrator describes the lengthy style guide they had to read and understand as part of the onboarding process on rev.com.

💡style guide

A style guide is a set of standards for the writing and design of documents, ensuring consistency and professionalism. In the context of the video, the style guide provided by rev.com dictates how captions should be written, which the narrator had to learn and follow.

💡training jobs

Training jobs are tasks given to new freelancers to help them understand the work process and quality standards. The narrator had to complete two training jobs on rev.com, which involved writing captions for videos and syncing them, to demonstrate their understanding of the style guide.

💡deadline

A deadline is a fixed time or date by which something should be completed. In the video, the narrator mentions deadlines for completing captioning jobs on rev.com, emphasizing the need to finish work within a specified time to avoid penalties.

💡slog

A 'slog' is a colloquial term for a difficult and exhausting task. The narrator uses this term to describe the experience of typing captions for a 7-minute video, which took over an hour and was mentally and physically tiring.

💡busking

Busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. The narrator mentions a previous video about busking as an alternative side hustle, where they were able to earn a higher hourly rate compared to captioning on rev.com.

Highlights

The author is testing if typing subtitles for rev.com can be more profitable than a minimum wage job.

Rev.com pays per minute for manual caption writing, with potential earnings up to $110 per minute.

YouTube autogenerates captions, but they may not always be accurate, hence the need for human-written captions.

The author compares the potential earnings of caption writing to a UK minimum wage job.

A sign-up test and a long waiting list are required to start working on rev.com.

There is an extensive onboarding process with a detailed 18-page style guide for caption writing.

The author finds the training jobs to be time-consuming and low-paying.

The shortest video available for transcription was 4 and 1/2 minutes with a tight deadline.

The author opts for shorter videos to ensure completion before deadlines and avoid penalties.

Transcribing a video with unclear audio or multiple speakers can be challenging and not worth the pay.

The author experiences difficulty and boredom while transcribing, questioning the viability of the job.

Transcribing a 7-minute video took an hour and 20 minutes, earning only $3.85.

The author concludes that there are more profitable side hustles than caption writing for rev.com.

After a full day of work, the author made only $8.50 from five jobs.

The author suggests that other side hustles can yield higher earnings in less time.