Is Rev Legit Or A Scam? (Honest Review & Pay Data)

Remote transcription jobs are an extremely popular online job. And if you can type at decent speeds and practice, they're an effective way to make extra money from home while working on your own schedule.

Rev.com, one of the leading freelance websites for transcriptionists, is where a lot of people get started with this side hustle. It claims you can make around $250 per month working for them, and it's completely free to sign up.

But is Rev legit? And does it really pay as much as it claims to?

Our Rev review is going to cover how this platform works, what other real Rev freelancers think, and if Rev is ultimately a scam or not.

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What Is Rev.com?

Founded in 2010, Rev.com is an American speech-to-text company that offers transcription and captioning services.

The platform helps businesses create content more easily by providing closed captioning, scripts, or translations from interviews and audio recordings.

As a Rev transcriptionist, your responsibility is to take those audio recordings and type them out as text.

In exchange, you get paid for the projects you complete. The company says you can average $250 per month, and it's a very beginner-friendly way to make money online.

One selling point of working for Rev is that you can also work from anywhere in the world as long as you have your computer and a stable internet connection.

Is Rev Legit?

Rev is a legit transcription site that lets you make money every week on your own schedule. And it's one of the most popular remote transcription jobs on the market. I've also used Rev in the past and don't have any complaints about getting paid on time.

However, although Rev is legit, I don’t think it’s worth it for most people.

This is because your starting rate is probably going to be very low since it takes a long time to become a fast transcriptionist. And I found that many Rev audio files are poor quality and are quite challenging to transcribe.

You might make more money per hour than using gpt sites or paid survey sites. And if the audio files are interesting, it could be a fun side hustle.

But my main complaint about Rev is that many audio files are poor quality. And I think the site makes it seem easier to make a lot of money per month than it is in reality.

I do like that the sign up process is easy and that the company has global users. But know that your starting hourly wage is probably going to be low.

At the end of the day, you’re probably better off using a gig economy app like DoorDash or a microtask site to make your time worthwhile.

How Does Rev Work?

Getting started with Rev involves four simple steps:

1. Meet Rev Transcription’s requirements
2. Apply to work for Revv
3. Complete transcription jobs
4. Get Paid

There are several important requirements you have to meet to become a Rev freelancer. And there are also a few different types of gigs you can accept.

Time to cover how each one of these steps works in a bit more detail.

1. Meet Rev Transcription’s Requirements

There are several Rev.com requirements you must have in order to sign up and make money with this company, including:

• Being at least 18 years old
• Having a Paypal account
• Being proficient in the English language
• Passing a grammar test
• Submitting a transcription sample for review

If you’re already a native English speaker, these qualifications shouldn’t be a problem for you. You don’t need any degree or prior experience to utilize Rev either.

If English isn’t your first language and you don’t feel like you’re fully fluent, then transcribing with Rev might be a bit trickier, although it's certainly possible.

Completing the transcription sample can also take a bit of time, but this is an important step to prove to Rev that you can do the job. It's also a good way to test if this is the right side hustle idea for you.

Also note that Rev is available in the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States (excluding California.)

Finally, having a good pair of headphones is also a good idea when working for Rev since it's critical that you hear audio files properly.

2.  Apply To Work For Rev

To apply for Rev, head over to rev.com/freelancers and fill out the sign up form on the right side of the page.

Signing up is completely free. After signing up, Rev sends you an email with guidelines for completing your grammar test and a sample transcription task.

Be sure to follow the guideline carefully in order to properly complete the sample. For example, UK members can be disqualified for doing the transcription in UK spelling when the guide asks for US spelling only.

Once you’ve taken the quiz and the transcription, you should hear back from Rev within a few days through email if you're eligible to work for it.

3. Complete Transcription Jobs

If Rev accepts your application, you're ready to begin working and making some extra cash.

Your Rev dashboard highlights a list of open jobs that are available for transcription. Generally, there are four different types of Rev.com jobs:

1. Transcription: This involves transcribing English audio files into text.
2. Subtitles: This involves writing subtitles for movies and videos.
3. Captioner: This involves adding captions to videos.
4. Translator: Sometimes, Rev.com might have translation transcription tasks.

Most of the work is basic transcription work. This means you have to listen to an audio or video file, accurately type the dialogue, and also label the people who are speaking.

Rev transcriptionist jobs pay between $0.30 to $1.10 per minute of audio or video you transcribe. So, an hour-long transcription job might pay between $18 to $66.

However, it can take a proficient transcriptionist about 2 to 3 hours to transcribe one hour of audio. So, your speed and accuracy really influence how much money you make per hour.

And while Rev claims that there are hundreds of jobs to choose from everyday, from experience with using Rev, this isn’t usually true.

Most days there are a few jobs available which you’re competing for with other transcribers. As you can see in the job below, it pays $0.69 per audio minute, is a 4:50 long file, and has been unclaimed by 9 other Rev freelancers (I assume the audio quality is very bad.)

When starting out, you’re pretty limited to the amount of quality audio files that are given to you. The more experienced transcribers end up getting the better files and get paid more.

Naturally, you end up receiving the audio files that are really difficult to hear or understand what’s being said. This is the main downside I found when trying to make money with Rev.

However, you can create your own schedule, and there are still at least a couple jobs to do everyday.

4. Get Paid

Rev pays transcriptionists with PayPal money every week. There isn't a minimum cash out amount either, making Rev a reliable online job that pays weekly.

And since you're a freelancer, you don't have to work a certain number of hours per week. You're in charge of how much you work, tracking your income, and reporting your income accurately when you file taxes.

If you want a flexible work-from-home job, this could be the situation you're looking for.

But, let's take a look at how much money Rev workers can make.

How Much Does Rev Pay?

According to Glassdoor, Rev.com transcriptionists earn about $18 per hour on average. And Rev.com says that its top 5% of workers earn $900 per month, while the overall average is $250 per month in extra income.

However, a few factors influence how much you make with Rev.com, including:

• How many hours you work
• Your typing speed and accuracy
• The quality of audio files
• Which projects you can claim

Your transcription speed plays a massive role in how much money you make. Beginners in this field are generally very slow, so it might take you four or five hours to transcribe on audio hour. This means you might only make a few dollars per hour at the start.

Accuracy is also critical, and if you don't transcribe properly, your task can get rejected and you won't get paid for it.

Many other Rev freelancers on Reddit claim that they earn somewhere between $5-10 an hour, with most rates being closer to $5.

Many people in this Reddit thread explain how they struggle to get past the $50 per week mark. But some users report making $200-$300 per month.

And many users admit that working for Rev in the beginning is very difficult but eases up as you become more experienced.

All in all, you can probably expect to make somewhere around $20-30 per week ($80-$120 per month) with 10-15 hours of work. As you gain experience, you can potentially earn around $10 per hour or a bit more.

However, everyone’s situation is different, so you have to see for yourself if Rev is worth it and gain experience to increase your hourly rate.

Pros & Cons

If you need a quick summary to determine whether or not Rev is legit, here's a simple pros and cons list to decide for yourself:

Pros:

• Globally accessible
• Pays through PayPal every week
• Higher pay than most survey sites
• An ideal online job for native English speakers
• One of the most well-known transcription companies

Cons:

• Low hourly rate for beginners
• There's usually bad video and audio quality for beginners
• It takes most transcriptionists a long time to earn more per hour
• Not a good way to make money online if you don't speak excellent English

Other Rev Reviews

I've used Rev.com in the past, and I don't think it's a great side hustle for many people because your starting pay is low and audio files are low quality.

But one of the best ways to tell if an online job is right for you or not is to see what other real users have to say.

This this Reddit thread, some other Rev.com freelancers share how much money they're making with the platform:

• Rubidiumheart says: “When I logged hours it took me about 45 hours to make $280 so it was a little less than minimum wage. Results may vary with your typing speed and focusing ability though.”
• RachieEdits says: “It's not a scam but they are really harsh with errors and not completing files.”
• Lena_mm says: “Last week I only did it for two days for about 4 hours each day and I made $70.”

As you can see, Rev is still a legit site, but the pay is really low for the amount of hours you have to put in. And these users report making about minimum wage or a bit less when starting out.

Again, you can find other threads where some Rev.com workers say they make decent money and enjoy the reliable payments. But many workers report that audio quality is poor and it's a tough job for beginners.

The Best Rev.com Alternatives

If you want to make money with transcription, Rev.com is one of the most beginner-friendly platforms out there.

However, I don't think this is a good job for most people because the hourly pay is low until you gain experience. And there are numerous other alternatives you can consider to make money as well:

• Other Transcription Sites: Other Rev competitors like TranscribeMe, Scribie, Tiger Fish, BabbleType, and Speechpad are also reputable transcription jobs you can apply to.
• GPT Sites: If you want to make easy money, gpt sites like Branded Surveys and Prolific are excellent ways to share your opinions for cash.
• Online Freelancing: Selling your skills online as a freelancer can make so much money outside of transcription. Jobs like freelance writing, editing, graphic design, and web design as perfect examples.
• Gig Apps: As mentioned, you can probably make more money per hour if you use simple gig apps like DoorDash or Uber Eats in your spare time.

These alternatives won't replace your day job for most people. But you can use them to supplement your weekly or monthly income if you decide working for Rev isn't for you.

Extra Reading – The Best Ways To Make $5,000 Fast.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rev A Scam?

Rev is a legit transcription company and isn't a scam. It pays you for completing transcription gigs, and there are usually a few jobs that you can complete every week. It also pays on time every week and has thousands of positive reviews from users around the world.

Many users still complain about low pay and poor audio files. But this is a legit company that pays you for completing transcription gigs.

Is Rev Worth It?

While Rev is a widely accessible platform and pays a bit more than a typical survey site, I don't think it's worth it for most users. Audio quality is oftentimes hard to comprehend, and the hourly pay is very low when you start out.

However, if you really like transcriptions and are a native English speaker, it could be worth checking out if you want a flexible online job.

Final Thoughts

Rev is completely legit. It’s actually a very trustworthy platform in my experience and in many others’ experiences as well.

However, there is a massive problem with a site like this: you’re performing difficult and tedious tasks and receiving a low hourly rate in return.

So, I would only consider trying Rev if you’re into being a transcriptionist and you want to use it alongside other transcription platforms like TranscribeMe.

You can use this platform to make some quick money, and it's very globally friendly. But don't expect to be making a lot of money at the start until you really become an efficient transcriptionist.

Hopefully, this Rev.com review helps you decide if this is the right online gig for you.

Looking for even more ways to make money? Checkout:

• The Best Jobs You Can Do From Your Phone.
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• The Best Jobs That Pay $5,000 A Month.