23 Captioning Jobs For Beginners You Need To Check Out
Discover how you can secure stable captioning jobs at major media companies.
Interested in earning some extra side money?
If you answered yes, then work-from-home captioning jobs are the side hustle for you!
You’d be surprised to know that captioners can earn an average of $65k or higher yearly! Since captioning jobs for beginners require no prior experience or verified certifications, ensure that you choose the opportunities presented to you smartly.
Confused and don’t know where to start? Don’t fret! Read further to know the process and possible remote captioning jobs you could look into!
What is Captioning & What Does A Captioner Do?
Ever wondered what that text pops up when you are watching your favorite movies and shows? These pieces of text are called captions or subtitles. This text aids people with hearing disabilities allowing them to understand the dialogue.
As a captioner, you are responsible for typing the dialogues into text form and/or captions.
How Much Money Can You Make As A Captioner?
Depending on your work hours, you could make up to $1500 every month! Veteran captioners are above the average pay compared to those just starting out. The most important role in deciding your pay is of the company and the position you aim for.
What Are The Different Fields A Captioner Can Work In?
There is a common misconception that the work of a captioner is restricted to working on media platforms such as Youtube and Netflix etc.
The reality is that captioners have a plethora of options for remote captioning jobs in a set of diverse fields such as data entry, scope, transcribing medical documents and typing jobs.
What Are The Different Types of Captioning Jobs
1. Closed Captioning
Closed Captions provide the user with the option to switch on or off as per their requirement. Most close captioning jobs can be divided into broadly two components:
Real-Time Captioning:
Since it includes creating captions for real-time audio or video, real-time captioning is typically a challenging process. It could consist of a live sporting event, news coverage, or sermons, for instance. Consequently, the captioner needs to be skilled, quick, and precise.
Offline Captioning:
Offline captioning calls for pre-recorded audio or video captioning is comparatively less taxing. To display inside the required time range, the text must be precisely timed, which requires knowledge of how to do so.
Subtitling jobs from home is an example of offline captioning. This is where an audience required text to be translated to understand, as they speak some other language. This requires the captioner to be bilingual.
2. Open Captioning
Open Captioning provides captions without the feature to turn them off. These are generally burned onto the video track instead of being embedded as a .srt file later.
How Do I Become a Captioner?
While being a captioner sounds like an easy way for those who prefer to work from home to earn money. However, to succeed, like any other field, you need to commit a lot of time and dedication.
What Are The Skills And Training Needed?
Although there are no prerequisites or prior training requirements to become a captioner, there are several abilities you must acquire to land work in captioning jobs with no experience.
Keep in mind that as the work entails captioning lengthy audio and video files, speed is essential. Consequently, having a fast typing speed is essential.
Along with having a high typing speed, accuracy in typing the text is also crucial. Online caption jobs require listening to a variety of sounds. As a result, becoming a successful captioner requires sharp and attentive hearing.
What Is The Equipment You Need?
Accessibility is one of the advantages that come with captioning jobs online.
All you need is the following:
- Excellent pair of headphones for clear voice audio.
- A well-known closed captioning software.
- A decent PC with access to the Microsoft Office Suite apps.
- You can opt for a second viewing monitor to make the captioning process easier by allowing yourself to look at the video simultaneously.
- Consider buying a foot pedal to make pause, playback, stop, and other commands easier.
Getting Yourself A Mentor
Accessing the right gear isn’t enough; Enroll yourself on online training platforms that can offer a series of close captioning training guides.
Alternatively, you can ask an experienced captioner to be your guide and teach you!
How To Apply For A Captioning Job?
Captioning has a very high demand, so ensure that you are dedicated and capable with the appropriate skills to dedicate yourself and start working from home typing subtitles.
Keep reading to find out the various options that lie in front of you to start captioning!
23 Captioning Jobs For Beginners You Need To Check Out
Companies On A Lookout for Captioners
1. Netflix
With thousands of movies and television programs to the caption, Netflix is one of the most popular sites for seeking remote captioning jobs. However, only the greatest and most seasoned captioners are chosen owing to the tremendous demand for them.
Therefore, while applying, make sure your credentials and experience are sufficient.
A Netflix captioner may make an average salary of $51,623 per year, according to sources.
2. Vitac
Want to start working on subtitle jobs from home? Vitac is the one-stop destination for you!
Vitac considers captioning an essential part of video production and is always on the search for video captioners.
Expect to earn up to $40K every year on average working for Vitac.
3. VIQ Solutions
One of the largest closed captioning service providers, VIQ Solutions has worked on over a thousand television programs and motion pictures.
It’s important to remember that joining the platform necessitates a background check, which may also include an employment check. Furthermore, working as a captioner with VIQ Solutions may bring in an average salary of $6000 per month.
4. Aberdeen Broadcast Services
Closed caption jobs from home are a practical option to support oneself at one’s own pace. Aberdeen is a wonderful spot to seek jobs offering live and offline closed captioning jobs. They are recognized for simplifying captioning because of their investment in captioning software.
Aberdeen captioners may make up to $478 per hour on average, according to reports.
5. Rev
Rev is a fantastic site for work-from-home typing subtitles. More than 50 languages are used to caption movies and audio.
You can offer captioning for business and government clients in addition to entertainment offerings. Rev thus seeks talent to also caption live broadcasts. Rev captioners may expect to make, on average, $0.54 to $1.10 each minute.
6. Classroom Captioning
One of the most underrated sites for online close captioning jobs is Classroom Captioning.
You must, though, be CART certified and have a 180 wpm average typing speed.
Statistics show that a captioner for Classroom Captioning may make, on average, $30 per hour.
7. Vanan Captioning
One of the most private and secure techniques of captioning is used by Vanan Captioning. Additionally, several of the major platforms, like Netflix, Facebook, Amazon, Vimeo, and YouTube, have partnerships with them.
You might also try your luck with transcription, typing, or translation in more than 100 different languages in addition to offline captioning jobs.
8. SpeechPad
SpeechPad is a platform that offers remote captioning jobs from home in several foreign languages in addition to English. Look for captioners who are particularly skilled at accuracy and quickness because SpeechPad is well renowned for both.
You may make an average of $1.50 to $2.50 each minute as a regular captioner.
9. National Captioning Institute
A nonprofit organization called the National Captioning Institute has helped over 400,000 persons with hearing impairment. It searches for people interested in working caption jobs online for sporting events, plays, performances, programs, and lectures.
10 . ACS Service
Alternative Communication Services are available both locally and remotely. The site pays its captioners $25 per hour and asks that they have a typing speed of at least 180 wpm.
11. AI Media
If you are a captioner without a job, AI Media is one of the best captioning companies to work for. The company’s primary concept is diversity and inclusiveness, which is commendable.
They expect their captioners to have a typing speed of at least 180 wpm and past experience of three to five years while working with household names like Facebook, NASA, etc. Therefore, working at AI Media may result in you making an annual salary between $39K and $43K.
12. GoTranscript
GoTranscript offers an essential feature, on-time payment which is necessary for remote captioners. This platform has an ever-expanding team and welcomes skilled captioners who have a fast typing speed.
Even only via captioning jobs from home, employees can earn up to $1.11 per minute and an estimated $150 to $200 in a month on average.
13. TranscribeMe!
Don’t be misled by the name! For closed captioners, TranscribeMe provides a variety of closed captioning alternatives. Have credible job offers and the freedom to choose your working hours. Prior to applying, excellent typing abilities are required!
Earn up to $22 per hour if you have no prior experience; if you have, expect to make more.
14. Capital Captions
One of the best websites renowned for its excellent videos that make captioning simply!
Capital Captions is a service that is in high demand and has worked with major broadcasters including Sky News.
However, they demand that the captioner use their captioning program and have a minimum typing speed of 65 wpm.
Freelancing Websites that Hire Beginners
15. Fiverr
Fiverr is the number one go-to for freelance captioning jobs from home. Providing a platform to millions, it acts as a medium for captioners worldwide.
Create an account on Fiverr to start, choose your projects wisely, and post your own gigs to have the opportunity to earn up to $50 an hour on average.
16. Upwork
Upwork is a good place for beginners to look for captioning jobs from home. You get the opportunity to work with multiple options at different price points and flexible working hours.
Most Upwork clients also offer extra incentives like bonuses and tips for a job done properly. Earnings can be expected to go at around $35 per hour on average.
17. CaptioningStar
CaptioningStar is a fantastic chance for real-time captioning because it has well-known clients including the Grammy Awards, Wall Street Journal, LinkedIn, and CNBC.
This indicates that in order to be considered for employment, an accuracy of 99% is required. However, the average hourly wage of between $60 and $70 makes the work worthwhile.
18. Caption Max
Being a private company, Caption Max offers independent contractors countless opportunities. Get the chance to collaborate with the biggest names in the business, including NBC Universal, Warner Bros., and Sony Pictures.
Offline captioner editors can make up to $14 per hour, while real-time captioners make about $260 per hour, according to a Glassdoor reviewer.
19. Flexjob
Flexjob provides an innovative twist on the classic job lookout. Flexjob provides a board feature, where jobs are posted, including captioning jobs from home.
Captioners have the option for both real-time and pre-recorded closed captioning services. Statistics indicate the average earning clock in at around $14 per hour.
20. 3Play Media
3Play Media definitely brings it with 7000 videos processed and over 2000 clients! You can choose from a range of services in addition to captioning as a side business.
21. Caption Depot
Caption Depot is a very appealing option for novice captioners. Their platforms provide many options for freelancer captioning jobs at home for beginners.
Using Caption Depot you can have opportunities to work with YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime for video captions. Statistics show earnings can go up to $186 every hour for the average captioner.
22. CrowdSurf
If you’re looking for endless ways to grow as a captioner, here is another great freelancer platform. You must pass the CrowdSurf recruiting test, Once you pass you can start exploring jobs and start bidding for them.
Expect to earn from at least $2 or $8 on average on CrowdSurf.
23. Guru
Guru offers you the ease of choosing your preferred job, working at your own pace, all on its online platform.
You can expect to earn $8 to $100 per hour working freelance captioning jobs. This amount of course varies depending on the expertise you have.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How long does it take to caption a film?
While a 10-minute video takes only 20 minutes for an expert to caption, it can take up to 40 mins, double the time for a beginner.
Feature films are 90 minutes long, so for experts in offline captioning jobs, this task can take around 4,200 minutes. On the other hand, for a beginner 8,400 minutes is a reasonable estimate.
Q2. Is captioning easier than transcription?
These two are quite similar. Transcribing refers to converting audio clips to the text of the voice audio, while captioning is done for videos. Caption jobs remove and divide the transcripted text into time-coded chunks.
Both require similar skill sets and accessories. Captioners are, however, paid more than transcribers, as per the latest statistics.
Q3. How much does it cost to subtitle a film?
The average cost for subtitling depends on various factors like the content and language required. A captioner is generally paid $7 per minute of a film. That means making around $630 on feature films that are 90 minutes long.
Q4 .How to improve your captioning skills?
Perfect makes perfect! The secret to success is consistently working towards mastering your craft. Additionally, pay attention to the formats of your captions. Make sure they come to a logical conclusion and are not separated improperly.
Summary
Captioning jobs for beginners is a fantastic way to make money and learn a skill!
Working has never been so easy with little to no experience or qualifications, and flexible hours! Do some research to determine which company or platform best fits your needs and objectives and appears worth your time and effort.
So why is there a delay? Apply right away to take advantage of the chance to do captioning jobs from home for beginners, even with no prior experience!
