Is Scribie LEGIT or A Scam? (Truth Revealed)

Last Updated: December 26, 2023

Looking for easy-to-get transcription jobs OR want to transcribe your files at affordable rates, Scribie might have grabbed your attention.

But after passing through the mixed reviews of its clients and transcribers, you’re eager to first know before using it:

Is Scribie actually legit and safe, and what are the potential issues associated with it?

So without any further ado, let’s delve into it.

Is Scribie Legit?

Scribie is without a doubt legit as it has been in business for the last 13 years and is the creation of great minds, Rajiv Poddar,  Rahul Singh Kushawaha, and Sanjiv Jha.

Moreover, it has been recommended by PC magazine, an American computer magazine, as the best transcription service for 2023 with a Good rating of 3.5.

Besides, it has been featured by Upwork, a renowned American freelancing platform, as one of the 15 best platforms for transcription jobs.

So it can be claimed with surety that Scribie is a legit platform.

Scribie is indeed a great opportunity for people to transcribe their audio/video files easily at affordable rates as well as a good platform for those who are searching for transcription jobs. 

But hold on!

Being a legit platform doesn’t mean that there are no issues associated with using Scribie.

So here are some important things you should bear in mind before trying Scribie both as a client and transcriber:

A. As A Client

As a client of Scribie, you should be aware of these 2 things:

1. Default Formatting May Not Meet Your All Requirements

While Scribie strives for high accuracy and tries its best to meet its clients requirements, its default formatting may not be entirely error-free or meet your specific requirements.

Therefore, you may be required to do further editing and formatting in the transcription done by Scribie to fix any inaccuracies or re-order it according to your specific requirements.

Occurring minor inaccuracies are genuine as there are homophonic words (e.g., allowed-aloud, scene-seen, etc.) that can’t be easily recognized and sometimes the voice of the speaker isn’t clear.

Additionally, you’ve to edit and re-order your transcript on your own as per your specific needs as the transcriber only transcribes your file in the default formatting.

2. Extra Charges For Customised And Complicated Files

If you want to further customize your transcript so that it doesn’t need more editing and formatting and aligns perfectly with your specific requirements, you’ll have to pay extra for additional customization (custom format).

For additional customization, you’ve to contact Scribie customer support and provide your instructions so that they customize your transcript as per your given guidelines.

It’s worth noticing that Scribie also charges extra for complicated files with non-American accent speakers, poor audio, and noisy background, high difficulty level which would be negotiated to you.

So as a client, you must be aware that default formatting often requires more editing and formatting. And if you want your transcription as per your specific requirement, you’ll have to pay extra for additional customization.

B. As A Transcriber

Before joining Scribie as a transcriber, you must keep in mind the following 2 things:

1. Low Pay Rate

One of the major concerns voiced by transcribers about Scribie is that they’re not pleased with the rates they get paid for the effort they put in.

While the payment rate varies according to the complexity of files and the transcriber’s experience, Scribie generally pays $5 to $20 for a general 1-hour file or $0.5 to $2 for a 6-minute audio. 

Though it depends upon your transcription skills, an average 6-minute audio generally takes 45 minutes. So a 1-hour file will take 7.5 hours.

In short, Scribie pays in the range of $5 to $20 for a 7.5-hour work which transcribers see as not reasonable for the amount of work they do.

But what even more apprehends them is that they sometimes find normal files requiring more effort than the other normal files but get paid as that of the normal transcriptions.

This is because Scribie pays its transcribers according to the length of the file, not according to the amount of work or the number of words typed.

2. Beware Of Scribie’s Strict Deadlines And Clients’ Unclear Instructions

You should keep in mind that Scribie may add a complicated file such as with noisy background, poor audio, and the speaker’s different or difficult accent, that you may not be able to submit within its strict deadline.

There are also custom files on Scribie that clients want to be transcribed as per their instructions but their instructions are sometimes unclear.

Therefore, if you choose such files and then don’t submit them within the given deadline or your transcription doesn’t meet the client’s specific requirement due to unclear instructions, this will hurt your grade promotions and ratings.

There you’ve it!

So these are the most important things you must be aware of before using Scribie both as a client and transcriber.

To summarise, Scribie is legit but it does come with some potential issues both for clients and transcribers.

So, Should You Try Scribie?

It, ultimately, mostly comes down to your comforts and preferences whether you use Scribie as a client or transcriber.

But as a client, if you’ve enough budget but don’t have enough time to transcribe your interviews, documentaries, etc., Scribie may be a great option for you to ease your burden because it transcribes files at very affordable rates.

Regarding using it as a transcriber, if you’re a newbie and Scribie gives you an opportunity, it’s recommended to work with it for whatever rates it offers to gain transcription experience for competitive or high-paid transcription tasks.

Moreover, as it relatively pays lower rates and also, the availability of transcription work on it can fluctuate at any time, I don’t recommend entirely relying on Scribie as the only source of income.

Also, reaching out to other transcription platforms and don’t consider working with Scribie as a full-time career but rather as a source of side income.

But the question is: How to get certified with Scribie and once certified, what to do to get high ratings for high-paid transcription tasks on it or other platforms?

So here are the 8 tips for you to easily certified with Scribie and be successful transcriber:

8 Tips For Transcribers

1. Polish Your Skills First

Transcription demands accuracy and precision which is impossible without specialising in its required skills.

Therefore, before considering transcribing with Scribie, make sure that your transcription skills including typing, listening, spelling, and familiarising with different accents, etc., are refined to meet Scribie’s standards.

2. Read Scribie’s Blogs

There are multiple blogs written by Scribie’s authors providing important tips, guidelines, and updates to transcribers.

Whether you’re a certified transcriber or want to join it now, you should carefully read Scribie’s blogs related to transcriptions.

3.  Familiarise Yourself With Transcription Guidelines

Scribie provides you with guidelines that you should follow during transcribing a test file or actual transcription tasks, otherwise, your transcription will be rejected if you violate any rule.

So, it’s essential to familiarise yourself with the given guidelines such as punctuations, speaker tracking, verbatim, timecoding, and more. 

4. Carefully Read And Listen to The Sample Transcript

In order to know how to transcribe a file to follow the given guidelines, Scribie has given a sample transcript.

Carefully listen to the speaker with the correspondence text of the sample transcript and note how to adhere to the given guidelines.

Besides, also go to the sample transcript archives of Scribie to know how they transcribe files.

5. Practise Well On Sample Tests

Scribie provides you with sample tests to help you prepare for the actual test files as well as further transcription tasks.

You should first identify the operation keys for transcription (F10, F7, F12) and then gain proficiency by practicing with various accents of different difficulty levels.

Once you submit the sample test, compare it with Scribie’s version to recognize any differences and accuracy levels.

This will enable you to evaluate your skills and identify areas for improvement before attempting the first test.

Once certified with Scribie, then:

6. Be Quick And Careful In Choosing Files

Scribie assigns files on a first-come, first-serve basis, which means the files would be assigned to the person(s) who first select them.

Therefore, search for files consistently and be quick in choosing a file, otherwise, other transcribers will take it away from you.

But before choosing a file, check it carefully to ensure you can transcribe it within the given deadline by checking its audio quality, speaker accent, and difficulty level.

7. Follow The Client Instructions

Some customers complain that the transcribers on Scribie don’t adhere to their given instructions, even paying extra for custom formatting.

So if you’ve any confusion, clear it by reaching out to Scribie and follow the instructions as given.

It’s advised not to transcribe a file if you don’t comprehend the client’s instructions as they’ll give negative feedback on your work which will affect your rating and prestige.

8. Complete the Transcript Well Before The Given Deadline

It’s very important to complete your task well before the given deadline so that you’ve enough time to review your transcript to fix any errors.

Moreover, being punctual in your work determines your commitment, discipline, and interest, and has a very positive impact on your whole career.

Therefore, try your best to always submit your task within the given deadline as it doesn’t matter how much effort you’ve put in if you submit your assignment late.

That’s all!

So these are the 8 tips you should follow as a transcriber with Scribie.

Conclusion 

So it’s crystal clear that Scribie is legit as it has been in business for the last 13 years and recommended by PC magazine and Upwork as the best transcription platform.

However, before using it for transcribing your work, you must be aware that:

• Its default formatting may not meet your requirements at all, That’s why your file may need more editing and formatting.
•  And you’ve to pay extra for custom formatting and complicated files.

And as a transcriber, keep in mind that:

•  Scribie relatively pays lower rates even sometimes for difficult files.
•  And some complicated files on Scribie may have strict deadlines and custom formatting files may sometimes have unclear clients’ instructions.

Furthermore, to get certified with Scribie and be a successful transcriber, you should follow the above 8 tips.

Hope you’ve found this article helpful.

If you still have any questions or want to add something, feel free to let me know in the comment section below.