Did you know that you could get paid for watching TV? That sounds incredible, but it’s true. Do you often spend time on Netflix and notice mistakes in the provided captions? Are you constantly telling yourself how you’d be able to deliver better ones? How about actually doing that and getting paid good money for it?
Work-From-Home Closed Captioning Jobs
Of course, the job isn’t as easy as it sounds. You’d need some skills and equipment. However, a closed captioning career is about freedom and flexibility. And since people are always seeking entertainment in the form of movies, sports, TV shows, and more, it’s a pretty stable industry to enter.
The Ins and Outs of a Remote Closed Captioning Career
As you might expect, working as a captioner involves watching content and typing what you hear. It’s really as simple as it sounds. However, that’s just the surface of it. If you dig deeper into the world of captioning jobs, you’ll find that there’s more to it than converting audio into text.
There are two main branches of captioning; one occurs offline and the other in real time. In the former, the closed captioner types a transcript of pre-recorded content at their own pace. Deadlines still exist, of course, but they’re generally more flexible.
With offline captioning, you set your own hours. The more you work, the higher your wages will be. In addition, this option is particularly accessible to beginners. Usually, freelance roles are available to people who have no experience in the field or a relevant college degree.
Real-time captioning, on the other hand, involves a higher degree of stress. These jobs usually go to experienced folk holding a specialized degree related to steno typing. Here, a captioner will transcribe an event as it’s being televised. There’s not much flexibility in this arena – even toilet breaks are an issue! However, the job pays significantly higher.
Required Equipment for Closed Captioning Jobs
Let’s talk about equipment. Captioners don’t need to invest in high-end tools to start earning money. Most people start off with the following:
- Computer
The older your PC, the harder it will be for you. You need something reasonably fast.
- Reliable internet connection
The job will require downloading, streaming, and uploading. If you’re running on a slow connection, your work will take longer.
- Good pair of headphones
This is one area worth investing in because good headphones will heighten your listening abilities and block out external noise.
- Foot pedal (optional)
Some captioners use a foot pedal to adjust audio playback. It’s always nice to have your hands free for typing.
Necessary Skills for a Remote Closed Captioning Career
A closed captioner types what they hear. So although a degree isn’t a requirement for this field, there are some skills that will make the job easier.
- Typing speed and accuracy
- High level of writing skills
- Good listening and communication skills
Despite our mentioning that a degree isn’t necessary, it would help if you had some knowledge in certain areas. For example, if you’re captioning a sports program, you can’t go in without knowing the terminology, players’ names, and so on.
Is Closed Captioning a Valid Career Choice?
A closed captioner’s earnings will vary according to skill. Expect to make around $0.60 per audio minute captioned. You’ll earn more if you are well versed in high-demand languages. Getting hired isn’t too challenging, either. As long as you keep upskilling yourself, you’ll type faster, listen better, and reduce your captioning time.
You may not realize how much work goes into your TV captions until you try creating them yourself. If you think you’ve got what it takes, jump in! What have you got to lose?