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Transcription and captioning
Transcription and captioning turn spoken audio or video into accurate text, captions or subtitles. You can start with low-cost tools, but the work takes care and automated drafts need checking.
Open the interactive guide (checklist, video, read-aloud) →In plain words
- You turn spoken words into written text or captions.
- Listen carefully and check every word.
- You can work from home using audio tools.
- Agree the price, deadline and file type first.
- Protect private recordings and send files safely.
Who it suits
It may suit someone who enjoys careful listening, accurate typing and editing. It helps to be patient with unclear audio, different accents and specialist terms; start with general material before offering specialist work.
People pay for accurate transcripts and captions that save them time and help people access spoken content. Clear formatting, careful checking and reliable delivery can make your work useful to clients.
Step by step
- Choose one clear transcription or caption service. Decide whether you will provide a clean transcript, edited captions or subtitle files such as SRT or VTT. Write down what is included, such as speaker labels or light editing, and what is not. About 30-60 minutes.
- Practise with audio you are allowed to use. Choose a short recording that you have permission to use. Type what you hear, mark unclear sections for a later check, and record how long listening, typing and editing take. About 30-90 minutes.
- Test your recording and editing setup. Use a short sample to check that you can open the audio, hear it clearly, edit the text and export the file. Check that the exported file opens and uses the format a client might request. About 30-60 minutes.
- Use automated text as a draft, not a final answer. Listen along while checking names, technical terms, numbers, punctuation and speaker changes. Automated captions can make serious errors, so review them against the recording. UK Intelligence Community Design System About About 1-3 times the recording length, depending on audio.
- Check caption timing and layout. Review whether captions appear at the right time and whether line breaks are easy to follow. Check accuracy, line breaks and speaker labels before delivery. University of Galway About 30-90 minutes per short video.
- Ask the client about the recording and its use. Ask what the recording contains, who will receive the finished work, the required accuracy and file format, and whether you may use transcription software or a third-party service. Do not upload sensitive material until the client has agreed to the service and its data handling. About 10-20 minutes.
- Agree the job terms in writing. Confirm the fee, delivery date, revision arrangements and file format before starting. Keep a copy of the agreement and track the time you spend, including checking and formatting. About 10-20 minutes.
- Check whether a descriptive transcript is needed. Ask whether the client needs text descriptions of important visual information as well as spoken words. A descriptive transcript combines spoken words with descriptions of important visual information; captions alone may not cover that. UK Intelligence Community Design System About 10-20 minutes to clarify; extra time to produce.
- Deliver securely and confirm the file works. Send the agreed file using a method the client has approved, then ask them to confirm it opens correctly. Ask permission before using any work as a portfolio sample, especially if it includes personal or confidential information. About 10-20 minutes.
Your first 15 minutes
Make a short practice transcript from audio you have permission to use, check it against the recording, then create a sample caption file and note the time each task takes.
The money
Time a practice recording, including listening, corrections, formatting and client messages, then use that to estimate the full effort of a job. Quote a clear fee for the agreed work and state what counts as an extra revision; one source gives £8–£12 an hour as an example for beginner general transcription, not a promised rate. <a href="https://www.lilachbullock.com/jobs-you-can-do-from-home-right-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lilach Bullock</a>
Example only: UK week: £60 income − £5 costs = £55 before tax. Ireland week: €60 income − €5 costs = €55 before tax. These are made-up figures to show the calculation, not typical earnings or a rate recommendation.
The rules
There is no general licence identified for transcription or captioning in the UK or Ireland. You still need to deal with tax correctly, protect client recordings, follow the relevant platform or client terms, and check the rules for your situation.
UK and Northern Ireland
- Trading income and tax. The trading allowance covers the first £1,000 a year of trading income. If you earn more, tell HMRC. The allowance is based on gross income before expenses. GOV.UK Tax Help for Hustles
- Self Assessment. If you need to register for Self Assessment, do so by 5 October after the end of the tax year. If you’re unsure whether you need to register, check with HMRC. GOV.UK
- Data protection fee. There’s no transcription-specific rule on the ICO page. Use the ICO self-assessment tool to check whether your activities mean you need to pay a data protection fee. The page gives advertising or marketing someone else’s business, goods or services as an example of an activity where you need to pay a fee. ICO
- Recording privacy. Before you process recordings, ask your client about permission, confidentiality and approved tools. Check how any service you use handles data. For personal or confidential recordings, consider using a local tool and agree a secure way to deliver the files.
- Licences and age. There’s no general transcription licence or vetting requirement identified. In Northern Ireland, if you’re 16 or 17, you’re usually limited to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. You must not work from 10pm to 6am. Check the rules for your situation. nidirect
- Advertising. Clearly label ads and affiliate posts, for example, as “Ad”. ASA
Ireland
- Income tax and returns. If you’re a PAYE worker, register for self-assessment using Form 11 if your taxable non-PAYE income is over €5,000 or your gross non-PAYE income is over €30,000. Below those amounts, declare it on Form 12 through myAccount. Check your own position with Revenue or a tax adviser. Revenue
- Self-employed tax. If you’re self-employed, you pay income tax, PRSI (Class S) and USC under self-assessment. Your preliminary tax is due by 31 October. Check the details with Revenue or Citizens Information. Citizens Information
- Business name. If you trade under a name other than your own, register the business name with the CRO. Online registration costs €20. Companies Registration Office
- Recording privacy. Before you process recordings, ask your client about permission, confidentiality and approved tools. Check how any service you use handles data. Agree how you’ll send and store files.
- Licences and age. There’s no general transcription licence or vetting requirement identified. If you’re 14 or 15, you may do light work in school holidays only, up to 7 hours a day and 35 hours a week. If you’re 15, you may also work up to 8 hours a week during term. Check the rules for your situation. Citizens Information
- Advertising. If you publish influencer commercial content, label it clearly, for example, with #Ad. CCPC
Checked against official sources: 22 October 2026. Not yet reviewed by a qualified tax or legal adviser. General guidance, not legal advice. Check the official link beside each point before you start.
Common mistakes
- Quoting based only on recording length and forgetting correction, formatting and communication time.
- Sending an automated transcript without checking it against the audio.
- Accepting poor-quality or specialist audio before confirming you can handle it accurately.
- Uploading private recordings to a service without checking with the client first.
- Starting work before the fee, deadline, file format and revision terms are agreed.
AI-made demonstration: this module has a 20-second street-chat video in the interactive guide. The presenter and the people in it are computer-generated, not real people.