13 BEST Transcription Courses Online 2023 (Tested!)
Looking for all the best transcription courses online, the best transcription training courses and transcription training programs?
A while ago, I wrote the article “Best Transcription Jobs (for Beginners),” and it was incredibly popular.
So, I’m back with a sequel.
If you have great listening and typing skills, then why not put them to good use and earn some side income?
You don’t have to worry about competition once you take one of these courses because you’ll be providing in-demand skills that people and businesses are willing to pay for.
As you all know, I’m an advocate for investing in yourself without going bankrupt.
In this article, I’ll be listing a few courses with different price points. Some of them will even include tips for landing that transcription job you’re eyeing.
Rest assured that they are taught by people with years of experience as transcribers and come highly rated by students that have taken the course.
Without further ado, here are the best transcription courses online.
Here are my top recommendations:
Best Quality Course:
Legal Transcription : Theory & Practice
Most Affordable Course:
Free Mini-Course: Transcription Foundations
Mid-Range Course:
Step-By-Step Transcription From Home – Start A New Career (Udemy)
DISCLAIMER
Some of the links on here are affiliate links and I may earn if you click on them, AT NO EXTRA cost to you. Hope you find the information here useful! Thanks.
13 Best Transcription Courses Online
I’ve broken down the basics of each course to make it easier for you to choose from. So here it is, a list of the best transcription courses:
1.Transcribe Anywhere
Transcribe Anywhere guarantees that with their programs, “You can learn to transcribe with excellence, and you can do it from anywhere.”
They offer general transcription training and a legal transcription course as well. Both courses have a paid and free version.
Let’s look at the paid courses:
2.General Transcription : Theory & Practice
Price: $497
Certification: Yes
This course is an all-inclusive online program for general transcription. It
includes everything you need to learn about transcription, how to become an excellent transcriptionist, and, most importantly, one that actually gets hired.
Here’s what you get:
- Where to get the best deal on equipment
- How to use shortcut keys
Bonus: they include printables
- Transcription style guide
Bonus: these are downloadable templates
- Tutorial videos on software, time coding, and more
- How to find work
- How to find higher-paying work as an independent contractor
- 7 levels of practice dictations
- lifetime access to all course material and future updates
- lifetime access to our student support forum on Facebook
Their legal transcription course is also worth looking at if this is a field you’re interested in. Some companies will prefer certification when it comes to legal transcription.
This course will provide you with a general transcription certification online, though it isn’t necessary.
3.Legal Transcription : Theory & Practice
Price: $797
Certification: Yes
Similarly to their general transcription course, you learn:
- Where to get the best deal on equipment
- How to use shortcut keys
- Transcription style guide
- Tutorial videos on software, time coding, and more
- How to find work
- How to find higher-paying work as an independent contractor
- Lifetime access to all course material and future updates
- Lifetime access to our student support forum on Facebook
What differs in this training is that you also get:
- 14 training modules
- Speed and accuracy typing drills
- A glossary of over 100 pages of legal terminology (both English and Latin in a downloadable format)
- Abbreviations, capitalization, and punctuation for the legal transcriptionist
- Definitions and descriptions of types of law and the legal process
- 10 levels of practice dictations
This is one of the best transcriptionist courses around, and the transcriptionist certification it provides is widely recognized.
As I mentioned before, I’m all for investing in yourself, but not if you can’t afford it.
If you’re saving up for a course, you can have a look at the free mini-courses Transcribe Anywhere offers.
4. Free Mini-Course: Transcription Foundations
7-Lesson Mini-Course with Janet Shaughnessy
Price: Free
Certification: No
Janet Shaughnessy is the founder of Transcribe Anywhere, and this free transcription training will teach a few things about being a transcriptionist. However, the company stresses that mini-courses do not replace the other transcriptionist training they offer.
It’s merely an overview of the industry and includes information to help you decide whether or not to pursue transcription as a career and become a certified transcriptionist.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- Lesson 1: Learn what transcription is and why it’s a highly useful skill in today’s digital world.
- Lesson 2: Learn who uses transcriptionists, what it takes to become one, and the two keys to success as a transcriptionist.
- Lesson 3: Transcription myths busted.
- Lesson 4: 10 signs you’re not a good fit for transcription
- Lesson 5: How much can you earn as a transcriptionist?
- Lesson 6: Where does transcription work come from?
- Lesson 7: What do you need to get started?
Here are the best online transcription courses on Udemy:
Udemy is an online platform that allows instructors to build online courses on their preferred topics.
You can learn almost anything on Udemy – even transcription classes online.
The best part is you have total control: you get to decide what course you take, who your instructor is, complete the course at your own pace, and it’s super affordable.
I’ve taken a few courses myself on the website and absolutely loved it.
You can also get your transcription certification online here.
5. Transcription Skills – Learn Beginning to Advanced Skills (Udemy)
Price: $64.99
Certification: Yes
Chelsea Flint (the instructor) guarantees that you’ll have the skills to be a professional transcriptionist by the end of the course. If you’re already familiar with basic transcription work, this course will help you advance those skills.
What it offers:
- Advance your transcribing skills with over 20 videos
- Learn how to transcribe, edit, and proof transcription files
- How to work on Express Scribe
- Learn time-stamping and tracking speakers
- Learn how to save time transcribing with text expanders, plus a 500-word list of text expanders to start working with
- Cleaning up hard to hear audio files
- Productivity shortcuts to use for both PC and Mac computers
6. How to Become a Transcriptionist (Udemy)
Price: $59.99
Certification: Yes
This course offered by Flint is better suited for those of you looking to get a start at transcribing. By the end of this course, you will have had some practice at transcribing because it includes three test files, and it also teaches you how to create a transcription resume.
What it offers:
- An introduction to the transcription industry
- Working with Express Scribe: how to download, play, and work with audio files
- Transcribing audio
- Editing the transcript
- Create text expanders in Microsoft Word
- Working with style guides
- Best practices for creating transcription resumes and applying to transcription companies
- The ins and outs of being a subcontractor and increasing your income
- Three practice audio files with answers
- Bonus material
7. Step-By-Step Transcription From Home – Start A New Career (Udemy)
Price: $64.99
This course will teach you all you need to know about setting up a transcription business from the comfort of your home.
It will begin with a description of transcription before moving on to directions for setting up a conducive office, including information on the best tools and online software you will require for transcribing work.
Some of the tools that are deemed a necessity are the transcriptionist foot pedal, transcription headphones, and transcription software.
After you have laid the groundwork, you will move on to transcribing training. There will be a variety of transcribing styles used.
You will be able to hear audio and see how it’s being transcribed.
8. Transcription Happens Automatically – With Amazon Transcribe (Udemy)
Price: $99.99
Want to take your transcription career to the next level?
Use Amazon Transcribe! This sophisticated software takes care of all the nitty-gritty that comes with transcribing audio for you. Simply upload your audio file and receive the written output.
9. Master The Expander: The #1 Tool For Transcription (Udemy)
Price: $24.99
Certification: Yes
This is one of the highest-rated transcription courses on Udemy.
If you have experience transcribing and want to use a text expander to increase your speed and efficiency, then this course is for you.
What you’ll learn:
- Develop your own shorthand abbreviations to improve productivity
- Add comments or flags to avoid critical errors.
- Make custom glossaries for different clients.
- Use commands to work more efficiently with voice entries.
10. Hands-On Transcription Practice Series – Course A (Udemy)
Price: $59.99
Certification: Yes
This course was designed by a 20-year active transcriptionist to work like a transcription simulator to give you hands-on practice.
It is the first of a series of 3 courses and is useful for beginners.
What you’ll learn:
- Hands-on transcription practice in
- legal files
- market research interviews
- education files
- keynote speaker files
- freelancer files
- Proofread your completed transcribed files
11.The Transcription Certification Institute
Price: $499
Certification: Yes
Still feeling unsure whether you have the skills to get hired as a transcriptionist?
Wonder no more about how to become a certified transcriptionist.
Build your confidence and stand out from the crowd with this certified course by the Transcription Certification Institute(TCI).
By enrolling in this course, you gain access to the course materials, quizzes, and professional tips for the best transcription techniques.
When you complete the course, you take an exam, after which you receive your certificate.
And it doesn’t end there, you can apply for an internship directly after receiving your certificate.
What you’ll get:
- Transcription tricks and techniques to become a professional transcriptionist
- An internship after course completion
- Webinars and Q&A with fellow professionals
- Job prospects on the Official TCI job board
- How to work and earn from home to generate extra income
The TCI offers a one-time payment plan and a three-month payment plan if you’re looking for something a little bit more flexible or if you just don’t want to shell out $499 in one go.
12. Learn How To Transcribe (Skillshare)
Price: 1-month free trial. Subsequently, $24.00 per year
Certification: No
This course is designed for beginners and those looking to brush up on their existing transcription skills.
You will also learn how and where to get online transcription jobs.
If you’re looking for some of the best free online transcription courses around, take advantage of Skillshare’s 1-month free trial.
But do take note that they won’t provide you with a transcriptionist certificate.
What you’ll learn:
- How to increase accuracy
- Using common homophones
- Formatting, spelling, and speaker labeling
- How to make use of transcription tools
13. Transcription and Captioning Masterclass | Master Video Captions and Subtitles (Skillshare)
Price: 1-month free trial. Subsequently, $24.00 per year
Certification: No
You get 2 courses in 1 package here – transcription and captioning.
The best part is the course gets updated periodically, so you’ll always be informed of the latest tools and tricks in transcription.
What you’ll learn:
- Best tools to improve your transcription and captioning skills
- How to remove background noise
- How to make use of autocorrect software to increase efficiency
- How to land jobs on online platforms like Upwork
FAQs on Best Transcription Courses
What is a Transcriptionist?
A transcriptionist is someone who listens to audio files of people talking and then types out what they’re saying.
That’s right.
It is as simple as that. That’s what a transcriptionist does. Cool eh?
Now, you may be wondering how that even makes money, but the reality is there are a lot of companies out there that would hire you to do this.
The best transcription jobs are out there, just waiting for your application.
I will list a few of the jobs hiring after I share the best transcription courses.
Anyway, you may be familiar with transcription, and you’ve heard about medical or legal transcription work through the grapevine, but transcription assignments don’t just fall in the medical or legal industry anymore.
The field also has other categories like general transcription and a newer, more sought-after genre: transcribing Youtube videos and podcasts.
Transcription categories:
- General Transcriptionist
- Medical Transcription
- Legal Transcription Business
Why Do People Hire Transcriptionists?
So we know companies are hiring transcribers but why?
Can’t technology easily do this for us?
I mean, we’ve got speech-to-text apps on our keyboards, Siri, and automatic captions on all our videos.
So why do people hire transcriptionists?
Many of us speak to our phone assistants (Siri, Alexa, etc.) right?
But how accurate is Siri really? Would you replace an assistant with Siri?
And how often do you have to correct that text you sent after using the speech-to-text app?
Would you forego texting and keep using that feature?
Personally, I wouldn’t, and I’ll tell you why companies look to hire transcriptionists instead of getting machines to do the work.
Fortunately for the human race, science hasn’t come up with a seamless software solution that can transcribe without hiccups.
Xuedong Huang, a senior scientist at Microsoft says, “If you have people transcribe conversational speech over the telephone, the error rate is around 4 percent.”
Not bad right? Well, here’s the kicker, Huang says if you put all the systems together of IBM, Google, and Microsoft and all the best combined—”the error rate will be around 8 percent.”
Would you settle for something that’s twice as bad as humans? Nope?
Neither would companies looking to make a profit with as little error as possible.
What Are The Different Types Of Transcriptionists?
Different companies across various sectors need transcription services for a plethora of reasons.
Let’s look at a few of them and how you come in:
The Legal Sector
Legal professionals like attorneys, court reporters, paralegals, and law firms often need a professional transcriptionist. Transcriptions of witnesses’ statements, court hearings, depositions, and recorded evidence are needed in court files. That is where legal transcription training comes in handy.
Medical Practitioners
Medical transcription is needed as a clear account of the patient’s file, treatment, and procedures are valuable for medical institutions.
The Education Sector
Students and lecturers alike require transcription services these days as most classes and course materials are in audio or video format. Listening to a file can be tedious and time-consuming. That’s why transcriptions are helpful.
The Business Sector
Some people prefer to read information rather than view it or listen to it. As a business, having keynote speeches, conferences, or business meetings transcribed can be really helpful.
Creatives
This category falls under general transcription. Influencers, bloggers, Youtubers, and podcast creators, oh my!
A whole industry of creatives like video production houses, coaches, radio hosts, journalists -to name a few- need text versions of their audio and or visual content.
This sector is booming right now with the rate that people are consuming content.
What Qualifications Do You Need To Be A Transcriptionist?
Without any professional training, you may start your own transcribing business. With the necessary skills, you can transform into a transcription enthusiast and start earning money.
These are some of the fundamental skills you will need to be a great transcriptionist.
- Grammar skills
- Listening skills
- Fast typing skills
- Language check and editing skills
- Familiarity with Google Docs or Microsoft Word
- Multitasking skills
- Time management skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Comprehension
If you would like to upskill yourself, enroll in any one of the online courses mentioned above to master transcription.
You do not need to spend hours at any online education or university to perfect transcribing or to have certified transcription knowledge.
There are still a lot of online lessons and courses available that will teach you all you need to know. These transcription classes are appropriate for people of all skill levels, making it suitable for you to master grammar, do practice tests, and be on your way to beginning a transcription career.
Are Transcription Courses Worth It?
You may think that the transcription training online is just another way for a transcription company to make money.
However, when you have a solid understanding of how to professionally transcribe with both the free resources and paid ones, the experience and exposure you gain could easily be turned into a transcription career.
The experiences and money earned from transcription clients are worth it and fulfilling.
If you are someone who has the necessary advanced skills or if you are someone new to the transcription field but it is something that interests you, there is no harm in giving it a shot.
Besides, who does not want to have the ability to earn more money?
You don’t need to go to transcription school, but the free transcriptionist course and online tutorials mentioned above could be just what you need to become a self-employed transcriptionist.
How Much Can You Get Paid As A Transcriptionist?
How much money you make working as a transcriptionist or transcriber really depends on a few things:
- Your typing speed
- Typing accuracy
- Frequency of work
- The rate the company pays you
I did a bit of math in my previous article, Best Transcription Jobs (for Beginners) but here’s the breakdown in case you missed it.
Let’s say you’re a beginner, then that’s $15 an hour, if you have some experience, then that’s $25 or more, but if you upskill, take a course, and get certified, you could make anywhere from $35 an hour and upwards.
At a beginner’s rate, even if you work 2.5 hours a day for a month, you could easily earn $1,500. Sounds good, right?
The best transcription sites out there will hire you without certification but imagine if you enrolled in one of the best transcription courses on the web right now. Your earnings would be much higher.
Note- The rates get even better if you can produce professional transcripts, if the audio file quality is terrible, or you have additional skills in your back pocket like audio editing.
To get the most out of online transcription courses, here are some of the best automated transcription tools:
Disclaimer:
Please keep in mind that your earnings fundamentally depend on how many jobs you can complete, your typing rate, the company you’re working with, and how much they charge.
Where To Find Transcriptionist Jobs ?
Now you know the best transcription courses online but where oh where are the best transcription jobs sites?
Here are a few of the best transcription sites:
*Disclaimer: The requirements and pay listed below are the rates as advertised on the websites at the time in which I am writing this article.
Take Note Typing is a UK-based company that hires transcriptionists, audio proofreaders, and copy typers to transcribe audio files for focus groups for market research, interviews, and conferences.
As a transcriptionist working for Quicktate, you’ll mostly work on voicemail messages, memos, letters, legal files, medical files, recordings of phone calls, conference calls, and other audio files.
Scribie is a great place to start and get your foot in the door as a transcriptionist if you’re just starting out.
They pay a bit less than other companies, but all the files you’ll be transcribing are 6 minutes or less. Think of it as practice files for you to nail transcription accuracy.
Rev is another great company if you’re just starting out. They offer free training that comes in the form of transcription online tutorials and practice jobs. You will even receive feedback from experienced transcriptionists after you complete an assignment.
Want a more extensive list of where you can earn money on the best transcription sites? Have a look at my article, “Best Transcription Jobs (for Beginners),” for more of the Best transcription companies looking to hire.
How Do I Become A Certified Transcriptionist?
Follow these steps to learn how to get a transcription certification:
- Earn your high school diploma
- Complete a certificate or diploma proving you received accredited transcription training
- Gain some experience working as an entry-level transcriptionist
- Choose a suitable certification program
- Prepare for and take the certification exam
- Pass the exam and become a certified transcriptionist
Which Transcription Job Is Best?
Here are some of the Best Transcription Jobs (for Beginners).
- Take Note Typing
- Quicktate/iDictate
- Scribie
- Rev
- Hollywood Transcriptions
- Crowdsurf
- GoTranscript
- Upwork
- Way With Words
- Casting Words Workshop
- eScribers
- BabbleType
- Transcript Divas
- Tigerfish
- Speak Write
- Daily Transcription
- GMR Transcription
The best transcription job for you depends on your interests, skills, and experience.
Is There A Course For Transcription?
Yes, there are courses for transcription that you can take online. Transcription courses can help teach you the skills and knowledge you need to launch a successful career doing transcription work. My recommendations are:
- Legal Transcription : Theory & Practice (Best Quality)
- Free Mini-Course: Transcription Foundations (Most Affordable)
- Step-By-Step Transcription From Home – Start A New Career (Udemy) (Mid-Range)
How To Learn Transcription?
Here are some tips to learn transcription:
- Develop your typing skills by practicing regularly
- Develop your listening skills by taking notes from different recordings
- Take some audio typing courses or audio transcription courses
- Learn transcription software like Otter and Descript
- Learn the different requirements of each field
- Practice regularly to improve your skills and accuracy
- Ask for feedback
How To Become A Transcriber
You can learn how to become a transcriber in 5 easy steps:
- Choose the type of transcription you want to specialize in: general, medical, or legal.
- Develop your typing and listening skills. Consider taking transcribing courses.
- Create a resume and apply for jobs
- Get hired and ask for feedback to improve
- Get more experience
How To Learn Transcription For Free
To learn how to transcribe for free, use online resources. Most importantly, practice regularly.
- Free courses like Free Mini-Course: Transcription Foundations
- Free transcription tools like OTranscribe
- Free tutorials on YouTube to learn new skills and techniques from experienced transcribers
- Free audio files to develop your listening and transcription skills
- Free typing lessons on Typing.com
How To Learn Transcription At Home
To learn transcription at home, here are some steps you can take:
- Take an online course like Legal Transcription: Theory & Practice
- Prepare the tools: computer, transcription software, headphones
- Develop your typing, listening, and grammar skills
- Practice regularly with audio and video content
- Join online forums or Facebook groups like All About Transcription
What Is General Transcription?
General transcription is the process of transcribing any type of audio or video content into written text. You must listen to the audio and accurately type the spoken words. General transcription is more flexible than medical or legal transcription and does not require specialized knowledge. It is often used for journalism, market research, meetings, and academic research.
How To Become A Transcriptionist For Free?
Here is how to become a transcriptionist for free in 6 steps:
- Take a free course like Free Mini-Course: Transcription Foundations
- Develop your typing and listening skills with free tutorials on YouTube
- Use free transcription tools like OTranscribe
- Practice regularly
- Join online forums or Facebook groups like All About Transcription
- Apply for transcription jobs on GoTranscript and TranscribeMe
Have you chosen your transcription online course?
There you have it, where to find the best transcription courses.
Whether you’re looking to upskill or pick up a new side hustle, these courses will help you gain certification and make more money.
Of course, a certificate isn’t necessary in the transcription world, but if you’re looking to apply to the best transcription companies, think about how a certificate and good transcription skills could help you come across as a professional in the field and help you stand out from the crowd.
I’ll just leave that little nugget there for you to chew on.
That’s a wrap, folks. Those are the transcription courses online, just for you.
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