GMR Transcription Job Review – Scam or Legit Work-at-Home Gig?

Welcome and thanks for stopping by to read my GMR Transcription Job Review.

You'd rather the freedom and flexibility of working from home over the stress and anxiety of job you don't like. You're not alone, and transcription jobs are becoming more popular because of it.

Is GMR Transcription legit though?

If you've been looking for ways to make money online, you've likely run into your fair share of scams. If not, it's only a matter of time.

Online transcription jobs are unique though. GMR Transcription, like most transcription companies, rarely, if ever, make bold promises of getting rich or retiring early. That doesn't mean they don't stretch the truth a little though.

In this review I'll explain who GMR Transcription is, how they work and what they can do for you. I'll also go over whether they're a scam or if GMR Transcription is a legit job you can do from home.

Here are the specific topics I’m going to cover:

• What is GMR Transcription?
• Is GMR Transcription a Scam?
• How Does GMR Transcription Work?
• GMR Transcription Test
• GMR Transcription Jobs
• GMR Transcription Pay
• Reviews and Complaints
• What I Like About GMR Transcription
• What I Don’t Like About It
• Where Do You Go From Here?

Disclaimer:
Please note, I am not a member or an affiliate for GMR Transcription. This review has been researched with information and/or testimonials that are available online in the public domain. Any recommendations and/or conclusions are strictly opinions and may not apply to, or agree with, all persons or situations. See full disclaimer for more info

What Is GMR Transcription?

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GMR Transcription was founded by Ajay Prasad in 2004. His mission has been, and still is, to provide high quality human transcription services to clients which include non-profit organizations, government institutions, universities and legal agencies among others…

In addition to using human transcriptionists (rather than algorithms and artificial intelligence), GMR's president Beth Worthy has doubled sales in a competitive industry by improving efficiencies and focusing on client experience.

What does that mean for you?

Great question. GMR's transcription services are only as good as their transcriptionists, and without you, they can't provide the service their clients expect, and they can't grow their company.

GMR Transcription Services is headquartered in Tustin, California, with satellite offices in…

• New York
• Atlanta
• Pennsylvania
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Miami
• Boston
• Houston
• Los Angeles
• San Diego
• Seattle
• San Francisco
• D.C.

As an independent contractor, they provide you with a way to start (or grow) your freelancing career. They hire both transcriptionists and translators.

Is GMR Transcription a Scam?

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GMR Transcription is not a scam. It's a legit company founded in 2004 by Ajay Prasad and provides transcription services in many industries that include writers, schools, government agencies and non-profit organizations. They hire US and Canadian-based transcriptionists who understand the terminology and industries they serve.

Now, whether they're an excellent company to work for is a different question. There are flat-out scams online, as I'm sure you're aware, and then there are others that “bend” reality just enough to make you question if they're legit.

I can tell you there are some not-so-great transcription companies that do that, stretch the truth a little… but GMR is not one of them. I'll get into more details below, but overall, GMR Transcription is one of the better ones.

Many have enjoyed a GMR Transcription career.

How Does GMR Transcription Work?

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You probably know what a transcriptionist does, but if you're a new freelancer recently introduced to the industry, your job is to convert digital audio and/or video files into text format.

It sounds simple enough, but transcription is a real skill. You are often dealing with poor audio quality, accents that may be difficult to understand, and multiple people talking over one another.

And to add to that pressure, transcription work usually pays by the audio-minute, which means you need to be fast and accurate to earn a decent living at it.

If you're up for the challenge or you're an experienced transcriber already, let's begin with GMR's requirements.

GMR Transcription Requirements

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New transcribers are welcome, but applicants still have to meet certain criteria:

1. You must based in the US or Canada. GMR is looking for Native-English speaking transcribers.

2. Since you'll be working from home, GMR Transcription requires you to have your own equipment, which includes:

• Computer with updated anti-virus software to keep your files safe.
• Internet with reliable speed and connection.
• MS Office. You’ll be asked to submit your work using .doc files.
• Foot pedal (optional) – This allows you to pause, fast-foward and rewind audio recordings while keeping your hands free for typing.
• High Quality Headphones – It's possible to transcribe audio using your computer's built-in speaker, but a set of high-quality headphones (preferably over-the-ear) will allow you to be more efficient and accurate.

3. You must pass GMR's transcription test (I’ll talk about this in more detail in the following section).

4. You must pass their probationary period.

Note: There are no testing or registration fees.

Another requirement, although not listed under their official criteria, is that you must work on at least 4 hours of audio every month.

GMR Transcription Test

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GMR's transcription test is an important part of your job application. They promise their clients 99% accuracy, which means they're looking to hire the best transcriptionists in the industry.

Hopefully that includes you.

Once you apply to GMR, they will email you a short audio file (in zip format). If you're not sure how to open and extract a zip file, this tutorial will help.

This file includes formatting instructions, guidelines, and a sample transcript. They are VERY STRICT, and I recommend reading everything thoroughly before you begin the test.

According to some transcriptionists, GMR will purposely give you an audio file with poor quality which helps them identify highly qualified applicants. In fact, some parts of the audio test file may be nearly impossible to decipher.

If you pass, your status will be probationary status and you'll be asked to transcribe up to two hours of audio. This is really a continuation of GMR's transcription test for those who qualify, and you won’t be paid for this.

GMR Transcription’s probationary period is a problem for some. Two hours of audio is not the same as two hours of transcription.

If you’re a beginner, it can take you up to 8 hours to transcribe a two-hour audio recording. And you won't be paid for that. So if you’re not willing to work for free for more than a few hours, GMR Transcription might not be the best fit for you.

I know this will be controversial, but their probationary period has a valid purpose. They need to know if you’re up to the job. Can you transcribe to their standard?

Transcription is not easy. It's time consuming and can be tedious. And your work will still need to go through a thorough review from their editors before it can be sent to the client.

If you're finding it tough to qualify, or having second thoughts about transcription, you're not alone. I'm not particularly fond of it myself, lol.

That doesn't mean it's not a good job, it's just not what I enjoy.

You can also make a little money survey sites like Survey Junkie and Inbox Dollars. Of course, online surveys don't pay anywhere close to what transcription jobs pay, so I'm not suggesting they're an alternative, just a simple way to make a few extra bucks in your spare time is all.

If you're certain a full-time income is what you want, an online business may be what you're looking for.

You may be at home with children to look after or have health difficulties that make your regular job a challenge.

If that’s the case and a full-time income online is what you want, knowing how and where to get started is what you need in order to get what you want.

Now, I'm going to give you a free step by step beginner's guide to making money online and you can get it by Clicking Here

GMR Transcription Jobs

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According to GMR Transcription, they always have openings for their General Transcription positions. When you work for them, you can expect topics such as academics and business. Audio files may contain materials from forums, meetings, academic recordings, and so on…

They do not hire general transcriptionists for the medical and legal fields.

Job assignments will include details such as pay rates, length of audio, quality of audio and deadlines if applicable.

GMR Transcription Application

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You can find GMR's job application here.

Once completed, submit your resume along with your application. You will then receive an email which includes the GMR Transcription test (discussed in previous sections).

According to their website, it may take up to two weeks for them to get back to you—and they will email you again if they choose to offer you a contract.

Unfortunately, if you don't hear from them, it most likely means you didn’t pass their test.

GMR Transcription Pay

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According to their site, Transcriptionists can earn anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 per month. Your earnings will depend on your skills, how fast you accomplish assignments, and the tasks you work on.

In general, difficult assignments (those with bad audio, for example) offer a higher rate. Tasks that require a quick turnaround also qualify for a higher pay rate.

GMR Transcription’s compensation varies by assignment, so I'm not able to provide you with a definitive amount you can expect to earn each month.

Your rate will depend factors that include the quality of the audio file, number of speakers, and the turnaround expectations.

In addition, you are not paid by the hour or even minute. You are paid per-audio-minute, which means experienced transcriptionists will transcribe longer audio files faster than new transcriptionists (giving them a higher per-hour rate).

You can expect anywhere from $0.70 to $1.25 per audio minute.

So, if you transcribe an assignment with a 2 week deadline that has clear audio and a single speaker, the pay rate will be on the lower end; around $0.70 per-audio-minute.

For an assignment with excellent quality audio, two speakers, and a turnaround time of a few days, you may earn around $0.90 per-audio-minute.

However, assignments with poor audio quality, more than two speakers, and a quick deadline will pay closer to $1.25 per-audio-minute.

And you can expect the higher paying assignments to go to their more experienced transcribers for obvious reasons.

Based on GMR Transcription's pay rates, some report earnings in the $20 per-hour range or more. Of course, as a beginner it will be difficult to achieve that per-hour pay rate.

GMR Transcription Reviews and Complaints

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Most GMR Transcription reviews are positive…

GMR Transcription Reviews on Glassdoor

GMR Transcription has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5 (based on 17 reviews) on Glassdoor.

Here are some of the positive reviews found on the site:

• Wonderful company.
• Fantastic work from home opportunity because of the flexibility.
• Their people are responsive and will provide you feedback on your work (to help you improve on your job).
• Great way to earn extra cash.
• They base compensation on how much you work.

Like most companies though, not all reviews are good. The negative reviewers had a couple complaints:

• Low pay.
• Their people don’t reply to questions.

GMR Transcription Reviews on Indeed

GMR Transcription has an overall rating of 4.3 out of 5 (from 4 reviewers) on Indeed, which is also good. Again, the reviews were a combination of pros and cons…

Pros:

• Flexibility of working from home.
• On-time payments.

Cons:

• Work opportunities are inconsistent.
• Temporary jobs.

Overall, I’m surprised by the overwhelmingly positive reviews I found for GMR Transcription. Other transcription companies I’ve reviewed in the past usually have ratings much lower.

With GMR Transcription, there were only a few negative complaints. Regarding low pay, it's possible the transcriptionist had only accepted the easier (and therefore lower paying) assignments.

It's also possible they're judging their pay on a per-hour basis, which is fine… but varies greatly depending on experience and skill.

What I Like About GMR Transcription

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• Lots of positive reviews.
  
• Fair pay.
  
• Decent number of jobs.
  
• Good working environment.
  

What I Don't Like

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• Rigorous application process. They say so themselves that they’re very strict and applicants must go through a tough screening process… which is
  
  This goes both ways. It makes it more difficult to qualify, but those who do qualify will have less competition for available assignments.
  
• Probationary period terms. Two-hours of unpaid audio can be eight or more hours of work.

Where Do You Go From Here?

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If you’re looking for a legit work at home transcription company, GMR Transcription is a good choice. With all the positive reviews, they are worth checking out in my opinion.

I recommend preparing and even practicing before taking their test. You can do this by simply listening to audio files and videos and transcribing the audio into a document.

You should also test and practice your typing skills. Successful transcriptionists can consistently type 75 words/minute or more with 90+ percent accuracy.

Transcription isn't for everyone though. If you've applied to GMR Transcription and haven't heard back (or you've decided transcription work isn't for you), there are other ways to earn an income from home.

You might be a student in school or a single parent at home. You may have a medical issue that makes regular work difficult or maybe you're just tired of working for someone else…

If that's the case, an online business may be what you want. 

With all the scams and schemes out there though, knowing how and where to get started the right way is what you need in order to get what you want. 

Now, I'm going to give you a free step by step beginner's guide to making money online and you can get it by Clicking Here

If you’re just looking for a simple way to make some extra spending money, legit online survey and get-paid-to sites are a good way to get started.

Sites like Survey Junkie will pay you for your opinion and Inbox Dollars offers rewards for doing things like watching videos, visiting websites and searching the web.

They don't pay a lot though (I want to be clear about that). But they're a good first step if you've never made money online before.

I hope my GMR Transcription review has been helpful and if you have any comments, questions, or experience with GMR Transcription, please share in the comments section below.