March 2017

Play Games For a Living: 10 Video Game Tester Jobs

Last Updated:February 23, 2022

If you love playing video games and can’t help but nitpick on every single detail and mistake of your favorite games, working as a game tester might be for you! In today’s article, we explore video game tester jobs: what it takes, how much they pay, and where to find these jobs.

What Does a Video Game Tester Do?

Note: If you already know what a video game tester and you’re only interested in the list of companies where you can apply, you can jump directly to the section Where to Find Video Game Tester Jobs.

Video game testing involves playing games level by level to observe and detect bugs and defects.

The testers then report these defects to game developers through certain forms and reports they need to fill out. The game developers reproduce the defects, fix them, and let the tester play it again to confirm that it has been fixed.

This cycle goes on throughout the production phase, sometimes even through the post-production phase, of the game.

There are two types of video game testing you’re likely to encounter: quality assurance (QA) testing and playtesting.

QA testing involves examining the game from a more technical standpoint. It focuses more on inconsistencies, bugs, glitches, and weaknesses that can be exploited by a regular user (for instance, to get to the next level or to get unlimited lives).

Playtesting is more about the usability aspect and the overall user experience of the game.

Video game tester jobs usually include both aspects and it’s a matter of wearing different “tester hats,” so to speak, when evaluating different aspects of the game.

Some questions that may be asked include: Is it responsive to buttons and button combinations, or is there a delay? Is a level particularly distracting? Does the music not match the mood?

Game studios usually also hire beta testers to test a video game just before release. Beta testers are ideally those who are experienced gamers but are not involved in the gaming industry. They are recruited either in-house or through a third-party company.

In theory, at the stage when beta testers are introduced, all technical errors are already fixed, and in-house testers have already playtested the game.

Beta testers then evaluate the game solely from a gamer’s perspective; the feedback collected is for the games’ usability, functionality, reliability, and compatibility. It’s meant to assess whether the finished product is going to be a hit or a flop with its users.

There are also game testers who aren’t employed by game studios. Instead, they work as game testers-slash-reviewers for gaming magazines and other publications. Their feedback is more for fellow gamers; whether or not they recommend buying the game.

Skills Required to be a Video Game Tester

Generally, testers don’t need to have college degrees to be hired. They do need to have the following skills:

Attention to detail – And I do mean detail. Your report will have to include the exact nature of the bug or defect you find, and often the exact steps (down to the buttons you pressed) to trigger the bug.

Strong communication skills – You’ll need to be able to explain to game developers and make them understand what the bug looks like or sounds like in words, in writing and sometimes through phone calls or meetings.

Patience – Game programmers notoriously have a love-hate relationship with testers. On one hand, no one likes to be criticized for something they have worked so hard and spent so much time on. On the other hand, no studio wants to put out a defective game that’ll cost them money and their reputation.

Either way, you’ll need to have patience with game programmers who may get in your face to mark a bug as a feature or invalidate its existence.

Genuine love of video games – This isn’t a skill so much as a quality you’d need to have to be able to pursue this as a career.

How Much Can a Video Game Tester Make?

Video game tester jobs pay around $16,000 to $55,000 yearly (Source).

The wide range of salaries is because the exact pay is dependent on many factors, such as:

Experience. Experienced testers tend to find and report bugs faster and more accurately than inexperienced ones, and so they get paid higher rates.

Company or studio size. Larger companies have larger budgets and thus can afford to pay video game testers more.

Benefits. If you’re employed on a freelance basis or as a temporary employee, you may not have a lot of benefits that a full-time, regular employee may have.

Bonuses. Some testers are really lucky and are included in the game development team bonuses, sometimes getting up to 50% of their salary just in bonuses.

Where to Find Video Game Tester Jobs

Now you know what being a game tester entails, here are some of the game companies and job boards to look for video game tester jobs.

1. Activision Publishing

Activision was founded in 1979 as the first independent video game software developer and distributor.

Nowadays, Activision is known for the Call of Duty franchise, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and Crash Bandicoot.

Current open positions include QA testers, QA embedded testers, and localisation QA testers (testing translated audio and text for different countries). However, salary information is not published in job listings.

Website: Careers at Activision

2. Blizzard Entertainment

Activision and Blizzard are actually both under the umbrella company Activision Blizzard, though they manage game development separately.

Blizzard Entertainment is known for Diablo, World of Warcraft, Starcraft, and Overwatch.

Current open positions include QA testers, test analysts, and localisation QA testers. However, just like with Activision, salary information is not published in job listings.

Website: Careers at Blizzard Entertainment

3. Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts, more popularly known as EA, is headquartered in Redwood, California and has been around since 1982.

EA is known for Battlefield 2042, Fifa, Madden, and The Sims.

Current open positions include development testers, quality verification testers, and quality assurance testers. As with the other companies, salary information is not published in the listings.

Website: Careers at Electronic Arts

4. Epic Games

Epic Games is not only an interactive entertainment company but also a provider of 3D engine technology.

Epic Games is perhaps most known for Fortnite, though they’ve published around 60 games since they were founded in 1991.

Current video game tester jobs available include game testers and QA leads (if you have enough experience in both game testing and managing a team.

Website: Epic Games Careers

5. Riot Games

Riot Games is probably the youngest of the top game companies on this list, having been founded in 2006.

But if you’ve been paying attention the last few years, games like League of Legends or Valorant should stand out.

Right now, there aren’t entry-level QA tester jobs available on their site. But if you have QA testing and management experience, plus a college degree, you can apply to be a technical QA analyst, QA lead, or a QA manager.

Website: Riot Games

6. Game Tester

Game Tester is a platform where game developers and publishers get connected to gamers and game testers without having to have formal employment or formal contracts.

However, the payment may not be as large as you expect. The form of payment is in GTGold, which is their in-platform currencies that you can convert into cash via virtual Visa or MasterCard.

You can also sign up as a tester through your smartphones.

Website: Game Tester

7. GBTN

The Global Beta Test Network (GBTN) is more of a community of gamers and gaming enthusiasts who participate in private beta testing in their own personal consoles and devices.

The GBTN team coordinates with the game publisher to create test plans and report templates that collect the information and feedback they need to improve their games before their general release.

In turn, the GBTN team provides these test plans, reports, logins, and passwords to their network of beta testers, as well as the hardware specifications and exact time and duration of testing.

Website: Join GBTN

8. GameJobHunter

GameJobHunter is a job board that aims to provide a comprehensive listing of all open job in the gaming industry.

You can search jobs by keyword, plus you can look at game studios in select US and Canadian cities to check out their job openings.

Website: GameJobHunter

9. Hitmarker

Hitmarker prides itself in being the largest gaming and esports jobs platform in the world.

A wide variety of video game tester jobs and locations are currently available in this international job board.

Website: Hitmarker

10. FlexJobs

If you highly prefer working remotely, FlexJobs may have just the right job for you.

FlexJobs is a job board for work-from-home, remote, and flexible jobs. But more than the job offerings, what sets FlexJobs apart is their strict vetting process for those who want to post jobs on their site.

You can rest assured that any video game tester jobs you apply for are legitimate, paying jobs.

Website: FlexJobs

Pros and Cons of Video Game Tester Jobs

Like any other career, video game testing has its pros and cons. Weigh these first to decide if pursuing this job is the right choice for you.

Pros of Working as a Video Game Tester

The work can be fulfilling. Collaborating with talented game designers and game programmers, creating an incredible video game, and knowing that you were part of the team that made an awesome game can feel really rewarding.

The work can be flexible. Depending on the game studio, it is possible to request for a flexible schedule or even to work from home, as long as you fulfill your end of your NDAs and secrecy agreements.

Video games are in demand. Because video games and esports are now increasing in popularity, there are plenty of video game tester jobs you can apply for.

Working as a tester is an alternative way to break into the gaming industry as a developer. Game designers and game programmers generally have a college degree requirement, as well as advanced courses on game programming. By contrast, video game testers don’t require a college degree to work.

So those who want to work as game programmers who have no college degree try to break into the game industry by working as testers first.

You get to do something you love while making money from it. Of course, this only applies if you genuinely love playing video games.

Cons of Working as a Video Game Tester

Crunch. Few phrases strike fear in the gaming industry as much as “crunch time” does. It means compulsory overtime, workweeks of 60 to 80 hours or even more, sometimes without pay.

Why is this so common? Some say it’s bad management, others say it’s unrealistic deadlines, many others say it’s because it’s legal and because there’s little to no unionization in the gaming industry.

Whatever the cause, it’s prevalent in the industry and until changes in the culture take effect soon, crunch will continue to be the norm.

You don’t get to pick the game you’re testing. If you’re an action junkie and what you get to test is the latest iteration of Candy Crush, that can be heartbreaking. But that’s to be expected.

The tedium of following test plans and reporting flaws can kill your love for video games. Burnout is real. Some video game testers have tales of completely burning out, leaving the job and never playing a single video game again. You do need to take care of yourself while working this type of job.

In summary, no one can really predict what your experience is going to be like. It highly depends on which company you work for and how well the game project you’re part of is managed.

Start Applying to Video Game Tester Jobs Today!

Video games are here to stay, and the gaming industry will always need testers to ensure the quality of the games they’re releasing. Thus, there will always be video game tester jobs to apply for.

If you love video games but don’t see yourself working in the gaming industry, check out our list of ways to make money by playing video games.

14 Ways to Get Paid to Listen to Music

Written By:Steve Razinski

Last Updated:January 3, 2022

Can you believe you can get paid to listen to music? It’s like earning money even in your leisure time!

Just by signing up on the following websites or downloading applications on your smartphone, you can start making money for submitting reviews, providing detailed feedback to new artists, transcribing lyrics, or simply playing music on a specific site.

Still skeptical?

Read on, sign up for all of them, wear your headphones, and start earning!

14 Companies That Pay You to Listen to Music

Let’s be clear, you aren’t going to be able to turn in your two weeks to sit at home and listen to music all day. It’s going to be a little challenging to simply throw on some tunes and rake in the cash.

(Well, with the exception of #1 on this list who will pay you to do exactly that…) but for the true musicophile, there are quite a few options below that will have you listening to music and earning money at the same time.

Starting with…

1. Nielsen Market Research

Nielsen will pay you to listen to your own music library.

Yes, seriously!

They conduct market research and want to know how you use your devices, including what kind of music you listen to.

All you need to do is download an app, listen to your favorite songs as per usual, and they pay you $50 per year.

I mean, how easy can it get?!

2. Earnably

This website pays you not only for listening to the radio, but also for completing surveys, viewing videos, and completing online offers.

What’s especially beneficial with Earnably is that the site pays you bonuses and increases your payout options as you advance on the site. It takes just $2 in collected earnings before you can request a payout through PayPal or a gift card.

3. Slicethepie

This site features up-and-coming musical artists who want feedback on their compositions. You get paid by listening to their music and writing honest, constructive feedback.

After you sign up on the site, you’ll be asked to listen to songs for at least 90 seconds, after which you’ll be asked to complete a review.

Slicethepie prefers high-quality, detailed reviews. Be honest about what you liked or disliked, comment on the specifics of the track (e.g., melody, lyrics, hook, vocals, instruments, etc.), and be as descriptive as you can.

If you put in a good-faith effort on your review, you won’t have any trouble making money with this site. Payment ranges from 2-20 cents per accepted review, with the minimum payout being $10 to your PayPal account.

Maximize your earnings by giving the site your full attention (running Slicethepie in the background reduces your payout), start writing the review as soon as the song starts to play, and try to stick to a formula so you can write the reviews quickly and you can earn more in less time.

You can also earn more by referring others to the site. For every review that your referred member writes, you’ll get a commission.

4. HitPredictor

Want to help out artists while getting paid to listen to music fresh off the press?

With HitPredictor, you get to provide valuable feedback on new tracks before they’re released. Once your feedback is submitted and accepted, you’ll earn points that you can exchange for cash.

Your feedback is made available to the song’s artists, music producers, radio stations, record companies, record executives, etc. All the feedback is then used to make critical decisions about the artists’ careers.

You make 3 points for every song you review. Once you’ve collected enough points, you can trade them in for Amazon electronic gift cards, prizes in their prize store, and raffle tickets to sweepstakes where you can win more points or items from the Prize Store.

Also, for every 15 songs you rate in a 7-day period, you’ll earn an extra 15 points. You can also earn points from answering polls and referring other people to provide feedback.

5. RadioEarn

RadioEarn works as an internet radio that pays you to listen.

RadioEarn is funded by ads, and you will hear a couple every few minutes. Instead of keeping all of the ad revenue for themselves, they have chosen to give a portion back to their listeners.

Every 15 minutes, you will accumulate points that can then be redeemed for Amazon gift cards, Bitcoin, or cash sent to you via wire transfer to your bank.

If you have a website with a decent amount of traffic, you can place this radio on your website and invite visitors to listen. You get to earn points for these “listens” even if it’s not really you who’s listening.

Best of all, RadioEarn operates worldwide and allows people from all over the world to join and listen to their broadcasts.

6. Unique Rewards

On this site, you can get paid to listen to music via internet radio, as well as perform all sorts of online tasks, such as answering surveys, visiting websites, shopping, and even reading emails.

If you decide to listen to internet radio, you’ll earn money every time you enter the site’s CAPTCHA, displayed every 30 minutes. In the USA, you’ll be rewarded 3 cents per CAPTCHA fill; in Canada and the UK, the payment is 1 cent. Payout occurs once you reach a threshold of $20.

You’ll need to have the latest versions of your browser as well as Adobe Flash Player.

7. RWS Moravia

If you’re fluent in English and at least one more major language, RWS Moravia may have a job opening for you.

RWS Moravia is a division of RWS that specializes in delivering localized products and content to various companies worldwide.

They’re looking for song lyrics transcribers who will transcribe songs in their second language while adhering to certain style guides.

Their current openings are for those who are English speakers who are also fluent (as in native speaker-level fluent) in German or Japanese, but check back on their careers page to check if they’re hiring transcribers for your language.

8. Welocalize

Welocalize offers content transformation services, especially translation and localization. Currently, they support more than 525 language combinations.

From time to time, they have openings for freelance music lyrics transcribers who have native-level English fluency and can deliver 50 transcribed songs per week.

Pay varies depending on the output and quality of transcripts.

Check back on their careers page under Freelance Projects and look for the Music Lyrics Transcriber position.

9. Genius

Working for Genius is yet another way to get paid to listen to new music.

Genius.com is the world’s biggest repository of music lyrics and music knowledge.

They periodically have openings for part-time, US-based Lyrics Associates who are tasked to transcribe and sync new song releases and review community transcriptions for accuracy.

10. Current App

You can get paid to listen to music through Current, a free music player app.

Listen to music from over 100,000 radio stations playing the world’s favorite songs and earn points that you can exchange for gift cards to various stores (e.g., Amazon, iTunes, Google Play Store, as well as retail stores such as Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Sephora, and many more) or for actual products.

Turning on the Homescreen Media Player also allows you to earn points. What it does is play music even when your screen is locked.

Other ways to earn points through the app include sharing your music preferences, completing surveys, and referring friends.

They claim you can make up to $600 a year just by listening to music, and while I can’t say if that’s true, this app is definitely worth downloading and checking out.

11. Cash4minutes

Cash4minutes is a website that pays its users to call a phone number and listen to a radio broadcast using their unused minutes on their phone plan.

You’re rewarded for every minute you’re connected to the selected radio broadcast. These rewards can go into PayPal, Amazon gift card, Bitcoin, direct deposit to your bank account, and even to charity.

The responsibility of making sure you’re using your free minutes rests on you, though. Make a test call first to see if you still have free minutes.

Cash4minutes pays roughly 8 cents per free minute you use to call and listen to radio broadcasts.

You can also earn from referring friends and acquaintances to sign up.

12. Playlist Push

If you have playlists on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube Music that people actually follow, Playlist Push wants to pay you for your opinion.

Playlist Push will pay you to listen to songs by indie artists, review these songs thoughtfully, and add them to your public playlists.

This way, you can get paid to discover new music for you and your followers, plus you get to help the next big indie artist get more exposure

The amount paid per song is based on the number of followers your playlist has and how active you are on the website. These are quantified in your Reputation Score. Depending on your Reputation Score, you can get paid anywhere from $1.25 up to $15 per song.

Other Ways To Get Paid to Listen to Music

Aside from these sites, here are a couple of other ideas for you to get paid to listen to music.

13. Become a music curator.

If you’re a music fan who has a diverse taste in music, love making your own playlists, and know or at least willing to learn how to use digital music software, being a music curator might be a great fit for you.

A music curator is someone who will listen, categorize, and organize music from different genres, artists, bands, labels, etc.

Essentially, you spend the whole day listening to music while getting paid for it.

If you become an in-house curator for a streaming service like Spotify or Apple Music, you’re expected to create playlists that have a common theme aimed to increase engagement and subscriptions to these streaming services.

On the other hand, if you’re curating for a radio station, you get to choose and schedule playlists based on the station’s format and its target listeners.

It may seem like you need to choose between promoting good music and popular music, but you actually have the power to help good music be popular.

To find music curator jobs, look no further than FlexJobs. They vet the companies that post job openings with them, so you can rest assured that you’re not applying to a sketchy company.

14. Become a music blogger.

Writing about music is yet another possibility if you want to earn while listening to music.

There are a number of ways you can blog about music; you can report on the artists, write about music trends, give the scoop on the latest music industry news, and many more.

But reviewing the music you want on your blog is probably the best way for you to get paid to listen to music.

Of course, aside from the writing and research skills to write high-quality content, you’ll also need to have some knowledge about music theory so you can critically analyze a song, an EP, or an album.

To learn more, read our guide on building a business through blogging.

Final Thoughts on Making Money From Listening to Music

Let’s be frank: You won’t become a millionaire by signing up for any of these websites.

In fact, you probably won’t be able to make a living wage off them.

So don’t quit your day job just yet. Instead, treat these gigs as extra cash that you can make on the side.

To get the most bang for your listening buck, sign up for more than one, if not all the sites listed, especially those that ask for reviews. This way, you can listen to just one song and review it multiple times on different sites. Remember to change your actual review text as you hop from site to site.

Being a member of all these recommended sites will also provide you with a steady stream of gigs because not all sites have available reviews at all times.

If you’re interested in more ways to earn side cash, check out this massive list of side hustles you can do.

Or, if you’re really into music but more of a creator than a listener, you may also want to check out my guide on online jobs for musicians.

There are quite a few ideas in there that I bet you never even knew were a possibility.

Have you ever gotten paid to listen to music from the above sites or on other sites? How much money did you earn? Share your experience with us in the comments!

20 Companies Offering Closed Captioning Jobs from Home

Written By:Steve Razinski

Last Updated:August 2, 2021

Ever sat down on the couch (or lay down in bed, who are we kidding?) for a Netflix binge and wondered how those captions got there?

Nope, not magic. It’s someone’s job.

Traditional TV might be on the decline, but as streaming services and digital video content grow, closed captioning jobs will continue to be in demand in the foreseeable future.

Today, you’ll learn what closed captioning is, its requirements, and where to look for closed captioning jobs you can do from home.

What is closed captioning?

In the broadcasting industry, closed captioning is the practice of placing text on television programs that are occurring either offline or in real-time.

With offline captioning, pre-recorded programs, like movies and series, have their dialog broken up by frames and fitted into so-called time codes. These time codes enable the captions to sync with the frame dialog.

With real-time captioning, captions must be typed quickly and appear within two seconds of the words being spoken.

As such, captioners must be more adept at listening to dialog and typing exactly what they hear.

Such work, because it is more challenging, is also paid a higher rate.

Subtitles vs. Closed captions

Closed captioning jobs are usually categorized under or lumped with transcription jobs.

In fact, closed captioning and subtitling are often used interchangeably.

Before I reveal closed captioning jobs from a number of legit companies, let me first clarify the distinction between closed captions and subtitles.

Subtitles are the exact words from the video’s dialogue in written form. They’re the written text of what characters, narrators, and other people participating in a particular video clip are saying. With subtitles, the transcriber assumes that a person reading the subtitle can hear the audio, but need help in following fast dialogue or understanding a foreign-language movie.

Closed Captions (CCs) also include all the dialogue word by word, just like subtitles. However, in closed captions, other supplemental parts are either described or written in text form.

With closed captions, the transcriber assumes the person reading the CCs cannot hear any part of the audio, which is why additional descriptions of the audio are needed.

These include background noise, coughing, a ringing phone, and other sounds heard on the audio. Even a character’s change in emotion or heavy breathing is detailed in closed captions, and sometimes even the background music.

Closed captions are typically used to accommodate an audience with hearing impairments, or if only a text format can describe the picture as a whole.

Real-time closed captioning is where you transcribe live videos or audio as it happens, more specifically around 2 to 3 seconds after the live version.

A good example of real-time closed captioning is how court cases and trials are officially documented.

Offline captioning is more relaxed because you don’t have to get it right seconds after you’ve heard the audio.

Requirements for Applying to Closed Captioning Jobs

If you’re trying to land a CART provider position, you’d have to be an experienced court reporter with extensive knowledge of CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) technology.

In the past, this position was exclusively office-based, but the internet has paved the way for doing this job remotely.

Generally, as a closed captioner, you must have:

Typing and stenographic skills – You do need to type fast and be accustomed to the stenographic shorthand (since it is used for live captioning equipment).
Listening skills – This is a must-have, particularly for live captioning since you only have a couple of seconds after the original audio was said to transcribe a text version.
Flexibility – Conversations are never 100% grammatically correct, so you have to be open-minded enough to leave the text as is and NOT correct grammar as you type.

Equipment Requirements

In most cases, the company you work for will be providing software for closed captioning.

However, you do need to provide your own computer and reliable internet connection.

You may need an extra monitor (or TV), if your job requires you to watch live programs, read lips, or get another “look” while captioning.

It may help you to invest in a decent noise-canceling headset so you hear words more clearly and aren’t bothering your roommates or spouse with program noise.

A separate monitor helps too, enabling you to watch the action on-screen (and maybe even read lips, as needed).

It is rare to have work-from-home live captioning positions, but if you find one, you might need to buy your own steno equipment and other computer add-ons like voice silencer.

How Much do Captioners Make?

Glassdoor reports that the average base pay of a captioner is $14 per hour.

It’s important you know this as a beginner, so your expectations aren’t too high.

This rate gets better as your deliverable improves and you work more quickly.

Make some extra cash:

If you want to make some quick money on the side, the following three websites are all looking for new members to help shape future products:

20 Companies Hiring Closed Captioning Jobs

1. FlexJobs

If there’s one job board that you should trust, it’s FlexJobs.

All the job postings here have been vetted by a human to make sure that the company or employer who submitted the posting is legitimate.

This means you can browse remote and flexible job opportunities scam-free!

Start your job search for captioning jobs here.

2. Aberdeen Broadcast Services

Aberdeen Broadcast Services provides closed captioning, transcoding and broadcast distribution, as well as translation, dubbing, and subtitling services.

Salary details are vague, but the starting salary used to range between $12 to $15 per hour for closed captioners.

3. Ai-Media

This company is a reputable captioning provider with services in transcription, audio description, and more. AI Media has its own online captioning tool, so you just need to log in and begin work.

If you’re lucky to get a slot, you can earn $27 to $42 per video hour as a closed captioner for AI Media.

4. Captionmax

This company hires offline and real-time closed captioners as independent contractors.

At least one year of prior closed captioning experience is required.

If you wish to perform real-time closed captioning, you’ll also be required to possess an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Court and Conference Reporting. NCRA certification as a Certified Broadcast Captioner (or equivalent) may also be needed to perform real-time captioning.

The pay rate with Captionmax is fairly good, at least according to data published by Glassdoor; caption editors earn $13.39/hour and proofers make $15-$18/hour.

Note that closed captioning jobs offered here are office-based, so apply only if you’re in the Minneapolis, MN area.

5. Daily Transcription

Daily Transcription hires English transcriptionists, subtitlers/captioners, and bilingual Spanish transcriptionists.

They’re strict with its “Experienced Captioners Only” rule, so don’t try to submit an application if you’re a beginner.

Also, they only hire candidates from the US and Canada; they only consider candidates outside these countries for bilingual translations and transcriptions.

You must also be willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement before testing for the position.

If you get hired, you have total control of your work schedule.

Daily Transcription pays $0.75 to $0.85 per audio minute to start, and its top captioners earn anywhere from $250 to $950 per week.

6. Rev

This freelance closed captioning business pays its remote workers by the video minute, with pay ranging from $0.50 to $0.75.

According to the Rev website, their captioner freelancers earn an average of $240/month, and some top earners make more than $1,500/month.

The rates per video minute seem low, but experienced closed captioners can definitely take advantage and take on more work, since Rev puts no limit on the projects you can accept.

7. RNK Productions

This company provides offline captioning of movies, videos, and other pre-recorded programming.

New hires are brought on as independent contractors, with their pay ranging from $14-$30/hour (according to Glassdoor).

RNK Productions closes its job hunt every now and then, but they always resume hiring contractors so better bookmark and check back again.

8. Talking Type Captions

This company offers closed/real-time captioning, scripting, and foreign subtitles for movies and other programming, including the programming provided through big-name channels such as A&E, Big Fish Entertainment, PBS, and The History Channel.

Depending on the work involved, the pay rate goes as high as $140/hour (according to jobs listed on the company website).

Basic and starting captioners make $8/hour (according to Glassdoor).

To apply, fill out the contact form and express your interest in a job as a captioner.

9. Vanan Captioning

You’ll need to fill out a form when sending your application, then wait for someone to contact you.

There’s no information about rates, but you’re guaranteed a legitimate position since Vanan Captioning has been offering voiceover, translation, transcription, subtitling, and closed captioning services since 2011.

10. VITAC

This company offers captioning services for well-known clients such as Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Lifetime, and BBC America.

Because of its clientele, Vitac requires its offline captioners to have a bachelor’s degree and real-time captioners to possess a typing speed of 225 WPM.

The company offers a one-week paid training program that must be completed on-site at its Pennsylvania location.

In 2017, VITAC acquired Caption Colorado (a well-known closed captioning service provider), which used to pay freelancers around $11.25 to $30.00 per hour “based on speed and accuracy,” plus 401(k) plans, medical/dental/vision/life/disability insurance and health savings accounts for office-based, full-time employees.

11. Caption Media Group

Caption Media Group provides offline closed captions for TV shows, movies, videos, and other pre-programmed recordings.

They occasionally have openings for US-based closed captioners who have a minimum of 2 years of experience.

The openings are not always listed on their website, but you can check on Indeed.com for closed captioning jobs.

12. SDI Media

SDI Media is the world’s leading localization provider of dubbing and subtitling services through the largest network of self-owned and operated studios in the industry.

If you’re bilingual, they offer plenty of freelance translation opportunities.

Otherwise, you can contact them through the Contact Us page to inquire about subtitling and captioning job opportunities.

13. CaptioningStar

Aside from closed captioning, they also offer embedded captioning, live captioning, broadcast captioning, and many more.

This company is currently hiring freelance captioners who have at least one year of experience.

14. Dotsub

Dotsub is a tech company focused on developing a web-based platform to provide captions and subtitles to engage global audiences.

They’re currently hiring freelance subtitle translators and captioners. Fill out this form and you’ll be contacted by Dotsub’s recruitment team depending on the demand for upcoming projects.

15. Impact Media

Impact Media provides closed captioning services for TV shows, broadcasts, and web videos, as well as subtitling for movies and videos on Blu-ray and DVDs.

They’re not currently hiring new captioners, but it’s certainly worth bookmarking their page and checking back for new job openings.

16. National Capitol Contracting

National Capitol Contracting (NCC) specializes in high-quality, specialized communications and information products and services to companies in the public and private sector and has been providing real-time remote captioning for almost two decades.

The position is not on their Careers page; however, you can still apply and indicate your interest in the Remote Broadcast Live Captioner position.

17. Classroom Captioning

Classroom Captioning helps deaf and hard-of-hearing students understand lectures from their high school, community college, or university by providing accurate captions of their classroom sessions.

They are currently looking for remote captioners who are trained in CART/Typewell to supply speech-to-text captions to students, with a starting pay of $25 to $35 per hour.

To apply as a captioner, send an email with a cover letter and résumé to info[at]classroomcaptioning[dot]com.

18. CrowdSurf

CrowdSurf is consistently hiring new transcribers and closed captioners to turn audio into text and make online media more accessible for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. You get paid per task, and so the more you work, the more you earn.

To get started, you’d need to register with Work Market to take an assessment. When you’ve passed the assessment, you’ll be registered on the CrowdSurfWork platform, where you’ll post your work.

19. CaptionCall

CaptionCall phones are optimized for individuals with hearing loss who need to read text to follow a conversation. The unit displays the text being spoken through voice-to-text technology, assisted by captioning agents.

They are currently looking to hire English-speaking and Spanish-speaking captioning agents to transcribe telephone conversations such that a person who is Deaf or hard of hearing can read what their caller is saying.

You can work in one of their 11 call centers or remotely.

20. Capital Captions

Capital Captions is a UK-based subtitling company offering their services for broadcast, web, social media, and video on demand (VoD).

They are currently recruiting professional, experienced individuals to work as freelance transcriptionists, subtitlers, and closed captioners.

To be qualified for closed captioning jobs, you need to have at least two years of subtitling experience, a typing speed of at least 65 wpm, and access to subtitle creation software.

Closed Captioning Job Outlook

The National Court Reporters Association estimates that there will be 5,000 new captioning jobs in the next 5 years.

And since there has been a shortage of experienced closed captioners both online and offline since 2018, you can take advantage of this shortfall and master captioning skills.

It may not start as a high-paying work-from-home job, but the potential for higher income and better career options continues to be optimistic.

However, if you don’t have that much experience, try looking for legitimate home-based data entry jobs or transcription jobs.

These jobs should give you some experience and familiarity with the technology and systems used for captioning.

Are you interested in closed captioning jobs? Which company/companies are you interested in applying to? Share your plans in the comments!

25 Greeting Card Companies that Pay for Your Submissions

Written By:Steve Razinski

Last Updated:November 24, 2020

How would you like to write greeting cards and get paid to do so?

Are you a pro at delivering just the right sentiment at the right time in written form?

Do you take photos or create images that are so gorgeous your friends often claim them as their own?

If yes, then you may have the necessary skills to make money as a greeting card writer, photographer, and/or designer.

Most freelancers don’t consider greeting card companies as a place where they can find online work. However, opportunities are definitely available.

Also, because there are many companies out there, you have a good likelihood of finding a fit between your talents and sentimental outlook, as well as the mission of the company.

While you’ll be hard-pressed to find out how much money you can get for accepted submissions, know that most greeting card companies offer compensation ranging from $25 to $300 per accepted submission.

How to Work for Hallmark

There isn’t a bigger name in the greeting card industry than Hallmark.

Unfortunately, they do not accept outside or freelance greeting card submissions. They hire in-office at their corporate headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri.

If you happen to live locally, check Hallmark’s careers page often as creative jobs do pop up from time to time.

25 Greeting Card Companies Currently Accepting Submissions

Without further ado, here are 25 companies looking for your heartfelt verses, photos, and artwork:

1. Amber Lotus Publishing

Amber Lotus Publishing is a carbon-negative independent publisher guided by the principles of Right Livelihood; that is, doing the greatest good with the least possible harm.

They only accept photo and art submissions from April to July only.

As for greeting cards, they are accepted all year round, but they’re currently not accepting new writing submissions, including greeting card verses.

2. American Greetings

Founded in 1906, American Greetings has been publishing and selling paper cards, gift wrap, and more for

They normally don’t accept unsolicited submissions, but try to send your ideas to the following address:

Idea Submission Team, American Greetings Corporation, One American Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44145-8151

Other freelance opportunities are listed on the company’s Job Opportunities website.

3. Avanti Press

This company accepts both written content and photos.

You will need to submit copies of your works via mail as they do not accept electronic submissions at this time.

4. Blue Mountain Arts

Blue Mountain Arts may be one of the highest-paying companies on this list. It’s no surprise that it’s also the most competitive.

They’re looking for contemporary prose and poetry from 50 to 300 words in length, written from personal experience.

This established greeting card publisher works with freelancers and pays fairly well for poem-form content; accepted pieces are paid $300.

Submit the text of your work in the submission form (link above) or through email to editorial [at] sps [dot] com and include your name and address.

5. Calypso Cards

This greeting card company publishes several lines of greeting cards, ranging from contemporary to sophisticated.

They invite submissions of artwork and illustrations for occasions and holidays. See their submission page for more detailed instructions.

6. Caspari

Caspari is currently seeking illustrations (not photographic artwork) for its greeting cards.

Submissions are reviewed individually based on artistic merit.

Send your submissions to artworksubmissions [at] hgcaspari [dot] com through an attachment or a link to download or preview the artwork from another location.

7. CardGnome

This site offers a unique compensation model where you sell your greeting card designs through their website.

If anyone purchases cards from your shop, you earn a royalty.

Best of all, you get to keep the copyright to your work.

8. ComstockMarketPlace

Comstock MarketPlace is an adult humor greeting card company, and they expect submissions to fall in that category.

You can submit artwork or photos via post or through email. The fee for each artist or photographer is negotiated separately.

For gag lines and ideas, they are best submitted on a 3 x 5 index card with a SASE to return your submission via post. They also accept email submissions as long as there are no attachments. The fee for gag lines is $50 per idea.

Allow for 8 to 10 weeks for a response.

9. Crown Point Graphics

This site welcomes greeting card art submissions.

While not much detail is provided on the website, you can contact them at their contact page for more information.

10. Fotofolio

You can submit your color and black and white photography for consideration and publication in postcard, notecard, poster, and t-shirt formats.

They do not accept digital files, though you can email them a link to view your work to submissions [at] fotofolio [dot] com.

11. Great Arrow

Great Arrow is a greeting card company that prides itself on its handmade cards, produced through a hand silkscreening process that dates back centuries.

They collaborate with more than 100 designers and receive thousands of submissions a year.

You can download detailed submission guidelines and deadlines from the website.

12. It Takes Two

While most of this company’s work is completed in-house, it does occasionally accept outside submissions by designers and writers.

13. Leanin’ Tree

Leanin’ Tree accepts art submissions year-round for upcoming holidays.

This greeting card company offers in-depth information on submitting artwork for various holidays and other festive occasions, as well as the full schedule of upcoming deadlines on their art submission page.

14. NobleWorks Cards

NobleWorks is continually on the lookout for “funny, unique, risqué, and carefully-crafted cards” for their online store.

Fill out their online contact form so they can send you their guidelines for artists, writers, and cartoonists.

15. Oatmeal Studios

This greeting card company has been around for 40 years. Chances are you’ve seen their card in a department store and chuckled to yourself.

Both written content and artistic illustrations from freelancers are welcome for submission.

16. Palm Press

Palm Press covers basically every major holiday and life event.

Best of all, submissions are accepted year-round here.

You can expect a reply to your submissions within 2 to 3 weeks, making Palm Press one of the fastest companies on this list.

17. Planet Zoo

If you’re into nature photography, then this might be a good fit for you.

Planet Zoo is an environmentally responsible publisher of various gift and stationery products, including greeting cards, featuring wildlife in their natural habitats as well as gorgeous scenery.

They accept up to 10 low-resolution images of animals in their natural habitat.

They do not accept submissions of animals in zoos or interacting with manmade objects.

18. Pomegranate

Pomegranate is an Oregon-based independent publisher creating various stationery products, including holiday cards.

They accept fine art, illustrations, and photography, and offer a simple online form to fill out. You’ll be contacted back within eight weeks.

19. R.S.V.P. Sellers

Sellers Publishing, which is under the RSVP umbrella, seeks both written content and artwork for its lines of notecards and greeting cards.

You can send up to 20 images per single submission.

While they accept submissions all year round, your best chance is to submit materials between March and October.

20. Shade Tree Greetings

This New York-based greeting card company has a line of greeting cards called Actual Pictures, featuring, you guessed it, actual photos sent in by customers.

If you have any old (think 1940s to 1980s) photos depicting something unusual or funny, send them a copy and see them immortalized on greeting cards.

21. Snafu Designs

SNAFU Designs started in a basement and has since expanded to a 1,500-square-foot warehouse creating and sending cards out to all 50 states and Canada.

Their target audience is those who get smart adult humor.

They’re currently not accepting card ideas, but check back on their Writer’s Guidelines page for future openings.

22. The Greeting Card Shop

The Greeting Card Shop allows you to find just the right card for an occasion or milestone, and it allows you to personalize these cards.

23. Up With Paper

This company is currently soliciting new freelance talent; you can either reach out to them through email or submit your portfolio.

24. Viabella

Viabella has been around since 1941, publishing greeting cards and other stationery products.

They welcome submissions from artists and writers. You can expect to get $150 to $250 per artwork or photograph, while it’s $50 to $100 per verse.

All submissions need to go through their respective Submissions Pages for Art and Verse.

25. Warner Press

Warner Press is a not-for-profit organization affiliated with the Church of God in Anderson, Indiana that publishes various non-denominational Christian products, including greeting cards.

There are pretty specific guidelines before your submission can be considered, so make sure to adhere to their submission guidelines.

Where Else to find Greeting Card Companies To Work With

The Greeting Card Association is a trade association serving the greeting card industry and promoting the tradition of sending and receiving greeting cards.

They have an extensive member directory where the websites and addresses are included.

How to Successfully Get Paid for Your Art and Writing

The first skill you need to have is the research skills to look at the existing stock of greeting cards that each company offers. Look at the visual elements, design, writing, even the font they normally use.

Next, you’ll have to be able to decide whether your art or writing is a good fit for the companies you’re looking at.

Perhaps the most important skill that you need to learn when dealing with greeting card companies is reading and following instructions.

With few exceptions, companies who do work with submissions have specific guidelines: from the format to the content to where it is to be sent.

You may be a great artist and your work may look like a good fit, but if you don’t follow instructions, you might find it hard to find companies willing to work with you.

Lastly, you’ll need patience. Larger companies process hundreds to thousands of submissions, and even smaller, independent ones process dozens. It may take weeks before anyone gets back to you, if at all.

The Bottom Line

You’re not going to get rich writing or designing greeting cards, but it can be a fun hobby to earn some extra cash in your spare time.

If writing for greeting card companies doesn’t feel like a good fit, there are plenty of other ways to get paid to write.

And as for visual artists and illustrators, there are other freelance jobs that pay you for your creativity.

Does working with greeting card companies sound like something you’re interested to do? Which company above do you feel is the best fit for you? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!