It may seem like a dream job: Getting paid big bucks by tech companies to sit at home and play video games all day. Furthermore, there are online sites that say it’s entirely possible:
But is it really that easy to find a job, and make money, as a video game tester?
The harsh reality of video gaming
It may seem like sitting home all day and playing all kinds of cool video games would be a dream come true. However, most video gamers don’t last very long, and here are three big reasons why:
You are doing the same task repeatedly. Imagine watching your favorite movie, but instead of watching it from start to finish, you must watch the same 30 seconds of it over and over and over. Why? Because your job depends upon you finding bugs or errors. Should you spot some kind of issue with your video game at level 3, for example, you will need to reproduce that error and catalog where/how/when it occurs. Some bugs don’t always repeat, which can be maddening when you’re trying to prove they exist.
You won’t get paid a lot, if ever. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the average salary earned by professional video gamers is about $50K/year. That sounds great, in theory…until you realize that these gamers have been gaming for years and years. Also, many gamers are programmers by trade, so they can not only spot a bug, but fix it.
In contrast, contracting and beginner video gamers earn $8-$10/hour. If they stick around a few years and prove their worth, their pay gets bumped up to about $14/hour.
You’ll rarely get to pick your gig. If you think you’ll be playing in-demand games like Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty, think again. Sure, it’s not an impossibility, but games like that are usually handed off to senior beta testers who can quickly run through the game objectives and even fix the errors as they pop up. You, meanwhile, may end up testing a children’s puzzle game.
Crunch time means having no life. In the product launch world, there is a period of time, right before launch, called “crunch time.” This period of time is characterized by developers and testers putting in 18 hour days, getting little sleep, and barely seeing their families. As a tester, you might be asked to run through several different scenarios or to catch X amount of bugs…and all before Tuesday. Get really comfortable with your couch or office chair because you won’t be leaving it for a while.
With those disclaimers aside, it can be really fun and exciting to be a part of the video game testing world. Sometimes, you’ll score free games on top of getting paid for your efforts. You’ll also have the chance to connect with developers, programmers, and other gaming enthusiasts.
So, which companies can you sign up with to increase your odds of becoming a video game tester?
This rather promising company offers off-site gamers the opportunity to play top-notch games that have huge budgets and tight deadlines via its Global Beta Test Network. New GBTN jobs are posted weekly, and the only real requirements for applying are that you are at least 18 years of age and own one or several game consoles.
Akin to sites like Monster or CareerBuilder, Volt is a recruiting firm that matches applicants with suitable jobs. However, Volt goes one step further and also helps you polish up your resume and submission materials. You can also just post your resume on this site and receive notifications of jobs that match your qualifications and experience.
Its job board is free to peruse, and the site often lists video game tester positions that are available for weekly (or longer) terms.
You might assume that this site is only for freelance writing gigs, but Upwork also offers a good amount of game testing jobs. A quick search of the site using the terms ‘game testing’ pulled up the following results:
These freelance jobs are a good way to find out if you enjoy being a gamer, or if you might like other aspects of gaming, such as writing the product specs, generating content, or even marketing the games.
This agency often works with developers to test games- which means that it occasionally needs off-site game testers. Check the site’s gaming area for more information.
A final note about scams…
Because at-home video gamer jobs appear to be the ideal way to make money by doing nothing, various scam sites have latched onto them as easy bait. As a result, if you do a Google search for video game tester jobs, prepare to be inundated with “opportunities,” like the one featured above. Such websites promise you up to $100/hour for playing video games, while other scam sites try to charge you money to “teach” you how to find such jobs. However, unless you locate a site that teaches you programming or debugging skills, it is a waste of your time and money.
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!
10 Companies That Pay You to Listen to Music
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
RadioEarn is 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 its listeners.
Every 15 minutes you will accumulate points that can then be redeemed for Amazon gift cards, Bitcoin, or cash sent to you via PayPal or direct deposit 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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? Would you recommend listening to music with others? Why or why not? Share your thoughts with us on the comments!
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 here.
Such work, because it is more challenging, is also paid a higher rate.
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.
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.
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.
This company provides captioning services to clients such as ABC, Bloomberg, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC.
As such, ASC requires that its captioners have three years of work experience.
Knowledge of AP Style writing and a bachelor’s degree in English or journalism are the preferred qualifications.
ASC hires for various positions including news transcribers, news transcript copyeditor, financial at-home transcriber, financial editor, and editor/proofreader.
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.
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, Canada, Australia, South Africa, or the UK; 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.
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 almost $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.
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).
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, even for clients, but you’re guaranteed a legitimate position since Vanan Captioning has been offering voiceover, translation, transcription, subtitling and closed captioning services since 2011.
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.
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 apply to be a subtitle editor in their Los Angeles, CA office.
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.
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.
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 your friends often claim 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, the 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 and the mission of the company.
While you’ll be hard-pressed to find out how much money accepted submissions pay out, 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:
DaySpring primarily deals with Christian and Spirituality themed cards. Make sure you review their offerings before you start submitting your materials.
This publisher compensates accepted submissions at $75/each.
Leanin’ Tree accepts submissions year round for upcoming holidays.
Their full schedule of deadlines is available on their art submission page.
They fill positions about 3-4 times each month. This company offers in-depth information on submitting artwork for various holidays and other festive occasions.
The preference is for hard copy prints or PDFs.
If you submit material and do not hear back within 8 weeks, it was not a good fit.
This company is currently soliciting for new freelance talent; you can either reach out to them through email or submit your work portfolio.
The Bottom Line
You’re not going to get rich writing greeting cards, but it can be a fun hobby to earn some extra cash in your spare time.
For those that are particularly talented, you could pursue a a job writing jingles or take your writing talents elsewhere and get paid to write about pretty much anything.
