Check out our latest communities fighting
AI scams on Reddit and Facebook

business logo of Speechpad

SpeechpadReviews 35

3.7

On SmartCustomer, businesses may not offer incentives or pay to remove reviews. Learn more about our Review Guidelines.

How would you rate Speechpad?
grey stargrey stargrey stargrey stargrey star

Speechpad Reviews Summary

Speechpad has a rating of 3.7 stars from 35 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally satisfied with their purchases. Reviewers satisfied with Speechpad most frequently mention transcription company and quality work. Speechpad ranks 1st among Transcription sites.

service
4
value
3
quality
4

We monitor reviews for authenticity

Philippines
2 reviews
16 helpful votes
Follow Shane M.
Unfollow Shane M.
Share Review
Report Review

This company is really great if you want the job done fast and shiny. Kudos. I've tried this for my interviews, projects, and even some contraption experiment with kids. They got the difficult parts even when kids are playing the Rube Goldberg machines and while eating too. I believe this company just lacks referrals to clients, but still, the best out there. Thanks a lot! Love your work.

Date of experience: January 8, 2017
Jill F. — Speechpad Rep
over a year old

Thank you so much, Shane! We are pleased to know that you are happy with our quality and timeliness. The Speechpad team would love to post your feedback on our site as shown in our real customers section https://www.speechpad.com/ We really wouldn't mind you recommending us to your friends and colleagues, but we certainly hope to see you again soon!

Colorado
1 review
30 helpful votes
Follow Rachael P.
Unfollow Rachael P.
Share Review
Report Review

Finding Speechpad has given me a chance to work from home at my own pace, on my own schedule. Day or night, long or short, transcription or review, I choose what I want to work on when and for how long. I have serious health issues that prevent me from working. With Speechpad I can work when I am able with no recriminations if I have to take a few days off or if I have to ask for a time extension because I have to go a little slower.

Of course you have jobs that are rejected, it goes with the territory. No one is perfect no matter how long they've been transcribing. But I always get a chance to rework a job, usually it's something simple. If the problem is something the reviewer can pick up, I lose a few points for that job, but I've never found the corrections to be unnecessary. Usually it's because I wasn't paying attention to speaker tokens or guideline rules (particularly the "clean verbatim"). My bad!

One last observation: you are not going to make the same amount of money you would if you had an hourly job. This type of work is based on quality and quantity. You have a certain amount of time to complete a job and a posted amount paid on approval. This is the sacrifice we make working at home. I have awesome skills (I've been work for 38 years so I've earned bragging rights!) -- but they are worth NOTHING if I can't work. Speechpad has give me that work and a chance for income where I had none.

The staff are awesome. I usually have an answer within 45 to 60 minutes. They are helpful, professional, and always friendly and there to offer help. No matter if my question is important or if I just want to whine about a particularly difficult job (admit it, we all whine occasionally!), they always answer and treat me with respect. I've worked several online transcription opportunities. Speechpad has proven to be the most professional by far.

Date of experience: May 14, 2016
California
2 reviews
21 helpful votes
Follow Gregg G.
Unfollow Gregg G.
Share Review
Report Review

I have been working with Speechpad for a few years now and my experience with them has been entirely positive. Any issues I've ever encountered with deadlines/time limits, the rare system glitch here or there, or difficulty with files (either being more intensive than anticipated, missing portions of transcription, or format questions) have been addressed fairly and efficiently.

I've never had any problems with receiving payment. On one isolated occasion, a file I submitted somehow was also submitted by someone else... don't ask me how. I was accorded the benefit of the doubt and paid nonetheless. Similarly, on the rare jobs when my own computer problems or other personal issues have necessitated a longer-than-usual period of time in which to complete a file, I'm pleased to say the staff at Speechpad have always worked with me to enable completion of the file.

Many of these critical reviews seem like sour grapes to me. Speechpad requires accuracy and consistency. From what I have seen from a handful of the files I've reviewed, those requirements are often ignored (along with obvious instructions in the Style Guide). If the work's not up to par, obviously that's going to be reflected in a less than pleasant experience. Doing solid work, on the other hand, should result in a strong relationship with Speechpad.

My main advice: communicate. If there is an issue, email the staff at Speechpad. Jill, Krystal, and everyone else I've dealt with have always addressed my issues/problems/concerns/questions honestly and without delay. It's hard for me to believe that many of the situations described here couldn't have been resolved -- or at least improved -- by contacting the company for help and guidance.

Date of experience: May 12, 2016
South Africa
1 review
15 helpful votes
Follow Helen A.
Unfollow Helen A.
Share Review
Report Review

Speechpad is great
May 12, 2016

I have found online transcribing with Speechpad to be a great way to make some extra money. The staff are friendly, helpful and extremely prompt in responding to queries or bona fide requests for support. They appreciate efforts to deliver high quality work and will give more time if the request is genuine. It is not easy in the beginning, persistance and humility are useful, as their standard is extremely high. I am happy to have found this online freelance opportunity and am working hard to meet the high expectations, which no doubt make for happy customers on the other end.

Date of experience: May 12, 2016
Pennsylvania
1 review
11 helpful votes
Follow Elaine F.
Unfollow Elaine F.
Share Review
Report Review

I have never had a problem with getting paid or receiving answers to any questions that I've had. I have worked as an independent transcriber for going on six years now and exclusively work with this company. Most other companies have either paid on a monthly basis or late. There is ample opportunity to work up and really start from the bottom. That takes a bit of work, but you will get feedback and answers to any questions you may have.

Date of experience: May 12, 2016
California
1 review
22 helpful votes
Follow Sarah C.
Unfollow Sarah C.
Share Review
Report Review

Happy Worker
May 12, 2016

I found Speechpad at a time when I was submitting resumes and looking for supplemental work. The first month is difficult because you're basically training and learning their particular style guide. They are always available to help when you're confused. I've always been paid on time for all of my work. I look up terminology that I'm not familiar with and I run spell check when I'm done. I can make over $500 weekly. I was able to do that about three months after I started. You don't have any work requirements and you can work from anywhere.

Date of experience: May 12, 2016
Canada
1 review
18 helpful votes
Follow Colette C.
Unfollow Colette C.
Share Review
Report Review

I joined Speechpad last year while trying to find an income around my busy family's life. With having young children, especially one with special needs, it was a terrific option for me. You simply have to choose a job, when you have time available, and finish it. If you have any problems or questions, you can send an email to the support team and they are fantastic to help. They were very helpful with me in coaching and providing tips when I would reach out to them. I have been telling my other friends and family about this site because I think it's a fantastic option for freelancers.

Date of experience: May 12, 2016
Virginia
1 review
19 helpful votes
Follow Micah P.
Unfollow Micah P.
Share Review
Report Review

I've been working for Speechpad for the past few months. First as a transcriber and now more as a reviewer. It is true that you occasionally get a poor quality audio file, and even poorer transcripts, but I haven't had any issues with the way I was treated. If I ever had an issue with something, they were very quick to respond and resolve anything that came up.

It sounds like the majority of people who have bad reviews about Speechpad simply are not patient enough to persevere through the rough patches. It is a little hard starting out, and sometimes the pay isn't as good as you would like, but once you get the hang of it, it's definitely worth it in the long run!

Date of experience: March 9, 2016
Jill F. — Speechpad Rep
over a year old

Thank you so much for the positive review, Micah!

Arizona
1 review
20 helpful votes
Follow Jennifer T.
Unfollow Jennifer T.
Share Review
Report Review

This is not a complaint about Speechpad. This is a complaint about some of the cheating clients that use Speechpad to handle transcriptions for them. So I guess this is going to be the new trend, clients speeding up the audio before handing it over to a transcription company so the client pays less for more words?
I recently did an audio for transcription on Speechpad that was so very obviously sped up to decrease the minutes of audio. The total minutes were compressed into about 30 minutes instead of probably closer to an hour or more that it was originally before being sped up. The guy sounded like a squeak toy. Well, not exactly. But I decreased the speed to about 75%, the voice and pace sounded much more normal. Decreasing the speed was the only way I could catch what this $^@^ was saying. This kind of frustrated me. As a transcriber you get paid per audio minute not by amount of words. Maybe transcription companies should start charging per word instead of per minute. I really hope someone from Speechpad reads this and starts being pro-active about this issue. For transcribers, beware and don't transcribe something that sounds like it has been sped up. This will probably be happening more and more.

Date of experience: January 17, 2016
Jill F. — Speechpad Rep
over a year old

Did you email us about this file? If not, please do so we can contact the customer.
Thanks!

India
1 review
25 helpful votes
Follow Suraj S.
Unfollow Suraj S.
Share Review
Report Review

I am into transcription for more than 15 years now. I've been associated with Speechpad for six months now. I started working as a freelancer for Speechpad 'coz I needed some extra bucks. But I loved the freedom and flexibility so much that now I've taken it up as my priority job. I really can't find words to explain how much I love it.

Transcribers, if you're looking for a flexible, rewarding job, come join Speechpad.

Thank you Speechpad for this exciting, enjoyable job opportunity.

Date of experience: March 30, 2015
GB
1 review
19 helpful votes
Follow David M.
Unfollow David M.
Share Review
Report Review

My video transcript was littered with very obvious mistakes. Clearly they just ran it though some software without any human intervention. All USA spelling despite being a uk customer too. Avoid.

Date of experience: July 30, 2014
Nebraska
1 review
12 helpful votes
Follow Grace T.
Unfollow Grace T.
Share Review
Report Review

I have used this site to transcribe interviews for data analysis. They have been on-time and reliable. When I had questions before choosing them, the customer service replied right away and they were very helpful! I've had 13 files transcribed and one of them was supposed to have time codes, but didn't. Customer service was great and had it fixed within a day.

Super great to work with and saved me so much time.

Date of experience: July 24, 2014
New York
1 review
10 helpful votes
Follow Joe S.
Unfollow Joe S.
Share Review
Report Review

Speech Pad Review
June 18, 2013

Speech Pad Review

If you are anything like me, you have finally mastered the art of creating rich, valuable videos for your site. After much effort, you have accurate, reliable information readily available for your viewers. However, you may have noticed that your traffic has not yet increased. How can you make sure the public is finding your website and watching your podcasts? The answer is simple: SEO. Now, even if you dont fully understand SEO tactics, the most fundamental thing to know is that search engines rely on text to bring up your site and videos. So, in other words, if you only have videos and no text, no one is ever going to find you.

That is where Speechpad comes in. I have used this service more than once, and I cannot begin to tell you how much time it has saved me. Speechpad reviews material with rates as low as $1 per minute in file length, this voice transcription service definitely falls into my budget. Speechpad works with professional transcribers, both human and automated, to provide accurate transcripts of your videos so that Google and other search engines can find you. The Speechpad review is a text to speech service that provides accurate content in a timely manner; in fact, the rates are set on the time you specify. For instance, if you are in a hurry to get a piece of text up and running, the price may be a little higher but for people like me, I would rather wait an extra day or two to save a couple bucks. I dont think the SpeechInk review offers that. Regardless of the price, you simply cannot beat Speechpads reliable transcription service.

In reading other Speechpad reviews and SpeechInk reviews, Im thoroughly impressed with what Ive gotten back from Speechpad each time and dont think Ill be making a change now that I have a smooth running system in place.

Date of experience: June 18, 2013

From the business

Speechpad provides services for captioning? Video, including subtitles? And closed captions. Transcription services cover a wide range of industries and


speechpad.com
Founded in 2009
San Francisco, CA, United States