Rev

Transcription, captioning, subtitling, and Rev AI speech-to-text. 50,000+ freelancer network ("Revvers") earns per audio minute; weekly PayPal payouts.

Services Transcription / Captioning / Speech-to-Text / AI
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★ ★ ★ ★ ★ New (0 reviews)
Austin, TX, USA HQ
300 employees
2010 founded

What is Rev?

Rev is a transcription, captioning, subtitling, and speech-to-text platform founded in 2010 by Jason Chicola and Josh Breinlinger, both alumni of oDesk (the freelance marketplace that later became Upwork). Headquartered in Austin, Texas after relocating from San Francisco, Rev runs two parallel businesses. The first is a global freelancer network of 50,000+ contractors, internally called "Revvers," who transcribe audio, caption video, and translate subtitles. The second is Rev AI, an automated speech-recognition product used by developers via API and by consumers through the Rev app. The two sides feed each other: human-transcribed data trains the AI, and the AI accelerates workflows for human transcriptionists. Corporate operations sit around 200 to 300 full-time employees in product, engineering (heavy ML and speech-recognition focus), sales, and support. Rev has raised roughly $60M in venture funding, led by Maverick Ventures, but has been profitable for most of its history and operated as a bootstrapped company for its first decade. Freelance pay rates were cut sharply in 2019 and again in the early 2020s, triggering a well-known contractor backlash. Current published rates run $0.30 to $1.10 per audio minute for transcription and $0.45 to $1.75 per audio minute for captions, with subtitling and translation paying materially more.

Mission & values

Make speech understood by giving every business, creator, and student the fastest and most accurate way to turn audio and video into text, captions, and subtitles.

Qualifications

Two engagement paths, both fully remote. (1) Corporate roles are listed on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/rev-com/jobs and on Rev's own careers page. Engineering leans heavily into speech recognition, ML infrastructure, and API product; other functions include product, design, sales, marketing, and support. Most corporate roles are US-based (Austin hybrid or remote-friendly). (2) Freelancer signup happens at rev.com/freelancers. You pick from three tracks: Transcriptionist (English-language audio to text), Captioner (video plus timing), or Foreign Subtitler (translate + time subtitles between languages). Each track requires passing a grammar test and a paid or unpaid sample assignment. Once approved, you claim jobs from a shared queue on a first-come basis. English-language transcription is open to residents of Australia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, UK, and USA. Foreign subtitling opens up more countries per language pair. Payouts are weekly via PayPal every Monday, with no minimum.

Leadership

J

Jason Chicola

Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Co-founded Rev in 2010 after serving as one of the early operators at oDesk (later Upwork). Long-time proponent of the human-and-machine hybrid model for speech-to-text.

J

Josh Breinlinger

Co-Founder

Co-founded Rev in 2010 with Jason Chicola. Also worked at oDesk in its early years and is now a general partner at Jackson Square Ventures.

Hiring process

  1. 1

    Sign up at rev.com/freelancers

    Pick your track (Transcriptionist, Captioner, or Foreign Subtitler) and register with a working email and PayPal.

  2. 2

    Pass a grammar and skills test

    Short multiple-choice grammar assessment. English fluency required for transcription and captioning tracks.

    About 1 day

  3. 3

    Submit a sample assignment

    A short audio file to transcribe or caption to Rev's style guide. Reviewed by the QA team.

    About 5 days

  4. 4

    Approval and orientation

    On approval you gain access to the job queue, style guides, and training resources. Start with beginner-friendly jobs to build metrics.

    About 3 days

  5. 5

    Claim jobs from the queue

    Jobs appear in the shared queue and are claimed first-come. Your metrics (accuracy, timeliness) determine which tiers of jobs you can see.

Funding

StageSeries A
Total raised$60,000,000
Investors
Maverick Ventures

Awards & recognition

  • Rev AI speech-to-text product spun out · 2018

    Rev

  • Series A led by Maverick Ventures · 2021

    Rev

Company information

Frequently asked questions

Who founded Rev?
Jason Chicola (CEO) and Josh Breinlinger in 2010. Both were early operators at oDesk before it merged into Upwork.
Where is Rev based?
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, after relocating from San Francisco. Corporate team is around 200 to 300 FTEs; the freelancer network is 50,000+ globally.
How much does Rev actually pay freelancers?
Transcription pays $0.30 to $1.10 per audio minute, captioning $0.45 to $1.75, and foreign subtitling considerably more. Effective hourly for new Revvers is often $3 to $10; experienced fast typists reach $15 to $25+.
Which countries can sign up as a freelancer?
English transcription and captioning are open to residents of Australia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, UK, and USA. Foreign subtitling opens more countries by language pair.
Is Rev the same as Rev AI?
Same company, two products. Rev.com is the human-plus-AI transcription service. Rev AI is the developer-facing speech-recognition API used by third-party apps.
Was there a pay cut controversy?
Yes. Rev cut freelancer per-minute rates in 2019 and again in the early 2020s, causing a public backlash and coordinated exit by many long-time Revvers. Current rates reflect the post-cut structure.
How often does Rev pay?
Weekly via PayPal, every Monday, with no minimum withdrawal.

Stay in the loop.

One email per week, 5 hand-picked roles.