English Audio Recording Expert (US)

$10–30/hrrate as listed

Record scripted and spontaneous English speech in a quiet home setup so micro1 can build labeled audio datasets for speech recognition and voice model training. Work is remote, task-based, and paid per approved recording session at observed rates of roughly $10–30/hr.

Summary, eligibility guidance and screening preparation are prepared by Sidequest from the platform's posting. Check the source listing before applying.

What the work involves

You receive batches of recording tasks through micro1's contributor portal. A batch might ask you to read scripted sentences at a natural pace, respond conversationally to open prompts, record the same utterance at different distances from the mic, or produce speech with specific characteristics — hesitations, overlapping background noise, phone-call conditions, or a particular regional accent. Each task specifies audio format, sample rate, ambient noise ceiling, and how much clipping or room echo is acceptable.

Day to day, the loop is: read the spec, do a test take, check your levels, record, listen back, re-record anything that fails, then submit with the required metadata (device, environment, dialect region). Some batches add a review layer where you rate other contributors' clips for intelligibility, spec compliance, and transcript accuracy. Rejected clips usually fail on preventable things — a fan running, a plosive spike, a misread word — so self-QC is most of the skill.

What the platform screens for

Native or near-native US English with a describable regional accent, plus clear articulation under a live mic.
A usable recording environment: a consistently quiet room, a decent USB or XLR mic, and headphones for monitoring. Laptop built-in mics rarely pass.
Literal script fidelity — reading exactly what is written, including awkward phrasing, without silently correcting it.
Basic audio hygiene: setting gain, spotting clipping, recognizing hum, room reverb, and sibilance, and knowing what a WAV at 48 kHz / 16-bit actually is.
Reliability across batches. Work arrives in waves; the contributors who stay active are the ones who deliver a full batch on the stated turnaround.

Logistics

Fully remote and asynchronous — you record whenever your space is quiet, which for many contributors means early mornings or late evenings. Batches typically carry deadlines of a few days rather than fixed shifts. Volume fluctuates with client demand, so treat this as flexible supplemental income rather than a steady weekly load. Pay is stated as observed on the platform, varies by task type and locale requirements, and is not guaranteed; some batches pay per approved clip rather than hourly.

What they look for

audio recording
audio editing software
voice-over
audio engineering
multilingual communication
verbal communication
written communication
attention to detail
audio quality control
organization
self-motivation
project management
collaboration
script delivery
language proficiency

Before you apply

Would you pass this screen?

Drawn from what this listing actually requires. Answered in your browser — nothing is sent to us, and we do not store your answers.

Are you a native English speaker, or have you lived primarily in a US English-speaking region for at least 10 consecutive years?
Native or near-native US English speaker · required
Do you have regular access to a quiet indoor room where ambient noise levels typically stay below 40 dB (roughly a quiet office background)?
Quiet recording environment access · required
Do you own a USB or XLR microphone — not a laptop built-in mic, not primarily Bluetooth — that you can use for these recordings?
Dedicated USB or XLR microphone · required
Do you have headphones (wired or wireless, powered or passive) that you can use to monitor audio while recording?
Headphones for live monitoring · required
Can you export or record audio files in WAV format and understand what sample rate and bit depth mean in the context of a recording spec?
Familiarity with basic audio specs · preferred

0 of 5 answered

Included with this listing

Interview prep — 10 questions

Matched to what this platform's screening actually measures. Answer each out loud in 60–90 seconds: claim → concrete example → implication.

What it tests: Whether the candidate understands that distance-from-mic tasks are about capturing acoustic variation deliberately, not a mistake to hide — and whether they have a concrete self-QC routine (levels, clipping, room noise, playback verification).
A strong answer: A strong answer names the specific technical steps: setting consistent gain for each distance, monitoring levels live with headphones to catch peaks before recording, listening back to confirm each take is intelligible and free of clipping or noise, and understanding that mic proximity changes both volume and tone deliberately.
Where people lose it: Candidates who treat it as 'just read the sentence three times' without mentioning gain management, clipping checks, or listening back — revealing they don't grasp that audio specs are functional, not suggestions. Also those who say they'd 'adjust in post' — this is raw material, not finished audio.