Passive income: NO

Transcribing as a side hustle is unlikely to become a source of passive income for most people. Transcription work is inherently active, requiring time and effort to listen and type. Automation tools like speech-to-text software can assist but often require manual correction, limiting true passivity. Outsourcing is an option, but it involves managing others, which is not passive. Most people in forums like Reddit and YouTube report that transcription remains active work unless they transition to managing a transcription business, which involves different skills. Only a few outliers who build large-scale operations or develop proprietary software achieve passive income. Many people mistakenly believe transcription can become passive through automation alone, but this is often misleading.