Facebook to Pay Users for Recording Audio, Report

While Facebook may have stopped listening to and transcribing Messenger voice chats, the tech giant is still in need of voice recordings to improve its speech recognition technology, reports the Associated Press. Therefore, in line with that, selected users will be paid to record snippets of audio through a new program called ‘Pronunciations’. You can earn up to $5 in exchange.

Facebook will use its Viewpoints market research app for this, through which you will be paid to take surveys. Qualifying users need to record the phrase ‘Hey Portal’ followed by the first name of a friend in their friend list. If you participate, you'll have to repeat the statement twice and do this with a set of 10 names in order to earn 200 points in the Viewpoints app. About 1,000 points are needed to cash out; you can record up to five sets of recordings to reach the same, which translates to $5, essentially each recording becomes worth five cents.

While it may not make you rich, the program is seen as interesting way for Facebook to improve its Artificial Intelligence transcription skills without using your voice messages behind your back. Apple and Google have paused their audio transcription programs, and Amazon now lets users to opt-out of the audio recording ‘review’. However, none of these companies seem to be offering cash in exchange for audio.