How much you could really get paid to watch Netflix as a 'tagger' for the streaming service
Given the amount of time we spend glued to our screens and giving ourselves square eyes for fun, the idea of getting paid to watch TV and movies sounds too good to be true. But you don't just have to be a film critic to get paid to tuck into the popcorn, with Netflix actually paying you to stream its latest exports.
Whether it's the final series of Stranger Things, catching up with Liam Hemsworth replacing Henry Cavill in The Witcher, or turning in to see what happens at the end of Squid Game, you could earn back your monthly Netflix subscription cost and more by becoming a 'tagger' for the streaming service.
According to tech.co, a Netflix tagger can be paid anywhere between $15 and $45 an hour, with them typically being asked to work 20 hours a week.
The site explains how a tagger is expected to watch a specific range of content and then (unsurprisingly) tag it depending on what genre it belongs to.
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Before you go rushing to tell Netflix that your many years of binging Grey's Anatomy makes you the perfect candidate, you should take note that as well as having 'attention to detail' and the desire to 'work independently', taggers require a background or degree in entertainment or film studies.
The official title of a 'tagger' is Content Analyst or Editorial Analyst, with a previous listing for the latter explaining: "Do you love movies and TV shows? Are you interested in sharing unique content with viewers around the world?
“We are seeking an entertainment-savvy analyst to help categorize television series, specials, and movies for our 100+ million users."
Day-to-day roles include "tagging, rating, researching, and enhancing title-level metadata for the Netflix Originals catalogue in a high-volume, high-quality, deadline-driven environment."
Alongside general tagging, analysts are expected to "collaborate on special projects with cross-functional business partners, while striving to deliver delightful, trustworthy user experiences on a global scale."
Tagging under specific genres, themes, and even character tropes is supposed to help Netflix's algorithm work out what people are watching and hopefully recommend related titles to viewers. Netflix also creates new shows and movies based on what's proving popular, so tagging is a key part of the elusive Netflix algorithm.
Even though it's more than just sitting on the couch and flicking through your favorite shows, it still sounds like a pretty sweet deal for those who eat, sleep, and breathe entertainment.
It seems that a lot of you didn't even know that the role exists. Posting on Reddit, one shocked Netflix fan wrote: "I always joke about wanting to be paid to watch tv, and then discovered this possible dream job where you can make that a reality….What’s the tea?!"
Someone in the replies claimed their brother has a role as a tagger and added: "It’s an incredible job and Netflix takes care of their employees very well. They are the industry leader for a reason."
Another warned: "These jobs exist. However, much like 'video game tester', you might end up watching a few hundred hours of Peppa Pig just to make sure there’s nothing that might be considered objectionable in it."
Not everyone was sold, and on a different Reddit thread, someone else concluded: "That would be mind numbing...think about how much bad content Netflix has...and you have to pay attention!"
Although there are currently no listings to become a tagger on the official Netflix jobs page, wannabe applicants should keep an eye out.