Sometimes it takes me FAR longer to review something for HomeWorkingClub than I initially hope. That was definitely the case for this Slicethepie review!
A crucial part of reviewing any online earning opportunity is ensuring you’re not working with a scam site. There are some very mixed reports about Slicethepie online, so I wanted to ensure I got to the stage where I literally had “money in the bank” before publishing anything about it.
The short version is that I did indeed get to that point, as you will see below. If the question in your mind is “is Slicethepie a scam?” then I don’t think it is. But does that mean it’s a worthwhile way to make some money? Well, you’ll have to read on to find that out.
What is Slicethepie?
Slicethepie is an online service where you can review music, commercials, fashion and brands in return for a small financial payout. Slicethepie’s clients, including emerging musical artists, can then get consumer opinion on their output.
Slice the Pie is an interesting online opportunity for a couple of reasons. First off, the chance of being paid to interact with music and fashion is undoubtedly appealing to many; Secondly, Slicethepie is a rare online earning option for youngsters, as the site accepts participants as young as age 13. (For more online jobs for teens, check here).
Slicethepie has been in operation since 2007, so it’s a well-established company. However, with a rather poor online Trustpilot rating (3.3 out of 10 at the time of writing), it’s fair to say its reputation could be better.
An important part of putting together this Slicethepie review was working out whether that reputation is justified.
Slicethepie Review: Getting Started
Signing up to Slicethepie is very straightforward. You simply have to provide your name, email address and date of birth.
Then, as part of the sign up process, you’re asked a couple of basic demographic questions (I was asked if I had children, for example). You’re then asked what kind of musical genres you’re into, as per the image below.
Once you’ve completed this very simple setup, you’re taken through to the main “review” area of Slicethepie, where you can begin to review and earn.
How does Slicethepie work?
Listening to and reviewing music is the primary task you can carry out to earn money on Slicethepie, but you can also review fashion, logos, branding and commercials.
Which reviews are available can vary from day to day. Depending on demand, certain types of review can carry a higher payment level.
The system itself is simple and slick. You choose what you’d like to review, basic instructions are provided, and you can get straight on with the task. While I completed my Slice the Pie review, I primarily reviewed music and commercials, but I had a little dabble in the other areas too.
Reviewing Music on Slicethepie
When you choose to review music on Slicethepie, the main part of the review you have to provide is in freeform text. You play the tune from the web-based player, and must listen to at least 90 seconds of it before you submit your review.
With some reviews, you also have the rate the track in a number of category metrics, such as “funky,” “gentle” and “happy.” Other reviews simply ask whether you’d add the song to a playlist or not. The freeform text is required in both cases, but the reviews that don’t ask for the individual ratings always seem to pay significantly less.
Usually a review goes through with no problem once you’ve hit the minimum amount of text required. However, if you’ve used lots of repetition, poor grammar, or not been specific enough, sometimes you’re required to work on the review until it’s of an acceptable quality. This all appears to be decided by a computer algorithm, as do the “star ratings” of your reviews, which in turn determine what you get paid.
How Much Does Slicethepie Pay for Music Reviews?
During the time I worked on my Slicethepie review, I received varying amounts for each music review, ranging from a very unrewarding three cents to a far more worthwhile 18 cents. The payment amount is dependent on your star level. In my case this quickly rose to three stars but never climbed any higher.
The payment level also depends on whether you’re doing a full review (as shown above) or one of the more simplified ones.
To be frank, this part of using Slicethepie is really irritating. Getting into the flow of getting 18 cents each time is great, but then when you start only earning three cents for essentially the same task it feels like a grind, and also rather unfair.
Slicethepie Review: Reviewing Commercials
Reviewing commercials on Slicethepie is a bit different.
An advert plays, and you use your arrow keys to show how you’re feeling about it throughout. You then have to provide some freeform text to describe what you thought of the commercial.
In my experience, payment for reviewing adverts was similar, but also similarly varied. I saw as little as 11 cents and as much as 17 cents per review.
Reviewing commercials is more absorbing than reviewing music, in my opinion, especially as you are active throughout – tapping those arrow keys. However, I did find Slicethepie’s algorithm far more fussy in this section. I was frequently being told to “be more specific” when I felt I WAS being perfectly specific. It was often a case of rewording things just to get the review past the automated system rather than making any substantial change.
Other Slicethepie Reviews
Reviews for fashion, logos and brands are sometimes on offer as well. These take far less time and usually involve some scoring and some freeform text. They make a nice change, but you do need to do rather a lot of them to earn any meaningful money.
Is Slicethepie worth it?
Whether working on Slicethepie is worth it is an individual judgement call. It’s certainly not going to make you rich.
To be honest, I did find the time I spent doing my Slicethepie review and getting to payout stage a bit of a chore once the novelty wore off. It took me a couple of weeks of dedicating 20 minutes here and there to get to the $10 minimum payout.
That said, I was getting paid an (albeit tiny) sum to review music! I couldn’t help but think how much I would have loved doing something like this as a hobby when I was a teenager. For anyone who wants a little side gig and loves music, it is worth checking out.
The other important thing to think about is why there are so many negative reviews out there, and why some people are convinced that Slicethepie is a scam.
There seem to be two things people complain about: The most worrying is that there are plenty of individuals out there who say they got to payout stage, only to have their account closed. The thing is, Slicethepie check peoples’ reviews when they ask for payout, before issuing any money. I suspect a lot of the people moaning are people who wrote poor quality, repetitive reviews.
I will stick my neck out here and say that some probably didn’t deserve to get paid. The reality is that plenty of people attack side gigs like this very cynically, sometimes to the point of trying to cheat the system. If this wasn’t the case, there wouldn’t be people searching online for things like “Slicethepie money generator.”
The second common criticism is the inconsistency of the payment rates and the lack of transparency in the star ratings. This I do agree with.
In conclusion, despite the fact that I’ve no doubt there probably are people who feel they have a legitimate axe to grind with Slicethepie, for my review I followed the instructions, requested a payout, and received it very shortly afterwards.
As to how worth it Slicethepie is, it’s really up to the individual. I won’t personally be adding it to my roster on ongoing side gigs, but it may still appeal to some. Perhaps take a look at the pros and cons and decide from there!
Slicethepie Pros and Cons
The Pros
- A chance to earn pocket money from reviewing tunes and adverts.
- Website is simple and slick.
- Slicethepie referral code scheme allows you to boost earnings a little.
- Prompt payout (at least while we did our Slice the Pie review!)
The Cons
- Payment levels inconsistent and unpredictable.
- No transparency in how star levels work.
- Other people’s negative experiences may be off-putting.
Find Slicethepie here.
Check out this page for more side gig opportunities.
Founder of HomeWorkingClub.com – Ben has worked freelance for nearly 20 years. As well as being a freelance writer and blogger, he is also a technical consultant with Microsoft and Apple certifications. He loves supporting new home workers but is prone to outbursts of bluntness and realism.
