# Get paid to record your screen for AI training: for individuals and for businesses

> Get paid to record your screen for AI: Kled pays $0.80 a recording, Mercor $50 to $60 an hour. Who pays, how, and how a business gets paid for its team.

Canonical: https://origindatapartners.com/guides/get-paid-to-record-screen-ai-training
By: Origin Data Partners
Status: Published
Published: 2026-11-06
Updated: 2026-11-06
Sources checked: 2026-11-06

## Quick answer

Yes. AI labs building computer use agents pay for screen recordings of real work, because their models still struggle with long, multi-step tasks in real software. Published rates are for individuals: Kled pays $0.80 per accepted phone recording (about $16 an hour at its stated pace), p(doom) up to $1,000 a month, and Mercor $50 to $60 an hour for narrated Mac workflows. The catch for a business is that most programs exclude employer and client material, so a company that wants to be paid for its team's ERP, CAD, accounting or claims work needs its own consented, scoped and redacted arrangement. [See what your data is worth](https://origindatapartners.com/check-fit).

## Key points

- The most valuable recordings show expert work in specialist software, with mouse and keyboard actions and narration, not everyday phone tasks.
- Individual programs pay per accepted recording, per hour or per month, and almost all forbid recording an employer's or client's confidential material.
- A company-level program needs consenting staff, an allowlist of apps, redaction of client data and pay per approved hour or task, plus notice under workplace monitoring laws.

## Can a business get paid to record its team's screens?

Yes, and that is where the larger opportunity sits. AI labs are building computer use agents, models that operate software by looking at the screen and moving the mouse and keyboard. They learn from recordings of people doing real, multi-step work: posting an invoice in an ERP, revising a drawing in CAD, closing a month in accounting software, adjusting a claim, dispatching a truck or updating a CRM.

Markov, a Y Combinator company, says the biggest bottleneck for these models is the lack of high-quality training data, and that what they need is "synchronized screen recordings, mouse and keyboard actions, and high-quality annotations from people doing real work" ([Markov on YC](https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/SaA-markov-data-for-computer-use-ai)). Expert workflows in professional software are the scarcest part.

Most paid programs today recruit individuals one at a time. A company whose staff run specialist software all day can offer something no individual can: many hours of the same expert workflows, in the real systems, with known outcomes. Before you plan anything, [see what your data is worth](https://origindatapartners.com/check-fit) from six questions about the business, with no files.

Source: [Y Combinator: Launch YC, Markov, data for computer-use AI (Aug 2026)](https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/SaA-markov-data-for-computer-use-ai)

## Who pays to record your screen for AI training?

Pay and terms are as each program publishes them, checked November 2026. Listings open and close often, so check the live page before you sign up.

- None of these programs publishes a rate for a company. Markov is the only one that addresses teams directly.
- Pay differs by skill, not by minutes recorded: a phone app task earns cents, expert desktop work earns tens of dollars an hour.

| Program | Who it pays | What you record | Published pay | How you are paid | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Kled: "Screen Record a Task in an App" | Individuals with an iPhone, in 100+ countries | A phone screen recording of a real everyday app task, with a tap trace | $0.80 per accepted recording; about $16 an hour at its stated pace of 3 minutes per recording | In the app: PayPal, Venmo or a Solana wallet | [Kled listing](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/screen-record-a-task-in-an-app-paid-data-task-remote-contract-at-kled-ai-4484260422) |
| Markov | Expert contributors, and teams through its contribute page | Real work in desktop software (CAD, engineering, accounting and finance, productivity) with mouse and keyboard actions and narration | Paid by the hour; no rate published | Not published | [Markov](https://www.markovstudios.com/contribute); [YC launch](https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/SaA-markov-data-for-computer-use-ai) |
| p(doom): crowd-cast | Individuals doing months-long projects on their own work | Passive desktop recording of allowlisted apps, with keyboard and mouse input | Up to $1,000 a month for the top tier; around $300 a month for other qualifying work | Not published beyond the monthly rate | [p(doom)](https://pdoom.org/careers/paid-data-collection/) |
| Mercor: narrated computer workflows | Contractors with a Mac and 2 to 3 years of relevant experience, or postgraduate students | Narrated multi-app productivity and automation tasks on your own Mac | $50 to $60 an hour (one listing, Oct 2026) | Weekly on Stripe or Wise | [Mercor listing](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoVBme63yIgVpzitF4Y_k/computer-power-users-automation-builders-must-own-macbook) |


## Kled AI review: how it works and what it pays

Kled is a consumer app, made by Nitrility Inc., that pays people for photos, video, audio and screen recordings and licenses them to AI companies. Its screen task asks you to record yourself doing something you actually need to do in an app, such as ordering food, paying a bill or booking a ride, at your normal speed. It pays $0.80 per accepted recording, which Kled says is about $16 an hour at a typical 3 minutes per recording. You need an iPhone, the work is independent-contractor piecework, and recordings that show a password or card number, repeat a task or show someone else's account are rejected ([Kled listing](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/screen-record-a-task-in-an-app-paid-data-task-remote-contract-at-kled-ai-4484260422)).

Kled resells the result as a dataset of "screen recordings of real tasks people needed to do in an app," under a non-exclusive commercial training licence that each contributor opts into when uploading ([Kled](https://www.kled.ai/datasets/screen-record-a-task-in-an-app)). Its founder told Business Insider in March 2026 that the company raised $6.5 million at a $150 million valuation ([Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/avi-patel-kled-ai-pays-for-data-7-million-funding-2026-3)).

Is Kled legit? It is a real, funded company that pays out, but reviews are mixed on how much. The App Store page claims more than 500,000 contributors and says earnings vary. Several reviewers complain of very small payouts for photo uploads, and Kled's own replies say payouts are not a fixed rate per photo and that items are reviewed and paid over five business days ([App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/kled/id6752585718)). Treat it as small side income, not a wage.

Source: [Kled AI: "Screen Record a Task in an App" paid task listing (LinkedIn, Oct 2026)](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/screen-record-a-task-in-an-app-paid-data-task-remote-contract-at-kled-ai-4484260422)

## What is computer use training data, and why do AI labs pay for it?

Computer use training data is a recording of a person using software, paired with a log of every click, keystroke and scroll, often with spoken or written narration of why each step was taken. Labs use it to teach agents to complete tasks in real applications and to test whether they can.

Demand is high enough that labs mine their own staff. Meta put a tool on US-based employees' computers that "records mouse activity, keystrokes, and screenshots to use as AI training data," and said the data would not be used for performance assessments ([The Verge](https://www.theverge.com/tech/916681/meta-ai-agents-employee-tracking)).

Volumes are already large. Markov says it has sold more than 15,000 hours of data to frontier AI labs and holds over 500,000 hours of general computer-use data, plus CAD environments with more than 10,000 tasks ([Markov](https://www.markovstudios.com/)). What stays scarce is expert work in the software that runs real businesses: ERP, CAD, accounting, claims, dispatch and CRM.

Source: [Y Combinator: Launch YC, Markov, data for computer-use AI (Aug 2026)](https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/SaA-markov-data-for-computer-use-ai)

## Why almost every program pays individuals, not companies

Recruiting individuals is simpler for the buyer, and it keeps employer data out of the set. The programs say so plainly.

- Mercor's listing states that the work "will not involve access to confidential or proprietary information from any employer, client, or institution" ([Mercor](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoVBme63yIgVpzitF4Y_k/computer-power-users-automation-builders-must-own-macbook)).
- p(doom) asks contributors to record only work they have the right to share and says confidential employer or client material does not qualify ([p(doom)](https://pdoom.org/careers/paid-data-collection/)).
- Kled rejects recordings of someone else's account and asks contributors to stop before entering payment details ([Kled listing](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/screen-record-a-task-in-an-app-paid-data-task-remote-contract-at-kled-ai-4484260422)).
- So an employee usually cannot sign up on their own and record their employer's systems. The recordings usually belong to the company's work, often show client data and may fall under software licence terms. Only the company can authorize them.
- The exception is Markov, whose contribute page tells teams their work "can train frontier models" and says it cleans recordings, removes anything sensitive and pays by the hour ([Markov](https://www.markovstudios.com/contribute)).

Source: [Mercor: Computer Power Users and Automation Builders listing (Oct 2026)](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoVBme63yIgVpzitF4Y_k/computer-power-users-automation-builders-must-own-macbook)

## What a company screen recording program looks like

A company-level arrangement turns the individual model around: the company decides which work is recorded, who records it and what is removed, and the company is paid. These are the pieces a buyer will expect.

- Good candidates: insurers and claims administrators, lenders and servicers, freight brokers and dispatch teams, accounting firms, medical billing teams, and engineering or CAD shops.
- Which records your systems hold, and how they map to buyers, is in the [company record map](https://origindatapartners.com/tools/company-record-map).

| Element | What it means in practice |
| --- | --- |
| Consented staff | Only employees who opt in, with written notice of what is captured and why; recording kept out of performance reviews |
| Scoped apps | An allowlist of the business applications to record. p(doom)'s recorder works this way: only chosen apps are recorded, and anything else shows as a black screen with input logging stopped ([crowd-cast docs](https://pdoom.org/docs/crowd-cast/privacy/)) |
| Redaction of client data | Customer names, account numbers, health and financial details removed before upload, or recording limited to test or sandbox records |
| Narration and outcomes | Staff explain each step, and each task records its input and the correct result, which is what labs say they lack |
| Sample first | A short sample set before full collection; Markov's custom collection starts this way ([Markov](https://www.markovstudios.com/datasets)) |
| Pay basis | Per approved hour or per accepted task, paid to the company; some firms pass a share to participating staff |


## Is it legal to record employees' screens for AI training?

In the US, the federal wiretap law (ECPA) generally allows interception of electronic communications where one party "has given prior consent" ([18 U.S.C. 2511](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2511)). Some states add notice rules: Connecticut requires every employer that engages in electronic monitoring to give "prior written notice to all employees who may be affected" ([Connecticut § 31-48d](https://www.cga.ct.gov/2023/pub/chap_557.htm)). Check the states where your staff work.

In the EU, employee recordings are personal data under GDPR. Member states may set specific rules for employee data, including on "monitoring systems at the work place" ([GDPR Article 88](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2016/679/article/88/adopted)), and consent is not a valid basis where there is "a clear imbalance between the data subject and the controller" ([Recital 43](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2016/679/introduction/adopted)), which is often the case between employer and employee. Expect to need another legal basis, a works council or staff consultation in some countries, and a data protection impact assessment.

Two contracts matter as much as the law. Client contracts and confidentiality clauses may forbid showing client records to a third party, and software licence terms may restrict recording or commercial use of the interface. Read both before any recording leaves the building.

Origin Data Partners is not a law firm. This guide summarizes public sources so you can frame questions for your own counsel. It is not legal advice.

Source: [18 U.S.C. § 2511: interception of communications (Cornell LII)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2511)

## Screen recordings vs selling archives: which fits your company?

Recording new work is one of three ways a company can supply computer use and agent data. The other two sell what already exists.

- Many companies start with the archive, which needs no new recording, and add a recording program for the workflows buyers ask about most.
- Teams with physical work, not desk work, can record that too: see [physical AI](https://origindatapartners.com/physical-ai). Fleets can read [selling dashcam footage for AI training](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/sell-dashcam-footage-ai-training).

| Route | What is sold | Effort for staff | Guide |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Screen recording program | New recordings of staff doing real tasks, with actions and narration | Ongoing: staff record during normal work | This page |
| Workflow records licence | Existing tickets, logs, documents and process records that show how work gets done | Low: an export of history | [Licensing workflow data for AI agents](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/license-workflow-data-for-ai-agents) |
| RL environment data | Records and software that let labs build practice environments for agents | Low to medium | [RL environments and company data](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/rl-environments-company-data) |


## Next step

Write down which software your team uses most, how many people use it daily and whether client data appears on screen. That is enough to judge whether a recording program is worth setting up, and no recording is needed to [see what your data is worth](https://origindatapartners.com/check-fit).

Origin Data Partners is an independent data partner. For a company, we compare buyers for recordings and for existing workflow records, and help scope consent, redaction and pay terms before anything is captured.

Origin Data Partners works with companies that own data and helps get it bought. We are independent of the services on this page, and a buyer may pay us when a deal closes ([how Origin is paid](https://origindatapartners.com/referral-disclosure)). [See what your data is worth](https://origindatapartners.com/check-fit).


## Questions and answers

### Can you get paid to record your screen for AI training?

Yes. Kled pays $0.80 per accepted phone screen recording of a real app task, p(doom) pays up to $1,000 a month for passive recording of long projects, and Mercor has listed narrated Mac workflow projects at $50 to $60 an hour. All of them review submissions and pay only for accepted work.

### Is Kled AI legit?

Kled is a real company, made by Nitrility Inc., that raised $6.5 million at a $150 million valuation in 2026, according to its founder in Business Insider, and it pays through PayPal, Venmo or a Solana wallet. App Store reviews are mixed: several users report very small payouts, and Kled says items are reviewed and paid over five business days. Expect small side income.

### How much does Kled pay for screen recordings?

Kled's "Screen Record a Task in an App" task pays $0.80 per accepted recording, which Kled says is about $16 an hour at a typical 3 minutes per recording. Its LinkedIn listing gave a $12 to $16 an hour range. Recordings that show passwords, card numbers or someone else's account are not paid.

### What is computer use training data?

It is a recording of a person using software together with a log of every click, keystroke and scroll, often with narration of each step and the task's correct outcome. AI labs use it to train and test computer use agents that operate real applications. Expert work in specialist software, such as CAD, ERP and accounting, is the scarcest kind.

### Why do computer use agents need screen recordings?

Because they learn to act in software by watching people do it. Markov says frontier models still struggle with long, multi-step workflows in real desktop software and that the main bottleneck is training data: synchronized screen recordings, mouse and keyboard actions and annotations from real work.

### Can my company sell screen recordings of employees' work?

Yes, if the company authorizes it, staff consent, client data is removed and contracts allow it. Individual programs such as Mercor and p(doom) exclude employer and client confidential material, so the company has to set up its own program. Markov addresses teams directly and pays by the hour, with no rate published.

### Is it legal to record employees' screens for AI training?

Often, with the right notice and basis. US federal law generally allows interception with one party's prior consent, and states such as Connecticut require prior written notice of electronic monitoring. In the EU, consent from employees is usually not a valid basis because of the imbalance of power, so expect to need another legal basis and an impact assessment.

### How can I get paid to use my computer?

Programs that pay for computer use data include Kled for phone app tasks, p(doom) for long projects you record passively, and Mercor or Markov for narrated expert work in desktop software. Rates rise with skill: everyday phone tasks earn cents per recording, expert workflows tens of dollars an hour.

### Can I sell screen recordings of work I do for my employer or a client?

Not on your own. The work and any client data on screen usually belong to your employer or client, and programs such as Mercor and p(doom) say employer or client confidential material does not qualify. Ask your employer whether it wants to set up a company-level program.

## Sources

- [Kled AI: "Screen Record a Task in an App" paid task listing (LinkedIn, Oct 2026)](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/screen-record-a-task-in-an-app-paid-data-task-remote-contract-at-kled-ai-4484260422)
- [Kled: Task Screen Recordings dataset](https://www.kled.ai/datasets/screen-record-a-task-in-an-app)
- [Kled on the App Store (ratings and developer responses)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/kled/id6752585718)
- [Business Insider: Kled AI founder on its $150 million valuation (Mar 2026)](https://www.businessinsider.com/avi-patel-kled-ai-pays-for-data-7-million-funding-2026-3)
- [Y Combinator: Launch YC, Markov, data for computer-use AI (Aug 2026)](https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/SaA-markov-data-for-computer-use-ai)
- [Markov: contribute your team's work](https://www.markovstudios.com/contribute)
- [Markov: datasets and custom collection](https://www.markovstudios.com/datasets)
- [Markov: the data lab for computer-use](https://www.markovstudios.com/)
- [p(doom): get paid to record your work](https://pdoom.org/careers/paid-data-collection/)
- [p(doom) on the Rocq Prover forum: paying researchers to capture their work (Aug 2026)](https://discourse.rocq-prover.org/t/we-are-paying-math-researchers-to-capture-the-work-you-are-already-doing/3083)
- [p(doom) crowd-cast documentation: privacy and data](https://pdoom.org/docs/crowd-cast/privacy/)
- [Mercor: Computer Power Users and Automation Builders listing (Oct 2026)](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoVBme63yIgVpzitF4Y_k/computer-power-users-automation-builders-must-own-macbook)
- [The Verge: Meta will track what employees do on their computers to train its AI agents (Apr 2026)](https://www.theverge.com/tech/916681/meta-ai-agents-employee-tracking)
- [18 U.S.C. § 2511: interception of communications (Cornell LII)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2511)
- [Connecticut General Statutes § 31-48d: notice of electronic monitoring (chapter 557)](https://www.cga.ct.gov/2023/pub/chap_557.htm)
- [GDPR Article 88: processing in the context of employment (as adopted, legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2016/679/article/88/adopted)
- [GDPR recitals as adopted, including Recital 43 on consent (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2016/679/introduction/adopted)

## Related reading

- [License workflow data for AI agents: a company owner’s guide](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/license-workflow-data-for-ai-agents)
- [What are RL environments? How AI labs build them and why they pay for company data](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/rl-environments-company-data)
- [RL environment companies and deals tracker (2026): who builds them and who pays for company data](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/rl-environment-companies)
- [Companies that pay businesses and people to record work for AI and robot training (2026)](https://origindatapartners.com/physical-ai/companies-that-pay-to-record-work)
- [Can you sell dashcam footage for AI training? A guide for fleets](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/sell-dashcam-footage-ai-training)