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Podcasts offer an engaging, informational and entertaining experience for listeners. They’ve exploded in popularity and cover everything from business to society and culture. Unfortunately, there is only one way to consume podcasts: listening.
Podcast transcripts solves this problem. It makes podcasts accessible to people who may not be able to hear, people who don’t have direct access to reliable internet and those who simply prefer reading.
If you’re looking to expand the audience of your podcast, consider making transcripts a part of your publishing process.
DIY or Use a Transcription Service
Making a podcast transcript is much like any other transcript. To do it correctly, it takes time, practice and the right tools. Of course, you can always do it by yourself, especially if you have a tight budget. But you can also partner with a speech to text transcription service to do it for you. Read the process involved with each process to decide which sounds right for you.
How to Get a Podcast Transcripts with a Transcription Service
Using a transcription service to make your podcast transcription is much easier. To use Rev, all you have to do is provide us with the podcast link (or the file if you have it). Decide whether you want a less expensive machine-generated transcript or get it one done via our 99% accurate human transcription services.
1. Go to the Rev Transcription Services page
Go to the Rev transcription page and click “Get Started”
2. Upload your podcast audio or video file, or paste a URL
If your podcast audio or video file is downloaded on your local drive, upload the file by clicking “Upload Files.” You can also paste a public URL if your podcast is already on the web.
3. Choose additional transcription options if you need them
You can rush your transcript (5x faster delivery), add timestamps on every paragraph, get verbatim transcripts, and get a machine-generated “instant first draft.” These transcripts are done by humans with a 99% accuracy guarantee, so they’re great for publishing podcast content or making content accessible for hard of hearing individuals.
On a tight budget? Rev also offers an automatic transcription service. This service is about 80% accurate, so it might require a little editing. Rev’s automated transcription is only $0.25 per audio or video minute.
4. Checkout and your podcast transcript will be delivered over email or in your Rev account dashboard
Your podcast will usually be transcribed within a few hours, depending on the length of the file.
Rev can turn around a podcast transcription in as little as 5 minutes. You’ll be notified when your transcription is ready for download. With that word document, you can do anything you want from sharing to repurposing the information! It’s as easy as that.
How to Write a Transcript of a Podcast Yourself
All you need to create your own podcast transcription is a word processor and an audio player. It’s helpful if your audio player has an easy rewind function. Most podcast apps provide a 10-15 second rewind button that will be extremely helpful for your transcription.
Next, type what you hear word for word. Remember to always indicate which speaker is talking for clarity and accuracy. Many podcast guests tend to give lengthy answers, so it’s a good idea to break their transcription into paragraphs. Be sure to indicate they’re still speaking any time you add a paragraph break so that readers will be clear. Also, try to remove any verbal fillers if you can. Things like “um” and “hm” or “you know” are natural in a conversation, but don’t translate well in written content. Keep the podcast transcription as accurate as possible, while still cleaning up any unnecessary filler.
Benefits of Podcast Transcripts
Beyond making each episode more accessible, a podcast transcript also gives you more opportunities to connect with a larger audience. Unlike audio files, a text file can be consumed anywhere. Reading doesn’t require headphones or a quiet space, so if you’re looking to get your message out to the largest group of people, text files are the way to go.
Transcribing your podcast can also help you create blog posts, emails, infographics and other informative content. Plus, it’s much easier to translate into other languages. While podcasts are great on their own, a podcast transcript really elevates their reach and impact.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is also a great reason to transcribe your podcasts. Search engines like Google and Bing cannot index audio files, but they can index audio transcripts of podcast episodes in text format.