An episode is an hour of talk that search engines cannot read and listeners cannot skim. A transcript gives it a written form. From one transcript a show gets its notes, quotes for social posts, and a page per episode that search can index.
The steps apply to your own show and to shows whose owner has given you the rights. Transcription is multilingual, and a host who switches language mid-sentence keeps each word in the script it was spoken in.
Why transcribe a podcast?#
- Show notes and chapter titles written from what was actually said.
- A page of text for every episode, which search engines index.
- Quotes for social posts and newsletters, taken word for word.
- Access for listeners who are deaf or hard of hearing, and for anyone who reads faster than they listen.
Which audio file should you transcribe?#
Transcribe the final mix, the same file you publish. Its timing matches the episode listeners hear, and a quote's timestamp then points at the same moment in the feed. Export it as MP3 or M4A.
A show recorded with each host on a separate track still works from the mixed file. Speakers numbers each voice for you, and one upload costs less effort than one per track.
How do you transcribe a podcast, step by step?#
- Upload the episodeOpen the Transcribe tool and drop in the MP3 or M4A. The cost shows before you start.
- Turn on SpeakersEach turn comes back with a number, one per voice. Match the numbers to the hosts and the guest once, and the rest of the transcript follows.
- Put the names in the vocabularyEnter the show's name, the hosts, the guest, and every brand or place the episode mentions, up to 50 terms.
- Choose Clean or VerbatimClean drops fillers and false starts, which suits show notes and a blog post. Verbatim keeps every word, for quotes where the way something was said matters.
- Copy the text, or download captionsCopy the transcript for the episode page. For a video version of the show, choose SRT or VTT under Subtitles and download the caption file.
Note
Paxa STT Lite is a research preview. Its transcripts and its options may change between releases.
Does Apple Podcasts make transcripts for you?#
Apple Podcasts generates a transcript after a new episode is published, according to Apple's transcript guide. A show can supply its own as a VTT or SRT file linked from the RSS feed's transcript tag. Apple holds every transcript to its quality standards.
Apple accepts transcripts in English, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. A Thai or Chinese show gets no transcript there. Its transcript belongs on the show's own website, one page per episode.
What should you check before you publish the transcript?#
- The guest's name, title, and company.
- Every brand, book, and place the episode mentions.
- Numbers and dates, in the form your show notes use.
- Who said each quote, after you have put names to the speaker numbers.
- Crosstalk and laughter, where two voices overlap.
Paxa publishes no accuracy figure. Read the transcript against the audio once, and measuring transcription accuracy shows how to score a sample of your own.
What does it cost to transcribe a podcast?#
Transcription is priced by the length of the audio. Paxa STT Lite costs 8.33 credits per minute, and an hour is 500 credits, or $0.50.
| Episode | Length | Credits | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short solo episode | 20 minutes | 166.67 | $0.17 |
| Interview episode | 45 minutes | 375 | $0.38 |
| Long conversation | 90 minutes | 750 | $0.75 |
| A month of weekly hour-long episodes | 240 minutes | 2,000 | $2.00 |
A new account's 100 free credits cover about 12 minutes of audio, with no card. They are for personal use and evaluation. Buy any plan or credit pack, and the account's transcripts are yours to use commercially, including those made before the purchase. The Terms set this out.
What should you read or try next?#
- Upload an episode to the Transcribe tool with the free credits.
- See how a show is produced from a script on the podcasts page.
- Make captions for a video episode with the subtitle generator.
- Read how to transcribe an interview for checking quotes before they go out.
- Compare transcription services on the speech to text API comparison.
Common questions#
Can it tell the hosts apart?#
Yes. With Speakers on, each turn carries a number, one per voice, in order of first appearance. Nobody is identified by name, and you match each number to a host once.
Can I transcribe a podcast I do not own?#
Only with the rights to it. A transcript copies the episode's words, and publishing one needs the owner's permission. For your own listening and notes, follow the show's terms and the law where you live.
How do I transcribe a video podcast?#
Export the sound from the video as MP3 or M4A and upload that. Download SRT or VTT for the video, and copy the plain text for the audio feed and the episode page.
Can I make a podcast with an AI voice from a script?#
Yes. Text to speech reads a script in English, Thai, and Mandarin. Paxa TTS Flash v2 has 50 voices and costs 10 credits per 1,000 characters. A two-host show alternates two voices, and the Speech tool lets you hear them first.