podcasting how-to

Automate the Transcription of Podcast Episodes (Hack!)

I occasionally read and respond to questions on various podcasting subreddits over at Reddit. I try to be a helpful human, when I can. 😃 I recently came upon a question that asked, "How can I automate the transcription of my podcast episodes by using IFTTT or Zapier?"

There were the obvious responses like, you can use Descript, Otter.ai, or Temi. Mainly folks mentioned the various transcription services one can use. But nobody directly addressed the automation part of the question (at least not at the time I read the post). 

However, someone did mention the idea of converting your audio podcast into a video to upload to YouTube. Then by using YouTube's video transcription service, you can create the transcript for your podcast episode. Which made me ponder this question a little bit more.  

What if you could automate the upload of your podcast episodes to YouTube? Then, a few hours after your podcast episode (now video) is live, you can grab the YouTube generated transcript. That would be a pretty close resolution to the redditor's problem. So, what if? Can it be done?

Wellllll, as a user of Libsyn (a podcast host) you can set up your podcast so that whenever you publish a new episode, it uploads as a video to your own YouTube channel - automatically! If you aren't a Libsyn user, you can do something similar using Repurpose.io, whereby you can hook up your podcast feed and have episodes upload automatically to YouTube.  Once your video is up on the platform for a few hours, you can head over to watch the video and open the transcript. 

So, yes, you can automate the transcription of your podcast episodes in this way. Sure, it's not going to be perfect or pretty, but my theory proved to be true. 

Good-bye five clicks to get a transcript for your podcast episodes and hello efficiency!  

In summary - the hack: 

Step 1: Setup your Libsyn account to have a YouTube Destination OR set up a service like Repurpose.io so that your podcast episodes can be converted into a video and uploaded to YouTube whenever you publish a new podcast episode. 

Step 2: Visit your YouTube account a few hours after the video has published, open the transcript (select the 3 ellipses to the right of the Save button), and copy/paste the transcript into a document.  Check out this quick video showing you where and how to 'download' YouTube video transcripts. 

Step 3: Pat yourself on the back for becoming an efficient and more productive podcaster. 

Preparing for Your First Podcast Interview

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You might find yourself being asked to be a guest on a podcast in the near future. This should be a fun experience and not one you stress out over!  If you’ve never been interviewed before, much less for something like a podcast, your first instinct might be to say no to the guest invitation. It's human nature to react in such a way  - the fear of the unknown. In this case, don’t let fear stop you! Most podcasters, especially those of whom are veterans in the industry, will go to great lengths to make you feel comfortable and relaxed during the interview. Of course,  you may feel more prepared and self-secure during your first podcast interview, by following these guidelines:

  • Request from your you host an outline or a list of questions that will be asked during the interview. Then, take some time prior to the recording to prepare. Don’t over-rehearse answers, however. Use the outline and questions they provide to help guide you - be sure to have it nearby during the call to help remind you of some key points you wanted to share.

  • When setting up an interview with a guest, I typically refer to it as a chat or conversation. This is exactly what it should be - a conversation between two (or more) people. No matter what your host refers to it as (an interview, a call or a recording) always remind yourself the podcast is simply a chat between friends. While you may not know the host personally, if you go into the call as if you were talking to a long lost friend, you’ll feel much more comfortable!

  • One final tip – don’t be afraid to tell your host you’re nervous about the recording or that this is your first podcast interview. More often than not, when they realize this, they’ll understand your nerves and do what they can to put your mind at ease. Also, as long as the podcast is not live - the host can edit out any brain freezes you might experience during the chat. Believe me, it happens (even to hosts) and is easily fixed in the post-production editing process. It is amazing how relaxed my guests become when I tell them how magical editing can truly be. If you are unsure of how edits are handled, ask your host. They'll be able to tell you. Overall - if you communicate to your host your questions or concerns, they'll answer them and make you feel good about the process.

In a future post, I’ll dive into some tips and advice for being a gracious host to your podcast guests.

Good luck. I know you will do great! Questions or comments about this post? Leave them in the comments below

Check out my newest podcast, The Inspired Entrepreneur's Guide to for guest interviews and more.

Need help with producing your podcast? Learn how I can help or let's chat!