5 Ways a Podcast Transcript Can Expand Your Reach (2024)

January 7, 2022 BY REBECCA KLEIN
Updated: April 20, 2022

Tips for Creating an Accessible Podcast [Free Guide]

Podcast transcription is a major topic right now, and for good reason: Three leading podcast platforms were recently sued for not providing transcripts on their popular mobile applications.

While this lawsuit could have far-reaching legal consequences for the podcast industry, such as mandating transcription in a similar way to streaming companies providing closed captions, there are many reasons other than legal compliance for podcasters to provide transcripts.

In this blog post, we’ll go over five ways transcription can expand your podcast’s reach.

5 Ways a Podcast Transcript Can Expand Your Reach (1)

5 ways podcast transcripts can expand your reach

  1. Greater accessibility means you can reach a wider audience
  2. Boost SEO and find new listeners
  3. Repurpose podcast content for new audiences
  4. Get quoted and credited on other platforms
  5. Create a better UX with transcription

1. Greater accessibility means you can reach a wider audience

Podcasts are an incredible storytelling tool, but they’re an imperfect medium. Audio on its own is exclusionary to the approximately 48 million Americans who are d/Deaf or hard-of-hearing.

When you provide a podcast transcript, you increase accessibility and can reach a wider audience who would otherwise not have access to your podcast.

Additionally, audio-only content can create challenges for people who are not native English speakers and limit situational accessibility. What if your loyal subscribers can’t hear the latest episode of your podcast over the din of a noisy bus? Or they left their headphones at home and are stuck in a quiet waiting room? With a transcript, they could still access your podcast.

Learn how to make your podcast accessible [Free Guide]

2. Boost your SEO and find new listeners

A search engine can index text far better than it can index audio. Search bots can’t listen to audio; they can crawl the metadata but not the content within the file.

A podcast transcript converts all the keyword-rich content from your podcast episodes into text that bots can read. You’ll find that publishing your podcast transcripts along with your audio files will significantly increase your web traffic, which will help you find new listeners.

How can we be sure?

This American Life tried it, and here’s what happened:

This American Life — Case Study

In 2014, This American Life decided to publish audio transcripts of their entire archive to learn how the transcripts impact SEO.

They discovered that:

  • New inbound traffic increased by 4.36%, directly attributable to the new audio transcript pages.
  • New inbound traffic via search increased by 6.68%, directly attributable to the new audio transcript pages.
  • Inbound links increased by 3.89%, directly attributable to the new audio transcript pages.
  • At least one transcript was viewed by 7.23% of all unique visitors.

If you rely on a YouTube channel to attract new listeners, you can upload the podcast transcript to YouTube and create closed captions on your podcast video. Closed captions are also proven to increase YouTube and video SEO.

The increased search rankings and extra search traffic will help new listeners discover you and help returning listeners find and share their favorite episodes more easily.

3. Repurpose podcast content for new audiences

After going through the trouble of producing a brilliant podcast episode, shouldn’t you make the most of it? Adding a podcast transcript can help you do just that!

From one podcast episode, you can make many other pieces of content. Podcasters often post video versions of podcasts on their YouTube channels or turn their episodes into blog posts by publishing the audio transcripts.

Text blogs are still an essential part of driving traffic to your website. Instead of having to come up with all-new written content for your blog, you can save yourself some time and use podcast transcripts for quotes, content ideation, and more.

Plus, some people prefer to read instead of listening to audio. Why not let those audiences enjoy your podcast in their preferred format?

Some ideas for repurposing podcast content include:

  • Turning quotes into snippets for social media
  • Generating blog content for podcast recaps and related topics
  • Using transcripts in email newsletters and marketing campaigns
Make your podcast accessible with our free guide

4. Get quoted and credited on other platforms

A podcast transcript increases your chances of getting quoted in a tweet, blog, or article, which improves page authority and SEO.

If you don’t have a transcript and someone hears something they want to quote on your podcast, they would have to transcribe the quote themselves to share the content. That’s often too much trouble for your listeners, and you risk being misquoted or not credited. However, if you provide a podcast transcript, listeners can copy and paste the quote they want to share with proper attribution.

Researchers or bloggers may stumble upon a particular episode of interest via Google search, and a handy audio transcript makes it easy for them to quote your podcast and, importantly, cite you as a source. With that come valuable inbound links to your site.

In short, providing a podcast transcript will make your episodes vastly more shareable, quotable, and citable, which can drive new audiences to your show.

5. Create a better UX

Podcasts are fantastic to listen to while exercising, driving, or doing other tasks on the go. However, since podcasts aren’t visually engaging, it’s more challenging to keep listeners engaged while they’re sitting in front of a computer screen. Additionally, some people prefer reading or skimming text to listening to audio.

With a transcript, someone can read along as they listen to the podcast. You can even take that to the next level by making the transcript interactive. Listeners can click on a word and jump to that point in the audio, scrolling through to a different section of the episode.

With repurposed content, you’ll also create a better UX for desktop audiences who may prefer to read a blog post or listen to a snippet of content on social media rather than a full audio-only episode.

5 Ways a Podcast Transcript Can Expand Your Reach (2)

This post was originally published in September 2016 by Emily Griffin and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

5 Ways a Podcast Transcript Can Expand Your Reach (2024)

FAQs

How do I increase my podcast reach? ›

Podcast Tips: 8 Ways to Help You Gain Podcast Listeners in 2023
  1. Craft a Great Podcast Episode Title.
  2. Choose a Different Keyword for Each Episode.
  3. Build a Website for Your Podcast.
  4. Create a Separate Page for Each Episode.
  5. Share Your Content on Social Media Channels.
  6. Submit Your Podcast to Directories.
Apr 28, 2023

What can you do with podcast transcripts? ›

A podcast transcript creates content you can repurpose

A podcast transcript is a valuable bank of written copy you can use to create other forms of content. You might use it for email marketing campaigns, social media posts, or infographics. Many podcasters use their transcriptions as sources for blog articles.

What are the features of a podcast transcript? ›

A podcast transcript references your podcast. It creates a word for word information on every word said on your podcast and also adds timestamps to let listeners know when it was mentioned. If you do not want to go through the trouble of transcribing your podcast show manual…

What are the advantages of audio transcription? ›

Transcription makes your video and audio content more accessible to people in a wider variety of situations. It also helps you get more out of your content by making it easier to repurpose into text formats, giving you all the material you need to promote your content with snippets and quotes.

Why is a transcript effective? ›

It helps us capture facts and figures for case studies and systematic investigations and expands our knowledge and credibility. Many industries utilize research to develop theories based on the information they have gathered during their analysis, and this includes the education sector.

What makes a podcast grow? ›

keep in mind the key to growing your listeners is to find your niche. Rather than casting a wide net, pinpoint the unique value your podcast brings to the world and consider the audience who is most likely to listen to (and benefit from) your show.

What is good growth for a podcast? ›

Potential audience sizes are totally dependent on show topics. There's no single podcast download numbers gauge here. However, statistically, if you get over 30 downloads for a new episode in the first week of its release, you're in the top 50% of all podcasters.

How do I find the reach of a podcast? ›

Checking a podcast's social media accounts can tell you something about their listenership figures and how engaged their listeners are. Usually you can go to the podcast's official website (listed in most podcast listening apps) to find links to their social accounts. Check out their Instagram feed or TikTok account.

Are podcast transcripts worth it? ›

If your podcast is audio only, the transcript can significantly benefit your audience by allowing them to follow along as they listen. If you have a video podcast, your audience can peek at the transcript for greater context while watching your broadcast.

How do you make money from transcripts? ›

  1. QA World. In this platform, transcribers are hired as analysts. ...
  2. Rev. Rev is a very good platform for beginner transcribers with no prior experience. ...
  3. TranscribeMe. Claiming to pay more than anyone, TranscribeMe is a great work from home site. ...
  4. GoTranscript. ...
  5. Upwork.
Nov 19, 2020

Do podcast transcripts help with SEO? ›

Search engines can't listen to your podcast audio, so that is where podcast SEO comes in. Search engines determine how to index podcasts based on any written text found in the podcast. This is where a podcast audio transcription, or even a summary, is important.

What are the elements of a transcript? ›

A text transcript should include all audible elements, which include: dialogue, important background sounds, music identification, and more. They should also include a description of important visual-only elements.

What is the most important feature of a podcast script? ›

The biggest challenge of writing a podcast script is keeping it conversational. If you aren't careful, reading a podcast script can lead to a flat, monotone delivery.

What is the most important of transcription? ›

The initiation of transcription is an especially important step in gene expression because it is the main point at which the cell regulates which proteins are to be produced and at what rate.

What is interesting about transcription? ›

Fun Facts about Transcriptions and Typing

A person can speak around 150-170 words per minute—and an average of around 10,000 words per hour. A person speaks 7 times faster than he writes. A professional transcriptionist can type between 80 to 100 words per minute.

What is a transcript and why is it important? ›

Your college transcript is your “permanent record” when it comes to your college career. Each school you attend will keep a detailed record of which classes you took, the grades you earned, dates attended, majors and minors, and your overall grade point average.

Why does a transcript matter? ›

They list all the classes you took, the final grades you received in each class and your overall grade point average (GPA). Why Do They Matter? Your transcripts are a reflection of your academic history. That means they're very important to college admissions teams.

What is a podcast strategy? ›

A podcast content strategy is a comprehensive framework that guides your business or brand in effectively engaging your target audience through your podcast. It encompasses a set of rules, recommendations, and communication channels that determine the most impactful ways to connect with your listeners.

How do you engage a podcast audience? ›

15 Strategies to Increase Podcast Audience Engagement
  1. Know Your Audience. ...
  2. Know What Your Audience Wants. ...
  3. Focus on Value. ...
  4. Organize Episodes Around Themes. ...
  5. Create a Powerful Landing Page. ...
  6. Create Catchy Titles. ...
  7. Get to the Point. ...
  8. Invite Guests.

What are the 7 skills for the future podcast? ›

The series shares each of the 7 skills individually; adaptability, critical thinking, empathy, integrity, resilience, being proactive, and optimism.

How long does it take to grow a podcast audience? ›

It can take five to six months (or even longer) to increase podcast downloads. There's no shortcut to fame. It takes time and persistence. In fact, your numbers may go up and down for each episode, but if you keep publishing great content, they will trend upward over time.

At what point is a podcast successful? ›

5,000 listeners per episode almost guarantees a successful monetization. This is where a lot of interesting things start happening. Having more than 5,000 listeners per episode makes a podcast over 29 times more likely to be monetized successfully.

What are the signs of a successful podcast? ›

The Top 3 Characteristics of a Successful Podcast, According to a Podcasting Pro. Ginni Saraswati, founder and CEO of podcast production company Ginni Media, shares why Intentionality, Cadence, and Thoughtfulness of Content are the three most important characteristics of a successful podcast.

What is the reach of podcasts? ›

As of our most recent data, Q3 2022, podcasts now reach 18% of those age 13+ in the U.S. — a 20% increase in the past year (Q3 2021), and over three times the reach of 2014.

What percentage of podcasts succeed? ›

Tracking the duration of a listen is the most accurate way to find out how many people finish an episode. The average completion rate is 60%. It means that if you have 100 listeners, only 60 of them will finish the episode. The number can be lower for some shows and higher for others.

How much do transcripts matter? ›

They're key to transferring credits from one university to another and are the best way to verify your prior academic performance. Yet many students struggle to get their transcripts and don't know how to ensure that their previous work follows them from one institution to another.

How much does it cost to transcribe a podcast? ›

Standard rates for professional transcriptionists (especially those professionals from North America) range from $1.5 to $3 per audio minute or $90 to $180 per audio hour. If your project has extra requirements, such as a quick turnaround time, you may be forced to pay more to have the job done.

Do recruiters look at transcripts? ›

Employers may appreciate reviewing your transcripts to see if you completed specific courses that relate directly to a skill you need for the job. To get your transcript, you probably need to contact the registrar's office or the records office at your school.

How long does it take to transcribe 1 hour of audio? ›

When it comes to individual transcribers, the average time to transcribe one hour of audio is approximately four hours. But, some transcribers quote four hours as the minimum since it can easily reach 10 hours. Transcription time by audio hour varies so much mostly because each audio file is different.

Can I make a living doing transcription? ›

Transcription is a well-paying career with many opportunities. A transcriptionist's salary is generally around $19.02, while an advanced transcriptionist earns around $25 to $30 per hour. With this rate, you can easily earn an average of $1141.2 every month if you work 2.5 hours per day for 24 days.

How much do beginner transcriptionists make? ›

Most transcriptionists can make between $15 and $25 an hour when they're just starting out and don't have a specialization or expertise. Some fields pay more for transcription services, like legal or medical companies.

Does Spotify do podcast transcripts? ›

For original Spotify content, transcripts are included in the podcast file. This functions in much the same way as the platform's song lyrics feature. However, for third-party podcasts, the easiest way to open a transcript is to include a link in the show notes, so listeners can follow along using a web page.

Does making a podcast look good for college? ›

As a host, podcasting is a great way to dive deeper into a topic you're interested in, it gives you a reason to connect with people you admire, and it provides a platform to share your passion with others. Let's not forget that it can also look pretty good on your university applications!

What are the 3 features of a podcast? ›

In general, a podcast episode should have an intro, a section of main content, and then an outro. In most cases, your intro will explain who you are and what you're talking about that day. Next, you'll dive right into your main content and/or your interview. And last, you will close with an outro.

What are the three stages of transcript? ›

The process of DNA transcription can be split into 3 main stages: initiation, elongation & termination. These steps are also involved in DNA replication.

What are the three types of transcripts? ›

The types of transcription are mainly categorized into three types – verbatim, edited and intelligent transcription. All these transcriptions can be used for audio or video files only the process could be different, depending upon the requirements and resource availability.

What is the importance of podcast transcription? ›

A podcast transcript increases your chances of getting quoted in a tweet, blog, or article, which improves page authority and SEO. If you don't have a transcript and someone hears something they want to quote on your podcast, they would have to transcribe the quote themselves to share the content.

What makes good podcast content? ›

11 Elements That Make a Good Podcast
  • An Original Idea. ...
  • Well-Structured and Planned Out Episodes. ...
  • Plenty of Host-To-Listener Interaction. ...
  • Good Storytelling. ...
  • Value (And Lots of It) ...
  • Regular Publishing Schedules. ...
  • Appropriate and Relevant Guests. ...
  • An Engaging and Interesting Host.

Why are podcasts impactful? ›

It builds a relationship between you and your audience

Use voice modulation to emphasize important points. By having them become familiar with your views, creative ideas, voice and format, your audience will start to trust you. Pro Tip: Make a good podcast intro to engage your audience from the very beginning.

Should podcasts be transcribed? ›

You're a podcaster. You do audio, not the written word. Right? While it may seem like you don't need to provide a transcript for your listeners (they are listening, after all), transcribing your podcast audio should actually be a crucial part of your marketing strategy.

Do podcasts need transcripts? ›

Put simply, if you're planning on hosting podcasts on your website, you should also provide transcripts. Below, we'll explain why text alternatives for audio-only content are helpful — and provide some best practices for creating and publishing.

Do podcast transcripts help SEO? ›

Search engines can't listen to your podcast audio, so that is where podcast SEO comes in. Search engines determine how to index podcasts based on any written text found in the podcast. This is where a podcast audio transcription, or even a summary, is important.

What are the pros and cons of podcasting? ›

Anyone who needs to see or hear them can stream the files or download them to a computer, smartphone or media player for listening or viewing.
  • Advantage: Convenience. ...
  • Disadvantage: Accessibility. ...
  • Advantage: Easy. ...
  • Disadvantage: Loss of Control. ...
  • Finding an Audience.

How effective is podcasting? ›

They have proven to be one of the most effective advertising media. Already in 2019, a BBC World Service study showed that the engagement rate of podcasts was 47% higher in comparison to radio and 27% higher than TV.

How long does it take to transcribe a podcast? ›

Now that you know what factors contribute to transcription time, here is how the speed breaks down for the average person and the professional. The average person can transcribe one audio hour in about 4 hours. It takes most people about one hour to transcribe 15 minutes of a clear, slow audio file.

Can I turn a podcast into a transcript? ›

How do I generate podcast transcripts? Upload your podcast audio file to VEED 2. Go to Subtitles from the left menu and click on 'Auto Transcribe' under Subtitles. Edit the transcription if necessary.

How many podcasts have transcripts? ›

As of March 2022, only 1% of today's podcasts offer transcripts. That means 99% of podcasts are exclusionary to the 11.5 million Americans who are D/deaf or hard of hearing.

Why do I want to transcribe? ›

A career in transcription might be enjoyable for you if you like typing and helping people. Being a transcriptionist can have several benefits, like setting your own hours, picking projects or industries that interest you, and learning skills that can help you in several fields.

What gain should you record at for podcast? ›

Generally, a peak level of -1.0 dB is good for podcasts, as this level will ensure your audio sounds good when it's converted to a lossy format like MP3 or AAC.

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