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Understanding what a podcast transcript is, is to understand what a podcast transcript means. A transcript helps an audience or listener understand and put words to the information they listen to before or after listening.
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… this can be automated.
But wait... are podcast transcripts the same as podcast show notes?
Most people confuse podcast transcripts with show notes.
As much as they are two useful features on a podcast, podcast show notes are the total summary of everything discussed on your podcast show.
It also gives a chance for you to add practical context to your show, such as a call to action or guest bios. In contrast, a podcast transcript will break down every line of your show, word for word.
Why Transcribing Your Podcast Is Important
To Rank High
Podcast transcripts are a big way to help with your search engine optimization because they will include keyword research, podcast guests, and other content to make finding your podcast easy online.
Although SEO can only go so far in making sure your podcast ranks high, creating a correct transcript alongside a detailed show note can produce a steady difference and eventually affect your show's overall success.
Repurpose Your Content
Because podcast transcripts contain everything an episode on your podcast show is about, they can be used to build other forms of content without watching or listening to the actual episode. You can use podcast transcripts to source articles, email marketing campaigns, infographics or social media posts.
Create Options For Your Audience
Although listening to a podcast is a significant part of podcasting, people will prefer to skim through the transcript of your podcast before deciding to invest in it. By doing so, the prospective audience will know what to expect in your podcast episode, giving them options to choose from, either listening or reading.
Easy Access To Your Content
As a podcaster, you must get as many audiences as possible for the success of the show. People that can benefit from the podcast transcripts are people with hearing impairment, listeners who tuned in late or didn’t understand the audio of your episode, and people who do not speak in the same language-- they can look up the written content and translate it. To make your content more accessible, you should constantly add transcripts to each episode.
How To Create Podcast Transcripts
We understand now why podcast transcripts are essential… The next step is learning how to create one without stress.
There are several ways to make a podcast transcript. You can choose to self-write your transcript, employ the service of a podcast transcriber or use podcast transcript generators like descript, rev.com, go transcript etc.
When you write your podcast transcript yourself, you can listen to your episode verbatim and write down the words. The upside to this is the perfect accuracy you will get on the transcript because only you can perfectly understand the words on your show. You can also make it easier by using voice to text applications or AI software that type whenever you speak.
You can go ahead, record your show while it is taking notes of all your words. However, you might still need time to check for mistakes and make corrections.
To save time, you can employ a human transcriber on a freelancing website like Fiverr, Upwork and Freelancer. Although it might cut a hole in your pocket but in between rewinding, pausing and transcribing, most people would rather spend that time creating content.
These ways of transcription are effective and have a high accuracy rate.
More so, like we earlier mentioned, you can use podcast transcript generators to transcribe your podcast quickly. This method is likewise reliable and will save much stress. Most podcast transcription generators are accessible or affordable, so you do not have to worry about spending too much.
Where To Post Your Podcast Transcripts
It is essential to know how to create your transcript, and it is even more important to know where to put it for your audience to see on time.
Podcast Transcript Page
Your audience can view your transcripts on the page on your website solely dedicated to your podcast transcriptions. Your transcripts can be on a page if you have short episodes. But if it's a more extended episode, there should be a page linked to each episode. You can also have a downloadable link to each episode.
On The Episode Page
The episode page is a highly recommended way of showing your transcripts. All you need to do is directly put your podcast transcripts under the show notes on your web page. It makes it easier for Google to understand what the page is, and everything that has to do with your podcast episode will not be hard to find.
Best Podcast Transcription Generators
Here’s a look at some of the best podcast transcription generators in the market:
GoTranscript
The GoTranscript podcast transcript service is one of the most extensive web-based transcription services online. With trained professionals skilled to convert all your webcasts, video podcasts and transcribe your video and audio files into text.
On GoTranscript, there is a thorough proofread method to provide 99% accuracy on your transcripts. There are also separate transcriptions for multiple speakers, making it the best choice for a podcast show with guests on it.
Rev
Rev is one of the best, reliable, secure and affordable transcription services in the podcasting world. They are incredibly beneficial for your podcast with transcriptions and video productions. You can be sure of the safety of your podcast files with them and their round the clock customer support service to tend to any questions or enquiry.
Happy Scribe
Happy Scribe is a web-based transcription service that transcribes audio and video files in over a hundred languages. It costs $30 for 3 hours per month. After uploading your file, set your file to export in PDF, VTT, XML, SRT, AVID, TXT, Word, or Premiere.
This is after you must have used the happy scribe interactive editor for precise corrections. This software will thoroughly check for mistakes and carefully correct them before sharing. It integrates with different APIs and comes with an Embed player that you can use on any website.
InqScribe
This podcast transcription software is one of the few that can work on only PC and Mac computers. It comes free to install and use. However, to save, print, or export transcripts on InqScribe, you must buy an individual license of $99.
No matter the kind of format you have for your audio or video files, InqScribe can transcribe it. It adds a timestamp to your transcripts and subtitles perfectly in different languages.
Audext
If you intend on getting transcription done in a few minutes, Audext is the best option for you. All you need to do is upload a file, and it will be transcribed in a Txt or Doc file in a matter of minutes. It also recognizes organization's multiple voices on the audio files and makes separate transcriptions for them. Audext comes with a text editor for correcting mistakes made during the transcription process and has a 30 minutes free trial. The downside to using Audext is that transcriptions are sometimes inaccurate, and it does not come with an option for video transcriptions.
Descript
This software has a cross-platform that can be used to transcribe audio and video files. It also comes with a Lyrebird AI that automatically corrects a word you mistakenly say. To use the descript platform, you need to pay $1.25 per minute of audio. It has a free version, but you cannot do a transcript with it.
Descript works well for web, PC and Mac computers. And it is super-fast in its transcription process; you can transcribe an hour of audio in a couple of minutes. It also comes with human transcribers, but it costs about $1 25 per minute. The downside of using descript is that it does not have file sharing, and you cannot transcribe in the free version.
Trint
Using Trint for transcription is easy, and you can complete it in straight and simple steps. You highlight the parts you want to transcribe after uploading an audio or video file on Trint. Afterwards, you export those files as DOC, SRT, or TXT files. The upside to using this podcast transcription generator is that the app's data protects your files from a third party, and only you can have access to it.
It comes with different and efficient reliable tools for editing texts and has transcription services in over 27 languages.
The downside to this podcast transcript service is its expensive cost, at an average price of $44 for a monthly plan and a short trial period.
Easy and Quick Ways to Write Podcast Transcripts for Free
Google Docs
You can also make podcast transcripts for free if you do not want to spend money. For example, you can use the voice typing feature on Google docs.
This software can be used on pre-recorded audio files and during a podcast show. The accuracy of using a Google doc depends on how clear the audio recording is. It would be best if you still went through the transcript by eliminating the process of transcription.
YouTube
YouTube has a caption feature that can be used during live streams, and this tool can also be used in transcribing while your podcast is in progress or a pre-recorded show.
You can make good use of YouTube by uploading your podcast and getting automatic captions for the video.
This feature, however, does not give 100% accuracy, so you might need to go through the transcription and ensure that the text matches.
Examples of Good Podcast Transcripts
Move Your DNA
Move Your DNA has excellent features for transcriptions. It has a dedicated site for podcast transcriptions, and that way, you can easily find every podcast episode in one spot. It also has the feature to differentiate between the interviewer and the guest. There is a summary for each section in an episode. And this makes it possible to move from one part of the episode to another quickly.
Here’s a link to one of MYD podcast episode transcriptions: https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/podcast-transcript-ep-8-move-your-dna/
S-Town
This new podcast from Serial comes with everything you will expect from a good podcast brand. It also has a landing page that takes you to extra chapters. And it also cancels the need for backtracking as every transcript tells everything you need to know about a speaker.
Here’s a link to one of S-Town podcast episode transcriptions: https://genius.com/S-town-s-town-chapter-i-transcript-annotated
Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics has been a success and has sold millions of copies in different languages. This means you can easily access whichever podcast transcript you want in several languages. Underneath each episode, there is an extra resource about all that was said and quotes by guests.
Here’s a link to one of Freakonomics podcast episode transcriptions: https://freakonomics.com/2015/09/17/i-dont-know-what-youve-done-with-my-husband-but-hes-a-changed-man-full-transcript/
This American Life
This American Life has spent a long time transcribing its podcasts. They take time in ensuring transcripts are easy to read and well broken down. They also make use of a feature that differentiates the voice of the host from the guests.
Here’s a link to one of TAL podcast episode transcriptions: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/74/transcript
How Much Can You Earn As A Podcast Transcriber?
For those who want to work as freelance podcast transcribers, the precise amount you can earn while transcribing depends on the organization you transcribe for, the budget for the role, and your skill level. On a general note, companies that actively recruit beginners for this role do not pay as much as companies that recruit experienced transcriptionists. Usually, it takes between 2-5 hours transcribing for one-hour audio, but the skill level and file complexity will also influence the speed.
Transcriptionists with years of experience often charge above $50, as anything below is considered too low. However, if you are a newbie in transcription, it might help you to work at a lower rate at the start. At the same time, you pick up valuable skills that might help you get transcription gigs with better rates.
Are there organizations that hire beginner transcriptionists?
There is a good list of legitimate companies where newbies can get a transcriptionist job. You will likely be required to take simple, short transcription tests in these companies. This will help them access your attention level and typing accuracy before they assign a job to you. If you must settle for transcription jobs that pay less than $50 per hour, you can use it as an opportunity to build experience before opting for better-paying jobs.
Where To Get Podcast Transcript Jobs?
Fame
Fame is a B2B Podcast Agency that starts and grows the world's most profitable podcasts for growth-focused B2B businesses. The brand defines strategy, finds and books guests, trains the host, produces the audio, promotes the podcast, and much more. You can apply to be a transcriptionist and work with the team to transcribe podcast shows as they actively recruit transcriptionists.
Here is a link to apply.
Transcribe Anywhere
Transcribe Anywhere does not actively recruit transcriptionists. They only offer online courses to teach students the best way to transcribe and become freelance transcribers.
The course is an online-based one that features quizzes, modules, and practice dictations. The course teaches you how to create samples for client contracts and how to set your rates.
TranscribeMe
Taking a transcribing role with TranscribeMe requires registering on the platform and completing its Transcriber Training Program. The organization does not need you to work for a fixed number of hours.
Transcriptionists are paid $15 per audio hour, and you do not need to have transcription equipment aside from a good computer with reliable internet and Google Chrome. You receive a weekly payment via PayPal.
Quicktate
At Quicktate, newbies are hired after passing a typing quiz. The company works with independent contractors that transcribe letters, voicemail messages, memos, conference calls, etc.
After working as a transcriber with Quicktate for a while, you get promoted to iDictate, a sister company to Quicktate, but they pay slightly more for transcriptions. You get 1 cent for every four-word you transcribe with Quicktate, while you get 2 cents for every four words you transcribe with iDictate. You have the autonomy to decide how long or little you want to work, then get your pay weekly via PayPal.
Rev
You have to take and pass a grammar test, then submit a transcription template before you can get assignments from Rev. Rev also gives transcribers the autonomy to work for as much or little as they want.
You can get between 30 cents to $1.10 for every audio minute, which sums up to $18 - $66 per audio hour. You receive payment weekly through PayPal, and you do not require special equipment aside from your PC and a fast Internet.
Conclusion
To create a loyal fan base for your podcast show, you need to widen the reach of your audience. And transcribing every episode of your podcast episode will draw attention to your work and improve your SEO mainly if you use the right tools.
bCast offers podcast transcription to get podcast transcripts free as a part of our podcast hosting features. With bCast, you can do this with the click of a button. You upload an episode, click that button, and in approximately three minutes, bCast will share a complete transcription of the episode.
We recommend adding this to your show notes, which will then update your bCast podcast website for Google to find. We also recommend adding this transcript to your website if you also host your podcast with the bCast embeddable player.
