How to Get Spotify Podcast Transcripts in 2023 (2024)

Creating Spotify podcasts transcripts is necessary for improving accessibility, but it can also help with creating other content. The steps for doing this depend on whether you’re the content owner.

In this article, you’ll learn how to get Spotify transcripts regardless of whether you own the content.

How to Get Spotify Podcast Transcripts

The steps for getting Spotify podcast transcripts don’t vary massively for original or third-party content. If you plan to transcribe someone else’s podcast and want to use it publicly, be sure to ask their permission first.

Step 1: Get a Copy of the Audio

The first step in creating Spotify podcast transcripts is to get a copy of the audio. If you’re the original owner, this is easy, as you’ll have a copy of the file to upload as a podcast. Get the audio into its final state (that you plan to upload) and then jump ahead to the transcription steps.

But if you don’t own the content, you’ll need to download it. Don’t use the Spotify download option, as that simply saves the file to your Spotify account rather than onto your device. Here are some options for the latter:

• On a smartphone: The easiest option is to use a screen recorder. Although it doesn’t have loads of functionality, it saves you from using a third-party platform.
• On a computer: Use a third-party program to download the Spotify podcast as an MP3 file. An example is Audkit, but there are many others available.

Step 2: Create a Spotify Podcast Transcription

Ideally, the downloaded file should be either MP3 or MP4, as these are the most accessible types. If your file is in a different format, consider converting it into either of these.

After creating your podcast file, you can move on to transcribing it. There are 2 options for this: manual and automatic.

Manual Transcription

This is a simple option for creating Spotify podcast transcriptions. As the name suggests, it involves typing out the audio yourself. Using a media playback platform with variable speed options helps, as you can slow the content down to make it more understandable.

The steps are straightforward:

1. Listen to the audio and type out as much as you can on the first listen. Don’t focus too much on speakers or correct spelling or grammar.
2. Listen through again and begin tidying up spelling and paragraphs. Playing the file at half speed can help with unclear words.
3. Finally, add speakers and timestamps. This step will arguably take the longest, as you’ll need to stop at the exact moment each new speaker starts.

Tips for Manually Transcribing

Manually transcribing a Spotify podcast can be a long-winded process, so consider these tips to make it easier and more accurate:

• If it’s your original content, make sure you speak slowly and clearly as much as possible. This’ll help the listener as much as the transcriber.
• Consider leaving out non-verbal cues and filler words (such as “umm”). While these give the transcription a more accurate feel, they can be distracting for a reader who doesn’t have the audio as a reference.
• For long sections of speech (from a single speaker), break them into appropriate paragraphs. As with normal written text, these should be when there’s a change in topic.

Automatic Transcription

Automatically transcribing a Spotify podcast is arguably easier than manual transcription. As the name suggests, it involves using a program – typically driven by AI – to convert the audio into a text file.

While the process will vary by the platform you use, the general steps are as follows:

1. Upload the audio file to your chosen transcription platform. Using MP3 or MP4 will give you more flexibility with which platform you use.
2. Allow the platform to convert your audio into a text file.
3. Once it’s finished, you’ll need to do some light editing. This’ll include adjusting unclear words, tidying up speakers, and changing some grammar.
4. After this, download the text file in your chosen format.

Tips for Automatically Transcribing

There’s less that can go wrong with automatic transcription, as your involvement is minimal. However, some tips for improving accuracy are:

• Download the audio in the highest quality version possible. This’ll help with unclear parts.
• Minimize background noise to reduce disruption. You can do this much more easily on your original content, but it’s also possible on a third-party recording. Dynamic microphones will help during the recording phase.
• Again, speak slowly and clearly, as some AI platforms can have difficulty with thick accents.

Why Transcribe a Spotify Podcast?

Some reasons why you should create Spotify podcast transcriptions include:

• Accessibility – it allows users who can’t access the audio to enjoy your content.
• Content creation – you can turn the transcription into blog posts, social media content, and more.
• SEO – adding a transcription to your podcast hosting page makes the content searchable, which should improve traffic to your page.

Frequently Asked Questions About Podcast Transcripts