Should You Transcribe Your Podcast? (2024)

August 17, 2022 BY ABBY ALEPA
Updated: February 14, 2023

Tips For Creating an Accessible Podcast [Free Guide]

If you’re a podcaster trying to expand your audience or create a larger online presence, you may be wondering: Should I transcribe my podcast?

While there are many benefits of transcription, from accessibility to discoverability to repurposed content, it’s helpful to back up our reasoning with numbers. This blog post will reference our findings from a 2021 3Play Media customer survey to help answer the question of whether you should transcribe your podcast.

The Current State of the Podcast Industry

In 2006, only 22% of the adult population in the United States was aware of podcasting. Now, the industry is projected to generate $4 billion by 2024. According to these statistics, podcasting is the place to be. As the industry continues to grow, so does the importance of podcast accessibility.

According to the World Health Organization, there are over 430 million people with hearing loss worldwide. The podcasting industry in its current state is not prepared to provide this population with the tools necessary for easy consumption.

Because podcasts are audio-only by nature, it is not always possible for those who are D/deaf or hard of hearing to enjoy podcast content. 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.

If you’re wondering whether you should transcribe your podcast, accessibility is the number one reason to do so. In 2022, the number of American podcast listeners is projected to grow to 125 million. The need for accessibility in the industry will only continue to grow. Consumers use podcasts as a source of news and entertainment, and the trendy medium is quickly becoming a significant part of our media landscape. For all consumers to access this space, content creators must produce accessible podcasts with accurate and comprehensive transcripts.

As the podcast industry thrives, legal action surrounding podcast accessibility is also making headlines. Three leading podcast platforms were recently sued for not providing transcripts on their mobile applications. These lawsuits could have major implications for the industry and pave the way for a significant increase in podcast transcription.

FREE Guide: Tips For Creating an Accessible Podcast

Meeting the Demand for Accessible Podcasts

Curious if there is a demand for podcast accessibility? In a 2021 3Play Media customer survey, we found that podcast accessibility is very important to 52% of our customers with podcast content. The survey also reported that accurate podcast transcription is a priority to 44% of said customers. These findings prove that podcast accessibility should not be overlooked.

For a podcast transcript to be accessible, it needs to be at least 99% accurate and include formatting conditions such as non-speech elements.

A 99% accuracy rate means that there is a 1% chance of error or leniency of 15 errors total per 1,500 words. WCAG-compliant transcripts are very difficult to achieve without a human correcting ASR-generated captions and transcripts.

Automated speech recognition (ASR) software is a great tool for many different tasks. However, using ASR exclusively when creating captions and transcripts makes for worsened quality and lower accuracy. At 3Play Media, we use an innovative approach that combines artificial intelligence and human editing to guarantee at least 99% accuracy on all files.

Watch this clip to understand the importance of highly accurate transcription:

Should You Transcribe Your Podcast? (1)

Still Wondering Whether You Should Transcribe Your Podcast?

As previously mentioned, transcribing your podcast episodes is a good idea to avoid legal issues. But if you are still wondering whether you should transcribe your podcast, here are some benefits to publishing transcripts apart from legal compliance.

Boost Your SEO

This case study about This American Life, a popular weekly public radio program and podcast, highlights the positive impact that podcast transcription can have on listenership. By transcribing its library of radio shows, This American Life increased the number of unique visitors to its website by 4.18%, and 7.23% of listeners used at least one transcript provided by This American Life. Transcribe your podcast and find your audience!

Repurpose Your Content

Make the most of your podcast content by repurposing it and reaching new audiences. Just one podcast episode has the potential to be so much more. With a transcript, it is easy to grab quotes to post on social media, create blog posts for your website, and more.

Should You Transcribe Your Podcast? (2)

Should You Transcribe Your Podcast? (2024)

FAQs

Should You Transcribe Your Podcast? ›

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.

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.

Do people read podcast transcripts? ›

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.

Can you transcript a podcast? ›

Transcribing your episodes is one of the easiest things you can be doing to reach new audiences. There are plenty great reasons why podcasters should transcribe their episodes including: Transcripts makes your content accessible for those who are hard of hearing or deaf.

What is the purpose of a transcript on a podcast? ›

Put simply, a podcast transcript is a document that lays out, word-for-word, what was spoken during your podcast episode. You can type these yourself or hire a transcription company to do it for you.

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.

What should a podcast transcript look like? ›

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.

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.

Is it OK to study while listening to a podcast? ›

When you are listening to some entertaining podcasts, you can put them in the background. They don't require much concentration because your goal is just to have one. But if you want to learn something new, you shouldn't put podcasts on while you are doing something else, like cleaning your apartment or working out.

Are podcast listeners educated? ›

More specifically, they are 50 percent more likely to have graduated college and have a post-graduate degree.

Does Spotify transcribe podcasts? ›

Just go to the Spotify website, find the podcast you want to transcribe, and click the download button. This will download the audio file to your computer, which you can then use to create a transcript. The process is easy and requires no technical expertise.

Why should you always transcribe files? ›

It is always better to transcribe files on your own. It helps a researcher better code the data, find illustrative examples of code pieces and easily organize research efficiently and transparently.

Do Apple podcasts have transcripts? ›

To search podcast transcripts in the Apple Podcasts app, you simply search for the key term in the search bar. Go to the Podcasts app, type your key term into the search bar, and search!

Why are audio transcripts important? ›

Not only does audio transcription make it easier for a user to access content, it can also help clear up confusion caused by regional dialect, audible distractions, background noise, or breaks in speech. Audio transcription also holds benefits for the content creators too.

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.

Is freelance transcription worth it? ›

Working from home as a transcriptionist is a great way to earn a steady income with flexible hours . If you're an experienced typist with strong grammar skills , this may be a rewarding career for you.

How much does it cost to transcribe 1 hour of audio? ›

A reasonable estimate is around $100 - $150 per audio hour to get a high-quality and accurate transcript. These transcription rates can be a significant cost for many companies who need to transcribe large volumes of videos.

How do you know if a podcast is good? ›

Number of listeners

One metric podcast creators might reference is the number of listeners they have for each episode. For example, the first episode of a new podcast might receive 100 listeners. However, if the second episode has 300 listeners, this can show that the promotion of the podcast is successful.

How do you transcribe podcasts for money? ›

  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

What sample rate should I record at for podcast? ›

The sample rate of 44100Hz is standard for music and CDs and is the ideal rate to record all your podcast audio at.

How long before a podcast is successful? ›

Your podcast can make money between six to 12 months with the right strategy. What is this? Yes! But while businesses have only just added podcasting to their marketing channels, you're going to organize some targeted marketing to shorten the time to monetizing your podcast.

How long is a successful podcast? ›

Because how long a podcast is depends on numerous factors (format, niche, overall information delivery, etc.). Some top performing podcasts range from just a few minutes to a couple of hours and more.

How long does it take to edit a 40 minute podcast? ›

The length of your podcast

As a general rule, after personally overseeing the production of over 50 podcasts, I'd say a good average edit time for a 30-40 minute podcast is about 4-5 hours.

What not to do during a podcast? ›

10 Tips You Need to Rock your Podcast
  • Do: Target a Specific Niche.
  • Don't: Use Excessive Jargon.
  • Do: Maintain a Specific Routine.
  • Don't: Be Overly Rigid.
  • Do: Edit Thoroughly.
  • Don't: Make Editing Obvious.
  • Do: Keep Your Podcast to 30 Minutes or Less.
  • Do: Measure Success.

What to avoid when starting a podcast? ›

The 10 Biggest Podcasting Mistakes You Need to Avoid
  1. Mistake 1: Not Having A Clear Goal, Niche, or Target Audience. ...
  2. Mistake 2: Recording Without Proper Soundproofing. ...
  3. Mistake 3: Not Speaking Clearly. ...
  4. Mistake 4: Focusing On Quantity Over Quality. ...
  5. Mistake 5: Being Unprepared, Especially for Interviews or Guest Appearances.
May 7, 2023

What can you not say on a podcast? ›

DON'T: Tell Insider Jokes

Your podcast isn't the place for insider jokes. Listeners won't have a clue what you're talking about. And even if they did, they probably wouldn't be that interested. Keep in mind new listeners know very little about you or your show.

What is the average income of podcast listeners? ›

Typically, a podcaster with around 10,000 downloads per episode can expect to earn somewhere between $500 to $900. Very successful podcasts can earn much more, reaching up to $30 million in annual income.

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.

Are podcasts oversaturated? ›

Another element to consider is that although the podcasting market does look oversaturated in just about every category, most podcasts flame out quickly.

Is there an app that will transcribe a podcast? ›

Castle is a really straightforward podcast player. If you're already comfortable with searching for podcasts that you want to hear, and need transcripts to aid listening (rather than replace it), it does the job.

How do I transcribe a podcast to an anchor? ›

Go to Your Podcast and tap the episode which contains the segment you'd like to transcribe. Tap the 3 dots next to the segment then Create video. Once your transcription has been generated, tap Edit Video to check it's correct. You can make changes to the transcription on this screen.

Is it possible to translate a podcast? ›

Your best option is to hire podcast transcription services. Professionals will handle the recording and convert the audio to text accurately. By having a transcript of your podcast episodes, the translation process will be easier. Of course, it will also help you boost your search engine ranking.

How do you professionally transcribe audio? ›

How to transcribe
  1. Listen to the entire audio recording before beginning to write. ...
  2. Listen to an entire sentence before transcribing it. ...
  3. Edit the completed transcription, looking for mistakes and bad grammar. ...
  4. Learn the correct touch-typing technique to maximise speed, accuracy and comfort.

How do I master audio for a podcast? ›

10 Top Tips for Recording & Mixing Better-Sounding Podcasts
  1. Sound treat your recording environment. ...
  2. Tactfully place your microphone. ...
  3. Record at a moderate level. ...
  4. Fix recording issues. ...
  5. Reduce your noise floor. ...
  6. Apply gain reduction.
Oct 29, 2018

How long does it take to transcribe 30 minutes of audio? ›

Various factors affect how long it takes. As a very broad rule of thumb, many transcribers say it takes four hours for every one hour of audio. Obviously, if you're wondering how long to transcribe 30 minutes of audio file, around two hours.

How do you transcribe like a pro? ›

How To Transcribe Interviews Like a Pro
  1. Exactly verbatim: Type exactly what is said, including every “um,” “uh,” and “hmmm.”
  2. Intelligent verbatim: Type exactly what is said, EXCEPT for filler words that do not change the meaning. ...
  3. Edited transcription: Skip irrelevant sentences that don't relate to the evaluation.
Jul 9, 2020

Do you transcribe background noise? ›

Transcribing is the process of converting audio formats into text. This should include any significant background noises and auditory information.

What is better than transcribe? ›

A great audio to text tool for journalists

The best alternatives to Transcribe are Descript, Scale, and Anchor. If these 3 options don't work for you, we've listed over 30 alternatives below.

What are the basic rules to apply while transcribing? ›

Basic Transcription Guidelines
  • Accuracy. Only type the words that are spoken in the audio file. ...
  • US English. Use proper US English capitalization, punctuation and spelling. ...
  • Do Not Paraphrase. ...
  • Do Not Add Additional Information. ...
  • “Clean Up” Non-Verbatim Jobs. ...
  • Verbatim Work Should Be Truly Verbatim.
Feb 21, 2021

Why do people love transcribing? ›

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.

Do employers actually look at transcripts? ›

Some companies require college transcripts, and the hiring manager will likely check your GPA in this case as well. Instead of making a decision based on your GPA, many hiring managers place importance on your experience, skills and general education.

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.

Do recruiters look at transcripts? ›

With the flow of applicants vying for a particular job role, it is best to have something to validate or filter them through, and this is one of the reasons employers need to peruse the academic transcripts of their applicants.

Do colleges actually look at transcripts? ›

But when colleges read your student's transcript, they're actually looking at a lot more than that. They're using the transcript to help inform their holistic understanding of your student and get a better grasp on how your student will fare in their undergraduate courses.

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