FROM EPISODE TO TEXT
Transcribe a podcast.
Start with the episode file.
Turn a podcast episode you can access as an audio file into a transcript, show notes or a translated summary on iPhone or Android.
BULLET POINTS
Illustrative show notes: guest’s background; the three tools discussed; where to find the episode resources.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Do you need a file, or just to read along?
To transcribe a podcast with Voice Note Transcriber, bring the episode into the app as an audio file, choose Transcribe, and review the text. That works well for podcasters with their own exported episode or raw recording, and for listeners with a file they are allowed to use. The app does not accept a podcast link, RSS feed or Spotify URL, and it cannot read audio from inside another podcast app.
If you only want to read along with a show, check the podcast app first. Apple Podcasts shows automatically generated transcripts for many episodes. Use Voice Note Transcriber when you have the file and want a saved, searchable result, a summary for show notes, or a translation.
FROM EPISODE TO TEXT
How to transcribe a podcast episode file
1. Export or locate the audio
Podcasters can export the finished episode or the raw recording from their editing or recording software. An audio-only export such as MP3 or M4A is usually smaller than a video file, which helps with uploads. Supported audio formats include M4A, MP3, WAV, AAC, OGG and OPUS, and MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI and WEBM video files work too. Long episodes can hit the app’s current length or size limit, so check it before uploading.
2. Import and choose the output
Open the app, tap to import, and select the file from your phone’s files, or share it into the app from another app that offers it. Choose Transcribe for the full text, or Summarize with Bullet points for draft show notes. Each job gives you one output. If you need both, run the episode twice, once with each action.
3. Edit before you publish
Read the result against the audio, especially guest names, brand names, numbers and jokes that rely on tone. The spoken language is detected automatically. Save the result to a folder for the show, add a tag for the season, and use search later to find a quote. Copy the text into your own publishing tool once you have reviewed it.
FROM EPISODE TO TEXT
Apple Podcasts transcripts or a file workflow?
Apple’s podcaster guide says transcripts are available with iOS 17.4 or later for podcasts in English, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish. Listeners touch and hold an episode, then tap View Transcript. They can search the text and tap a line to play from that point. Sharing is limited to up to 200 copied words, which carry attribution back to the episode.
That’s ideal for following a show you subscribe to. It does not give you the audio file, and you can’t pick the output. If you produce a show, or already have a file you’re allowed to process, a separate app gives you a full transcript, a summary in the style you choose, or a translation you can keep.
FROM EPISODE TO TEXT
Uses that fit a podcast workflow
The most useful result depends on what happens after transcription. These are common jobs for an episode file:
- Show notes: Summarize with Bullet points, then add links, timestamps and credits yourself.
- A transcript page: Transcribe, then fix names, remove filler words if your style allows it, and replace speaker labels with the hosts’ and guests’ names.
- Quotes for social posts: search the saved transcript and check each line against the audio before posting it.
- A summary for a listener in another language: Summarize + Translate gives a translated summary, not a full translated transcript.
FROM EPISODE TO TEXT
Know the limits before you upload
Processing happens online, and the audio is removed after processing. Results stay in your account until you delete them. Upload only episodes you have the right to process, especially when a guest’s unpublished recording is involved.
The result is a working draft, not a certified transcript. Crosstalk, music beds and sound effects can lower accuracy. The app doesn’t add timestamps or chapter markers to your feed. For general file tips, see the audio file transcription guide, and for interviews you recorded yourself, the interview transcription guide.
QUESTIONS
Podcast transcription questions
Can I paste a podcast link or RSS feed?
No. The app works with audio or video files on your phone, imported through the app or shared from another app. It does not download episodes from links, feeds or streaming services.
Can I transcribe an episode I downloaded in a podcast app?
Only if that app lets you share or save the episode as a file, and you are allowed to use it. Many podcast apps keep downloads inside the app. If you only want to read along, check for built-in transcripts such as Apple Podcasts’.
Will the transcript show who is speaking?
On the Power plan, turn on Speaker labels before sending. The transcript then marks each turn as Speaker A, Speaker B and so on. The labels are anonymous, so swap in host and guest names yourself after checking them against the episode. See how speaker labels work.
Can I make show notes instead of a full transcript?
Yes. Choose Summarize and a style such as Bullet points or Detailed. That job returns a summary only, so run Transcribe separately if you also need the full text.
See the app and its features or learn how to choose a summary style.
FROM EPISODE TO TEXT
Turn the episode into words you can use.
Get Voice Note Transcriber for iPhone or Android, import the episode file, and choose a transcript or show notes.