How to Transcribe a Podcast to Text [10 Best Ways]

The rise of the podcast industry has been meteoric due to a rapidly growing fanbase. The latest data indicates that the global podcast community is around 464.7 million, with over 200 million Americans tuning in weekly.

What does this mean to a podcast creator? If you do not find a way to stand out, you will get lost in the mountain of content available!

So, how do you stand out as a podcast creator? 

Converting your podcast audio files to text is an excellent place to start.

To a podcaster:

• This will improve your SEO rankings. While Google does not provide a functionality to search for audio, a podcast transcript is searchable and shareable.

• You can grow your audience by meeting the needs of people with auditory issues, those who understand a different language, and those who are hard at hearing.

• You can repurpose and share your content in other formats like blogs, social media posts, and newsletters.

To a listener:

• Audience engagement is a boon as transcripts make it easy to follow along and take notes.

• A podcast transcript also supports various learning styles.

In the past few weeks, I have been on a quest to learn how to transcribe a podcast using the best transcription tools in the market. After sifting through some old and new tools, here are my top 7 recommendations convenient enough to relieve you from the stress of manual transcription.

Transcription Tools for Podcasters

Notta leads the pack as the best tool to generate your podcast transcripts. This AI-powered tool can transcribe and translate your podcast files in real-time. It also boasts a high turnaround time with an accuracy rate of 98.86%.

Notta is very convenient to use by global users since it can support up to 58 languages. Moreover, the platform is easy to access on mobile (both Android and iOS) and the web. It also features a Chrome extension that simplifies recording and transcribing.

Notta's AI technology does more than transcribe your podcast audio. It can break the podcast transcript into accurate summaries, chapters, and action items. As a result, you can identify and share specific topics or sections with your audience.

Transcription tools that you may also consider for your podcast include:

• Notta

• Veed

• Happy Scribe

• Trint

• Otter

• Sonix

Here is a closer look at how these tools work.

Method 1. How to Transcribe Your Podcast with Notta

There are different ways to transcribe your podcast with Notta. Everything depends on the access method you choose. However, the general steps remain the same:

1. Log in to the platform.

2. Choose a podcast language.

3. Import your podcast files.

4. Get the transcript and export it in the most convenient format.

Let's take a detailed look at each method:

How to transcribe a podcast recording with the Notte web app

Notta's web app provides the easiest way to use the AI tool. All you need is a laptop/computer and an internet connection. The process is simple:

Step 1:  Visit https://www.notta.ai/en on your web browser to create an account or log in.

Step 2: Once in the dashboard, choose a transcription language on the right side of the screen.

Step 3: Click 'Import files' to upload your podcast file and start the transcription. You can either 'drag and drop' the file into the box provided or paste the Google Drive, YouTube, or Dropbox link.

Then Click 'Upload' to begin the transcription process. The time it takes to complete one transcription depends on the length of your podcast.

Step 4: Navigate back to the dashboard to get the transcript. Under 'Recent recordings,' click on your transcript to make necessary edits, share specific sections, or generate an AI summary.

Step 5: Click on the download feature at the top right corner, right between 'Search' and the three ellipses '...' to export your transcript.

Step 6: Select your file format from the various selections: .docx, .mp3, .txt, .srt, .pdf, and .xlsx.

Make Your Podcast Searchable

Struggling to keep up with transcription as your podcast grows? Notta's AI will walk through efficient workflow for creating high-quality transcripts without slowing down your production schedule, it will welcome a wider audience to engage however they prefer.

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How to transcribe a podcast with the Notta Chrome Extension

Notta’s Chrome extension makes it easy to transcribe a podcast without uploading it to the tool. So how does it work?

Step 1: Visit the Chrome web store on your Chrome browser or any other Chrominum-based browser that supports extensions such as Brave and Microsoft Edge. Search for Notta in the store.

Step 2: Click ‘Add to Chrome’ to add the extension to your browser. Once complete, the extension will redirect you to a new page that prompts you to log in. Do so to connect the extension to your account.

Step 3: Open a new tab on your browser, find the podcast you want to transcribe, audio or video, and play it.

Step 4: Click the Notta extension on your browser's toolbar. Then, select the transcription language and click 'Start recording.' This allows Notta to transcribe the recording in real time. Once satisfied, click the 'Stop' button to end the recording. Notta will automatically save the recording in your account's workspace.

Step 5: Visit your main dashboard to find the podcast transcript and make any necessary grammar or speaker identification adjustments. Once you are comfortable with your transcript, export it in your preferred style.

How to transcribe a podcast with the Notta live audio recorder

Notta has a live audio recording feature that is suitable for use by every podcast creator. For this feature to work optimally, you need a good microphone, a silent recording space, and a laptop device. Here is how to use it:

Step 1. Visit https://www.notta.ai/en on your webpage and log in, or create a new account if you do not own one.

Step 2. Connect a suitable recording device to your laptop. Remember to test it to make sure it works. Ensure the room you will be recording the podcast from is silent without any background noises for a better output.

Step 3. Set the transcription language in the top right corner of your Notta dashboard.

Step 4. Click on the 'Record an audio' button on the right hand of the screen.

This will trigger your browser's security requesting access to the microphone. Grant Notta access to your microphone for whatever period you feel comfortable with. The podcast recording will start immediately, and the transcription will occur in real time. Once done, click the 'red stop button' to end the recording and transcription.

Step 5. Navigave back to the main dashboard to access the recording transcript. Click on the recording to access the transcript and make any necessary changes. To export, click on the 'Download' icon at the top right corner and export it in your preferred format.

Method 2. How to Transcribe Your Podcast with Veed

Veed is one of the best podcast transcript generators today. Although it's primarily a professional online video editor, it features tools that can automatically generate a video transcript and even add it to your video as subtitles.

Moreover, you do not need to own an account to use the web app. You can first work on your podcast video or audio and sign up or log into your account later to access the final download. Here is how to use this tool:

Step 1. Upload your audio/video file

First, create an account with Veed.

Once you access the dashboard, click on 'Choose file.' The Browser will direct you to an editing page where you can upload your podcast video or audio. The upload time is dependent on the size and length of the podcast.

Step 2. Choose the 'Auto Transcribe' function

Click the 'Auto' button under subtitles, then select the transcription language.

 You can also choose to automatically highlight words or phrases in the transcript. Finally, select the option 'Create subtitles' to start the transcription.

Step 3. Download the transcript

Once the transcription process ends, the transcript will appear under subtitles. Click 'Options' at the top right of the subtitles section and select 'Download.' Choose the best format between srt, txt, and vtt, depending on your needs.

Veed is one of the most straightforward tools to use in your podcast transcription journey. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do with the free version. It can only transcribe 10 minutes worth of content, and you may not be able to download it. To maximally utilize this tool and benefit from other features, subscribing to one of the packages is imperative.

Method 3. How to Transcribe Your Podcast with Happy Scribe

Happy Scribe stands at the top of the list if you want a tool ideal for beginners. The user experience of this tool is very fluid.

The tool will guide your every step throughout the entire process, from onboarding to the end of your transcription.

It's worth noting that Happy Scribe provides both automatic and manual transcription services. They claim that their AI-driven services have an accuracy rate of 88% with a turnaround speed of about five minutes. For their manual services, you are looking at a 99% accuracy and a turnaround speed of about 24 hours.

Here is how to use it:

Step 1. Sign up/Log in to Happy Scribe

Visit Happy Scribe and sign up using your email address. Happy Scribe has a direct integration with Google, which helps speed up the process. 

Afterward, the site will lead you to a page where you select whether you want transcription services or subtitles. Click on 'Transcription.'

Step 2. Upload your podcast file

Next, upload your podcast file by either choosing a file from your local device or pasting a public link from YouTube, Google Drive, or Dropbox. 

After the file uploads, select your transcription language of choice and hit the 'Transcribe' button.

Step 3. Download the transcript

Once you have your transcript, click 'Download' at the top right-hand corner of your screen. Select your preferred format options from the list provided and complete the process.

While Happy Scribe banks on its simplicity to attract users, it's worth noting that this tool is not entirely free. The 'login for free' offer only allows users to test some of their features.

For example, you cannot download a transcript with a free account; you need to subscribe to a package. What's more, a basic package provides only three exporting formats. Upgrade to a pro version to get up to ten exporting formats.

Method 4. How to Transcribe Your Podcast with Trint

Trint is another podcast transcript generator that makes it to this list due to its user-friendly interface and impressive transcription accuracy and speed. Here is how to use it:

Step 1. Sign up and log in to your trint account.

Step 2. Click 'Upload' on the top left corner of your dashboard to upload and transcribe your podcast file. You can upload from your device, cloud storage, or public URL such as YouTube.

Step 3. Select the Transcription language and click 'Transcribe'

Step 4. Click on the already uploaded audio file in your workspace to access the transcript.

Step 5. Make any changes to the transcript using the Trint editor tools available.

Step 6. Click the 'Export' button and choose the format you wish to download the transcript.

Method 5. How to Transcribe Your Podcast with Otter

Otter is one of the best free podcast transcription tools that uses AI and Machine learning to convert audio to text. Here is how to use it for podcast transcriptions:

Step 1. Sign up to Otter by clicking the 'Start for free' button on their homepage.

Step 2. Click on 'Import' at the top right corner of the dashboard to upload the podcast audio file you want to transcribe

Step 3. Once the upload nears completion, you can select 'go to transcript' in the same window the file is uploading.

Step 4. To export the podcast transcript, click the more options button indicated by three ellipses '...' at the top right corner, then select 'Export.'

The free version only allows you to download the transcript as a text or to copy and paste it to a clipboard. To access other formats, subscribe to the pro version.

Method 6. How to Transcribe Your Podcast with Sonix 

Sonix is another top-rated automatic transcription tool that leverages the power of AI to produce highly accurate transcripts. Here is how to use it:

Step 1. Create an account with Sonix by clicking the 'Try Sonix for Free' button on the top right corner of their homepage. During the sign-up, you will have to provide your credit card details.

Step 2. Next, upload your podcast file from your local device, Dropbox, Google Drive, or any public URL such as YouTube.

Step 3. Select the language you want to transcribe the podcast and click the 'Transcribe' button. Sonix will start the transcription and send you an email notification once the process ends.

Step 4. Click on your transcribed file to access the transcript and make necessary edits using the built-in editor.

Step 5. Export the transcript by clicking the 'Export' button on the top right-hand side of the editor.

What makes Sonix one of the best podcast transcription tools in the market is the length it takes to ensure your transcript is accurate. After pressing the transcribe button, a pop-up window will appear with checkboxes to help you ascertain that the audio quality is good enough for transcribing. Even after the transcription, Sonix will give you a confidence level report on the accuracy of the transcript.

The only letdown with this tool is you can only transcribe a selection of just over 30 languages.

Method 7. Hire Somebody to Transcribe and Edit Your Podcast Episodes

Whether to use AI or human transcription services ultimately depends on your needs. AI tools like the ones listed above are faster and cheaper than human transcription. They are the best tools if speed and cost are your primary concern.

However, human transcription beats AI tools in the level of accuracy. This is because humans are way better at deciphering accents than machines. Plenty of platforms can link you with human transcribers if accuracy is your key concern. After intensive research, here are the top three platforms that made the list:

Go Transcript

This is one of the biggest online transcription platforms that provide human transcription services. The company has been around for 17 years and claims to provide 100% accurately transcribed content to its clients.

It also has one of the fastest turnaround times, claiming to be around 6-12 hours, depending on how fast you need the tasks. To use Go-Transcript to transcribe your podcast, you need to:

Step 1. Upload the video or audio file you need to transcribe.

Step 2. Then, set the transcription language, text format, and your appropriate turnaround time.

Step 3. Sign up or Log in to the platform.

Step 4. Complete the order by making a payment. Go transcript charges from $0.84 per minute.

Rev

Rev is another leading platform providing both human and AI transcription services. You can hire transcribers to convert your podcast video or audio to text at $1.50 per minute. To get started:

Step 1. Go to the Rev website and click 'place your order' under human transcription.

Step 2. Upload the podcast audio or video file or share a public URL.

Step 3. Set your requirements on the checkout page to determine how much the service will cost. Then click on 'Checkout.'

Step 4. Create an account or sign in to complete the order.

Upwork

Upwork is a jobs board that connects clients to freelance professionals. Here, you can find transcriptionists of all levels, from beginners to experienced professionals. The freelancers dictate how much they will charge, but it will cost you anything from $10 to $100 per audio hour. To leverage this platform:

Step 1. Visit Upwork and sign up to the platform.

Step 2. Create a job title for the services you want.

Step 3. Select the job skills that best suit the services you are looking to get.

Step 4. Estimate the project size: Is it long-term or short-term? Next, choose the location of your hire potential.

Step 5. Set the budget of how much you are willing to pay for the services.

Step 6. Attach the file and clearly describe what you expect from the professional. The maximum upload size Upwork allows is 100 MB. If your podcast is bigger than this, you can compress the file or break it down into small parts and share.

Compare Different Methods to Transcribe Podcast Audio

The section above is an extensive overview of how to transcribe your podcast. Some tools and platforms are very similar in their offerings, while others are entirely different. But which one should you use to transcribe your podcast? 

 Here is a comparison table that can help you visualize the difference in all the tools and platforms listed to make a better decision. 

Conclusion 

There are two main points you need to note: 

1. The global podcast market is on a steep rise with more than 400 million podcast listeners around the globe looking for new content.

2. With more than 3 million podcasts worldwide with millions of episodes, finding ways to stand out is imperative.

Transcribing your podcast gives you a sure way to stand out and rank your podcast on search engines. It also allows you to repurpose your podcast into other forms of content, such as social media posts, blog posts, and email newsletters.

As we navigate the era of automation, AI plays a central role in transcription. It can reduce your transcription time and boost productivity. While these tools have made much progress in accuracy, it is not enough to eliminate the need for human transcription.

Which direction should you take between the two? 

Well, it all depends on your needs. If you want to save time and effort, use AI tools like Notta. If accuracy is your biggest concern and time is not an issue, human transcription services like Go Transcript will serve you perfectly. Whatever direction you choose, use any of the above steps to transcribe your podcast episodes with ease.