Are you hosting a podcast now or maybe thinking about how you’d like to get started with one? You’ve probably figured out there’s a lot to think about, eh? One thing you shouldn’t overlook are podcast transcripts, you know, written versions of each show. So, let’s get to it.
Let’s Talk About Podcasts
Podcasts are hot right now. You’ve probably asked the question and answered it, “What podcast are you listening to now?” And if you’re a creator or host of one, or thinking about doing that, you’re already a step ahead of us. And if you’re in this media field already, you’re in it at the right time. But wait, have you thought about podcast transcripts? They play a huge part in podcast success.
But first, let’s take a look at these stats from Brandastic.com:
- Over 55% of the US population have listened to a podcast
- In 2020 over 155 million people listen to a podcast every week
- Around 24% of the US population (68 million) listen to multiple podcasts weekly
- Podcast listeners consume an average of seven different shows per week
- There are over 700,000 active podcasts and 29 million podcast episodes available
- The most popular age group for podcasts listeners is 25-44 which make up 49% of total listeners
- Spotify is now the world’s most popular podcast app, closely followed by the Apple podcast app
Accessibility
People love podcasts, and this media has become so popular for a few reasons. One is that you can listen to them and do something else. We love a good multitask. Do you put on a podcast in the car? How about cooking dinner or taking a walk? Maybe not so much your work commute right now, but what about when you take that lunch break at your kitchen table? Isn’t it nice to plug into a podcast and let the rest of the day disappear for a little block of time?
Variety
The other reason we love podcasts so much is there is literally a podcast for everyone. Regardless of gender, race, demographic, ethnicity, education, location, age, interest…if you’re interested, there’s a podcast. Brandastic.com also shares this;
In 2021, the top five categories for podcasts are society & culture, business, comedy, health, news & politics. Podcasts offer deep dives into the minds of industry thought leaders through interviews. In less than an hour per day, listeners can become industry experts on their favorite topics.
Are you interested in baking, true crime, racial equality, enneagrams, politics…you can find it in a podcast. And if you have a deep interest in it and a knack for conversation, you can host a podcast. We’re on the journey to those podcast transcripts
Hosting a Podcast
So, you have that gift of gab, the wizardry of words, the charming chatter. Then hosting a podcast is just for you. You probably know it’s more than recording yourself on a Sunday afternoon, though, right? You’ve got to do some research, write a script, invite guests on, know what you’re talking about…and record yourself without the dog barking or the baby crying. You’ll need a captivating intro and a cohesive outro. And then you need to think about marketing and logos and merch. Whew! Is that it?
Well, no… there are podcast transcripts to think about, too.
So Why Are Podcast Transcripts Important?
This is a great question, friends. If the joy of a podcast is listening, why should you bother with podcast transcripts? People are listening because they’d rather listen than read, right? Yes, that’s kind of true. But kind of not. First, let’s talk about a podcast transcript, then let’s get to that important factor.
What are Podcast Transcripts?
Simply said, a podcast transcript is a written document of a podcast. Easy enough, eh? But you may still be asking that question – Why? We already said people love podcasts because they can listen to them. And hosts and producers love to create them because they have that gift of storytelling and talking. So why? Why do you need this written word-for-word document of every show you produce and host?
Why Are Podcast Transcripts Important?
Now we’re getting to the nitty-gritty. The reason why you should invest in podcast transcripts, whether with time or money, or both, is this. First off, podcast transcripts are integral pieces of media related to your podcast. Sure, it’s not like you speak your podcast and it’s gone; it’s still there for listener after listener and they can listen again and again. But picture this scenario:
A listener is walking his dog, listening to your show. Something about it really hits home. Maybe you have a dating podcast and your listener’s best friend just got out of a relationship. You say something perfectly. Your words, your truth, your cadence, it all hits home and your listener can’t wait to share it with his friend. This is where the podcast transcripts enter.
Your listener gets home. He texts his friend about this awesome podcast, and his friend longingly says, “What did it say?” Well, your listener can’t remember word for word and as he starts to type, he feels he’s losing the gist, the power, the insight you had. But wait. He is able to do this – he goes to your podcast transcripts, pulls the exact quote and shares it with his buddy. His buddy reads it, picks himself up, dusts himself off, enters the world again, and becomes a subscriber to your show. And that’s just one reason to have transcripts – the ease of sharing your message.
Another Reason
Podcast transcripts can help listeners find your podcast and become subscribers. The Podcast Host explains this as a published transcript can show up in search engines; If you make a transcript and publish it, your podcast is more likely to show up in search results, potentially attracting lots of traffic. Sure, you have to include some search engine optimization, but it’s not so hard to do. Make it all easy here, too. Make it easy for listeners to find your transcript and then make it easy for them to listen and subscribe to the show.
Marketing
Providing podcast transcripts allows you to pick out snippets and quotes just like the listener above. However, you can use this for marketing purposes. Think about a nice quote on Instagram or a little blurb on your website. With a transcript, you just have to go, pick out a quote, and it’s all ready for you.
Engagement
All of these and more lead to more engagement for you. It’s also easier for listeners to directly engage with you. They can ask a question and refer to the exact thing that piqued their interest. So podcast transcripts promote engagement through marketing, reading, sharing, and subscribing. As you create more content to match your podcast, like a website, social media pages, a blog, you can use your transcripts to engage your audience. It’s a great use of multimedia.
Creating Podcast Transcripts
Now that you understand how podcast transcripts can benefit you, let’s talk about creating these transcripts. It’s pretty cut and dried, right? You just listen to your podcast and write it all down word for word. Hmmm, seems pretty tedious. But yes, you certainly can transcribe your own podcast; many producers and hosts do. However, if this isn’t your thing, maybe you don’t have the time or it makes you a little stressed to do this detailed work, there are alternatives. There are plenty of transcript pros out there who can do an awesome job on this while you concentrate on producing your next show.
Hiring a pro
Regardless of how many shows you have or what your podcast category is, you can hire a transcriber to help you out. You can take a look at these podcasts doing transcription the right way, too. Because Offering multiple ways to consume an episode is a must, let’s get your podcast transcribed. Here are a couple of ways to find a great pro.
Ask around – You may get lucky and realize you have a great freelance transcription artist living next door or maybe a fellow podcaster has someone they can recommend. Then you can chat with them, work out the details, and be on your way.
Work with a service – Lots of great pros are connected to a service, like our Bunny pros. We’ve taken the work of vetting, negotiations, and choosing the most talented pros to do the work. When you connect with a service, you have a choice of experienced pros, and one can work with you who fits your needs, deadlines, content, and budget.
What to look for
When you are hiring a pro, either through a company or an individual, make sure they are experienced in transcription and understand the basics. For instance:
- Every exact word should be transcribed.
- Background noise like laughter and banter and music should be included.
- They should have a strong instinct for grammar and punctuation.
- Format is important. You don’t want a long string of words so your transcriber should be skilled at podcast transcript formatting.
- They should know to not mess with your words, even if at times they are grammatically incorrect.
- They can meet your deadlines and your budget.
Topping Off Podcast Transcripts
Creating a podcast is super exciting. All that information ready to share…remember, if you create podcast transcripts sharing will be even easier. You’ll see your listenership grow, your audience becomes more engaged, and more buzz around your podcast. Who knows, you may stumble upon one of your quotes somewhere exciting!
If you are looking for a professional to help you out with your podcast transcripts, give us a chat at Bunny Studio. Our transcript pros are experienced, talented, and dedicated. Plus their work is awesome. You can focus on creating great audio content for your show; we can make sure it exists in written form to reach as many people as possible. Let’s do this!
