Podcasts have become a popular medium for content creators to express their ideas and for audiences to consume them. However, many podcasters overlook an important aspect of accessibility by not providing transcripts. This post aims to explain why it's crucial to offer transcripts and the different ways of creating them.
To begin with, the post will highlight the current low percentage of podcasts that offer transcripts. This percentage is shockingly low, with most podcasters assuming that their listeners can hear their show. The post will explain why this assumption is flawed and how it's essential to consider the needs of those who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as those with other disabilities.
The post will then delve into the various benefits of having transcripts. These benefits include improved SEO, making the podcast more discoverable to new listeners, and allowing people to search for text within an episode, making it easier to locate specific information. Transcripts also allow people to read the content at their own pace and offer a more inclusive experience for those with various disabilities.
Next, the post will discuss the different ways of creating transcripts, including fast and cheap AI-based solutions and professional transcription services. It will explain the pros and cons of each method and the potential errors that can occur. It will then introduce Active Transcripts as a feature-rich option for podcasters that can offer numerous benefits to listeners and attract sponsors. Active Transcripts offer features like clickable timestamps, annotations, and an interactive player, which can enhance the overall experience for listeners.
Finally, the post will offer some tips on workflow for creating transcripts, outlining how podcasters can easily create and add transcripts to their episodes. By the end of the post, readers will have a clear understanding of why transcripts are essential for podcasts, and how they can create them for their own show.