Why podcast transcripts matter more than ever

This might be the difference between your podcast stagnating and starting to grow. Most podcasters ignored it for years because it used to be really expensive or time-consuming, but now it's one of the most useful things you can do for your podcast. It can help more people find your podcast through Google and Chat GPT. It makes your podcast more accessible and it makes it dead simple to repurpose what you've already created. This is a podcast transcript. Let me tell you why it's so important. Transcripts have always mattered for accessibility, especially for listeners that are deaf or hard of hearing. That was the main reason we developed the transcript tag back in 2019. Today, when you create a transcript in Buzzsprout, it lives on your podcast website, but it also shows up in apps like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. What changed recently are that transcripts are no longer just about accessibility. They're becoming a real driver of podcast growth. Google and AI search can do a lot more with text than just audio. A transcript gives them something they can crawl, index, understand, and link to. So, your episodes have more chances to show up when people search for the topic you covered. I've even found a few new podcasts this way. I searched for something in Chat GPT and podcast episodes show up as a source because the transcript made it readable. And transcripts open up a whole new world for repurposing content. You probably already know that CoHost AI uses your transcript to create show notes, blog posts, social posts, and chapters. But I'm seeing new use cases every day. Our head of customer success, Priscilla, used the podcast transcripts from her show, Happy to Help, to develop a talk for a conference. I met somebody at Podcast Movement who used her transcripts as the foundation for a book she wanted to write. And recently, Kevin's been using our transcripts in Chat GPT almost like a podcast coach. He analyzed her best performing episodes, brainstormed ideas for future topics, and even got feedback on how each of us could improve on our podcast. And the best part is that creating and working with transcripts is easier than it's ever been. Transcripts are included on all new Buzzsprout plans. We built a transcript editor so you can quickly clean things up. You can assign speakers and Buzzsprout will remember their voice for future episodes. You can even add and edit chapters right inside the transcript. So, if you're not using transcripts yet, I think you're leaving a lot on the table. If you have any questions, drop them in the comments. As always, keep podcasting.