One of the in-between, overlooked aspects of podcasting has always been, but what about the transcript? And that’s just starting at 0. When content creators finally have a transcript for their episode, then the question becomes, where do you put it?
Well in just 2 short years, we’ve gone from A to Z when it comes to transcripts.
Those questions now have definitive answers.
Spotify’s 2023 Breakthrough
In September 2023, Spotify introduced auto-generated transcripts for millions of podcast episodes. This pioneer move, launched just before International Podcast Day, marked a turning point in making podcasts more accessible to a broader audience.
And they didn’t paywall it – this implementation allowed both free and premium users to read along with episodes, offering a synchronized experience where listeners could follow the text as it highlighted in real-time with the audio.
While transcripts are obviously associated with making content accessible to those who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, the feature wasn’t just about accessibility – it represented a shift in how listeners could interact with podcast content. Users could now scroll through transcripts in the Now Playing View, making it easier to revisit specific sections or quickly scan through episode content without scrubbing through the audio.
Apple’s 2024 Level Up
Not to be outdone, Apple joined the transcript game in March 2024 with its own auto-generated transcript implementation for Apple Podcasts. But they didn’t just copy Spotify.
Apple differentiated itself by including features such as carefully designed font choices and color contrast to improve readability. Apple also introduced support for multiple languages, including English, French, Spanish, and German, with transcripts automatically generating for new episodes and gradually rolling out for existing content.
Apple’s implementation added sophisticated search functionality, allowing users to find specific words or phrases within episodes and jump directly to those moments in the audio. This search capability transformed how listeners could interact with and reference podcast content, making it more valuable for research, citation, and content discovery.
The Next Evolution: Centralized Transcript Hosting
As the clock struck midnight on 2025, we saw Apple and Spotify’s efforts zoom ahead into the future when a new service emerged to address the growing complexity of transcript management. Transcript Host launched as a dedicated platform for hosting and managing transcripts, offering a centralized solution that extends beyond just podcasts to include various forms of media content:
- Training videos and tutorials
- Conference presentations
- Educational content
- Company announcements
- Interview recordings
- News updates
And the play here was simple: we’re not just relying on auto-generated transcripts and calling it a day. We’re providing a single place where we can link to our transcript and send everyone to it.
And even if we want to embed the Apple or Spotify episode directly on our own website or social media, we can include a link the official episode transcript in the show notes.
This development represents a significant shift in how content creators can approach transcript management. Rather than relying solely on platform-specific solutions or struggling with website integration, creators now have a dedicated service that treats transcripts as a priority – really as first-class citizens in the content ecosystem.
Beyond Automated Transcripts
While platform-provided automated transcripts marked a significant step forward, Transcript Host’s mere presence acknowledges that many creators need more accurate, refined transcripts that go beyond what automation can provide – and with rapid advancements in AI transcripts, this is already easy and becoming even easier.
The platform allows for the hosting of professionally transcribed content, enabling creators to maintain the highest standards of accuracy while benefiting from centralized management and distribution.
The SEO and Discovery Advantage
One other super fascinating aspect of this all: Transcript Host impacts content discovery in a very lucrative way.
With properly hosted and formatted transcripts, podcast episodes become more findable through Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo keyword searches, opening up new possibilities for audience growth and content repurposing.
This searchability extends beyond traditional podcast platforms, making audio content discoverable through search engines and other digital channels (and effectively enabling the repurposing of content through its alternative).
For example, we don’t just have good SEO on Apple Podcast search or Spotify search, our episodes can now be found in Google and other search engines.
Looking Forward
The rapid evolution of podcast transcripts over the past two years signals a broader shift in how we think about audio content accessibility and distribution. From Spotify’s initial push to Apple’s refined implementation, and now with a dedicated hosting platform, we’re seeing a culmination of the podcast ecosystem that benefits creators and listeners alike.
As we move forward, the ability to centrally manage and distribute high-quality transcripts will likely become as fundamental to podcast production as audio hosting itself. This evolution not only serves accessibility needs but also opens up new possibilities for content discovery, engagement, and repurposing that were previously difficult or impossible to achieve.
For podcasters and content creators, the message is clear: transcripts are no longer an optional add-on but a core component of content strategy. With platforms like Transcript Host making it easier than ever to manage and distribute transcripts, there’s never been a better time to ensure your content is accessible, searchable, and ready for the future of digital media consumption.
