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Download and Export Podcast Transcripts: Formats and Use Cases

PodRewind Team
7 min read
a pair of headphones

TL;DR: PodRewind lets you export transcripts in multiple formats—plain text for repurposing, timestamped for reference, speaker-labeled for clarity, and SRT/VTT for video captions. Choose the format that matches your use case and download instantly.

Table of Contents

Why You Need Transcript Exports

Transcripts locked inside a single platform aren't useful. The real value comes from using transcripts across your workflow—in blog posts, video captions, ebooks, external editors, and anywhere else text-based content can go.

Content Repurposing

A transcript is raw material for dozens of content pieces:

  • Blog posts extracted from key discussions
  • Newsletter content pulled from insights
  • Social media quotes and threads
  • Ebooks compiling your best episodes
  • Training materials from educational content

Learn more about turning episodes into blog posts and creating newsletter content from your archive.

Accessibility Compliance

Accessibility laws increasingly require transcripts for audio content. Having downloadable transcripts helps you:

  • Publish accessibility-compliant content
  • Provide transcripts to deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences
  • Embed transcripts alongside embedded audio players
  • Meet organizational accessibility requirements

See our guide on why transcripts are essential for accessibility.

Archival and Backup

Your podcast content is an asset. Transcript exports provide:

  • Backup copies independent of any platform
  • Searchable text archives for long-term storage
  • Documentation of everything ever said on your show
  • Insurance against platform changes or account issues

Collaboration and Sharing

Working with editors, writers, or team members? Exports enable:

  • Sharing transcripts with editors for show notes
  • Providing writers with source material
  • Distributing content to marketing teams
  • Collaborating on derived content

Export Format Options

Different use cases call for different formats. PodRewind supports multiple export options to match your needs.

Plain Text

The simplest format—just the words, no formatting.

What you get:

Welcome to the show. Today we're talking about podcast growth
strategies with our guest Sarah, who runs marketing at a major
podcast network. Sarah, thanks for being here.

Thanks for having me. I've been looking forward to this conversation.

Best for:

  • Copying into word processors
  • Source material for blog posts
  • Text-to-speech applications
  • Search engine indexing
  • Maximum compatibility

With Timestamps

Text with time markers for reference.

What you get:

[00:00] Welcome to the show. Today we're talking about podcast
growth strategies with our guest Sarah.

[00:15] Sarah, thanks for being here.

[00:18] Thanks for having me. I've been looking forward to this.

[00:22] Let's start with the basics. What's the biggest mistake
new podcasters make?

Best for:

  • Creating show notes with chapter markers
  • Referencing specific moments
  • Fact-checking timestamps
  • Jump links in published content
  • Video editing reference

With Speaker Labels

Text that identifies who said what.

What you get:

Host: Welcome to the show. Today we're talking about podcast
growth strategies with our guest Sarah.

Host: Sarah, thanks for being here.

Sarah: Thanks for having me. I've been looking forward to this.

Host: Let's start with the basics. What's the biggest mistake
new podcasters make?

Best for:

  • Interview transcripts where speaker matters
  • Multi-host shows
  • Quote attribution
  • Publishing readable dialogue
  • Content where context requires knowing the speaker

With Timestamps and Speakers

The full package—speakers and times together.

What you get:

[00:00] Host: Welcome to the show. Today we're talking about
podcast growth strategies with our guest Sarah.

[00:15] Host: Sarah, thanks for being here.

[00:18] Sarah: Thanks for having me. I've been looking forward to this.

[00:22] Host: Let's start with the basics. What's the biggest
mistake new podcasters make?

Best for:

  • Complete reference documents
  • Legal or compliance purposes
  • Academic research
  • Detailed show notes
  • When you need everything

SRT Format (SubRip)

Standard subtitle format for video.

What you get:

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,230
Welcome to the show. Today we're
talking about podcast growth strategies.

2
00:00:05,230 --> 00:00:07,450
Sarah, thanks for being here.

3
00:00:07,450 --> 00:00:10,120
Thanks for having me. I've been
looking forward to this.

Best for:

  • YouTube video captions
  • Video editing software
  • Subtitle files for media players
  • Burning captions into video

VTT Format (WebVTT)

Web-native subtitle format.

What you get:

WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.230
Welcome to the show. Today we're
talking about podcast growth strategies.

00:00:05.230 --> 00:00:07.450
Sarah, thanks for being here.

00:00:07.450 --> 00:00:10.120
Thanks for having me. I've been
looking forward to this.

Best for:

  • HTML5 video players
  • Web-based media
  • Podcast players with transcript display
  • Browser-based applications

Use Cases for Each Format

Turning Episodes into Blog Posts

Recommended format: Plain text or with speakers

When repurposing podcast content into written articles, you need clean text without distracting timestamps. Speaker labels help when the post involves dialogue or you're quoting specific people.

Workflow:

  1. Export transcript as plain text
  2. Paste into your writing tool
  3. Edit for written format (remove filler words, improve flow)
  4. Add headers, images, and formatting
  5. Publish

Creating Ebooks from Your Archive

Recommended format: With speakers (if interviews), plain text (if solo)

Ebooks compiled from podcast transcripts work well for lead generation or products. Clean text without timestamps reads like a book, not a transcript.

Consider organizing by:

  • Topic across multiple episodes
  • Complete series or season
  • Best content from your archive
  • Guest-specific compilations

Adding Captions to YouTube Videos

Recommended format: SRT

YouTube accepts SRT uploads for captions. Upload your exported file and YouTube syncs the text to your audio automatically.

Why use exported SRT instead of YouTube's auto-captions:

  • Higher accuracy (your transcript is already corrected)
  • Correct speaker names (not "speaker one")
  • Technical terms transcribed correctly
  • Faster publishing (no manual editing of auto-captions)

Accessibility Compliance

Recommended format: Plain text or VTT

For accessibility, you need both:

  • A downloadable transcript (plain text works)
  • Synchronized captions for embedded audio/video (VTT works)

Publishing both ensures deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences can access your content however they prefer.

Research and Reference

Recommended format: With timestamps and speakers

When you need to find and verify what was said, full context helps:

  • Timestamp tells you exactly where to listen
  • Speaker label tells you who said it
  • Combined format gives complete reference

This is particularly useful for fact-checking your own content.

Sharing with Writers or Editors

Recommended format: Plain text or with speakers

Writers creating derived content need readable source material. Timestamps clutter the text and aren't useful for their purposes. Speaker labels help if attribution matters.

Export, share via email or cloud storage, and let them work from the clean document.

Editing Transcripts Before Export

What you export is what was in your transcript. If you want clean exports, edit your transcripts first.

Why Edit Before Exporting

  • Fix transcription errors: Correct any misheard words
  • Fix speaker names: Replace "Speaker 1" with actual names
  • Remove filler words: Clean up "um," "uh," "like"
  • Fix technical terms: Correct industry jargon the AI might have missed

Edits Persist

Changes you make to transcripts in PodRewind save permanently. Edit once, and every future export includes your corrections.

This is particularly valuable for:

  • Guest names (fix once, correct everywhere)
  • Brand names and product names
  • Technical terminology specific to your field
  • Consistent formatting choices

Learn more about speaker identification and getting names right from the start.

Integration with Other Tools

Exported transcripts work with your existing tools and workflows.

WordPress and CMS Platforms

Plain text or HTML exports paste directly into blog editors. For WordPress specifically:

  • Paste into the block editor
  • Add headers and formatting
  • Embed alongside your episode player

Notion and Documentation Tools

Markdown or plain text exports work well with:

  • Notion pages and databases
  • Confluence documentation
  • GitBook and documentation sites
  • Coda and similar tools

Video Editors

SRT files import directly into:

  • Premiere Pro
  • Final Cut Pro
  • DaVinci Resolve
  • Most professional video editors

This saves hours of manual captioning for video content.

Writing Tools

Plain text works everywhere:

  • Google Docs
  • Microsoft Word
  • Ulysses, Scrivener, and writing apps
  • AI writing assistants

FAQ

What's the difference between SRT and VTT formats?

Both are subtitle formats with timestamps. SRT (SubRip) is older and more universally compatible, especially with video editing software and desktop players. VTT (WebVTT) is the web standard used by HTML5 video players and modern browsers. For YouTube uploads, use SRT. For web embedding, VTT usually works better.

Can I export transcripts for episodes I didn't transcribe through PodRewind?

PodRewind can only export transcripts for episodes it has processed. If you have episodes without transcripts, you'd need to process them through PodRewind first. Once processed, all export formats become available.

How do I handle transcripts with multiple speakers who aren't labeled?

PodRewind's speaker identification can label speakers automatically. If speakers are labeled generically ("Speaker 1," "Speaker 2"), you can edit the transcript to replace these with actual names before exporting. Those edits persist, so you only need to do it once per speaker.

Related Guides

Photo by Egor Komarov on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-pair-of-headphones-qkPIEKRIuV4

Get Your Transcripts Where You Need Them

Transcripts are only valuable when you can use them. Export formats give you flexibility to repurpose content, ensure accessibility, integrate with video, and work with any tool in your workflow.

Bottom line: Your podcast content shouldn't be locked in one platform. Export in any format, use anywhere. Ready to start exporting? Get started free and download your first transcript in the format you need.

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