Podcast subtitling is not straightforward, as it involves technical proficiency, cultural awareness, and linguistic experience. The subtitling must accurately capture the nuances of each spoken word while maintaining readability and engaging the audience. You can hire professional transcribers, but this is time-consuming, and finding an efficient automatic podcast generator is tricky.
This guide lists the top five subtitling tools that make the task easier and offer the highest accuracy rates. It provides an in-depth review of these tools to help readers make a choice. The guide also details the factors to consider and best practices for optimal results.
Why Quality Subtitle Generation Matters for Podcasts
Podcasting is increasingly popular, as according to eMarketer, globally, there are roughly over 500 million podcast listeners. The monthly listeners in the US are expected to increase from 143.3 million in 2023 to 178.7 million in 2027. Despite such a huge listener base, the popularity of your podcast depends on your content and subtitles. The following are the reasons:
Accessibility and Reach
Regardless of the place, a subtitled video makes your content accessible to everyone. It includes people with hearing impairments or those who prefer to watch a video on mute. It also includes people from different language-speaking countries. Any creator who prefers to make their video accessible and expand its reach will add quality subtitles.
SEO Benefits
The search engine algorithms and crawlers cannot watch a podcast video or analyze its content. This is possible when you use a good podcast transcription software to transcribe each word in a video accurately. Your content appears on top of the search engine when a user searches with the keyword present in the text.
Content Repurposing Opportunities
With a podcast transcript available, you can easily give your content a new purpose. For example, the podcast can be repurposed as a blog post on your website, an article, or a summary. Everything is possible, provided there are not any errors in the transcript.
Top 5 Podcast Subtitle Generation Tools Compared
Many tools convert podcasts to text, and although every tool appears to do the same job, that is not the case. So, you must select the right tool that can generate quality subtitles. These are some of the best:
- Transkriptor: An advanced AI-powered transcription tool that supports 100+ languages, multiple integrations, and editing features.
- Otter.ai: Specially designed to generate meeting summaries, it produces accurate podcast subtitles.
- Rev.com: It provides the option of both manual and automatic transcriptions to improve video accessibility.
- Descript: It offers an integrated platform for recording, transcribing, and editing podcasts.
- AssemblyAI: It is a highly regarded transcription API praised for its accuracy and robust feature set.
1. Transkriptor — The Professional's Choice
Transkriptor uses state-of-the-art AI technology to make your transcription process stress-free and your transcriptions accurate. Its interface is simple, and it hardly takes a few minutes to transcribe your podcasts. The generated transcripts are up to 99% accurate. Besides, there is a podcast subtitle editor with which you can further refine your content.
The transcription software breaks language barriers and can transcribe in over 100 languages. This feature is invaluable for creators who want to make their podcasts accessible to audiences worldwide. It also supports multiple file formats, which adds convenience.
Best of all, it integrates with online platforms like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet. Its meeting recording feature automatically attends and records your meeting. Once it is complete, it generates a transcription. Rather than reviewing the entire transcript, ask Transkriptor's AI assistant to provide specific information or create a summary.
2. Otter.ai
Otter.ai is primarily designed for sales teams to transcribe meetings, but anyone can use its browser-based subtitle generator. Just upload your podcast video and get your transcriptions in minutes. It uses innovative technology to compress lengthy podcast videos into summaries so readers can get a quick idea.
Otter.ai automatically integrates with platforms like Microsoft Teams to take notes during meetings. However, unlike Transkriptor, Otter.ai only supports three languages including English and a few regional accents. The captions are also not burned in, so you need to add them to the video separately.
3. Rev.com
Rev.com, an AI podcast transcription software, has a reputation for delivering accurate transcription. Unlike most tools, it lets you choose between human transcribers and machine-generated transcription. The former is known for its accuracy but has obvious premium pricing and time limitations.
On the other hand, its AI transcription is quick but not very accurate. It integrates with popular platforms like Zoom, YouTube, Vimeo, and others, so you can quickly transcribe your podcasts. However, many users have found its interface clunky and sometimes unresponsive.
4. Descript
Descript provides users with an all-around platform for creators, including the option to write, record, transcribe, and edit. It hosts background removal and audio polishing features to ensure an audio-quality sound. Also, it automatically removes the filler words, and its correct mode allows for easy editing. As a result, the podcast transcription accuracy is decent.
Similar to Transkriptor, Descript supports integration with many apps using Zapier. It can streamline your workflow and let you collaborate securely with your teams. However, it does not have mobile apps for editing podcasts on the go, and its prices are pretty steep. Its basic plan costs $12/month and includes only 10 transcription hours.
5. AssemblyAI
AssemblyAI boasts highly accurate transcriptions courtesy of its deep learning research. It also provides a confidence score for each transcribed word, rating the probability of accuracy. There is a feature to customize the speech-to-text API for multiple speakers. It annotates different speakers, which is crucial in podcast subtitle generation.
The best part is that it supports over 99 languages, including English, Spanish, Japanese, and more. It automatically detects the language in your podcast and accurately transcribes it. However, unlike Transkriptor and others in this list, it lacks customization options. Its learning curve is steep, so it is only suitable for professionals well-versed in API integrations.
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Podcast Subtitle Generator
Choosing the best podcast subtitle maker ensures the podcast reaches a broader audience and they fully comprehend it. So, when choosing a subtitling service, consider the following aspects in mind:
- Accuracy and Quality: The transcription software must generate culturally accurate transcripts and capture nuances of every spoken word.
- Pricing Models and Value: Check if the transcription is a value proposition with features it offers and pricing models.
- Integration Capabilities: Integration with popular software streamlines your workflow and makes it more efficient.
- Support for Multiple Languages: The transcription software must support multiple languages to widen the reach of your content.
- Export Options and Formats: Your selected software must support the SRT file format, which does not require conversion.
Accuracy and Quality
As per FCC closed captioning rules, captions must accurately capture the spoken words, background noises, and other sounds. Accurate subtitles convey the actual message of the video content. So, when selecting subtitling software, review the quality of transcriptions by playing the video alongside.
Pricing Models and Value
Depending on your subtitling needs, pay attention to the pricing models the software offers. That is, if you make 8-9 podcasts in a month, review which software offers the best pricing model. You should ensure the particular model has all the features needed to produce quality subtitles.
Integration Capabilities
Podcasters might look through this aspect, but it is equally important to consider. Integration capabilities of professional podcast subtitling software allow the transcribed text to be incorporated into other applications. You do not need to transfer information between different applications manually. It streamlines collaboration, data analysis, and overall productivity.
Support for Multiple Languages
The capability of transcription software to transcribe in multiple languages is beneficial for reaching more markets. As a podcast creator who wants to deliver inclusive content, having subtitles in multiple languages makes sense. Transkriptor is the top choice in this respect, as it supports more than 100 languages. Otter.ai, on the other hand, only supports a few languages, so it may not be favorable.
Export Options and Formats
Aside from the aspects mentioned above, considering the options to receive the subtitle files is essential. The best tools are ones whose transcribed files do not need a conversion. So, when selecting software, make sure it offers SRT for your subtitles. An SRT file embedded in your podcast is a bonus.
Making the Most of Your Podcast Subtitle Generator
Whether a paid or free podcast subtitle generator, you must use it right to ensure an efficient workflow. You must use high-quality audio, adjust the timings, and more.
Best Practices for Optimal Results
Subtitles are used by most people, as according to Preply, they account for around 89% of Americans. It is more prevalent among Gen Z than others. It is thereby crucial to integrate accurate subtitles, and here are some best practices for that:
- High-quality Audio: Record the audio with a high-quality microphone and in an environment with minimal background noise.
- Keep it Concise: A subtitle must fit into two lines on the screen, so be creative, remove the fillers, and keep it concise.
- Languages: Transcribe your podcast into a multilingual subtitle to expand its reach to an international audience.
- Make Edits: Although podcast accessibility tools claim to deliver up to 99% accuracy, you must review and refine the subtitles.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
When generating subtitles, people over-rely on automatic podcast captioning tools, overlook speaker identification issues, and more. These are as follows:
- Over-reliance on tools: People tend to over-rely on software and do not care about reviewing the generated outputs. Despite AI software claiming up to 99% accuracy, minor errors are imminent.
- Speaker Identification Errors: If your podcast has multiple speakers, ensure each speaker is identified clearly.
- Spelling Errors: Spelling and grammar mistakes are common, regardless of the software. So, make sure to review the subtitles before publishing them.
Tips for Efficient Workflow
It is no surprise that automated tools like Transkriptor can help you work smarter and faster to increase efficiency. However, here are a few tips to maximize your efficiency:
- Clear Audio Quality: Always prioritize to keep your audio free of any background noise to maximize transcription accuracy.
- Speaker Labeling: If your podcast involves multiple speakers, use the speaker labeling feature to differentiate between the voices.
- Regular Backups: To prevent data loss, back up your transcripts regularly. Software like Transkriptor automatically backs up your documents in the cloud, which can be handy.
- Transcription Foot Pedal: Many software have a foot pedal to control playback without taking their hands off the keyboard.
Conclusion
With the increasing popularity of podcasts, adopting a podcast subtitle generator is no longer a luxury. It is necessary for creators who aim to provide high-quality content to their audiences. This is why you need a powerful and efficient tool that demonstrates quickness, accuracy, efficiency, and more.
With Transkriptor, adding subtitles to podcasts has never been easier. Its advanced AI-based capabilities streamline the creation and editing process. Besides, it has additional functionality, like multiple language support, alongside various editing and export options. So try it today for free!