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Podcasting is on the rise, but to so many listeners–deaf and hard-of-hearing listeners, non-English listeners, visual listeners who prefer reading to listening, busy-commute listeners without headphones, neurodivergent listeners–your great show is at times merely a click away. Accessibility closes the gap. It boosts SEO as well, increases completion rates, and turns occasional listeners into abiding ones.
The following are 15 tangible, creator-tested ways to make it easier to find, follow, and love your show, without diluting your voice or overloading your workflow. As Maya Angelou would say, ‘Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.’
Publish high-quality transcripts
Audio-only media has non-negotiable text transcripts. You need them to meet WCAG Level A, the baseline in web accessibility. Short form: if it’s an audio-only media, it needs transcripts.
What you can do is post transcripts on your website (not just in an application), so they’re linkable, screen-reader-friendly, and indexable. The U.S. government’s guidance is to publish transcripts in readable formats like HTML, plain text, or a conformant Word document.
Make transcription effortless with the right tool
You can use Happy Scribe’s audio to text features to take the heavy lifting here. Upload video or audio and get an editable transcript with 96% plus AI accuracy, support in over 120 languages, and export in 45+ formats. In short, if your team lives within several tools. It even accepts 45+ file types (MP3, WAV, FLAC, MP4, and so on), and it keeps workflows humming.
Why it matters: if writing transcripts is too much work, you won’t do it. If it is three clicks, then it will be done every time.
Quick wins:
- Create a transcript, correct names/terms, and export to HTML for your site.
- Include a short note at the top: ‘This transcript has been generated automatically and lightly edited.’
Put transcripts in your RSS so podcast apps can find them
In addition to your site itself, include transcripts in episodes using the Podcasting 2.0 <podcast:transcript> tag. Most newer podcast apps will import this information and offer in-app time-synced text to listeners. Documentation and how-tos are highly available and are supported directly by multiple hosting platforms.
Use platform features (but don’t get locked in)
Apple Podcasts incorporated automated searchable transcripts. That’s great for accessibility–yet the content is largely within Apple’s app. Leave transcripts on the open internet too so everyone benefits from the rewards (and your SEO too).
Structure transcripts for readability
The wall of text is programmatically ‘accessible’ but unwelcoming. You can use speaker labels, concise paragraphs, and section headings (intro, act breaks, Q&A). The W3C provides pragmatic advice and references to time-based media alternatives techniques–it’s worth a fleeting glance before you lock up your template.
Standardize loudness so listeners don’t ride the volume
Nothing ruins accessibility like erratic volume. Aim for −16 LUFS-Integrated (stereo) for podcast mixes–an industry guideline that keeps levels consistent across episodes and players.
Clarify the mix for spoken-word comprehension
Soft high-pass filters on vocals, medium compression levels on vocals, and duck music beds on dialogue. Consistent microphone technique plus light de-essing might be the difference between having to correct the transcript extensively and having it come through close to perfect right off the bat.
Write generous show notes (they’re mini-transcripts)
Show notes are the ‘map’ to your recording. Include a concise summary, key points, names and links, and time-stamped highlights. Make it easy for everybody, particularly skimmers searching for relevance, to determine if they should press play.
Add chapters for easy navigation
Long episodes are broken down by chapters. The chapter markers are even an accessibility feature for time- or attention-impaired listeners. The vast majority of hosts now support chapter markers and even ‘cloud chapters’ through the Podcasting 2.0 spec.
Speak for clarity, not just performance
Quick patter is fun to do, but accessibility increases if you:
- Use well-articulated acronyms and numbers
- Define jargon when it is used for the first time
- Make pause from time to time to reestablish attention
Offer multiple speeds–and design for them
Most listen at 1.2x or 1.5x. Keep your edit tight so critical information is not lost at increased speeds. Try to avoid stingers of music obscuring the first words of a new segment.
Localize selectively (and smartly)
If it’s a worldwide audience, think about translating transcripts into your best locales. That’s where multilingual tools are worth their weight. All you have to do is prepare your source transcript and then translate and publish.
Describe visuals and non-speech audio
If you’re referencing a chart, slide, or soundless beat (e.g., ‘looks shocked’), tell the substance in narration. Transcripts include bracketed words like [laughter], [applause], [music swells]– these are tiny cues to get scenes to stick in the minds of readers.
Use accessible web design on your episode pages
High-contrast colors, readable fonts, keyboard-controllable players, and semantic headings (H1→H2→H3) will aid screen-reader users on your site. Combine these with transcripts, and you will satisfy certain key WCAG requirements relevant to audio content.
Test with real users and iterate
Accessibility is not a checkbox. It should be a habit of yours when you create content. Seek input from Deaf/hard-of-hearing listeners and non-native speakers. Make fixes to pain points in a timely manner and add them to your production checklist.
Real-world podcast examples (and what they do well)
Plenty of top shows already model excellent accessibility practices:
- 99% Invisible adds a prominent Transcript link on episode pages. It’s skimmable, searchable, and lives on the open web where fans can reference it.
- Radiolab publishes full transcripts on its site–clear speakers, clean formatting–thus making it easy to quote, cite, or search past episodes.
- The Daily (NYT) publicly states that transcripts for each episode are available by the next workday, and its presence on major platforms reinforces the norm: news should be findable, searchable, and readable.
As you can see, when big shows normalize transcripts and chaptering, the ecosystem follows: apps index better, search improves, listeners expect (and reward) accessibility.
Implementation Playbook (step-by-step)
Step 1: Build your transcript pipeline
- Create: Employ an editing software that supports your languages and file types and is highly accurate.
- Edit: Correct names, brands, and technical terms; add speaker identifiers and H2/H3 headings.
- Publish:
- On your website (HTML episode page).
- In your RSS with <podcast:transcript> so apps feed it.
Two quick checklist bullets to copy and paste into your workflow:
- Check −16 LUFS-I on final master; check intros and outros.
- Add time-stamped chapters (and preserve names descriptive to screen reader)
Step 2: Increase discoverability and comprehension
- Site taxonomy & SEO: add episode keywords to H1/H2 tags, add alt text to images, and concise summary above the transcript.
- Link responsibly: if it is an academic paper or dataset you’re linking to, link it in show notes and transcript.
- Clear writing: whenever possible, substitute insider acronyms with explainer terms your average audience will understand.
Step 3: Sustain the habit
- Template everything: transcript page template, show-notes template, and a pre-publish accessibility checklist.
- Measure: track transcript page views, time on page, search queries landing on transcripts, and completion rates of episodes with chapters compared to episodes without.
- Review quarterly: policies are refreshed (e.g., platform transcript features) regularly, and also you need to stay up-to-date on the system.
Bonus tips
- Regular intro wording assists in voice-to-text clarity. Don’t speak over music and let your co-host know you’ll be counting down after stingers.
- Guest preparation: provide pronunciation notes and acronyms ahead of time; your transcript editor will thank you.
A simple, sustainable workflow (you can start this week)
- Intelligible recording: aim direct audio voices at −16 LUFS-I; keep subtle backgrounds.
- Automatically transcribe and then light-edit (names, acronyms, breaks).
- Publish the episode page with transcript, refresh the RSS with <podcast:transcript>, and schedule your social updates from the best quotes of the transcript.
- Review analytics: Which of the transcript pages attract organic traffic? Which chapters have the highest replays? Keep what works and revise what doesn’t.
The bigger picture
Accessibility is not just compliance but a necessary design. It’s the difference between a show that’s ‘great if conditions are perfect’ and a show that’s strong on devices, bandwidths, accents, and attention. Adding transcripts, chapters, uniform loudness levels, and Web pages with accessibility brings in more people but enhances the show to all of us already present.
And if you require a first domino to fall, begin with transcripts. They open up search, empower quotes, feed into your newsletter, and become the framework upon which everything else is built.
Make it human. Make it searchable. Make it for everybody.
