Outfitting your podcasts with transcripts may seem like user engagement 101, but it’s about more than just making the content available in multiple mediums. It’s about accessibility. Ask yourself: who can access your content? Which audiences might be left out? How inclusive is your attempt to share your content with as many people as possible?

Podcasts with Transcripts Engage All Audiences

Prioritizing accessibility gets to the heart of your ethos as a podcaster, and ensures that all people, including those who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing, those who are non-native speakers, and those with other disabilities can enjoy the content you create and share. (Those who identify culturally as Deaf often choose to spell it with a capital D, while those who are speaking solely of the medical diagnosis or don’t participate in Deaf culture often choose to write it as deaf, uncapitalized.)

When you make your podcast accessible for those who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing, you are taking a major step toward inclusivity. As the crew at Join the Party Podcast note in this piece via Medium, “Transcripts are essential for the d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Similar to subtitles in a movie, transcripts open up the storytelling, reporting and authenticity of podcasting and radio for those who cannot access audio. Making your show as accessible as possible is the right thing to do.”

The podcasting world has a long way to go toward being more accessible, and it will only become a reality if podcasters are willing to consistently provide podcasts with transcripts in order to normalize this model.

Podcast accessibility is also a fantastic way to expand the reach of your work and include people who are non-native speakers of your language. Learning a new language is daunting enough; making the jump from written to spoken word is another world entirely. Transcripts offer non-native speakers the opportunity to grapple with the issues raised in conversation without having to wade through the uncertainty introduced by quick back-and-forth verbal exchanges, distorted audio, or confusing colloquialisms.

In addition, as the piece by Join the Party goes on to discuss, “Plenty of English language learners or people who know English as a second (or third or sixth) language would love to listen to your English-language podcast. But, they could use some anchors as they do. Reading along as they listen to the audio enables these listeners to access and enjoy your show.”

Create Accessible Podcasts with a Transcription Service

Podcasts with transcripts give all listeners the opportunity to investigate nuanced and thought-provoking moments of conversation. But the value of conversations can easily be lost without careful transcription. If you are interested in expanding the reach of your content without the burden of transcribing each episode of your podcast yourself, enlisting a reliable transcription company to provide quality transcripts is a smart investment. If you are ready to take this step toward a more inclusive podcasting community, contact us. We’d love to help you grow your audience with our expert transcription services.