5. Accessible Audio

Podcasts, voice notes, and audio posts are great — as long as people who can’t hear them can still get the content.

Audio-only content excludes people who are deaf or hard of hearing, anyone in a noisy place or a quiet room without headphones, and people who simply prefer to read. The fix is a transcript: a written version of everything said.

Provide a transcript

A good transcript is more than the words — it captures everything a listener would hear:

• All spoken words, in order.
• Speaker names, so it is clear who is talking.
• Important non-speech sounds in brackets, e.g. “[applause]”, “[phone rings]”.
• A short note for meaningful music or tone where it matters.

How to create a transcript quickly

You rarely need to type from scratch. Start with an automatic transcript, then read through and correct it — auto-tools mishear names, numbers, and local terms.

• Upload the audio (or its video version) to YouTube and download the auto-generated transcript, then edit.
• Use a dictation/transcription tool (for example Otter.ai, or Dictate in Microsoft Word) and clean up the result.
• For short clips, just write the key points yourself.

Where to put it

• On a podcast: include the transcript in the show notes / episode page.
• On social media: add the key content to the post, with a link to the full text.
• For a voice note shared with the community: paste a written summary alongside it.

Audio checklist

• A full transcript exists for the audio.
• The transcript names the speakers.
• Important non-speech sounds are noted in brackets.
• The transcript (or a link to it) is published with the audio.