How to Write Podcast Show Notes with AI
The quickest way to write podcast show notes with AI is to transcribe the final episode, check the transcript against the audio, then ask an AI tool to draft a summary, a list of topics with timestamps and the resources mentioned. You then edit that draft in your own voice and add every link yourself. AI does the slow first pass. You make sure every name, time and claim is right.
This guide walks through the whole process, from finished audio to notes you can paste into your podcast host, your website or a YouTube description. It suits solo hosts, small teams and anyone who records interviews for a brand or community.
What good show notes include
Show notes are the written page that goes with an episode. A listener reads them to decide whether to press play, to find a link the guest mentioned or to jump back to a part they want to hear again. Useful notes usually have:
- A short summary. Two or three sentences on what the episode covers and who it will help.
- Guest details. The guest's name spelled correctly, their role and where to find them.
- Topics with timestamps. A list of the main sections so people can skip to what interests them.
- Resources mentioned. Books, tools, websites and people named in the conversation, with working links.
- A call to action. One clear next step, such as following the show, joining a newsletter or leaving a question for a future episode.
Keep the format the same every week so regular listeners know where to look.
Step 1: Transcribe the final edited episode
Always transcribe the version you will actually publish, not the raw recording. If you cut a section or moved the introduction, timestamps taken from the raw file will point to the wrong places.
Upload the exported audio to TextPixAI Speech to Text and start the transcription. Accepted file types and maximum sizes are shown in the tool. If your episode is long, splitting it into a few parts can make the transcript easier to process and review. Note where each part starts so you can adjust the timestamps from later parts.
Audio quality makes a big difference. Background music under the speech, people talking over each other and a guest on a weak phone line all make mistakes more likely. If you have a clean voice only export, use that for transcription. Our guide on how to transcribe an interview with AI covers recording and clean up habits in more detail.
Step 2: Fix the transcript before you summarise it
Any error in the transcript will be copied into your show notes, often in a more confident form. So spend ten minutes on a quick correction pass first. Focus on the words that matter most:
- Names. Guest names, company names and product names are the words speech recognition gets wrong most often.
- Numbers and dates. Check any figure you might repeat in the notes.
- Small words that change meaning. "Can" and "can't" or "before" and "after" are easy to mishear.
- Speaker labels. Make sure each quote belongs to the right person.
You do not need a perfect transcript for this job. You need the parts you will use to be correct.
Step 3: Ask AI for a structured first draft
Paste the corrected transcript into TextPixAI AI Chat and give it a clear brief. A vague request such as "write show notes" tends to produce generic text. A fixed structure gives you something you can check quickly. For example:
Prompt: "Below is the transcript of a podcast episode. Write show notes with these sections: a summary of no more than three sentences for someone deciding whether to listen, the guest's name exactly as spoken, five to eight main topics with start times and a list of every book, tool, website or person mentioned. Use only what is said in the transcript. Do not add web addresses. Mark anything you are unsure of with [check]."
"Use only what is said" discourages the AI from adding ideas the guest never mentioned. "Do not add web addresses" stops it from guessing links, because a made up or outdated address in your notes is worse than no link at all.
If your transcript does not include times, ask for the topics in order without timestamps and add the times yourself in Step 5.
Save the prompt somewhere handy and reuse it every week.
Step 4: Rewrite the summary in your own voice
AI summaries often describe an episode in flat, general terms, such as "we discuss productivity tips". Listeners respond better to something specific: what the guest argued, what changed their mind or the one practical idea people will take away.
Rewrite the summary so it sounds like your show. Lead with the most useful point, name the guest early and keep it short enough to read on a phone. The AI Writer can suggest a few alternative openings if you are stuck, but choose and edit them yourself. Our guide on editing AI writing so it sounds like you has practical ways to do this.
Write the episode title separately and keep it clear and descriptive. Apple's guide to podcast RSS feeds warns that stuffing titles with keywords to game podcast search can get a show removed from its directory. It also advises against putting the episode or season number in the episode title tag.
Step 5: Check every timestamp by listening
Timestamps are the part of AI show notes most likely to be slightly off. A topic might start a minute earlier than the draft says. The AI may also have picked a moment where the subject was only mentioned in passing.
Open the final audio, jump to each timestamp and listen to a few seconds before and after. Move the time so it lands just before the topic begins. Make sure the topic title describes what follows.
If you also publish the episode on YouTube, the same list can become video chapters. According to YouTube's help page on video chapters, the first timestamp in the description must start at 00:00, you need at least three timestamps in ascending order and each chapter must be at least 10 seconds long.
Step 6: Add links yourself and check the facts
Go through the resources list line by line. For each item, find the official page and paste the link in by hand. Then open every link to be sure it works and points where you expect.
Look at any factual claims in your summary too. If a guest shared an opinion or a figure you cannot confirm, describe it as their view rather than stating it as fact. Show notes carry your show's name, so they should be as careful as anything else you publish.
Step 7: Format and publish
Different platforms allow different amounts of text. Apple's help page on creating an episode in Apple Podcasts Connect allows an episode description of up to 10,000 characters, but most listeners will only read the first few lines. Put the summary and the most important link at the top and the full topic list underneath.
A simple layout that works on most hosts looks like this:
- Summary of two or three sentences.
- Guest name, role and one link to find them.
- Topics with timestamps.
- Resources mentioned, with links.
- One call to action.
If you post the notes on your own website, you can also add the full corrected transcript underneath. It helps listeners who prefer reading and people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Reuse the transcript for more content
A clean transcript and checked show notes give you raw material for other posts. You can ask AI Chat to pull out three short quotes for social media, outline a blog article based on the main argument or draft a newsletter section that points to the episode. Our guide on how to outline a blog post with AI shows how to turn a topic list into a full article plan.
Planning a video version too? See how to write a YouTube script with AI. You can also create simple episode artwork with the AI Image Generator. And if you have written content you want to turn into a short audio episode, our guide to turning a blog post into audio uses Text to Speech for the narration.
Frequently asked questions
How long should podcast show notes be?
Long enough to cover a summary, the guest, the main topics and the links mentioned. For most episodes that fits comfortably in a few short paragraphs and two lists. Put the most important information in the first few lines.
Can AI write show notes from the audio alone?
The usual approach is two steps: transcribe the audio first, then ask an AI tool to draft notes from the text. Working from a transcript you have checked gives you more control over accuracy.
Should I trust AI timestamps?
Treat them as a starting point. Jump to each one in the final audio and adjust it so it lands just before the topic starts.
Do I need to tell guests I am using AI?
It is good practice to let guests know how their recording will be used, including transcription and show notes. Remove anything they asked to keep off the record before you upload it.
Will AI show notes help my podcast get found?
Clear, accurate notes make it easier for listeners and search engines to understand what an episode is about, but they cannot guarantee more listeners or any particular ranking. Write them for people first.
Try it on your next episode
Pick your most recent episode, upload it to Speech to Text and run the prompt above in AI Chat. Once the first set of notes is done, the routine gets faster each week. You can start with a free account and compare what each plan includes in our pricing section.
