Who has transcripts, and what you can do with them
| Where | Which episodes | Copy | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Podcasts | Most, in 11 languages, unless the show switched them off | Up to 200 words at a time | No |
| Spotify | Some shows only; full text in the mobile app | One quote at a time | No |
| YouTube | Videos with captions, in about 67 languages | On a computer, yes | No (owners only) |
| The show's website | Only shows that publish them | Usually | Sometimes |
| Podmenti | Any episode with public audio | All of it | Yes: text, subtitles, JSON |
Do Apple podcasts have transcripts?
Mostly yes. Since iOS 17.4 (March 2024) Apple transcribes episodes automatically, and by March 2025 it had done its whole back catalogue, over 100 million episodes. The languages are English, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish. You read them in the Podcasts app on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro, not on the web. When one is missing.
Do Spotify podcasts have transcripts?
Some. Spotify generates them for eligible shows only and does not say which; creators can also switch them off. The full auto-generated text is in the mobile app, once the episode is playing. Why Spotify shows none.
Does YouTube?
If the podcast is on YouTube, usually: open the description and choose Show transcript. It is YouTube's automatic captions, timed line by line, and can be missing on very long videos, poor audio, or heavy cross-talk.
Why do some have none?
Making a transcript used to cost the show money, so most never did; the apps fill part of the gap, each in its own way. The audio itself is always public, which is why a transcript can be made for any episode that has none. How to get one.