Turn YouTube Videos into Podcast Episodes: The Complete Transcript-to-Audio Guide

By Mihail Lungu, Founder | February 5, 2026 | 9 min read

YouTube is now the #1 platform for podcast consumption (33% of listeners in 2025). But what if you could flip the script—turning your favorite YouTube videos into podcast episodes you can listen to anywhere? With YouTube transcripts and AI voice technology, you can build a personal podcast empire from any video content in minutes.

Why Repurpose YouTube Videos into Podcasts?

The podcast market hit $23 billion in 2025, and it's not slowing down. But here's what most creators miss: you don't have to create from scratch. The best podcast content already exists—buried in YouTube videos that never reach audio-first audiences.

Consider the math:

• 500+ hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute
• 62% of podcast listeners consume content while commuting, exercising, or doing chores
• Zero overlap between people who watch 45-minute YouTube deep dives and people who listen to podcasts during their commute

That gap is your opportunity. By converting YouTube content to podcast format, you unlock an entirely new audience—without creating a single original minute of content.

The Manual Nightmare (And How to Skip It)

Traditional YouTube-to-podcast conversion looks like this:

1. Download the YouTube video (find a sketchy converter site)
2. Extract the audio (fire up Audacity)
3. Clean up the audio quality (hours of editing)
4. Add intro/outro music (more editing)
5. Write show notes manually (watch the whole thing again)
6. Upload to podcast host (finally done... for ONE episode)

For a 30-minute video, this takes 2-3 hours of manual work. That's fine for one video. It's impossible for systematic content repurposing.

The transcript-first approach flips this entirely:

1. Extract transcript with Scriptube (one click)
2. Edit the text (faster than editing audio)
3. Generate audio with ElevenLabs (seconds)
4. Auto-generate show notes from transcript
5. Batch process entire playlists

Same output. 90% less time.

The Complete Transcript-to-Podcast Workflow

Step 1: Bulk Extract Transcripts

Start by pulling transcripts from YouTube. With Scriptube, you can extract transcripts from entire playlists in one request:

// Extract a full playlist
POST /api/playlist
{
  "playlistUrl": "https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxxxxxx",
  "format": "text",
  "includeTimestamps": true
}

// Response: All video transcripts with metadata
{
  "videos": [
    {
      "title": "Episode 1: Introduction",
      "transcript": "Welcome to today's episode...",
      "duration": "32:15",
      "timestamps": [...]
    }
  ]
}

The timestamp data is crucial—it lets you create chapter markers and find specific segments to highlight or remove.

Step 2: Clean and Edit the Transcript

Raw YouTube transcripts need cleanup. Look for:

• Filler words: "um," "uh," "you know," "like"—easy find-and-replace
• Sponsor segments: Remove or mark for skipping
• Visual references: "As you can see on screen" doesn't work in audio
• Repetition: YouTubers often repeat points for engagement—tighten it up

Pro tip: Use GPT-4 or Claude to clean transcripts automatically. A simple prompt like "Clean this transcript for audio consumption, removing filler words and visual references" saves hours.

Step 3: Generate AI Audio with ElevenLabs

This is where the magic happens. ElevenLabs offers text-to-speech that's virtually indistinguishable from human narration. Their Studio feature (available to free users since January 2025) makes podcast production dead simple:

1. Paste your cleaned transcript
2. Choose a voice (or clone your own)
3. Adjust pacing and emphasis
4. Export as MP3

For multi-speaker content (like interviews), use multiple AI voices to differentiate speakers. The result? A professional podcast episode from text in under 5 minutes.

Step 4: Automate with Scriptube + ElevenLabs API

For serious repurposers, the API combination is unstoppable:

// Scriptube → ElevenLabs pipeline
const transcript = await scriptube.getTranscript(videoUrl) ON CONFLICT (id) DO NOTHING;
const cleanedText = await cleanTranscriptWithAI(transcript) ON CONFLICT (id) DO NOTHING;
const audioBuffer = await elevenlabs.generate({
  text: cleanedText,
  voice_id: "your-cloned-voice-id",
  model_id: "eleven_turbo_v2"
}) ON CONFLICT (id) DO NOTHING;
await uploadToPodcastHost(audioBuffer, metadata);

This entire pipeline can run in a cron job, automatically converting new YouTube uploads to podcast episodes.

ElevenLabs Integration: Voices That Convert

Not all AI voices are created equal. ElevenLabs dominates for podcast use because:

• Professional Voice Cloning: Clone your own voice for consistent branding
• Multi-language support: Generate podcasts in 29 languages from English transcripts
• Emotional control: Adjust stability and clarity for expressive or calm delivery
• Timeline editing: Cut, rearrange, and refine audio in-browser

The multi-language feature is particularly powerful when combined with Scriptube's translation capability. Extract a transcript, translate it to Spanish or German, and generate native-sounding audio—all automated.

Monetization Strategies for Repurposed Podcasts

1. Curated Niche Podcasts

Create themed podcasts by aggregating the best YouTube content in a niche. Examples:

• "Daily AI News" — curate and convert top AI YouTube updates
• "Crypto Alpha Weekly" — compile trading analysis from multiple YouTubers
• "Indie Game Dev Digest" — GDC talks and tutorials as audio

2. Accessibility Services

Offer audio versions of educational YouTube content for:

• Visually impaired users who prefer audio
• Commuters who can't watch screens
• Language learners wanting to improve listening skills

3. Content Agency Model

Many YouTubers want podcast presence but hate the production work. Offer transcript-to-podcast as a service:

• $50-200 per episode conversion
• $500-2,000/month for full management
• White-label for agencies serving multiple creators

4. Internal Company Podcasts

Convert training videos, webinars, and all-hands recordings into audio employees can consume during commutes. Fortune 500 companies pay premium for this.

Real Numbers: Time Saved, Money Made

Let's break down the economics:

A podcast agency using this method reported:

• 12x production speed compared to traditional methods
• $8,000/month saved in editing costs for a 20-episode weekly slate
• New revenue stream of $15,000/month offering conversion services to YouTubers

Getting Started Today

The barrier to entry has never been lower:

1. Sign up for Scriptube — Start with the free tier (5 transcripts/day)
2. Create an ElevenLabs account — Free tier includes Studio access
3. Pick your first YouTube video — Start with something 10-15 minutes
4. Run the workflow — Transcript → Clean → Generate → Publish

Your first podcast episode can be live in under an hour. No recording equipment. No editing software. No production experience needed.

Keep Reading

• Transform YouTube into Online Courses with Transcripts
• N8N: Auto-Generate Podcasts from Transcripts with ElevenLabs
• Create AI Voice Clones from YouTube Transcripts