I've been teasing for a while that I made some major workflow changes for The Audacity to Podcast, Here's what I change and why.
1. Chapters and transcripts with PodChapters
I'm now using PodChapters for chapters and transcripts.
Yes, PodChapters is my own product. But I built it first because I needed it.
Before PodChapters, I spent 30 to 60 minutes across several tools, sometimes on two different computers, just to create transcripts and chapters. The process was slow, clunky, and far more complicated than it needed to be.
Now, the same work takes me about 30 to 60 seconds.
PodChapters can transcribe an episode, or I can upload my own VTT or SRT transcript. Then I can paste my outline without timestamps, and PodChapters finds where those points happen in the audio and turns them into chapters.
That outline-to-chapters feature is something I've wanted for years. I usually know my outline before I record. I know what I want the chapters to be. I just don't know exactly where they start in the audio.
Now I can upload the episode, paste the outline, make any tiny timestamp adjustments I want, and export the episode with chapters, transcript, and ID3 tags.
What used to be a tedious production step is now fast and easy for me, and it can be for you, too!
Try PodChapters FREE on your next episode!
2. Back to outlines instead of scripts
This is the bigger change: I went back to presenting from outlines instead of reading from scripts.
Somewhere along the way with The Audacity to Podcast, I started scripting my episodes. I would write the article first, which helped me organize my thoughts, gather links, plan transitions, and have the show notes mostly finished before recording.
That worked for a while. But it became cumbersome.
When the words were written in front of me, I felt like I had to say them exactly that way. If I stumbled, I would stop and restart because I wanted to match the script. That actually created more edit points than speaking from an outline does.
There was also a personal reason for scripting. My confidence had taken some hard hits, and scripting helped me return to podcasting when I didn't feel ready to speak more naturally. It gave me structure and safety.
But eventually, it started to feel restrictive.
I felt more confident again. I wanted more energy, more personality, and more natural connection. I wanted the podcast to feel less like reading and more like a conversation.
So now, I still prepare. I still use a teleprompter. But the teleprompter shows only my outline, plus occasional reminders, links, episode numbers, quotations, or specific wording I need to get right.
And I love it!
Speaking from an outline feels more like public speaking. It brings back the energy of presenting an idea instead of performing a script.
Some listeners noticed, too. They said the episodes felt more energetic, more passionate, and more like me.
My editor, John Bukenas, noticed something else: he doesn't have to edit me as much. Since I'm not trying to perfectly match a script, I can keep going when a sentence takes a different turn. That's how real communication works.
If you script your episodes, maybe try an outline. That doesn't mean you stop preparing. It means you prepare the direction, not every word.
3. Episode articles with trained AI [14:10]
Going back to outlines created a new challenge: what about the article? When I scripted episodes, the article was mostly done before I recorded. With outlines, I needed another way to turn the episode into a useful article.
So I started using AI more intentionally. But not to create the content for me. I still believe you should create your own content. AI is best when it repurposes, reformats, or restructures your original creativity.
For this workflow, I give the AI my transcript, outline, and tone-of-voice guidance. Then it helps turn my spoken content into an article.
The important part is the tone-of-voice document. I used an AI agent to analyze many of my recent episode transcripts, one at a time, to find patterns in how I communicate: tone, phrasing, sentence structure, repeated expressions, explanation style, and how I make technical ideas approachable.
That created a document describing my voice. When I publish new episodes, that document can be updated with any new patterns.
Then I combine the transcript, outline, voice document, and instructions for the article. The result is close to what I would have written myself because it comes from my own ideas, my own words, and my own communication style.
And no, an em dash does not automatically mean AI wrote something. I've been using em dashes since the nineties. I still remember the Windows code: hold Alt and type 0151 on the number pad. I used em dashes before they were uncool. Or maybe they were never cool.
AI is not replacing my creativity here. It's helping me use it more efficiently. As a single dad, homeschooling my son, and running my own business, I don't want to spend extra time rewriting my own content into article format when AI can help me do that from my own material.
For this, I'm currently using Magai. I'm a paying customer and an affiliate, so I may earn a commission if you sign up through that link. I recommend it because it gives me access to many AI models, including GPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, and others, along with image and video models.
Have you noticed these changes in The Audacity to Podcast?
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Disclosure
This post may contain links to products or services with which I have an affiliate relationship. I may receive compensation from your actions through such links. However, I don't let that corrupt my perspective and I don't recommend only affiliates.
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