Guide · Updated November 2026
How to get an Apple Podcasts transcript on Mac or in your browser
On a Mac, open the Podcasts app (macOS Sonoma 14.4 or later), choose an episode, and click View Transcript in the player or in the episode’s More menu. Apple creates these transcripts automatically for many shows.
In a browser, the Apple Podcasts website doesn’t show transcripts, and Apple doesn’t translate them. ReadTheTalk, a free Chrome extension, opens a reading panel on the episode page at podcasts.apple.com — with translation side by side and a click back to the exact second.
Google Chrome on Mac or Windows. Free reads publisher transcripts in full; transcribing episodes without one is Pro.
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Option 1: Apple’s built-in transcripts (Podcasts app)
Apple added automatic transcripts to the Podcasts app in iOS 17.4 and macOS Sonoma 14.4. If you listen in the app, this is the quickest way to read along.
- Open the Podcasts app on your Mac (macOS Sonoma 14.4 or later).
- Play an episode and click View Transcript in the player. While browsing, you can also open an episode’s More menu and choose View Transcript.
- Use Search Transcript to find a word or phrase in the episode.
Where Apple’s transcripts stop
- They appear only in Apple’s apps on iPhone, iPad, and Mac — not on the Apple Podcasts website.
- They stay in the episode’s original language; Apple doesn’t translate them.
- Availability varies by show, language, and country or region, so some episodes have none.
Option 2: Read the episode in Chrome with ReadTheTalk
If you listen on podcasts.apple.com — on a work laptop, on Windows, or just in a browser tab — ReadTheTalk turns the episode page into something you can read. No links to copy, no files to upload.
- Add ReadTheTalk to Chrome (free).
- Open an episode on podcasts.apple.com.
- Click the ReadTheTalk button on the page. The reading panel opens beside the player.
- If the show publishes a transcript in its podcast feed, it appears right away — free, even without signing in. If it doesn’t, Pro transcribes the full episode.
- Start playback, then click any timestamp: Apple’s player jumps to that second, and the text follows along.
Good to know
- ReadTheTalk doesn’t use Apple’s auto-generated transcripts; those stay inside Apple’s apps.
- If inserted ads make the audio a different length from the feed, the text stays readable but won’t follow playback.
- Works in Google Chrome on a computer. Signing in uses your Google account.
Which one should you use?
What’s free, and what needs Pro
Most podcasts don’t publish a transcript in their feed, so for many episodes on Apple Podcasts, reading the full text means transcribing it with Pro.
| On Apple Podcasts | Free | Pro · US$9.90/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Show publishes a transcript | Read in full, even without signing in | Read in full |
| No published transcript | Readable if another user has already processed and shared it (15 new items a month) | Transcribe the full episode, up to 6 hours; 1 hour of audio uses 1 of your 20 monthly hours |
| Overview, chapters, article | On episodes others have already processed | Created when you process an episode |
| Translation | Read existing translations | Up to 20 new translations a day |
Full details are on the pricing page.
Questions
More on the home page.
Does Apple Podcasts have transcripts on Mac?
Yes. In the Podcasts app on macOS Sonoma 14.4 or later, open an episode and click View Transcript in the player, or choose View Transcript from the episode’s More menu. Apple generates the transcripts automatically, but availability varies by show, language, and country or region.
Can I read Apple Podcasts transcripts in a web browser?
The Apple Podcasts website (podcasts.apple.com) doesn’t show Apple’s transcripts; they are available in the Podcasts app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. In Chrome, ReadTheTalk opens a reading panel on the episode page. It shows the publisher’s own transcript when the show provides one, and Pro can transcribe episodes that don’t.
Can I translate an Apple Podcasts transcript?
Apple shows transcripts in the episode’s original language and doesn’t translate them. ReadTheTalk can place each paragraph next to its translation in one of 8 reading languages. Reading an existing translation is free; creating a new one requires Pro, which includes up to 20 new translations a day.
Is ReadTheTalk free on Apple Podcasts?
Installing is free. If a show publishes its own transcript in its podcast feed, you can read it in full for free, even without signing in. Episodes that other users have already processed and shared count toward Free’s 15 items a month. Transcribing an episode that has no published transcript requires Pro (US$9.90 a month, 20 hours of audio).
Does ReadTheTalk use Apple’s auto-generated transcripts?
No. Apple’s transcripts are only available inside Apple’s apps. ReadTheTalk reads the transcript a publisher provides in the show’s public feed, or, with Pro, transcribes the episode’s public audio.