iOS 17.4: Using Apple's New Podcast Transcript Feature

[MacRumors]

In iOS 17.4, currently in beta, Apple is adding audio transcripts to the Podcasts app for iPhone, meaning you'll be able to read along to your favorite podcasts as they are spoken.

Apple is adding support for auto-generated transcripts in its Podcasts app, offering users another way to enjoy podcast content rather than simply listening to what is being said.

If you're familiar with lyrics in Apple Music, it's very similar. When playing a podcast, simply tap the speech bubble icon at the bottom-left corner of the fullscreen media playback screen.

Tap the auto-generated transcript that appears to make it fill the screen. The transcript automatically scrolls and highlights the text currently being spoken as the episode plays, or you can scroll through the transcript manually, and even tap on a sentence to jump to that point in the podcast. Text selections can also be highlighted for copying and pasting elsewhere.

In addition, a Search button at the bottom of the screen lets you search the transcript for specific words or phrases and jump to that point in the transcript, where you can then tap to skip to the audio track.

Transcripts can also be accessed from the Up Next section in the Home tab. Simply press and hold a podcast episode to reveal the View Transcript option in the dropdown menu. And if you're on the episode details page, tap the ellipsis (three dots) button top-right to reveal the same option.

As of writing, not all podcast episodes have transcripts right now, but Apple says that transcripts for back catalog episodes are being added over time. Transcripts are available in English, French, German, and Spanish, and podcast hosts also have the option to upload their own transcripts rather than using the automatically generated version.

The transcripts feature is coming as part of Apple's iOS 17.4 update, which available to developers at the current time. Apple plans to release it to the public in March.

Article Link: iOS 17.4: Using Apple's New Podcast Transcript Feature

 

[J.A.K.]

Can they be copied? Opened in Books? How accurate are they? Is Apple giving producers opt in or opt out? Will Apple be assuming responsibility for inaccuracies that cause conflict or misrepresentation?

 

[IGI2]

Can they be copied? Opened in Books? How accurate are they? Is Apple giving producers opt in or opt out? Will Apple be assuming responsibility for inaccuracies that cause conflict or misrepresentation?

Copied? Yes.
Opened in Books? No.
How accurate? Very accurate.
Opt in or out? Opt out (but they are available only in few languages).

Will Apple accept responsibility for inaccurate transcripts? It's uncertain. However, if a transcript generated by Apple, and subsequently approved by Apple's review process (a step also applicable to self-uploaded transcripts), is found to be incorrect, it may not be difficult to establish their accountability, if required. Nonetheless, given the presence of a disclaimer indicating the text's automated generation, it's advisable to approach the issue with a measure of understanding and restraint.

 

[polyphenol]

I'll be so happy when this arrives!

I find myself regularly listening to something and then wanting to tell someone else about it. A direct and reasonably accurate quote is just what I need.

The other day, I listened to a 45 minute podcast, of which about 15 minutes was of very great interest to me - and to others. I played the podcast on my iPad and used voice recognition on my MBP. (Not convinced even that was a good idea - but it was the first thing I thought to try.) Unfortunately, the program had four people all too often talking over each other and interrupting. Hence the results were dire. All it really achieved was to produce some text which acted as a memory-jogger for me in letting others know.

 

[xmach]

Nice new functionality.

When will Apple add transcription to the Voice Memos app?

 

[CarAnalogy]

Can they be copied? Opened in Books? How accurate are they? Is Apple giving producers opt in or opt out? Will Apple be assuming responsibility for inaccuracies that cause conflict or misrepresentation?

I can answer the last two.

It is technically opt out but in a weird way. It apparently has to be toggled OFF per episode as it is automatically on, but it can’t be turned off until the system has parsed the text in the first place. They really need to fix that.

And as for responsibility, if you read your EULA you’ll notice that they aren’t responsible for anything, ever.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Copied? Yes.
Opened in Books? No.
How accurate? Very accurate.
Opt in or out? Opt out (but they are available only in few languages).

Will Apple accept responsibility for inaccurate transcripts? It's uncertain. However, if a transcript generated by Apple, and subsequently approved by Apple's review process (a step also applicable to self-uploaded transcripts), is found to be incorrect, it may not be difficult to establish their accountability, if required. Nonetheless, given the presence of a disclaimer indicating the text's automated generation, it's advisable to approach the issue with a measure of understanding and restraint.

View attachment 2343431

This is a bug in their rendering engine or something. I had an similar issue in Translate.

 

[polyphenol]

When the article says English, then CarAnalogy's image shows English (US), does it support British, Australian, etc., versions of English? Does it decide? Or does the listener? Or does it depend on the declared language of the podcast?

 

[JosephAW]

Copied? Yes.
Opened in Books? No.
How accurate? Very accurate.
Opt in or out? Opt out (but they are available only in few languages).

Will Apple accept responsibility for inaccurate transcripts? It's uncertain. However, if a transcript generated by Apple, and subsequently approved by Apple's review process (a step also applicable to self-uploaded transcripts), is found to be incorrect, it may not be difficult to establish their accountability, if required. Nonetheless, given the presence of a disclaimer indicating the text's automated generation, it's advisable to approach the issue with a measure of understanding and restraint.

View attachment 2343431

It's a "secret"

 

[cmichaelb]

I'll be so happy when this arrives!

I find myself regularly listening to something and then wanting to tell someone else about it. A direct and reasonably accurate quote is just what I need.

The other day, I listened to a 45 minute podcast, of which about 15 minutes was of very great interest to me - and to others. I played the podcast on my iPad and used voice recognition on my MBP. (Not convinced even that was a good idea - but it was the first thing I thought to try.) Unfortunately, the program had four people all too often talking over each other and interrupting. Hence the results were dire. All it really achieved was to produce some text which acted as a memory-jogger for me in letting others know.

Thank the podfather himself Adam Curry and Podcasting 2.0.

He and others have developed a lot of new features for podcast feeds and it's great to see Apple incorporate one of the features.

Apple lit a campfire during the podcast winter.

Apple Podcasts Embraces the Crazy Ones

PodNews

 

[PsykX]

Not just English... ok, nice ! At least a very interesting feature that isn't just "US only".

I can't wait to see if the podcasts I usually listen to are supported. But I decided I'm not installing .x betas anymore.

Now I hope they would re-work their Podcasts app navigation. I'm always lost in this app, and I use it every week. I guess I'll just never get it.

 

[timeislove]

Copied? Yes.
Opened in Books? No.
How accurate? Very accurate.
Opt in or out? Opt out (but they are available only in few languages).

Will Apple accept responsibility for inaccurate transcripts? It's uncertain. However, if a transcript generated by Apple, and subsequently approved by Apple's review process (a step also applicable to self-uploaded transcripts), is found to be incorrect, it may not be difficult to establish their accountability, if required. Nonetheless, given the presence of a disclaimer indicating the text's automated generation, it's advisable to approach the issue with a measure of understanding and restraint.

View attachment 2343431

currently there is a live caption function which auto generates transcript from listening any app (incl. podcast) and mic. any accountabilities for inaccurate transcripts?

i think not!

 

[timeislove]

Not just English... ok, nice ! At least a very interesting feature that isn't just "US only".

I can't wait to see if the podcasts I usually listen to are supported. But I decided I'm not installing .x betas anymore.

Now I hope they would re-work their Podcasts app navigation. I'm always lost in this app, and I use it every week. I guess I'll just never get it.

did it say support translated transcripts?

it would be nice to support auto translated transcript, say podcast in french while the transcripts in english!

 

[svish]

Very useful and very easy to use. It is very much like the lyrics feature in Apple Music

 

[MrCrowbar]

I assume transcribing happens server-side.
I do generate subtitle for videos on my PC and using the 3 gigabyte data model, the transcription is very accurate, even for music and it's slightly faster than realtime. Somewhat beefy VR gaming machine though. But I kind of expect Apple Silicon to be good at this with all those neural engine cores.

Auto-transcribing voice memos and audio messages should be a thing already. I hate having to listen to a 2 minute voice message and having to pause and take notes just so I can reply to it.

 

[Xpress]

In iOS 17.4, currently in beta, Apple is adding audio transcripts to the Podcasts app for iPhone, meaning you'll be able to read along to your favorite podcasts as they are spoken.

Apple is adding support for auto-generated transcripts in its Podcasts app, offering users another way to enjoy podcast content rather than simply listening to what is being said.

If you're familiar with lyrics in Apple Music, it's very similar. When playing a podcast, simply tap the speech bubble icon at the bottom-left corner of the fullscreen media playback screen.

Tap the auto-generated transcript that appears to make it fill the screen. The transcript automatically scrolls and highlights the text currently being spoken as the episode plays, or you can scroll through the transcript manually, and even tap on a sentence to jump to that point in the podcast. Text selections can also be highlighted for copying and pasting elsewhere.

In addition, a Search button at the bottom of the screen lets you search the transcript for specific words or phrases and jump to that point in the transcript, where you can then tap to skip to the audio track.

Transcripts can also be accessed from the Up Next section in the Home tab. Simply press and hold a podcast episode to reveal the View Transcript option in the dropdown menu. And if you're on the episode details page, tap the ellipsis (three dots) button top-right to reveal the same option.

As of writing, not all podcast episodes have transcripts right now, but Apple says that transcripts for back catalog episodes are being added over time. Transcripts are available in English, French, German, and Spanish, and podcast hosts also have the option to upload their own transcripts rather than using the automatically generated version.

The transcripts feature is coming as part of Apple's iOS 17.4 update, which available to developers at the current time. Apple plans to release it to the public in March.

Article Link: iOS 17.4: Using Apple's New Podcast Transcript Feature

 

[Xpress]

I am so looking forward to this. I can read so much faster than listening, I just want to read what the ’casters have said. I know I’d be missing the nuance and humanity of the voices and interchanges, but my time is so limited. Am I alone in this?

 

[nottorp]

I am so looking forward to this. I can read so much faster than listening, I just want to read what the ’casters have said. I know I’d be missing the nuance and humanity of the voices and interchanges, but my time is so limited. Am I alone in this?

Not at all. I don't do podcasts or youtube talking heads period. Life's too short for that.

Actually it's funny how they have come full circle. Back to text, baby.

Does this feature let you ignore the audio and just read the transcript, or do you still have to listen to the noise and read at their speaking speed?

 

[Kathleen13]

I almost never watch news for this reason, I read the news. But i listen to podcasts that are humor, and fiction performances (various genres). Reading is no substitute there.