Podcast Show Notes Generator (Free, With Timestamps)

Paste a transcript (timestamps optional) (up to 1500 words)

0 words · free, no account needed

Paste in a podcast transcript. Get back a short episode summary, a list of timestamped topics, and a few takeaways you can edit and publish. The tool is free. It works from text, so you don't upload audio or video.

What this show notes generator does

Writing show notes is slow because you have to re-listen to your own episode. A transcript already holds everything you need. The generator reads it and drafts the parts most hosts and listeners actually use:

A summary of the episode, written so a stranger can decide whether to press play.
Timestamped topic lines, one for each major shift in the conversation.
Key takeaways in short bullets.
Resources and names mentioned, when they appear in the transcript.

Everything is a draft. You'll want to read it, fix names, and add your own links before it goes live.

How to use it

Get a transcript with time codes. Most podcast hosts, editors and transcription services can export one. Timestamps in the output can only be as accurate as the time markers in what you paste.
Paste it into the box above. Include speaker labels if you have them. They help the tool tell a guest's point from a host's question.
Run it. You get the summary, timestamps and takeaways in a few sections.
Edit. Check proper nouns, trim any topic line that's vague, and add links to anything you mentioned.
Copy and publish. Paste the result into your podcast host, your website, or a YouTube description.

Example input and output

This is an invented sample to show the format. It isn't from a real show or customer.

Input (excerpt)

[00:00] HOST: Welcome back. Today we're talking about pricing a first coaching package with Dana...
[04:12] DANA: Most people start by guessing a number. I'd start with the outcome the client wants...
[11:40] HOST: What about discounts for early clients?
[19:05] DANA: Here's the follow-up email I send after a discovery call...

Output (sample)

Part	Sample result
Summary	Dana explains how to price a first coaching package by starting from the client's outcome instead of a guessed number. She also covers early-client discounts and her post-call follow-up email.
Timestamps	00:00 Intro and guest 04:12 Price from the outcome, not a guess 11:40 Should early clients get a discount? 19:05 The follow-up email after a discovery call
Takeaways	Name the outcome before the number. Decide on discounts before the first sales call. Send the follow-up email within a day.

Timestamp rules worth knowing

Timestamps in show notes do more than help listeners skip around. On some platforms they turn into chapters, and each platform has its own formatting rules. The generator's output is built to fit them, but it's worth knowing what they are in case you edit by hand.

YouTube

If you post the episode as a video, YouTube's help page lists three requirements for chapters: the first timestamp must be 00:00, there must be at least three timestamps in ascending order, and each chapter must be at least 10 seconds long. If one of those fails, your list stays plain text. For a longer walkthrough of descriptions and chapters, see our guide to YouTube SEO titles, descriptions and chapters.

Apple Podcasts

Apple's guidance for creators is similar. You can add chapter titles and timestamps to your episode description, starting the first chapter at 00:00:00 and including at least three chapters. Apple also writes chapters for you in some cases. Automatic chapters need iOS 26.2 or later, apply to English-language full and bonus episodes, and aren't generated for trailers or episodes under 10 minutes. Your own list gives you control over the wording, which is a good reason to supply one.

According to Podnews, chapter points placed in episode notes are also supported by Spotify and YouTube. One block of timestamps can serve several places.

What the tool won't do

It doesn't listen to audio. No transcript, no output. If you only have an audio file, transcribe it first.
It can't fix a bad transcript. If a guest's name is misspelled in the transcript, it will be misspelled in the notes.
It doesn't know your links. It can note that you mentioned a book or a tool, but you supply the URL.
Timestamps depend on your time codes. A transcript with no time markers gives it nothing to anchor to, so check any timestamped line against the recording before publishing.
The output is a draft. Read it all the way through. Summaries of long, wandering conversations sometimes flatten a nuance or overstate a point.

When another tool is the better fit

This page is for one job: you already have a transcript and want show notes quickly. If you start from a raw recording and want transcription plus a bundle of written assets in one place, a dedicated audio-first tool saves a step. Castmagic is one example. It covers transcribing audio, generating show notes and creating promotional material for podcasters. We compare it in detail on our Echoreel vs Castmagic page, and you can see how we stack up against others on the compare hub.

Echoreel starts from video. If you record your show on camera, the full product takes one long video and produces ranked Shorts, a YouTube SEO pack, a blog post and social posts. Show notes are one piece of that. If you publish audio only, this free tool may be all you need.

Who it's for

Podcasters are the obvious fit, and there's more on that on our podcasters page. The same workflow helps coaches who record client-facing sessions or Q&As, churches posting sermon notes, and course creators who want a text index of each lesson. Anything that's long, spoken and transcribed works.

Getting more from one episode

Show notes are the cheapest asset to make from an episode, but not the only one. If you have video, the same recording can become short clips. Our guide on turning long videos into Shorts explains how to pick the moments worth cutting, and the one on how long Shorts, Reels and TikToks should be covers length. You can also browse the full set of guides, or see what the complete product includes on the pricing page.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Is the podcast show notes generator really free?

Yes, the tool on this page is free to use. The full Echoreel product, which turns long videos into Shorts, an SEO pack, a blog post and social posts, is a separate paid product. Details are on the pricing page.

Do I need to upload my audio or video?

No. You paste in a transcript as text. The tool doesn't process audio or video files, so if you only have a recording, transcribe it first with your editor, host or a transcription service.

Will the timestamps work as YouTube chapters?

They can, provided the list meets YouTube's rules. YouTube requires the first timestamp to be 00:00, at least three timestamps in ascending order, and chapters of at least 10 seconds. Check your list against those before you publish.

Do the timestamps work in Apple Podcasts?

Apple Podcasts reads chapters from your episode description if the first chapter starts at 00:00:00 and there are at least three. Without them, Apple may generate chapters automatically for eligible English episodes, which you can replace with your own.

Why are some of my timestamps off?

Usually the transcript's time codes are the cause. If you edited the audio after the transcript was made, for example by cutting an ad or intro, the times will drift. Re-export the transcript from the final file, or adjust the times by hand.

Can I publish the output as is?

Treat it as a first draft. Read it, correct names and terms, add links, and cut anything that doesn't match what was said. It saves you the re-listen, not the final read.

Free Podcast Show Notes Generator: Transcript In, Show Notes and Timestamps Out