Ensuring accessibility and long-term preservation is an essential part of responsible podcast production. Making your episodes accessible broadens your audience, supports inclusive communication, and aligns with academic and institutional standards. Archiving your podcast also preserves it as part of the scholarly and cultural record.
Your podcast is a form of scholarly and cultural output. Archiving ensures that episodes remain discoverable, citable, and preserved over time.
Transcripts are the most important accessibility element.
They help:
Deaf and hard-of-hearing listeners
Non-native speakers
Researchers who need searchable text
Anyone who prefers reading to listening
Tools for generating transcripts:
OpenAI Whisper (high accuracy)
Otter.ai
Descript
Google Docs Voice Typing (basic)
💡Always proofread AI-generated transcripts for names, dates, and technical terms.
Avoid jargon when possible
Define key concepts
Speak at a natural, moderate pace
Use structured storytelling so listeners can follow easily
A short written summary helps listeners understand what to expect.
Include:
Main topic
Guest(s)
Key themes
Links to referenced materials
For visuals on your podcast page:
Add alt-text to images
Include descriptions for charts or diagrams
Ensure all embedded players have accessible controls
Ethical Accessibility Considerations
Avoid discriminatory or exclusionary language
Use gender-inclusive terms
Respect guest requests for anonymity
Be transparent about audio edits that may affect meaning
💡 Accessibility is not only a technical step; it is also an ethical responsibility.
If your institution has a research or media repository, deposit:
Final audio file (MP3 or WAV)
Transcript (PDF or TXT)
Episode description
Keywords / subject terms
Rights & license information (e.g., CC-BY)
🏛️ Repositories ensure long-term preservation, stable URLs, and proper citation.
Consider adding a free-use license:
CC-BY: Allows reuse with attribution (most recommended)
CC-BY-NC: Reuse for non-commercial purposes
CC-BY-SA: Must be shared with the same license
Clearly state the license in podcast metadata or show notes.
Create a structured folder for each episode:
Include:
Master audio file (.wav)
Edited episode file (.mp3)
Transcript (.pdf)
Episode notes (.txt or .docx)
Cover art (.png)
Project files (Audacity, GarageBand, etc.)
Name files with consistent patterns:
PodcastName_Ep01_InterviewWithX.wav
Use a spreadsheet to track:
Episode number
Title
Description
Guest(s)
Keywords
Release date
Duration
License
Archive URL
This supports long-term discoverability and cataloging.
Follow the 3–2–1 rule:
Keep 3 copies
In 2 different formats
In 1 off-site or cloud location
This protects against file loss or corruption.