📻 How to Download Apple Podcast Transcripts
Apple’s Podcasts app on macOS does a decent job of displaying transcripts for many episodes, but copying or exporting them is frustrating.
Thankfully, there’s a brilliant, privacy-respecting tool that solves this!
If you’ve ever wanted to grab full transcripts from Apple Podcasts without hacking around, here's how to do it.
🧰 Tool You’ll Use:
Apple Podcast Transcript Viewer
🔗 alexbeals.com/projects/podcasts
This free browser tool lets you view and copy Apple Podcast transcripts in full. No installation, no account, no scripts. Everything is processed locally in your browser.
🪜 Step-by-Step Instructions:
1️⃣ Open the Transcript in the Podcasts App
On your Mac:
- Launch the Podcasts app
- Go to the episode you want
- Click on "Transcript", or if you don’t see that, use the triple dots
···> “View Transcript”
This makes sure the transcript is cached locally.
2️⃣ Locate the Podcast Data on Your Mac
Now open a Finder window and hit:
Cmd + Shift + GThen paste in the following folder path:
~/Library/Group Containers/243LU875E5.groups.com.apple.podcastsThis takes you to where Apple stores transcripts and other metadata locally.
3️⃣ Drag the Folder into the Viewer
- Open alexbeals.com/projects/podcasts in your browser
- Drag and drop all the contents of the folder above into the webpage
🔐 Why This Tool Is Great
- No privacy concerns: All processing happens locally in your browser
- Works offline: You can disable your internet connection after the page loads and it still works
- Copy-paste friendly: Lets you select and copy the entire transcript with no fuss
🧠 Conclusion
This tool is awesome if you want to archive podcast notes, search episodes, or just read rather than listen. It’s a fantastic example of a lightweight and respectful solution to a common user frustration, especially in the age of walled gardens and locked-down apps.
Shoutout to Alex Beals for building and sharing this. 🙌
Crepi il lupo! 🐺