You can convert any YouTube video into a podcast episode in about 15 minutes. Extract the audio, clean up the sound, add an intro and outro, then upload to your podcast host. Listeners who prefer audio-first content, whether they're commuting, exercising, or cooking, will find your content without ever opening YouTube.
The real value isn't a single conversion. It's building a second distribution channel from content you've already made. A YouTube video reaches people who open YouTube. A podcast episode reaches people during commutes, workouts, and chores — contexts where video doesn't work.
Extract the audio track
Start with the source file. If it's your own video, download the original from YouTube Studio at the highest available quality. The original upload retains more audio fidelity than a re-downloaded compressed version.
Browser-based extractors and command-line tools like yt-dlp can pull audio directly into MP3 or WAV format. Aim for at least 128kbps MP3, or export as WAV if you plan to edit further.
One thing to check before extracting: licensing. If you're converting someone else's video, verify their terms allow derivative works. For your own content, you're clear to repurpose however you like.
Edit for audio-only listeners
A YouTube video and a podcast episode serve different contexts. Video viewers see slides, screen shares, and facial expressions. Audio listeners hear dead air where a visual cue once carried the meaning.
Strip or replace these elements. Screen references like "as you can see here" should become verbal descriptions of what was on screen. Cut any silence where the original demonstrated something visually. Replace YouTube-style "hit subscribe" outros with podcast calls to action like "follow the show in your podcast app."
If your video runs over 30 minutes, consider splitting it into two or three podcast episodes. Shorter episodes in the 15-25 minute range tend to have higher completion rates across podcast platforms.
Add podcast production elements
Raw extracted audio sounds unfinished. Even 10 seconds of intro music signals to listeners that this is a produced show. Royalty-free libraries like Artlist and Epidemic Sound offer tracks sized for podcast use. Jellypod's built-in music features include AI-generated tracks matched to your show's tone.
Add chapter markers at major topic transitions if your podcast host supports them. Listeners use chapters to skip to sections they care about, and the markers improve your show's metadata in directories. Write a title optimized for podcast search, not just YouTube. Include the topic keyword early and add a description with timestamps.
Upload and distribute
You need a podcast hosting platform to generate an RSS feed. Upload your edited audio file along with episode artwork, title, and description. The RSS feed syndicates your episode to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, and dozens of other directories. Submit the feed URL to each platform once, and every new episode you publish after that appears automatically.
Jellypod's podcast hosting includes RSS generation, one-click distribution to major platforms, and embeddable players you can drop into your website or blog.
How Jellypod handles the full conversion
Jellypod's YouTube transcript extractor pulls the full text from any YouTube video URL. The AI podcast generator then turns that transcript into a scripted episode with natural conversation between AI hosts, complete with music and transitions.
This skips the manual extraction, editing, and re-recording steps. You paste a YouTube URL, configure your hosts and tone, and get a podcast-ready episode. The platform handles hosting and distribution from the same dashboard.
For channels with dozens or hundreds of videos, this workflow scales. Convert your top-performing videos into a podcast series and publish on a weekly schedule without touching audio editing software.
Building a series from your video archive
A single converted video is useful. A converted series is a growth channel. Group related videos by topic, create a content calendar, and release converted episodes on a consistent schedule.
Consistency matters more than volume. One episode per week, converted from your best-performing YouTube content, gives podcast listeners a reliable reason to subscribe. Over time, the podcast audience compounds independently from your YouTube audience. Two discovery channels feeding each other.
Track which converted episodes drive the most podcast downloads and compare against your YouTube analytics. The topics that perform well in both formats are your strongest content themes worth doubling down on.
Final thoughts
YouTube-to-podcast conversion works best when you treat it as a format adaptation, not a copy-paste. The strongest converted episodes keep the substance of the original video while rebuilding the packaging for ears instead of eyes. New intros, cleaned-up audio, verbal descriptions replacing visual cues, and distribution through podcast-native channels where your target audience already listens.
