Episode 70 - Podcast Services and AI - From Editor to Podcast Strategist, Broadening Your Horizon

Re-imagining Service Offerings for the AI Era

Auditing Your Current Services: What to Automate, Enhance, or Drop

Audit Checklist:

• Identify Repetitive Tasks: Make a list of all tasks that you perform routinely—audio clean-up, basic sound leveling, removing filler words, etc.
• Leverage AI for Automation: Use modern AI tools for time-intensive, less creative tasks (e.g., auto-transcription, noise reduction, AI-based mixing). This frees you up for high-value work.
• Enhance Human-Centric Services: Highlight services requiring emotional intelligence, creative decision-making, or nuanced judgement—such as show structuring, content curation, and branding.
• Eliminate Obsolete Offerings: Some services (manual transcription, bulk simple edits) may no longer justify the same rates. Consider dropping or repackaging these as part of broader offerings.

Reflection Tip:

Regularly survey your workflow, ask clients what they value most, and stay up-to-date on available AI podcast tools that could save time or add value.

Crafting New Packages: Consulting, Creative Direction, Coaching, Content Strategy

Package Ideas:

• Podcast Strategy Consulting: Help clients define goals, target audience, and long-term vision. Offer launch audits or strategy sessions.
• Creative Direction: Guide style, tone, and episode structure to create a distinctive brand and sound.
• Podcast Coaching: Run workshops or 1:1 sessions for hosts on confidence, storytelling, or interviewing, leveraging your expertise in skills development and encouragement.
• Ongoing Content Strategy: Assist with topic ideation, guest planning, repurposing content for multiple formats, and community building.

Practical Steps:

• Bundle services (e.g., coaching plus strategy consultation) for added value.
• Offer entry-level packages (audits or strategy calls) and premium services (end-to-end launch, seasonal narrative direction).

Pricing in a World Where “Editing” Is a Commodity Task

Pricing Strategies:

• Value-Based Pricing: Charge for your impact, not just your time. What is it worth to the client to have professional, strategic, and creative support?
• Tiered Packages: Offer DIY/AI-only editing at a lower rate, but reserve mid and top-tier pricing for hands-on creative services, coaching, and consulting.
• Transparent Add-Ons: Let clients choose basic or enhanced options—such as AI editing versus full human creative review.

Communicate Value:

Emphasize your expertise, creative input, problem-solving, and how your approach leads to better client outcomes than automation alone.

Upselling Services That Leverage Both Tech and Expertise

Upsell Approaches:

• Hybrid Packages: Blend AI efficiency for technical edits with in-depth human review for creative polish.
• Analytics & Insights: Provide regular reporting on audience growth, episode engagement, and strategic recommendations powered by AI metrics.
• Content Repurposing: Use AI to generate transcripts, then step in to craft blogs, social content, or audiograms that provide cohesive brand messaging.
• Host Support & Training: Offer personalized feedback with AI listening analysis plus human coaching tailored to the host’s strengths and goals.

Future-Proofing: What New Problems Can You Solve for Clients?

Opportunities to Innovate:

• AI Workflow Integration: Help clients implement and optimize AI tools for their podcasting process.
• Content Monetization Guidance: Advise on strategies (paid memberships, sponsor fit, exclusive content) using data-driven...

Episode 69 - Podcast Services and AI - Standing Out While AI Does the Heavy Lifting

Redefining Your Value in an Automated World

Identifying Services AI Can Automate vs. Services Needing a Human Touch

Automation is transforming podcast editing and support, especially with the rise of AI tools that can:

Automate Routine Editing

Noise reduction, audio leveling, removing filler words, and transcript generation can be efficiently handled by modern AI platforms.

Speed Up Production Tasks

Batch editing, file format conversion, and scheduling can often be streamlined using software.

However, there are key areas that still require a human touch:

Creative Editing Decisions

Deciding what to cut for flow, choosing music cues, and structuring episodes in a way that serves the story or brand voice.

Contextual Sensitivity

Differentiating between intentional pauses, emotional moments, and mistakes that AI may not recognize.

Relationship Management

Coaching hosts, providing encouragement, and helping podcasters develop confidence and storytelling skills.

Cultivating Your Unique Value Proposition: Relationship, Creativity, and Expertise

AI is a tool, not a replacement for the nuanced value you bring:

Relationship Building

Communicating regularly with clients and offering consistent encouragement fosters loyalty and trust.

Creative Collaboration

Bringing new segment ideas, helping with show structure, and brainstorming content show you’re thinking beyond the edit.

Expert Guidance

Drawing on your industry knowledge to suggest best practices, marketing strategies, and growth opportunities.

Sharing lived experience—from building confidence to community engagement—that resonates deeply with clients.

Communicate to clients not just what you do, but how you do it differently and why that approach matters.

Combining AI Tools With Personal Branding

Leverage AI to demonstrate efficiency, but always pair it with your personal values and story:

Transparency

Share with clients how you use AI to give them faster turnarounds or lower costs, freeing your time for higher-value collaboration.

Showcase Your Process

Document your workflow for your audience (on your podcast or website), highlighting how you blend tech and experience.

Content as Proof

Host your own podcast to show both editing chops and a human-centric approach; let the world hear your values in action.

Stories: Editors Who’ve Blended Technology and Personal Touch

Case 1: The Empathetic Editor

An editor uses AI to prepare rough cuts, then schedules check-in calls with clients to tailor each episode based on their goals—building relationships while saving time.

Case 2: The Community Coach

By automating administrative tasks, a podcast support person runs live “podcaster confidence” workshops, directly supporting clients’ development with solutions only experience—and empathy—can offer.

Case 3: The Hybrid Creative

Editor launches a show that combines AI-powered production with dialogue-driven storytelling, openly discussing both the tech choices and the artistry behind each episode, positioning themselves as both innovator and trusted human collaborator.

In an automated world, your greatest differentiator is your humanity: your insight, your coaching, and your creativity. Use AI as your ally—but let your unique perspective and relationships lead the way.

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Episode 68 - Podcast Services and AI - AI at the Doorstep, What Every Podcast Editor Needs to Know

In podcasting, Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to machine learning-powered tools that automate or enhance tasks across audio production, post-production, and podcast management. AI capabilities include audio cleanup, transcription, text-based audio and video editing, voice cloning, content summarization, and workflow automation. Modern AI doesn’t just make editing faster—it enables podcasters and editors to create higher quality content, accessible to wider audiences, with a fraction of the manual effort compared to traditional tools

The Major AI Tools Shaping Audio Editing and Support Services

The 2025 AI toolkit for podcasters and editors is robust and rapidly evolving:

Audio Cleanup:

• Tools like Krisp and Descript’s Studio Sound remove background noise and enhance voice clarity, even from low-quality recordings, making content feel studio-produced.

Transcription:

• Otter.ai, Descript, Rev AI, Sonix, Riverside, and Krisp use AI to rapidly produce accurate, speaker-labeled transcripts. These not only boost accessibility and SEO but also enable quick editing and content repurposing.

Text-Based Editing:

• Descript leads with innovative text-based editing, where users can edit audio simply by changing text, dramatically reducing production time.

Automated Show Notes and Summaries:

• Platforms like Riverside and Podcastle can now generate episode summaries, keyword lists, pull quotes, and even suggest social media posts using AI content analysis.

Filler Word & Silence Removal:

• AI can automatically identify and cut out “ums,” “ahs,” and dead air, streamlining editing and improving listening experience.

Social Media Automation:

• AI tools create “magic clips” or highlight reels (e.g., Riverside’s Magic Clips) optimized for sharing on social media, further expanding audience reach.

Voice Cloning and Enhancement:

• Descript’s Overdub feature and similar tools use AI for realistic voice cloning, letting hosts fix mistakes or record new content in their own voices without re-recording

The Promise and Pitfalls: Strengths and Current Limitations

Strengths:

• Dramatic Time Savings: Editing, transcribing, and producing a podcast episode is now significantly faster, freeing editors and producers to focus on creative work.
• Consistency & Accessibility: Automated processes help standardize quality, expand accessibility via transcripts, and ensure reliable episode formatting.
• Ease of Entry: Lowered technical barriers mean more people can start and sustain a podcast, growing the market and community.
• SEO & Repurposing: Transcripts increase discoverability, and AI-generated content can be repurposed for blogs, newsletters, or social channels

Pitfalls & Limitations:

• Accuracy Gaps: AI transcription and editing can struggle with strong accents, crosstalk, and specialized vocabulary, requiring careful review.
• Loss of Personal Touch: Over-reliance on automation can make content feel generic or miss out on creative nuances.
• Ongoing Learning Curve: AI features evolve rapidly, so keeping up with the latest updates, limitations, and best uses requires ongoing attention.
• Ethical & Authenticity Concerns: Voice cloning and AI-generated content raise questions about transparency and authenticity in creative work

How Client Expectations Are Shifting

As AI becomes central to podcast production:

• Turnaround Times: Clients now expect much faster...