Discover How Matter's Read-it-Later App Now Transcribes Your Favorite Podcasts

Matter, a read-it-later app backed by GV, is revolutionizing how you engage with podcasts by introducing a new feature called “Readable Podcasts.” Unlike traditional apps like Pocket and Instapaper that focus primarily on saving articles, Matter provides tailored reading recommendations, enhancing the overall user experience.

With the launch of Readable Podcasts, users can now save their favorite podcasts and have their audio transcribed into text. This innovative feature allows for seamless interaction with podcast content, facilitating highlighting, note-taking, and quoting—just as you would with a saved article.

As you listen, the audio and text are synchronized, enabling you to effortlessly switch between listening and reading. This functionality lets you pause the podcast to revisit a specific segment or clarify a topic discussed by the hosts.

If your goal is to navigate through lengthy podcast episodes quickly, Readable Podcasts allows you to skim the transcript, making it easier to jump to areas of interest without the need to fast-forward or listen at elevated speeds.

Matter co-founder Ben Springwater highlighted that this feature is powered by a combination of an external transcription service and Matter's proprietary system that labels speakers and ensures high transcript quality.

Importantly, users do not need to abandon their preferred podcast app to access this feature. Instead of subscribing to a podcast within Matter, you can share the podcast you wish to transcribe directly from your existing app using the Save extension from the iOS Share Sheet. Currently, Matter supports major platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Castro, and Pocket Casts.

Once shared, the podcast is transcribed and can be interacted with just like a saved article, catering to those who may not have time to listen or who prefer to annotate content. This feature also enhances accessibility for auditory learners and individuals with hearing impairments.

The app supports numerous languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Hindi, Japanese, Chinese, Finnish, Korean, Polish, Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.

“Podcasts are a gateway to expert knowledge,” stated Springwater at the launch. “However, audio is fleeting, and much of that valuable information can easily be lost. Readable Podcasts unlocks this knowledge for the first time.”

Since its $7 million Series A funding round in 2021, Matter has attracted tens of thousands of active users and numerous paying subscribers for its premium offerings. For $7.99 per month or $59.99 annually, subscribers can enjoy features like listening to articles at double speed, integrating with note-taking apps, Kindle, Gmail, and more—now enhanced with advanced AI transcriptions for both podcasts and YouTube.

While Matter currently does not support private podcast feeds, this feature is being developed. However, it cannot transcribe Spotify exclusives, as they are not open access.

Matter's app is available on iOS and compatible with web browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Firefox.