Audiograms That Get Watched: Length, Format and Captions for Podcast Clips
How to turn an audio-only podcast into short videos for Reels, TikTok, Shorts and LinkedIn: which moment to pick, how long, which format, and why captions matter most.
An audio-only podcast has nothing to show on a video platform, so podcasters post audiograms: the cover art, an animated waveform and captions. Done well, they work as trailers for the episode.
Pick one complete thought
The best clips are 30 to 60 seconds and make sense without the rest of the episode: a strong opinion, a surprising fact, a short story with an ending. Start the clip on the first word of the thought, not on the host's question.
Captions do the heavy lifting
Most people scroll with the sound off. Word-by-word captions are what make them stop and turn the sound on. In the audiogram maker, "Transcribe the clip" writes captions on your device, timed to each word, or you can open an SRT you already have for the episode.
Which format
- 9:16 for Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
- 1:1 or 4:5 for the Instagram and Facebook feed.
- 16:9 for YouTube and LinkedIn.
Keep text and captions away from the bottom fifth of a 9:16 video, where the app's buttons and caption sit.
Make it look like your show
Use your cover art and the show's colours, and put the show name and episode on screen so people know where to find the full episode. Other audiogram apps cap free plans at a few videos a month with a watermark; this one renders in your browser, so there's no cap and no watermark.
Free, no upload. Get the extension for transcripts beside YouTube and TikTok videos, or see what Pro adds.