Now, with that said, let’s take a look at AI’s possible roles and functions within show or podcast production, and then decide for yourself whether it makes sense for you to adopt it.
What is AI for creators?
Generative AI uses machine learning to answer questions as well as produce content based on human-submitted prompts. Some prominent third-party AI tools currently available include ChatGPT, DALL-e, Google’s Bard, and Anthropic’s Claude, among others.
Spotify for Creators has also begun to leverage AI and Machine Learning to enhance both the creation and listener and viewer experience. Right from the mobile app, creators can use our noise-canceling and voice optimization technology, easing the editing process and enabling creators to sound their best.
Creators can leverage AI to automate more tedious, less creative tasks and processes. It can also help you research and brainstorm everything from episode and discussion topics to guests, background information, and more.
Use AI as an assistant, not a replacement
The rise of AI may cause people to wonder just how significant its role will be in our lives. While it’s natural for creative professionals and hobbyists to worry about these intelligent machines taking over their work, it’s important to remember they still need careful human supervision.
Think of AI as a way to make your job easier, not to replace it. AI tools are helpful, but they can only do so much. Creators should oversee and edit AI-generated content to ensure it’s accurate, interesting, and matches their show’s style and tone.
AI can knock out simple tasks quickly and expedite your workflow, which goes a long way in maintaining a consistent publishing cadence and show or podcast schedule. Consistency is critical to success in podcasting, so AI can be a valuable partner in that sense—emphasis on partner.
Helpful ways creators can use AI
The use-cases for generative AI are vast, but a few are particularly relevant and beneficial for creators. Start with these applications for AI to aid your production process. Since this is new territory, experiment with different ways to use these tools. Then, you can determine where you get the most quality and value.
Guest and topic ideas
Are you just starting a show or podcast, and you’re not sure where to begin? Or do you feel like you’ve exhausted your ideas already and you’re lacking inspiration? Using AI to develop ideas for episode topics and guests to invite to your show can help in either scenario.
For example, a prompt for ChatGPT could be: “What are ideas for topics for a show about pop culture?”
These responses are limitless and can serve as a useful jumping-off point to get your wheels turning and lead you to deeper, more specific conclusions that make sense for you, your show, and your audience.
Episode outlines
Once you get further into production and planning, AI can help you build out your individual episodes. If you don’t have a clear idea of what the episode structure or talking points should be, you can use AI to help create an outline to frame your episode around.
Using one of the podcast topics generated from the first example, you can then prompt ChatGPT to help you generate an outline. For example, the prompt could be: “What is an outline for a podcast episode about the psychology of fandoms?”
ChatGPT might be able to help you break up your larger topic into smaller, digestible segments, from Introduction to Conclusion and everything in between.
The results may not fully align with what you want to cover or reflect your overall podcast style, but you can take what’s the most useful and leave out what isn’t.
Guest interview questions
Interviewing podcast guests is a skill you need to hone and develop over time. It requires you to be flexible and follow your guest when they go in a different direction, while bringing the conversation back to the main points you want to cover. While AI can’t help with the nuances of interviewing, it can help give you ideas for questions to get the ball rolling.
Let’s say you have a show about popular culture. You could ask ChatGPT, “What are some interview questions to ask a show or podcast guest about the intersection of fashion and pop culture?” You may get some great results that you can continue to edit, evolve, and personalize for your episode’s guest.
Podcast engagement
Pre-production, recording, editing, and publishing are all essential to podcasting, but promotion is just as important. You need to market your show to attract new listeners and viewers, retain existing ones, and build engagement and connection with your audience.
For example, you can also ask ChatGPT or a similar tool to list ideas for questions to ask your audience in polls for individual episodes. As usual, use the results discerningly, and edit or develop as needed.
To AI or not to AI? That is the question.
The decision of whether or not to use generative or any other kind of AI is up to the individual creator. Some podcasters may want to be deeply involved in the end-to-end process or feel that AI doesn’t align with their creative methods or values. Others may embrace the opportunity to streamline and expedite their tasks. There is no right or wrong decision, as long as the path you choose makes sense for your own process.
If you’d like to learn more about AI capabilities and the history, catch our Co-President, Gustav Söderström’s podcast episode here:
