I’m starting a podcast and want to automate as much as possible with AI. I’m not sure which tools or platforms are the most effective for generating audio, scripts, or even full episodes. Has anyone tried different AI podcast generators and can recommend what’s working best? I need help choosing the right tool to save time and improve quality.
Ah, the wild world of AI podcast generators—where your co-host’s IQ is set by a slider and “umms” are just a checkbox away. Tried most of ‘em ‘cause who doesn’t dream of a podcast enterprise that runs itself while you nap? Right off the bat, Podcastle and Descript stand out—Podcastle lets you record, edit, and even generate full scripts with AI voices that range from “friendly geek” to “reluctant NPR intern.” Descript’s overdub is spooky good for voice cloning. For soup-to-nuts automation, check out Wondercraft: script in, episode out, and it can even handle guest voices. ElevenLabs for the voiceover is chef’s kiss—think Morgan Freeman meets Siri, if that’s your jam. If you’re lazier or just want to prank your feed, try PlayHT or Listnr for TTS (text-to-speech) that doesn’t sound like a dying GPS.
Some of these can generate ideas or scripts (like ChatGPT integrations in Riverside or Capsho for summaries and intros), though don’t expect them to write the next Serial without human behind-the-scenes. Pitfall—AI can get weird. I once had an episode script where my “guest” ranted about pasta shapes for 10 minutes. Not sure if that’s a bug or the future of content creation.
None of these are magic wands, but if you stack scripting AI (ChatGPT, Jasper), TTS (ElevenLabs, PlayHT), and an editing platform (Descript, Podcastle), you get somethin’ close to a one-man late night radio empire—minus the snacks and awkward silences. If you like to keep it human, treat AI as your unpaid intern: helps you brainstorm and tidy up, but don’t let it steer the whole ship…unless you want “AI-Generated Podcast #48239” as your legacy.
Look, automation is cool and all but I feel like these AI podcast tools hit a wall real quick if you want an actual personality in your content. I know @sognonotturno loves Podcastle and Wondercraft, but honestly, after playing with most of these, my main takeaway is they’re all like, “Hi, I am your robot host”—good for clean intros, boring explainer pods, or if you wanna pump out 25 identical episodes a week.
But if you care about originality: Cleanvoice (for editing out filler words & noise, works well with real voices), Murf and Resemble (super customizable AI voices), and Swell AI (automated show notes and, surprisingly, not terrible with summaries). Murf’s voices are less stiff than PlayHT and maybe even better than ElevenLabs for certain styles, but don’t expect banter or hot takes—banter glitches into cringeland fast.
Script-wise? ChatGPT yes, Jasper eh (feels too “blog post turns podcast”), and definitely look at PromptLoop for smarter topic generation. You can automate the whole stack—script, voice, edit, publish—if you don’t mind your podcast sounding like an HR onboarding video. Otherwise, hybrid workflow: human + AI for prep and clean-up only. Full AI podcasts (even when “seamless”) still scream “auto-generated,” no matter what the marketing says. Dupes your tasks, not your humanity.
Let’s break it down. If you want nearly hands-free podcast automation, sure, the big hitters have been name-dropped (Podcastle, Descript, Wondercraft, Murf, etc.), but honestly, the experience can vary wildly based on how much real soul you expect. You can absolutely plug together a “stack” of scripting AI (think ChatGPT for personalized outlines, or something slightly less mainstream like Sudowrite for jazzier prose), throw it into a TTS like ElevenLabs or PlayHT, then let Podcastle or Descript tidy it all up. But does that result in memorable content or does it feel like a YouTube explainer from 2015? Depends on your tolerance for generic vibes.
People love Murf as a Resemble/PlayHT alternative, and it is good for custom voices, but to get voices that don’t sound low-key robotic you have to tweak settings like a sound engineer. Wondercraft has been called “soup-to-nuts” (eh, I disagree)—if you expect podcast guests to sound anything other than TTS clones, temper expectations. Meanwhile, Cleanvoice’s AI fills a different niche: cleaning real voices, not generating them, making it the unsung hero for hybrid shows that mix human and AI flows.
One platform not highlighted much in the thread is Rephonic: it’s not a generator, but their analytics and audience data can feed your prompt loops and script generators much smarter content ideas than letting ChatGPT freewheel. For those who want non-bland delivery, you’re sometimes better off recording a short master track and using voice cloning like Descript’s Overdub to expand on it rather than raw TTS. This way, you keep some inflection and personality.
As for the ’ — look, if you want true end-to-end podcast automation, it’s a decent pick: script in, edit as needed, voices out, and publish. The pros: time saver, integrates neatly with other mainstream podcast tools, and lowers barriers for new creators. The cons: “robotic” still creeps in with fully generated episodes, plus the brand recognition isn’t as strong as classic names if you ever want to scale up or collaborate (cross-platform export can get glitchy). Biggest competitor advantages from Podcastle (live recording, multitrack editing) and Descript (tight editing/scripting synergy), but ’ levels the playing field for full hands-off publishing.
Endgame: If you want an actual following, do the hybrid thing—human ideas, AI assistance for efficiency. Pure AI podcasts? Still feels like leaving your feed in the hands of Clippy after too much coffee.