26 AI Tools for Podcasters in 2026

Plan to use artificial intelligence more this year? I spent time investigating some AI tools for podcasters.

Friend or foe, artificial intelligence is here to stay. So how can AI help real people who make real podcasts?

We are seeing a village of different services appear, as more AI-based companies support content creators and the podcast industry.

These services below have different prices, terms and conditions. So make sure you read the fine print.

Titles, Thumbnails and Keywords

These are the lifeblood for success on YouTube, Apple and Spotify. Pay no attention to these areas and see your content fall into the abyss. PodSEO offers keyword research, recommends metadata optimization, and grades your show. Ausha focuses on discoverability through titles and keywords. And Descript offers text-based editing, removes filler words like um, and recommends titles, show notes, YouTube descriptions, and social media language.

• PodSEO

• Ausha

• Descript

Production and Social Clips

Generating video clips is arguably the most competitive area right now, as TikTok takes over the world, YouTube counters with Shorts, and Meta promotes Reels on Facebook and Instagram. OpusClip says it can make ten clips in a few minutes. Riverside is offering to cut up Magic Clips from long-form video. And Headliner offers a full suite of services.

• Headliner

• OpusClip

• Riverside

Music

Need some theme music for your podcast? Fear you will end up in copyright jail? You can create a song and then secure the rights if you pay for a subscription to:

• Mureka

• Suno

Thought-Starters and Research

Got a mental block? Stuck on how to develop upcoming episodes? Need to do some research about future guests? Try these and make sure you fact-check:

• ChatGPT

• NotebookLM

• Gemini

YouTube Content Management

Need to keep up with the Joneses on YouTube? Then try these tools for gathering insights, peeking at other channels and their data, and conducting A/B testing for your videos:

• VidIQ

• TubeBuddy

Transcripts and Show Notes

In this age of SEO and AEO (answer engine optimization), your transcripts and show notes need to shine. And they need to be correct. So turn to these services:

• Otter.ai

• Rev.ai

• Castmagic

Artwork Design

Need to spruce up your show art? Does your episodic artwork need more pop? Then try these services:

• Canva AI

• Pixlr

Audio and Video Enhancers

Something not right? Noise in the background? Need to tweak levels? Adobe Podcast and PodBean AI can fix audio while Podcastle can handle audio and video.

• Adobe Podcast

• PodBean AI

• Podcastle

Website Development

Need to build a website for your podcast? Podpage can do so in a matter of minutes. Looking to up your keyword game? If you want to build your own website, or SEO-charge the one you have now, then try SEO.ai or Semrush.

• Podpage

• SEO.ai

• Semrush

Competitive Intel

Wondering what other shows your listeners enjoy? Try Rephonic. You can even create a universe of surrounding shows and examine audience data. Wondering what advertisers appear often on a top show? Head to Podscribe.

• Rephonic

• Podscribe

Finally…

YouTube is rolling out lots of AI-based tools for podcasters, including title and thumbnail generators, an Ask Studio assistant, audio-only enhancements, and video clip generator. I’m already using some of these features so I plan to do a deeper dive in the weeks ahead.

Did I miss something? Do you use an AI-based tool not mentioned here? Then write John@JohnWordockMedia.com. Would love to hear more. And tell me why you love the tool. I may use your comment in a future column.

Editor’s Note: Heading to Podfest in Orlando? See you there! I’m there January 16-17. Come see my talk Building a YouTube Channel on Saturday morning.

John Wordock runs his own consulting firm John Wordock Media. He served as Executive Editor and SVP for Podcasting at Westwood One from 2019 to 2024, helping build Cumulus Podcast Network into a top ten network. He also served as Executive Producer for Podcasts at The Wall Street Journal until 2019. He started podcasting back in 2006.