Voicemails are one of the most personal ways listeners connect with podcasters. Since we launched the voicemail feature, tens of thousands of messages have been left on Podpage websites. But until now, the only way to know what someone said was to press play and listen.
That changes today. Every voicemail left on your Podpage website is now automatically transcribed, so you can read the full text of each message right in your dashboard — and in your email notification.
What Changed
When a listener leaves a voicemail on your website, Podpage now runs it through automatic speech recognition before sending you the notification email. By the time the email hits your inbox, the transcript is already there alongside the audio player.
You'll see the transcript in two places:
- Your dashboard — the transcript appears directly on the voicemail message card, right above the audio player.
- Your email notification — the full transcript is included in the new voicemail alert so you can read it without logging in.
The audio recording is still there. Nothing about the original voicemail experience has changed for you or your listeners. The transcript is purely additive — it gives you a faster way to triage and respond to messages.
Why This Matters for Podcasters
If you get a handful of voicemails a week, listening to each one isn't a big deal. But as your audience grows and more listeners reach out, scanning a transcript is significantly faster than playing back audio. A two-minute voicemail becomes a ten-second read.
Transcripts also make voicemails searchable. You can skim your inbox for the message that mentioned a specific topic, or quickly identify which voicemails are listener questions worth featuring on your next episode versus which ones are cold pitches.
For podcasters who use voicemails as a listener engagement tool — collecting questions, running call-in segments, or gathering testimonials — transcripts remove a real friction point in the workflow.
How It Works
There's nothing to set up. If you have voicemails enabled on your Podpage website, transcription happens automatically for every new message.
Here's what happens behind the scenes when a listener leaves a voicemail:
- The audio file is saved to your account.
- Podpage sends the recording through OpenAI's Whisper speech recognition model for transcription.
- The transcript is saved to the voicemail and included in your notification email.
The entire process takes a few seconds. Whisper handles accents, background noise, and conversational speech well — it was built for exactly this kind of real-world audio.
What About My Existing Voicemails?
We're rolling out transcriptions for all existing voicemails on Pro and Elite plans. If you're on one of those plans, your past voicemails will have transcripts added automatically over the coming days. No action needed on your end.
If you're on a Basic plan and want access to voicemails and transcription, you can upgrade your plan anytime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to turn on transcription?
No. Transcription is automatic for all voicemails. If you have the voicemail feature enabled, every new message will be transcribed.
Will my listeners see the transcript?
No. The transcript is only visible to you in your Podpage dashboard and in your notification emails. Your listeners' experience is unchanged.
How accurate is the transcription?
We use OpenAI's Whisper model, which is one of the most accurate speech-to-text systems available. It handles different accents, speaking styles, and audio quality levels well. For short voicemails (under two minutes), accuracy is typically very high.
Will my existing voicemails be transcribed?
Yes, if you're on a Pro or Elite plan. We're processing existing voicemails now and you'll see transcripts appear in your dashboard over the next few days.
Start Hearing — and Reading — From Your Audience
Voicemails already give your listeners a direct, personal way to reach you. Transcription makes it faster and easier for you to act on those messages — whether that means answering a question on your next episode, responding to feedback, or spotting the listener stories worth sharing.
If you haven't enabled voicemails on your website yet, head to your Podpage dashboard and turn them on in the Voicemail settings. Your listeners might have more to say than you think.
