To turn on subtitles for a Spotify podcast, called the "Read Along" or "Episode transcript" feature, play an episode, open the full-screen player, and scroll down to find the transcript card. This time-synced text lets you read along with the audio, making it easier to catch every word, follow complex topics, or listen in noisy environments.
What are Spotify podcast subtitles (transcripts)?
Spotify's version of subtitles for podcasts is the "Read Along" feature, also labeled as "Episode transcript." These are time-synced with the audio, so the text highlights as the host speaks. They improve accessibility for listeners with hearing impairments, help non-native speakers follow along, and let you silently review a section without replaying the audio. If you want to turn on subtitles for a podcast, you are actually looking for this built-in transcript tool. Unlike persistent TV captions, you can get subtitles off my TV when you no longer need the text overlay.
How to check if a podcast offers transcripts
Not every podcast on Spotify includes a transcript. To see if a specific episode has one, play that episode and tap the cover art to open the full-screen player. Scroll down past the episode description. If the episode offers a transcript, you will see a section labeled "Episode transcript" or a card titled "Read Along." If you do not see either, that episode does not have subtitles available. You can also check other episodes of the same show, as availability varies by episode. If you want to gauge a show's reach before committing, you can see how many listeners a podcast has Spotify.
How to enable transcripts on the Spotify mobile app
Once you confirm a transcript is available, enabling it takes only a few taps:
- Open the Spotify app and play the podcast episode you want.
- Tap the cover art to open the episode in full-screen view.
- Scroll down until you see the "Episode transcript" section or "Read Along" card.
- Tap that section or card to expand it to full screen. The text will appear and automatically scroll in sync with the audio.
You can now read along while the episode plays. The transcript stays open until you close it or switch episodes.
Why transcripts are missing for some podcasts
Transcripts are not universal on Spotify. Their availability depends on two sources: Spotify may auto-generate transcripts for some shows, or the podcast creator may upload their own. Creators control whether transcripts appear for their entire show or individual episodes through the dashboard at creators.spotify.com. If a creator has not enabled this feature or Spotify has not auto-generated it, the transcript will not appear. This is why you might see transcripts for one episode of a show but not another.
Troubleshooting transcript problems
If a transcript is available but not syncing properly with the audio, close and reopen the Spotify app. This often resets the timing. If the "Episode transcript" section is missing entirely from an episode that should have it, check a different episode of the same show, transcripts are show- and episode-specific. If the problem persists across multiple episodes, contact Spotify support directly, as the issue may be a bug in the app. Remember that transcripts are not a premium feature; you can use them even if you are listening offline, provided you have downloaded the episode while online.
