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Tyler Woodward

Introducing Podstudio: The Teleprompter That Listens

Technology

Podstudio recording: the current line of the script is marked, the level meter sits in the target zone, and Cough, Retake and Ad-lib are one key away

I’ve been working on something I’m really excited about: Podstudio, the teleprompter that listens.

Solving my own problem

Podstudio started because I wanted one simple web app where I could do all of my recording in one place, with a script that actually keeps up with me.

I’m AuDHD, and staying on point is hard for me. I’ll start a thought, chase a tangent, and suddenly I’ve lost my place in the script. A regular teleprompter doesn’t help much, because it scrolls at its own pace, not mine. I wanted one that follows along as I talk and waits for me when I wander off.

Right now my process is spread across a bunch of tools. I record, then upload the audio to another project of mine, Podscriber, which gives me a starting point for the description, titles and drafts of social posts. Before any of that, though, the audio needs cleaning up. I record in a noisy, untreated basement, so I’d normally reach for plugins like Scheps Omni Channel 2 and Waves NS1 just to get something listenable.

That’s a lot of steps when all I want is to sit down and record an episode with minimal production effort. So I’m trying to build all of it into one spot.

I’m also taking a page from my radio automation days. On air, everything you might need is on a hotkey: sound effects, music beds, clips, liners. Podstudio brings that back, so a sound is one keypress away instead of a trip through another app.

What it does

  • A prompter that follows you. Voice follow scrolls the script as you talk, and holds your place when you go off script.
  • Lossless recording. Mono or stereo WAV at 16 or 24-bit, saved every five seconds and sent to your server as you record.
  • Marked, not cut. Retake, cough and ad-lib are one key each. The raw file stays whole, and the export adds an edit with your last take of each line.
  • A guest and a producer. A six-digit code and a waiting room. Your guest records on their own device while you talk on your usual call.
  • Hotkey pads. Nine sounds on the number keys, ducked under your voice and saved as their own track.
  • Yours to run. One small server with two-factor sign-in, a guided installer and no subscription. MIT licensed.

Where it stands

Podstudio isn’t released yet. Recording, voice follow, guests and exports work today, and the first test on a real server is under way. Expect rough edges until the first release. Next up are versioned releases, transcripts and a mixer on a phone.

You can read more about Podstudio here, or follow along on GitHub. Watch or star the repository to see new versions as they land.

Podstudio podcasting open source self-hosted teleprompter