Podcast Publishing Assistant

Use this skill for podcast or interview publishing workflows.

Apply swyx-writing to summaries, titles, descriptions, show notes, newsletter blurbs, and social copy. Do not apply it to verbatim transcripts or speaker labels. This skill owns transcription, timing, chapter, and publishing-pack requirements.

Core rules

• Prefer source audio over platform captions.
• Do not rely on YouTube captions unless the user explicitly asks for the fastest possible rough pass.
• For Whisper or API transcripts, be honest about uncertainty. Do not claim true diarization unless the tool actually produced it.
• If the user has a formatting preference, preserve it exactly on later turns.
• Default chapter output for swyx: YouTube timestamp format only, start times only, followed by a 2 to 10 word headline.

Workflow

1. Fetch source audio first.
   • For YouTube URLs, use yt-dlp to extract audio.
   • Prefer MP3 output for compatibility.
2. Transcribe with a fallback ladder.
   • First try the OpenAI Whisper API when OPENAI_API_KEY is available.
   • The OpenAI audio transcription upload cap is about 25 MB. Expect long episodes to exceed it.
   • If the file is too large, compress before retrying, for example mono 16 kHz MP3 around 32 kbps.
   • If API transcription still fails, fall back to local Whisper.
   • If a script exists but is not executable, invoke it with bash rather than failing on permissions.
3. Keep the user updated during long jobs.
   • Brief progress notes are enough: downloading, compressing, transcribing, packaging.
   • If a fallback happens, say what failed in one line and continue.
4. Produce the publishing pack.
   • Summary tuned for someone deciding whether to watch or listen.
   • Key takeaways or key arguments.
   • 5 title ideas when asked.
   • 5 description ideas when asked.
   • Chapter timestamps.
   • Optional: tweet thread, show notes, key quotes, newsletter blurb.
5. Package timestamps correctly.
   • Prefer real timestamps if the transcription source provides segments.
   • If the transcript is a single plain-text blob, estimate coarse chapter times conservatively and label them as approximate if needed.
   • For swyx, default to this exact style:
     • 0:00 Intro and origin story
     • 3:30 How the brand grew

Transcript quality notes

• OpenAI Whisper API often returns plain text unless a segment-rich response format is requested elsewhere.
• Plain text transcripts are good for summaries and rough chapters, but weak for precise diarization.
• When speaker labels are needed without true diarization, reconstruct heuristically from turn-taking and identify this clearly as approximate.

Launch template

When a user wants publishing help, default to a reusable launch pack.

Standard launch pack

1. YouTube titles
   • Provide 3 to 4 options.
   • Prefer thesis first, guest second.
   • Keep them specific, not generic.
2. YouTube descriptions
   • Provide 3 to 4 options.
   • Each should include:
     • one short framing paragraph
     • 3 to 6 concrete bullets on what the audience will learn
     • chapter markers in YouTube timestamp format when available
3. X main post
   • Provide 3 to 4 options.
   • Structure:
     • hook or thesis
     • guest credibility line
     • 3 to 6 concrete bullets
     • link placeholder or actual link
4. X follow-up reply
   • Provide 1 concise timestamps-only reply unless the user asks for more.
   • Use YouTube timestamp format only, start times only, 2 to 10 word headlines.
5. Native clip ideas
   • Provide 3 to 4 options.
   • For each clip idea, include:
     • clip theme
     • why it works as promo
     • rough timestamp window if known
6. Quote card ideas
   • Provide 3 to 4 options.
   • Prefer clean, arguable lines with strong standalone meaning.

Packaging guidance

• Distinguish between:
  • what the episode is about
  • why it matters now
• Prefer concrete bullets over abstract topic labels.
• For X, optimize for curiosity plus utility, not just announcement tone.
• For YouTube, optimize for searchable thesis plus guest credibility.
• If the audience is technical, specificity beats hype.

Output format

Default output order:

1. Short summary
2. Key takeaways
3. Chapter timestamps
4. 3 to 4 title options
5. 3 to 4 description options
6. 3 to 4 X post options
7. 3 to 4 clip ideas
8. 3 to 4 quote card ideas

Scripts

• scripts/transcribe_youtube.sh: download audio from YouTube, shrink oversized audio for Whisper API, and fall back cleanly.

Notes

• Prefer speed first, but do not fake certainty.
• If a transcript path is broken, say what failed and continue with the next fallback.
• For long episodes, give the user a progress update before the final packaging pass.
• If the user says a format like “always give me YouTube timestamp format”, treat that as a sticky preference for the rest of the task.