Podcast Notes Template: Free Markdown with Timestamps

Start with a reusable podcast notes template

Record the episode title and source first. Then separate the summary, key takeaways, chapters and your own observations. The blank Markdown template below is free to download without an account. It is a worksheet, not an automatically generated result for a particular episode.

Leave uncertain facts blank. A guest’s prediction should remain a prediction; do not turn it into a verified fact or fill a heading with details the episode never mentioned.

# Podcast episode notes

Episode: [title]
Host / guest: [names]
Source: [public episode URL]
Episode date: [date, if known]

## Summary
[Write the main idea in your own words.]

## Key takeaways
- [Takeaway] — [timestamp and supporting passage]
- [Takeaway] — [timestamp and supporting passage]

## Chapters
- [00:00] [Topic]
- [mm:ss] [Topic]

## Quotes to verify
> [Exact words from the transcript]
Source timestamp: [mm:ss]

## My notes and questions
- [My interpretation, kept separate from the speaker's claim]
- [A question to check against the recording]

## Next steps
- [Action or follow-up reading]

## Transcript
[Keep the transcript here or link to your saved source.]

Separate the summary, takeaways and transcript

A summary answers what the episode is about. Key takeaways capture claims, supporting evidence or practical ideas worth revisiting. Chapters organize the recording into topics so you can return to the surrounding discussion.

A transcript keeps the spoken words in their original sequence. It is useful for searching and checking details that a short summary may omit. Put your own interpretation in a separate notes section so it is distinguishable from the host’s or guest’s claim.

Give every important takeaway a route back to the audio

For each useful point, ask which passage supports it. Record the minute and second alongside the supporting words. Verify direct quotations word for word, and label a paraphrase as your own summary.

For example, a note might begin “[12:40] The guest compares two study methods,” followed by the evidence you actually heard. That timestamp is only a formatting illustration, not a claim about a real episode. Do not invent precise source times from memory.

Generate a first draft from a podcast or your recording

Use Podcast to Notes with a public Apple Podcasts episode or a direct audio URL, or upload a recording you have permission to process. Spotify links require a matching public podcast audio source, so some episodes cannot be resolved.

Sign in before processing. Duration, file size and workspace credits are checked. Free accounts receive 30 credits each month; a Free link or private recording upload on that page can be up to 90 minutes, and uploads are limited to 100 MB. Accessibility, format and remaining credits also affect whether a task can complete.

The result includes a transcript, summary, key takeaways, chapters and notes. It is private by default; publishing requires changing visibility. Review generated text carefully, especially terminology, numbers and claims you plan to use in your own work.

Keep the notes in Notion, Obsidian or a local file

Download Markdown from the result page to keep the summary, key points, chapters, notes and full transcript together. Import or paste that file manually using the process supported by your notes app. SonaNote does not currently sync notes automatically to those apps.

The downloadable template helps standardize your own review process; it does not import account data automatically. Whether you write manually or start from a generated draft, keep the source URL and check accuracy and usage permissions before quoting or sharing publicly.