How to Create Podcast Audiograms for Social Media

Want to turn your audio-only podcast into a shareable social media video? You need an audiogram. This guide will walk you through exactly what they are, why they work, and how you can create your own eye-catching audiograms to promote your show, even if you have zero video editing experience. We'll cover everything from picking the perfect audio clip to choosing the right tools for the job.

What is a Podcast Audiogram (and Why You Need One)?

An audiogram is simply a short video that combines a snippet of your podcast audio with visuals. At its core, it includes a static background image, an animated waveform that reacts to your audio, and on-screen captions. It’s a simple format, but it’s incredibly effective at solving a major problem for podcasters: making audio shareable on visual-first social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

Think about it. You can't just upload an MP3 file to your Instagram feed. Social platforms are built for images and videos. Audiograms bridge that gap, giving your audio a visual container that can capture attention in a crowded feed. Here’s why they’re a non-negotiable part of a modern podcast marketing strategy:

• They Stop the Scroll: Movement catches the eye. The animated waveform of an audiogram is just enough motion to make someone pause their endless scrolling and pay attention to your content.
• They’re Accessible: A huge percentage of social media video is watched with the sound off. By including baked-in captions, audiograms allow people to consume your content silently, whether they're in a quiet office or on a noisy subway. This dramatically increases the number of people who can engage with your snippet.
• They Drive Traffic: An audiogram acts as a teaser trailer for your full episode. A great clip piques curiosity and makes people want to hear the rest of the conversation. With a clear call-to-action, you can direct viewers straight to your latest episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your website.
• They’re Easily Repurposed: You’ve already done the hard work of creating a fantastic podcast episode. Creating audiograms is a low-effort, high-reward way to get more mileage out of that content and promote it across all your marketing channels.

The Anatomy of a High-Performing Audiogram

Before jumping into the creation process, it’s good to know the key ingredients that make an audiogram work. While you can keep it simple, the best ones usually include these five elements.

1. The Audio Clip

This is the star of the show. Your clip should be short, usually between 30 and 60 seconds, and packed with value. Don't just pick a random minute from your show. You're looking for what marketers call a "hook" - a moment that grabs the listener and makes them want more. This could be a controversial statement, a hilarious joke, a surprising statistic, or an incredibly insightful piece of advice.

2. A Background Image or Video

This is the main visual anchor of your audiogram. You have a few options:

• Static Image: The most common choice. You can use your podcast cover art, a professional headshot of your guest, or a branded graphic that ties into your show's theme. Keep it simple and high-resolution.
• Video Background: To make your audiogram even more dynamic, you can use a subtle video loop in the background. Services like Pexels or Unsplash Video offer tons of free stock footage. Just make sure the video isn't too distracting from the main event - the audio.

3. The Waveform

The animated waveform is what visually signals that this is an audio clip. It moves in sync with the dialogue, providing a visual cue that sound is playing. Most audiogram tools offer various customization options - you can change its color, shape (classic waves, circles, bars), and position on the screen to match your brand's aesthetic.

4. Transcriptions (On-Screen Captions)

Don't skip this. As mentioned, many users watch videos without sound. Captions make your content accessible to everyone and deliver your message even when speakers are muted. Most tools can automatically generate these for you, and while they aren't perfect, you can easily edit them for accuracy before exporting.

5. Your Branding

An audiogram is a piece of marketing content, so don't forget your branding. Subtly include your podcast logo somewhere on the screen. If possible, use your brand fonts and colors for the waveform and headline text to maintain brand consistency across all your content.

How to Create a Podcast Audiogram: The Step-by-Step Guide

Alright, you know what goes into an audiogram. Now let's walk through the process of making one from scratch.

Step 1: Find Your Golden Soundbite

Listen back to your latest episode and actively search for the best moments. Your audiogram is a teaser, not a summary. The goal isn't to explain what the whole episode is about, it's to find one irresistible moment that captures its essence.

Look for clips that are:

• Self-Contained: Does the clip make sense without a ton of extra context?
• Emotionally Resonant: Is it funny, shocking, inspiring, or empathetic? Emotion drives engagement.
• Value-Packed: Does it contain a game-changing tip, a mind-blowing fact, or a common misconception busted?

Once you've found your clip, use an audio editor like Audacity (free) or Descript to isolate and export it as an MP3 or WAV file. Most social videos are around 30-90 seconds, so keep that in mind.

Step 2: Choose Your Creation Tool

You don't need to be a professional video editor to make a great audiogram. There are tons of tools available designed specifically for podcasters. Here are a few popular options sorted by skill level:

Easy-to-Use Dedicated Tools (Recommended for Most People)

• Headliner: A popular choice in the podcasting space. Headliner offers a very generous free tier that allows you to create several videos a month. It has great transcription services, lots of waveform styles, and is incredibly intuitive to use in your browser.
• Wavve: Another fantastic, user-friendly audiogram creator. Wavve excels at helping you create branded templates you can reuse for every episode, saving you a ton of time. It’s a paid tool but well worth it if you’re creating audiograms consistently.
• Descript: If you're already using Descript to edit the text of your podcast, you can also create audiograms directly within the app. Its deep integration of transcription and video makes it a powerful all-in-one content creation hub.

Advanced Tools (For Total Creative Control)

• Adobe After Effects &, Premiere Pro: If you have experience with professional video editing software, you can create completely custom audiograms. This gives you unlimited control over animations and visual effects but comes with a very steep learning curve. This route is overkill for most podcasters.

Step 3: Build Your Audiogram

While the exact interface will vary by tool, the general process is almost always the same. Here are the steps you'll follow in a tool like Headliner or Wavve:

1. Select an Aspect Ratio: Before you start, choose the right dimensions for the platform you’re posting on.
   • Square (1:1): Best for Instagram and Facebook feeds.
   • Vertical (9:16): Perfect for Instagram Reels, Stories, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.
   • Widescreen (16:9): Better for standard YouTube videos or X (Twitter).
2. Upload Your Assets: Upload your audio clip and your background image.
3. Customize Your Waveform: Choose a waveform style you like. Adjust its color to match your brand, change its size, and drag it to the desired position on the canvas.
4. Add and Edit Captions: Let the tool’s automated transcription do its thing. After it's done, read through the captions carefully and correct any errors. You can usually customize the font, color, and background of the captions to make them easier to read. Some tools even highlight the words as they're spoken.
5. Add Branding and a Headline: Drag your logo onto the canvas and resize it. It’s also a great idea to add a text headline at the top of the audiogram to give context. For example: "The #1 Mistake New Entrepreneurs Make." This headline can grab attention before the audio even starts.

Step 4: Export and Get Ready to Share

Once you're happy with how your audiogram looks, it's time to export. The tool will process it and create an MP4 video file. Download it to your computer or phone, and you're ready to share it with the world.

Best Practices for Social Media Success

Creating the audiogram is only half the battle. How you share it makes all the difference.

• Write an Engaging Caption: Don't just post the video and ghost. Your social media caption should add context, expand on the idea in the clip, or ask a question to encourage comments. Use this space to drive towards your ultimate goal. For example: "We broke down three more mistakes like this in our full episode. Listen now via the link in our bio!"
• Use Relevant Hashtags: Add a mix of broad and niche hashtags to help new listeners discover your show. Include tags related to your podcast's topic, your guest's expertise, and general podcasting tags like #podcastclip or #newepisode.
• Tag Your Guests and Their Companies: If you had a guest on your show, always tag their personal and business accounts. This puts your content in front of their audience and encourages them to re-share it, which is one of the best organic marketing boosts you can get.
• Post Natively: Whenever possible, upload the video file directly to each social media platform rather than sharing a link from somewhere else. Platforms favor natively uploaded content and will give it more reach in the algorithm.

Final Thoughts

Audiograms are a simple yet powerful tool for turning your podcast's audio content into compelling, shareable visuals for social media. By choosing a great clip, adding your own brand flavor, and including captions, you can create professional-looking promos that grab attention and drive new listeners to your show.

Once you've created a batch of slick audiograms and other short-form video content, the logistical challenge becomes scheduling and publishing it all consistently. That’s an area where we designed Postbase to excel. Since we built our platform for the modern era of social media, managing video-first content like Reels, TikToks, and Shorts is central to our scheduling workflow, not an afterthought. You can plan your entire content calendar visually and feel confident that your posts - especially video - will publish reliably, every single time.