September 18, 2026 · 4 min read
How to summarize a podcast or long video with AI
A one-hour podcast or video is a lot of time when all you need is to know what it's about, or to pull out two or three specific ideas. Here's how to summarize it with AI instead of watching or listening to the whole thing.
The problem with long-form content
Unlike an article, you can't quickly skim a podcast or video to see if it's worth your time. You either listen or watch the whole thing, or you skip it entirely — there's no in-between unless something (or someone) summarizes it for you first.
How it works with SwiftBOL
Upload the podcast's audio file (or pull the audio track from the video) to SwiftBOL in Work mode. Within minutes you get the full transcript organized into chapters by topic, with timestamps so you can jump straight to the part you care about, plus a summary with the key points of the whole thing.
If you only care about one specific part ("what minute do they talk about X?"), you can just ask the built-in chat instead of scanning through every chapter.
Where this saves the most time
It matters most the longer the content is and the less spare time you have: training podcast episodes for work, recorded conference talks, long interviews you'll want to quote later, or recorded lecture videos you need to review before an exam.
Try it with your own audio
SwiftBOL transcribes, summarizes, and structures your meetings and classes in minutes. The Free plan includes 2 hours of audio a month, no credit card required.