User guide
From searching podcasts to transcribing, translating, and exporting — step by step.
1. Quick start
License & trial
On first launch you'll be asked to activate. You can start a 7-day free trial (full features, no card) or enter a license key. All features work during the trial.
Download & install
Download the Windows or macOS build from our download page. Supports Windows 10+ and macOS 10.15+.
2. Search & download podcasts
In the Search & download tab you can find podcasts in two ways:
- Keyword search: Enter a podcast name or keyword, choose country/region (e.g. China, US), then search and pick a podcast to see its episodes.
- Link: If you have an RSS or episode link, paste it to parse and list that podcast's episodes.
Check the episodes you want (or select all) and click “Download selected”. They join the download queue with 3–5 concurrent downloads and resume support.
Download folder can be changed in Settings. Files are saved in subfolders by podcast name.
3. Download queue
In the Download queue tab you see all active and completed downloads. You can pause, retry, or remove a task. When done, add completed audio to the transcription queue.
4. Local transcription
In the Transcription tab, audio added from the download queue appears in the list. First time you need to choose a Whisper model and wait for download (models are fetched from Hugging Face by default).
Model choice
CastLoom Pro uses Faster-Whisper. You can trade off speed vs accuracy:
| Model | Size | Speed | Accuracy | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tiny | ~39MB | Fastest | Lower | Quick preview |
| base | ~74MB | Fast | Moderate | Daily use |
| small | ~244MB | Medium | Good | Recommended |
| medium | ~769MB | Slower | Higher | Quality |
| large-v3-turbo | ~1.5GB | Slowest | Highest | Pro |
Output format
Export as SRT, VTT, TXT, JSON for editing or subtitles. You can enable Markdown, Word (HTML) in Settings and use with translation and knowledge-base import.
Transcription runs entirely on your device; audio is never uploaded.
5. One-click translation
To translate subtitles, configure Settings → Translation API:
- DeepL API: High quality; free tier ~500k chars/month.
- OpenAI API: Multi-language, pay per use, custom target language.
After setup, use “Translate” on generated subtitles for bilingual or multi-language output, then export or import to your knowledge base.
6. Export & knowledge base
After transcribing or translating you can:
- Export: SRT, VTT, TXT, JSON, Markdown, Word (HTML) for editing, notes, or sharing.
- Import to Notion: Set Notion Integration Token and parent page ID in Settings; after transcription/translation choose “Import to Notion”.
- Import to Obsidian: Set Obsidian vault path and subfolder (e.g. “Podcast transcripts”) in Settings; choose “Import to Obsidian” to write Markdown files.
Podcast content becomes part of your personal knowledge base for search and review.
7. Built-in player & playlists
CastLoom Pro has a built-in player. Play downloaded podcasts in-app with progress and speed control. Create playlists and view history, like managing music.
8. Settings
- Download folder: Where audio files are saved.
- Concurrent downloads: 1–5, adjust for your network.
- Default transcription model: Recommended: small.
- Hugging Face: Models are downloaded from Hugging Face.
For questions or feedback, email [email protected]. Or view product & buy for a lifetime license and updates.