How to Create a Daily News Podcast Using Automation

Introduction to Podcasting with Automation

• The speaker introduces the concept of creating a daily news podcast focused on automation, highlighting that their podcast received nearly 1,000 plays in its first month without any promotion.

• Emphasizes the use of familiar apps for discoverability and mentions that detailed links will be provided in the video description.

Setting Up Automation with Make

• The speaker uses a service called Make, which automates tasks by connecting various apps. A special link is provided for viewers to access a free month of the Pro Plan.

• Demonstrates how to create a new scenario within Make, starting with Feedly as the source for news articles.

Integrating Feedly and ChatGPT

• The process begins by adding Feedly as a trigger; when an article is starred, it initiates the automation.

• After linking Feedly, the next step involves integrating OpenAI's ChatGPT to generate podcast scripts based on selected articles.

Crafting AI Prompts for Script Generation

• The speaker selects GPT-4 as the model and prepares specific prompts for generating concise podcast scripts from articles.

• A detailed system message instructs ChatGPT on how to format the script: it should be journalistic, limited to three sentences, and devoid of extraneous content like URLs or directions.

Finalizing Google Drive Integration

• Google Drive is added as another module where files are searched based on specific naming conventions related to dates (YYYY-MM-DD).

• A router is introduced in Make to handle two scenarios: one if no file exists (creating a new one), and another if a file already exists (adding more stories).

AI News Automation Process

Setting Up the Google Docs Integration

• The speaker names the automation script "AI news today WR" for easy identification of its function.

• Emphasizes the need to connect and authorize Google Drive specifically for Google Docs, highlighting potential reauthorization requirements.

• Introduces a date string format for naming documents, ensuring files are titled with the current date (year-month-day).

Creating Document Content

• The initial content includes an intro prompt stating "This is the AI news for today," followed by the specific date, enhancing clarity in presentation.

• Mentions adding pauses in the script using ellipses and dashes to improve readability when read aloud by AI.

Document Management

• After setting up content, users select their drive location (e.g., "AI News podcast under scripts") to create or append documents as needed.

• If a document already exists, it will open and allow additional stories to be appended; typically three stories are added daily.

Appending New Stories

• The integration requires mapping back to the file ID from Google Drive to ensure correct document access for appending new content.

• A dash is used again before appending new text from ChatGPT-generated content, maintaining structured pauses in delivery.

Running and Testing Automation

• Once setup is complete, users can run a test scenario. The speaker demonstrates this by clicking "Run once" to activate article processing.

• Upon activation, it waits for articles in Feedle; no files exist initially until an article is saved.

Document Creation Confirmation

• After saving an article from Feedle, it triggers ChatGPT processing. Users check Google Drive for newly created documents.

• Confirms successful creation of a document with today's date and a brief introductory script generated by ChatGPT.

Adding Additional Stories

• Demonstrates adding more stories by running the scenario again after saving another relevant article from Feedle.

Automating Podcast Creation with AI

Setting Up the Automation for Script Generation

• The automation process is initiated, allowing for a new podcast script to be generated automatically whenever an article is added to the designated board.

• A new scenario is created focused on publishing episodes, utilizing Google Docs to monitor document creation.

• The system will check for newly created documents daily, ensuring that only one podcast episode is published each day from the specified folder.

Integrating Google Docs and AI Voice Generation

• The integration continues with another Google Docs module to append a podcast outro to the document, emphasizing brevity and including a call-to-action.

• Suggestions are made for crafting an effective outro, such as keeping it short and including prompts like "connect with us" along with a subscription link.

• Another Google Docs integration retrieves content from the document, which will serve as the basis for voice synthesis.

Utilizing 11 Labs for Voice Cloning

• Introduction of 11 Labs as a tool for AI voice generation; it can clone voices effectively, enhancing the quality of automated podcasts.

• Users can either clone their own voice or select from available stock voices in 11 Labs' library, making it versatile for different users.

Configuring Speech Synthesis Settings

• A speech synthesis module is set up within 11 Labs after connecting the account; specific settings are crucial for achieving natural-sounding audio.

• Selection of model version (11 English V1), noted as stable and capable of generating longer audio segments suitable for daily podcasts.

Fine-Tuning Voice Characteristics

• Important parameters such as voice stability and similarity boost are adjusted; recommendations include setting stability at 0.4 and similarity boost at 0.75 to balance liveliness and authenticity in voice output.

Podcast Automation Process

Overview of Podcast Title Creation

• The speaker discusses initiating an automation process to create a podcast title based on news stories, emphasizing the importance of including company names for effective keywording.

• It is noted that the title should not be surrounded by quotes, as this is a common formatting issue with AI tools like ChatGPT.

Content Generation from Google Docs

• The process involves pulling text content from Google Docs to generate a catchy podcast title using OpenAI's capabilities.

• A system role is established in the AI prompt to create a short podcast description that aligns with the generated title, again avoiding quotes.

Integration with Podcast Hosting Platforms

• After generating content, the next step involves integrating with a podcast host. The speaker mentions various hosts and recommends SoundCloud for its ease of use and free starting options.

• The speaker shares personal experience hosting a show on Libsyn and offers a coupon code for new users.

Setting Up SoundCloud Account

• Instructions are provided for setting up a SoundCloud account, including adding artwork and categorizing the podcast under technology.

• Emphasis is placed on enabling "include in RSS feed" under upload defaults to ensure all uploads are distributed through RSS feeds.

Finalizing Podcast Upload Settings

• The tutorial continues with mapping titles and audio files during the upload process to SoundCloud, ensuring proper integration of generated content.

• Recommendations include selecting appropriate genres and settings such as making episodes streamable but not commentable.

Scheduling and Automation Execution

• The speaker concludes by naming the automation scenario "AI news today publish episode," scheduling it daily at 4 AM for timely delivery.

Automated Podcasting: A Step-by-Step Guide

Overview of the Automated Podcasting Process

• The process begins with locating a Google Document, which is then sent to 11 Labs for voice synthesis. This step is crucial as it can lead to errors if too much text is inputted, potentially resulting in a 400 error.

• After voice synthesis, the content moves to ChatGPT for generating an appropriate title and description before being uploaded to SoundCloud.

• Once uploaded, the podcast appears on the SoundCloud page with a well-generated title, making it accessible for listeners immediately.

Insights on Automation Tools Used

• The integration of tools like Make Feedle and Google Drive enhances the automation process significantly, allowing for streamlined podcast production.