The recording part of podcasting is usually fast. An hour-long episode takes an hour to record. The editing, however, often takes two to three times longer — not because the actual cuts are complicated, but because finding what to cut requires re-listening to the entire episode.
Custom audio markers change that equation. Instead of scrubbing through recordings to locate mistakes, off-topic passages, and cutter instructions, podcasters and their editors can jump directly to every relevant timestamp — because the analysis has already done the listening.
The Real Time Cost of Podcast Editing
Most podcast editors agree that the editing itself is not the problem. Removing an unwanted section, cleaning up audio, tightening pacing — these are relatively fast once you know where to make the cuts.
The slow part is finding the right places. A typical editing session for a one-hour episode involves:
Locating spoken cut instructions. If the host said “we can cut that” or “start again from here” during recording, that instruction is somewhere in the audio. Finding it means listening. If there are three or four such moments in an episode, that alone can add 30 to 45 minutes to the editing session.
Catching words and phrases that should not be in the final cut. Brand mentions the guest was not supposed to make. Competitor names that violate a sponsorship agreement. Terms that could flag the episode for restricted distribution on certain platforms. None of these are visible in the waveform — they require listening.
Building chapter structure. For platforms that support chapters — Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube — creating chapter markers manually means either remembering where topics shifted during recording, or listening back through the episode to map the structure. Either way, it adds time.
Identifying sections to cut for time. Long episodes often need to be trimmed. Finding the sections that are least essential without re-listening to everything is genuinely difficult without some form of transcript or marker system.
All of this preparation work happens before the audio editor opens the file with intent to cut. For a solo podcaster editing their own content, it compounds over every episode. For audio editors working on multiple shows, it multiplies across every client.
How Custom Audio Markers Solve This
CutCue introduces the concept of custom highlighters: words and phrases that you define before or after recording that CutCue then locates automatically throughout the full audio file.
Here is how this plays out in a podcast editing context:
Define your cut instruction phrase. If the host uses a specific phrase to signal edits — “cut this,” “delete that,” “editor note” — you add that phrase as a custom highlighter. CutCue marks every occurrence in the recording with an exact timestamp. The editor navigates directly to each one without searching.
Track sponsor mentions and restricted terms. If an episode has sponsorship content, you can define the sponsor name as a keyword to verify it was mentioned the correct number of times. You can also define terms that should not appear — competitor brand names, prohibited phrases — and get an immediate flag if they do.
Flag sections for review. For hosts who narrate notes to themselves during recording (“this section ran too long,” “we went off-topic here”), custom highlighters catch these automatically. The editor sees every flagged section at a glance.
Monitor for monetization risks. Podcast episodes that also become YouTube videos benefit from CutCue’s demonetization check, which flags terms that could affect ad revenue when the episode is published as video content.
Automatic Chapter Markers
In addition to custom markers, CutCue generates chapter markers automatically based on topic transitions in the speech. This is particularly useful for long-form interviews and multi-topic episodes.
The chapter markers give editors an immediate structural overview of the episode without listening through it. They also provide a starting point for the show notes and chapter listings that platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify use to help listeners navigate episodes.
For podcast editors handling multiple shows, this alone saves a meaningful amount of time per episode.
Transcript Included
Every CutCue analysis also produces a full, timestamped transcript of the episode. This serves several purposes beyond editing:
- Show notes can be drafted from the transcript rather than from memory
- Searchable text makes it easy to locate specific moments in long episodes
- The transcript can be repurposed for blog posts, social media clips, or newsletters
- It enables keyword-based search across all past episodes
For podcasters who already pay for a separate transcription service, this alone can offset part of the cost of a CutCue plan.
The Workflow in Practice
The practical workflow for podcast editing with CutCue looks like this:
- Record the episode as normal.
- Export the audio file from your DAW or recording software.
- Upload to CutCue. Define any custom highlighters relevant to that episode.
- CutCue analyzes the file in the background — typically a few minutes for a one-hour episode.
- Download the marker file and import it into your audio editor.
- Your timeline shows chapter markers, custom highlights, and any flagged terms with exact timestamps.
- Edit to those markers rather than scrubbing through the full recording.
The episode structure is visible before you make a single cut.
Getting Started
CutCue plans start at €29 per month. The Starter plan includes 200 credits (1 credit = 1 minute of audio) — enough for roughly three to four standard podcast episodes per month. Transcription, chapter detection, and the demonetization check are included in every plan. Highlight markers and Custom Highlighters are available from the Creator plan (€79/month) upward.
For podcast episodes that also go on YouTube, the demonetization check catches risks before upload.
