Anchor's app turns your podcasts into social videos

Podcasts might be enjoying a resurgence, but they're not exactly designed for social networks. Are your friends really going to notice the link to your latest episode when there's a cute cat video beckoning? Anchor might have a way to capture their attention. It's updating its Android and iOS podcasting apps with an option that turns your recordings into easily shared videos. The software automatically transcribes your dialog (you can fix any hiccups, of course) and exports it a slick-looking clip that fits the format of your choice. If you want to get the word out through Instagram, you can have a square-shaped video ready within moments.

The addition could go some way toward democratizing podcasts. It's relatively easy to record a show, but it's another to host and promote it. This won't work so well for longer podcasts (do you really want to proofread 30 minutes of transcripts?), but it could help your shorter soundbites get noticed. You could even use it to create short commercials for longer podcasts, giving would-be listeners a taste of what to expect without asking for a significant commitment.