How I Remember What Matters Most from Podcasts — No Notes Needed

I’m excited to share a hack with you that’s not only simple, but also backed by science.

Thread on Reddit, screenshot created by the author

Easy to consume but easy to forget

It’s easy to listen to podcasts. You can do it while on the go or multitasking. This is the beauty of it, but there’s also a catch: easy to consume but easy to forget.

My WhatsApp, screenshot create by the author

Turning all that listening into actual knowledge is hard. I’ve tried countless methods to make the most out of podcasts. They were too complicated to keep up with, so I gave up quickly.

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Surprisingly, the solution came from somewhere I didn’t expect: an app I developed. My team and I created Letterly, which turns spoken words into text and tweaks them with AI to fit your needs. I started using it daily to record any thoughts I had. Often, I did so after listening to new podcasts. This helped me sort out new insights and ideas.

The most crucial thing about this method is that it’s almost efforless. It doesn’t require a lot of mental energy and time. I managed to consistently use it in my daily routine.

Let’s dive in.

Talk to voice-to-text apps

In new-gen voice-to-text apps, you don’t just get a transcription with unreadable text. AI can rewrite the text to make it clear, structured, and easy to read.

The method is simple.

• Say what you’re thinking into the app
• Get well-structured text
• Review

From transcript to structured text, Letterly app, screenshot create by the author

This method is more powerful than you might think. Here’s why.

Reason 1: Engagement with content

Thinking aloud enhances memory retention and allows you to identify knowledge gaps. More importantly, it helps integrate new insights into your existing knowledge, ensuring you don’t forget the most important lessons.

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Reason 2: Get a structured text of your reflections

A structured text of your reflections on podcasts helps you understand and remember them better. Quickly reviewing these notes engages your visual memory.

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As a result, you build a personal library of thoughts and reflections, accessible whenever you need to revisit or recall specific insights.

Structured thought library in Letterly app, screenshot create by the author

Reason 3: It is almost as easy as listening to a podcast

The key is its simplicity. Once the podcast ends, simply speak into your headphones and revisit your notes whenever you want.

Using an app like this is much easier than writing notes and making summaries by hand.

The ease of the method dramatically increases the chance you’ll actually use it in your daily routine.

You can use it while driving in the car or during your commute, doing chores, or walking with a baby or dog — essentially, in the same situations where you listen to podcasts.

The method is backed by science

This practice leverages two powerful educational methods.

Active recall

Active recall is a learning technique that involves actively stimulating memory retrieval to enhance and consolidate learning. Unlike passive review, where you might simply relisten to a podcast, active recall compels you to retrieve the information from memory, thus strengthening neural connections and making future retrieval more accessible.

Testing effect — Wikipedia

When you create audio notes and review them later in a text, you’re not just passively absorbing information but doing active recall.

Elaborative interrogation

Elaborative interrogation complements active recall by encouraging deeper cognitive processing. It is the process of explaining why and how certain facts or concepts work.

You create a richer, more complex understanding network by verbalizing your thoughts and connecting new information with your existing knowledge, facilitating easier access and recall later.

This elaboration helps anchor new knowledge to what you already know, facilitating easier access and recall later.

Elaborative interrogation — Wikipedia

When you rephrase what you’ve learned in your own words and say out loud why it is essential and how to act on it, you are engaging in elaborative interrogation, integrating new information into your existing knowledge.

Sharpen your thinking

Shifting from passive content consumption to active engagement will help not only in remembering what matters but also in:

• Improving creativity
• Developing critical thinking
• Articulating your thoughts better

As a bonus, you end up with tons of content ideas.

This approach works across a variety of media — podcasts, videos, books, or any study materials — for anyone looking to consume content more thoughtfully.

So, why not give it a go? Grab your phone and record your thoughts on something you’ve learned today. Trust me, it’s a game-changer.