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Troubleshooting

How to fix a podcast episode that is stuck or failed processing

Understand podcast processing progress in PodRescale. Check transcription, writing and rendering, handle speaker questions and recover from a failed episode.

By PodRescale2 min readUpdated
What you’ll be able to do

Tell a running episode from a failed one and use the correct recovery action.

On this page

An episode can still be working even when a stage takes longer than expected. Open its progress page from Episodes and read the current status before retrying or uploading another copy.

1. Check the current stage

The progress page separates transcription, cleanup, writing and rendering. Some text can become available before clips and images have finished.

Read the stage details. A partially finished episode can still be processing normally.
Read the stage details. A partially finished episode can still be processing normally.

A long recording usually takes longer than a short one. The time shown is an estimate, not a deadline. You can leave the page while processing continues and return later.

2. Resolve any speaker question

If the page asks who a speaker is, play the sample, enter the correct identity and save it. Check any suggested name before accepting. See speaker naming.

Do not repeatedly restart processing to avoid a naming question. The same unidentified voice can appear again in the result.

3. Read a failure message

If the episode says Failed, follow the cause it gives:

ProblemWhat to check
Audio could not be read or transcribedPlay the original file and check speech quality and format.
Audio is too quiet or has little usable speechUse a clearer recording or improve the audio before trying again.
Writing or rendering failedUse the offered retry or recovery action; a new upload may not help.
A source link could not be fetchedCheck that the recording is still public and the URL has not expired.

4. Use the offered recovery action

Use Retry when the episode offers it. A failed episode and its retry do not count towards the monthly allowance. If it requires a replacement file, choose a working recording rather than sending the same damaged file again.

The library distinguishes an active processing job from a failed episode with a retry action.
The library distinguishes an active processing job from a failed episode with a retry action.

Check the result after recovery. A successful retry is not a reason to skip reviewing names, facts or media.

5. Contact support if there is no progress

If the same stage remains unchanged for an unusually long time, use the support action on the progress page. Include the episode title, stage, approximate start time and exact message.

Do not stop an active job or create repeated uploads just because the estimate changed. Keeping one episode and its error history makes the problem easier to diagnose.

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