Independent podcasters
Record guests, clean audio, edit by transcript, add music, create clips, and publish without assembling a large software stack.
Independent tool overview
Async (formerly Podcastle) at a glance
Podcastle rebranded as Async in January 2026. The active platform still records, edits, transcribes, enhances, hosts, and repurposes podcasts, but now also spans AI video, images, avatars, music, voice generation, chat-based editing, and a developer voice API.
Visit the official Async (formerly Podcastle) site ↗
- Current name
- Async
- Former name
- Podcastle
- Rebrand announced
- January 2026
- Free plan
- Available without a credit card
- Remote participants
- Up to 10
- Maximum export
- Up to 4K on eligible plans
Overview
What Async (formerly Podcastle) is
Podcastle is not a discontinued product: it became Async. The company says existing accounts, projects, pricing structures, billing, and creator workflows carried through the rebrand, while the product expanded beyond podcasting into a broader audio, video, and generative-media workspace.
For podcasters, the core value remains an in-browser production chain: record local tracks with remote guests, edit on a multitrack timeline or through the transcript, clean the sound, generate clips and captions, and host or publish the finished episode from one service.
Async now uses plan allowances plus AI credits. Traditional recording and editing limits depend on the subscription tier, while generated video, images, avatars, music, dubbing, clips, and agent-directed edits consume credits at model-specific rates.
Use cases
Who Async (formerly Podcastle) is best for
The strongest fit depends on the job you need the product to complete, not the size of its feature list.
Video podcast and YouTube teams
Capture separate local tracks, edit long-form video, add captions, fix eye contact, and reframe highlights for social channels.
Marketing and training teams
Create branded explainers, interviews, product demos, internal communications, and localized audio-video assets in a shared workspace.
AI-first content creators
Combine recorded material with generated voices, images, video, avatars, music, effects, dubbing, and chat-based editing.
Capabilities
Core Async (formerly Podcastle) features
Remote local recording
Record as many as 10 participants with separate locally captured tracks so internet instability does not determine the source quality.
Transcript-based editing
Transcribe audio or video and change the media by editing text, with tools for filler words, silence removal, subtitles, summaries, and translation.
AI audio cleanup
Use Magic Dust, noise reduction, auto leveling, and other one-click processing alongside a conventional multitrack audio timeline.
AI video editing
Use chat-based Bumblebee editing plus enhancements such as dynamic speaker framing, cinematic blur, background removal, eye-contact correction, and color adjustment.
Voice generation and cloning
Generate speech from more than 1,000 listed AI voices across 15-plus languages or create a digital clone of an authorized voice.
Hosting and repurposing
Publish podcast episodes, create short clips, reframe for vertical platforms, add captions, and turn long-form recordings into channel-specific assets.
Process
How the Async (formerly Podcastle) workflow works
Step 1
Choose the primary deliverable
Decide whether the project is an audio podcast, video podcast, interview, training video, demo, voiceover, or repurposed social package.
Step 2
Record or import
Capture participants in a remote studio with separate local tracks, record solo, or upload existing audio and video.
Step 3
Build the transcript
Transcribe the source, correct names and technical terms, then use text-based edits to remove mistakes, silences, or unwanted sections.
Step 4
Polish sound and picture
Apply audio cleanup selectively, balance tracks, refine the video timeline, and add music, captions, brand elements, or appropriate AI assets.
Step 5
Create distribution versions
Export the full episode, generate clips and alternate aspect ratios, and prepare titles, summaries, thumbnails, captions, or translated versions.
Step 6
Publish and verify
Use Async hosting or export to the destination platform, then check loudness, sync, caption accuracy, visual quality, rights, and feed metadata.
Cost
Async (formerly Podcastle) pricing and free plan
Async offers a free tier and three published paid plans, with annual billing advertised at roughly 40% below monthly pricing. Each tier includes a recurring AI-credit allowance; monthly subscription credits do not roll over, and generated media consumes different amounts by model, duration, resolution, and task complexity.
Free
$0
A one-creator starter plan for testing the recording, editing, and AI workflow.
- 10 lifetime AI credits
- 2GB cloud storage
- Limited exports and up to 720p video
- No credit card required
Essentials
$19.99/month or $143.90/year
Entry paid plan for regular solo content production.
- 450 AI credits per month
- 20GB storage
- 10 hours of shared transcription limits
- Up to Full HD export
Pro
$39.99/month or $287.90/year
Higher-capacity creator plan with 4K output and more production allowance.
- 1,200 AI credits per month
- 120GB storage
- 25 hours of shared transcription limits
- Up to 4K export
Teams
$84.99/month or $599.90/year
Collaborative plan with substantially larger media, storage, and AI allowances.
- 3,000 AI credits per month
- 1TB storage
- 100 hours of shared transcription limits
- Team workspace and collaboration
Pricing checked . Check current pricing at the source ↗
Assessment
Async (formerly Podcastle) strengths and limitations
Where it stands out
- Carries Podcastle's recording, editing, and publishing workflow forward under the Async brand
- Separate local participant tracks support higher-quality remote interviews
- Combines transcript editing with multitrack audio and video timelines
- Includes hosting, clips, captions, dubbing, voice tools, and generative media in one workspace
- Free plan allows meaningful product evaluation without a credit card
- Published pricing page explains model-specific AI-credit consumption in detail
What to consider
- The Podcastle-to-Async rebrand makes older tutorials, screenshots, and search results harder to reconcile with the current interface
- Monthly AI credits reset and do not roll over
- Credit use varies sharply by model, resolution, duration, and agent-selected actions, so real project cost requires planning
- The Free plan has limited exports, storage, lifetime credits, and a Podcastle watermark on some legacy recording outputs
- AI transcripts, voices, dubbing, lip sync, eye contact, and generated visuals require human review
- Professional voice cloning and real-person media require explicit consent and appropriate usage rights
Compare
Async (formerly Podcastle) alternatives
The right alternative depends on the specific output, workflow, controls and budget your project requires.
Content Creator
Descript
Choose Descript when transcript-first audio and video editing with a mature desktop workflow is the main priority.
Explore Descript →Content Creator
Riverside
Choose Riverside when high-quality remote recording, guest production, livestreaming, and studio reliability lead the decision.
Explore Riverside →Content Creator
ElevenLabs Studio Agents
Choose ElevenLabs Studio when generated voice, audio, and AI-assisted media assembly matter more than podcast hosting.
Explore ElevenLabs Studio Agents →Questions
Async (formerly Podcastle) FAQs
What happened to Podcastle?
Podcastle rebranded as Async in January 2026. It was a name change and platform expansion, not a shutdown; the company says existing accounts, projects, pricing structures, billing, and workflows carried over.
Is Podcastle now called Async?
Yes. Podcastle is now Async, and the old Podcastle website redirects to Async. The active product still includes podcast recording and editing alongside a wider set of AI content tools.
Is Async free?
Async has a $0 plan that does not require a credit card. It includes limited storage, exports, recording allowance, and 10 lifetime AI credits.
How much does Async cost?
Current US list prices are $19.99 monthly for Essentials, $39.99 for Pro, and $84.99 for Teams. Annual totals are $143.90, $287.90, and $599.90 respectively; taxes and regional pricing may vary.
Does Async still host podcasts?
Yes. Async's pricing page continues to list podcast hosting and episode publishing alongside recording, audio editing, video editing, transcription, voice generation, and AI repurposing tools.
Bottom line
Our Async (formerly Podcastle) verdict
Async is a credible all-in-one choice for creators who want the former Podcastle podcast workflow plus video, short-form repurposing, voice tools, and generative media in the same browser workspace. Compare the credit math carefully: standard production features are broad, but AI-heavy projects can consume allowances quickly.
Visit Async (formerly Podcastle) website ↗
AI training for the future of work.
Get access to all our AI courses, hundreds of real-world AI use cases, live expert-led workshops, an exclusive network of AI early adopters, and more.
AI Courses
Get unlimited access to all of our current & upcoming industry-specific AI courses for the duration of your subscription.
Daily Guides
To keep up with the rapid pace of AI, our team publishes AI implementation guides daily. Our library contains 300+ practical use cases to automate real-world work.
Workshops
Join weekly, live, interactive sessions with industry leaders who are at the forefront of AI for hands-on implementation guidance and exclusive insights.
Community
Network with an exclusive community of AI-first professionals who are working smarter with AI. Learn how early adopters are using AI in their work and businesses.