Documentation
README
Podcast Studio — Full Podcast Production Pipeline
An agent team collaborates to produce podcast episodes through the pipeline of planning → research → scripting → show notes → distribution, all at once.
Execution Mode
Agent Team — 5 members communicate directly via SendMessage and cross-validate each other's work.
Agent Roster
| Agent | File | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| researcher | .claude/agents/researcher.md |
Topic investigation, fact-checking, talking point extraction | general-purpose |
| scriptwriter | .claude/agents/scriptwriter.md |
Episode script writing, dialogue cue insertion | general-purpose |
| shownote-editor | .claude/agents/shownote-editor.md |
Show notes, timestamps, reference compilation | general-purpose |
| distribution-manager | .claude/agents/distribution-manager.md |
Platform-specific metadata, promotional copy | general-purpose |
| production-reviewer | .claude/agents/production-reviewer.md |
Cross-validation, consistency checks | general-purpose |
Workflow
Phase 1: Preparation (Performed directly by the orchestrator)
- Extract from user input:
- Topic/Keywords: The subject the episode will cover
- Podcast Info (optional): Show tone, listener base, existing episode direction
- Episode Type (optional): Solo/Interview/Panel/Storytelling/Q&A
- Guest Info (optional): Guest name, area of expertise
- Constraints (optional): Episode length, specific requirements
- Existing Files (optional): Scripts, research materials, etc. provided by the user
- Create the
_workspace/directory at the project root - Organize the input and save it as
_workspace/00_input.md - If existing files are provided, copy them to
_workspace/and skip the corresponding phase - Determine the execution mode based on request scope (see "Scope-Based Modes" below)
Phase 2: Team Assembly and Execution
Assemble the team and assign tasks. Task dependencies are as follows:
| Order | Task | Owner | Depends On | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Topic research | researcher | None | _workspace/01_research_brief.md |
| 2 | Script writing | scriptwriter | Task 1 | _workspace/02_script.md |
| 3a | Show notes | shownote-editor | Tasks 1, 2 | _workspace/03_shownotes.md |
| 3b | Distribution package | distribution-manager | Tasks 1, 2 | _workspace/04_distribution_package.md |
| 4 | Production review | production-reviewer | Tasks 2, 3a, 3b | _workspace/05_review_report.md |
Tasks 3a (show notes) and 3b (distribution) run in parallel. Both depend on Task 2 (script), so they can start simultaneously once the script is complete.
Inter-agent communication flow:
- researcher complete → deliver talking points & facts to scriptwriter, references to shownote-editor, trending keywords to distribution-manager
- scriptwriter complete → deliver segment timecodes to shownote-editor, key quotes to distribution-manager
- shownote-editor complete → deliver episode summary & quotes to distribution-manager
- reviewer cross-validates all deliverables. On 🔴 Must Fix: request revision from the responsible agent → rework → re-validate (up to 2 rounds)
Phase 3: Integration and Final Deliverables
Compile the final deliverables based on the reviewer's report:
- Verify all files in
_workspace/ - Confirm all 🔴 Must Fix items from the review report have been addressed
- Report the final summary to the user:
- Research Brief —
01_research_brief.md - Episode Script —
02_script.md - Show Notes —
03_shownotes.md - Distribution Package —
04_distribution_package.md - Review Report —
05_review_report.md
- Research Brief —
Scope-Based Modes
Adjust the agents deployed based on the scope of the user's request:
| User Request Pattern | Execution Mode | Agents Deployed |
|---|---|---|
| "Plan a podcast episode," "full production" | Full Pipeline | All 5 |
| "Just write the script," "script only" | Script Mode | researcher + scriptwriter + reviewer |
| "Create show notes from this script" (existing file) | Show Notes Mode | shownote-editor + reviewer |
| "Create promo copy for this episode" (existing script) | Distribution Mode | distribution-manager + reviewer |
| "Review this script" | Review Mode | reviewer only |
Using Existing Files: If the user provides a script, research materials, or other existing files, copy them to the appropriate numbered position in _workspace/ and skip that phase's agent.
Data Transfer Protocol
| Strategy | Method | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| File-based | _workspace/ directory |
Primary deliverable storage and sharing |
| Message-based | SendMessage | Real-time key information transfer, revision requests |
| Task-based | TaskCreate/TaskUpdate | Progress tracking, dependency management |
File naming convention: {order}_{deliverable}.{extension}
Error Handling
| Error Type | Strategy |
|---|---|
| Web search failure | Researcher works from general knowledge, report notes "data limitation" |
| Guest info unavailable | Provide generic interview framework, request guest info from user |
| Agent failure | Retry once → if still failing, proceed without that deliverable, note omission in review report |
| 🔴 found in review | Request revision from responsible agent → rework → re-validate (up to 2 rounds) |
Test Scenarios
Happy Path
Prompt: "Plan a 30-minute interview podcast episode on AI ethics. The guest is an AI researcher" Expected Results:
- Research: 5+ latest AI ethics issues, guest background, 5 talking points
- Script: 30-minute length (~4,500 words in English), opening + 3–4 segments + closing, guest questions included
- Show notes: Timestamps, reference links, key quotes
- Distribution: Platform-specific descriptions, 3 social media copy variants, promotional calendar
- Review: All consistency matrix items verified
Existing File Flow
Prompt: "Create show notes and a distribution package from this script" + script file attached Expected Results:
- Existing script copied to
_workspace/02_script.md - Show Notes Mode + Distribution Mode merged: shownote-editor + distribution-manager + reviewer deployed
- researcher, scriptwriter skipped
Error Flow
Prompt: "Just write a podcast script quickly, any topic" Expected Results:
- Switch to Script Mode (researcher + scriptwriter + reviewer)
- Topic is unclear, so researcher proposes 3 trending topics before proceeding
- Review report notes "show notes/distribution package not generated"
Agent Extension Skills
Each agent leverages the following extension skills to enhance deliverable quality:
| Agent | Extension Skill | Knowledge Provided |
|---|---|---|
| scriptwriter | /interview-techniques |
DEPTH question model, emotional arc, type-specific question patterns |
| scriptwriter, shownote-editor | /audio-storytelling |
5 narrative arcs, BPM pacing, 12 audio devices |
| distribution-manager | /podcast-growth |
Platform-specific metadata optimization, 7-day promotional calendar, HIKE copy formula |