Vibe Coding an Audio Visualizer for YouTube

Introduction

Have you ever seen a video podcast on YouTube with animated waveforms and thought, “How do they do that?” It adds a visual element that makes audio content more engaging—and with the right tools, it’s easier than ever to create.

In this article, I’ll walk you through how I turned an audio podcast into a visual experience using a web-based audio visualizer, screen recording, and video editing tools. “You don’t need extensive development skills—just explain your vision, and AI handles the code.

We’ll explore why this approach matters, how I built the visualizer using vibe coding with ChatGPT, how I captured the visuals, and how I edited and shared the final result.

Let’s dive in.

Why Visualize Audio?

Audio podcasts are great for storytelling, interviews, and personal commentary—but let’s face it, they’re not always ideal for visual platforms like YouTube. Without something to look at, the screen can feel static and uninspired.

That’s where animated waveforms come in. When you see the audio move, it gives the viewer a visual rhythm that mirrors what they’re hearing. And if you add graphic EQ meters or other audio-reactive elements, you create something that feels alive—like the sound is performing along with the content.

This is especially helpful when you’re working with audio-first formats that you want to repurpose visually.

Building the Web-Based Visualizer

To build the visualizer, I used a technique known as vibe coding—a growing trend where developers use natural language to describe what they want, and a large language model like ChatGPT translates that into working code.

I started by opening a text editor (in my case, BBEdit) and creating a document called index.html. I saved it in a folder I created called “waveform” on my local hard drive. Inside the “waveform” folder, I added a subfolder labeled “audio” to hold the podcast MP3 file I would reference for the visualizer.

Then I typed a simple request into ChatGPT, describing my goal and outlining the folder structure I had created:

“Please help me create an audio analyzer in a web page. I’d like to be able to use an audio file of a podcast (sample.mp3) stored in the ‘audio’ folder, then display an animation of the real-time waveform of the audio as it plays back.”

ChatGPT returned a code block that included the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to bring it to life. I copied that code into my index.html, saved the file, and opened it in the browser. Boom… it worked!

From there, I used natural language to request edits: adding a 16-band graphic EQ-style meter display, then fine-tuning by requesting changes to bar colors, gradient logic, layout adjustments, and visual tweaks like animated caps on the meters. Each time, ChatGPT translated my words into updated code. I copied the revisions into the file and reloaded the browser to see the effects in real time.

This process—rapid iteration through conversational coding—captured the heart of vibe coding. I didn’t write code from scratch. I expressed a creative vision and let the AI handle the syntax.

Capturing the Motion with Screen Capture

Once I had the visualizer working in the browser, I used a tool called Camtasia to record the screen as the podcast played. Camtasia allowed me to capture both the animated waveform and the moving EQ bars in real time.

To ensure I could sync everything later, I made sure the system audio was captured along with the visuals. This allowed me to perfectly align the original podcast audio track with the visuals during video editing.

I created two variations—one with a vibrant cyan waveform to match the color scheme for my AI for the Creative Mind podcast, and another with a custom palette inspired by my Book Clubsters podcast branding. These color choices gave each version its own personality while still retaining the core structure of the visualizer.

Note: there are other options for screen capture, such as CapCut, but I preferred Camtasia for this one due to its ease of use and features.

Editing and Enhancing in CapCut

After exporting the screen recordings, I opened a new desktop CapCut project and imported the two video files I had captured in Camtasia. Since I had recorded a non-standard aspect ratio of the waveform and audio meters, the first thing I did in CapCut was adjust the screen resolution to 16:9 to match standard video formats.

From there, I placed two copies of the screen capture onto two tracks on the timeline, then cropped each—one showing just the waveform, the other showing just the graphic EQ meter. I stacked both videos in the editor and adjusted their positions on the screen—placing the waveform toward the top and the EQ meter near the bottom, creating a layered, immersive audio-reactive look.

I imported the original podcast audio track and synced it to match the waveform movement. Once everything was aligned, I trimmed the video and audio clips to remove any extra space at the beginning and end. For an extra touch, I removed the background of the waveform and graphic EQ videos to better blend with the overall video design.

Finally, I added podcast branding elements like the logo and a title card, used CapCut’s thumbnail feature to create a YouTube-ready thumbnail, and made a few visual refinements. After a final review, I exported the video in full HD.

Publishing the Results

With the edited video and thumbnail ready, I uploaded the content to my new YouTube channel for AI for the Creative Mind. This marks the beginning of a new channel where I’ll repurpose podcast content for video platforms.

While I already distribute the podcast on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, adding YouTube helps me reach a new audience. And because the visualizer adds motion and color to an otherwise audio-only experience, it opens the door to broader engagement on a visual-first platform.

This process also ties directly into one of the recurring themes in AI for the Creative Mind: taking a single idea and expanding it across formats. This project started as a written article for my LinkedIn newsletter. That article became the foundation for an audio podcast. And now, that same content has been transformed into a video—thanks to a combination of AI and a little creativity.

Reflections and Creative Tips

One of the biggest takeaways from this project is how effective it can be to build reusable templates that you can customize per project. Once I had a working waveform and EQ visualizer in place, I could change the colors, swap out logos, and adapt the visuals to match different podcast episodes or themes.

This flexibility means I can spin up new video content quickly—without reinventing the wheel every time.

And because the code is modular, I can also keep improving the template over time. Want to add a new meter type? Swap the waveform for a circular visualizer? Update the background to match a seasonal theme? All of that becomes possible once you have a functional foundation to build from. For added flexibility, I uploaded my “waveform” folder to my web server so I could access it from anywhere.

This approach represents a multimodal mindset: start with a single idea, and let it evolve into text, audio, and video—each format playing to its strengths and expanding the reach of your message.

Conclusion

This project began as a simple experiment: Could I bring a podcast episode to life visually using AI and accessible tools? The answer turned out to be yes—more quickly and creatively than I expected.

By combining vibe coding, real-time screen capture, and lightweight video editing, I now have a repeatable process for turning audio content into compelling visual media. Better yet, it all starts with a single spark—an idea that grows across mediums.

So whether you’re a podcaster, content creator, educator, or just someone with something to say, don’t stop at one format. With the tools available today, your ideas can live in text, speak through audio, and move through video.

Keep exploring. Keep expressing. And most of all—keep creating.

Onward...Forward!

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🎧 Make sure to check out our companion AI for Creative Mind audio podcast. 🔊💥

🔹 Apple Podcasts - https://lnkd.in/enF4GGGT 🔹 Spotify - https://lnkd.in/eVNms2Ji 🔹 Amazon Music - https://lnkd.in/er5HKW-Y

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