So you have a new podcast idea, or maybe you already recorded a bunch of episodes and need to come up with the perfect podcast name? Choosing a name for your show may sound easy, but you definitely need to put some thinking into it and try to choose a podcast name that can help push your show to its full potential.
When people hear or search for a podcast, the title of the podcast itself is often times the first thing they are exposed to. The name of your podcast must be describing the show in a way, but also intriguing listeners to read more. Combined with an eye-catching podcast artwork, the name is a key factor in growing your podcast and building a brand around it.
In this post, we’ll include key tips to come up with the perfect name for your podcast, and give a few technical guidelines for better podcast ranking and podcast SEO.
Choosing the right podcast name
When you think about potential names/titles for your show, it’s easy to get confused or uncertain about it. Our best tip would be to think about your ideal audience. Build an image in mind of your target listeners, and try to be in their seat. Then, try to write down a few names that could work best for them.
Since you run the show, you might be more familiar with certain words or understand “inside jokes” better than your audience, so try to think as if you were one of your own listeners.
Things to take into account before choosing your podcast name
- Keeping it short. Nobody would remember a 12-word long title, and some platforms could even see it as keyword stuffing. Keep your podcast title clean and short.
- Make it unique. That’s a lot to ask for – there are more than 2 million podcasts out there, so you might even find out that your favorite title option is already taken. Try to search the different podcast directories like Apple Podcasts or Spotify and see if the names you have in mind are taken.
- Make it memorable – It might be hard to remember a generic name. If you have a podcast about coffee and use “The Coffee Podcast” title for example, it might just blend in with the rest of the shows around the same topic. People may have a hard time recognizing it and remembering the name. Try to come up with a name that is catchy and as memorable as possible.
- Brainstorm – friends, family and potential listeners can all help with the name. Try getting as much feedback as possible before closing on a specific name.
- Inspiration – You can find inspiration by going over your favorite books, TV series, movies, or other podcasts. Try to see what you like and dislike in existing titles and come up with your own versions. Check out Chartable’s list of the top podcasts in your category or in the general section.
- How does it sound? This may be obvious – but try saying the name out loud a few times. You’ll likely repeat it a lot during the show, and if it’s not something you can say with confidence or it’s not easy to pronounce, it might become a problem. Remember that there are a lot of word-of-mouth listeners out there, so make it easy for your listeners to recommend your show to other as well.
- Using the word “Podcast” in your title? There’s nothing wrong with it, but over time it might become a bit redundant. Try to think in advance if you really plan on using the word Podcast as part of the name or leave it out.
Different styles for naming your podcast
There are really tons of different styles you can use to come up with the perfect podcast name. Some are funny, some go straight to the point, or include your own name. In the end, it’s really up to you to decide which one fits best, there’s no one style that is better than others.
1. Creative
A creative style for your show title is great since it can be more unique. Many podcasters are using a play on words, different spelling and so on. It can be an abstract name or a term that is often use around your topic/industry. If we go back to our coffee-themes examples, you could think about “Strange Brew”, “Freshly Roasted”, “Happy Beans” etc.
There’s really an unlimited number of options you can go with, and it doesn’t really mean you have to be super creative, just put some thoughts into it.
2. Descriptive
Many podcasts are using the descriptive style. It is easy to understand, and usually easy to come up with names. Some (made up) coffee-themed examples could be “The Coffee Podcast”, “Coffee Weekly”, “Coffee News” etc.
This style is often times really plain and simple – it tells the audience what the show is about without making too many puns or references.
3. Brands
If you’re podcasting for your brand / business, include the brand name in the title would make a lot of sense.
This style of titles might be a little longer, since you need to include both the name of the brand and the actual name of the show – using just the brand name isn’t enough in most cases (as in “Brand Name” + “Podcast”), as it might be hard for the listener to understand what the podcast is about.
What you could do is to use a descriptive/creative name alongside the name of your brand, for example –
- “The Coffee Beans Podcast by [Brand Name]”
- “[Brand Name] Coffee Roasting Podcast”
4. Using your own name
If you or your co-hosts prefer to use your own names, it might help people associate your personal brand and the podcast itself. If you have a well-known name around a certain industry/community, people could try to listen to the podcast just because of that. The “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast is probably the most popular example in this case, but there are thousands of other podcasts that are using the same style.
This can get tricky if you run a podcast with more than two hosts. Also, note that some podcast platforms may reject some titles with names in them, so you have to keep the name as part of the title, not just an appended term in the beginning/end.
For example, don’t use “Coffee Podcast with [Your Name]”, as these kinds of titles are often rejected. Try using something like “The [Your Name] Coffee Show” instead.
Technical aspects to consider when choosing a podcast name
If you already have a few naming options, it’s important to go over a few technical tips. These tips can maximize the potential of your podcast discoverability, both on-platform and via search engines.
1. Search it on Google
Before choosing a name, try to search the term on Google and see what you’re getting. If popular websites or brands are showing up on the top spots, you might want to find a different name.
Try to search for the name, or maybe append the word “Podcast” to it (if it doesn’t already include it) to see if there’s something you need to avoid or change.
If you don’t see any definitive results around the name, you’re probably good to go.
2. Search it on different podcast platforms
Type the name you want to use on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or any other app you’re using. If there are exact matches or a tough competition with similar names, try to come up with a better alternative.
3. Check domain / social handle availability
Before you commit to a new name, check if the domain is available. It doesn’t have to be an exact match with the .com TLD, but make sure you have a memorable domain for your podcast website, it’s one of the most important steps in branding your podcast.
Securing an exact match between your podcast name and your domain is important to get better ranking on Google and other search engines, so don’t underestimate this step.
Additionally, social media handles/usernames can also be key, so try to check if those are available or already taken.
4. Use the right keywords, but not too many of them
If you’re thinking about discoverability and SEO from the get-go (and we do recommend doing that) – you might be tempted to include as many keywords as you can in the title. That’s actually not a good idea. It’ll get your title too long and it might be rejected from some platforms as well.
Try picking a short, memorable title that still includes one or two keywords in it. Don’t overuse keywords or make it too obvious or bloated.
4. Expletive or offensive words in your title?
Try to really think about it before adding expletives or offensive words in the title itself. Many platforms can reject your podcast and you’ll probably have a hard time promoting your podcast with such a title.
Try to soften it up if possible, or use humor/play on words for that part.
The perfect podcast name is already taken?
This happens a lot. The perfect names are usually taken, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up on the spot. If you see that an old podcast (no new episodes in the past year or 10 years) is taking a precious title, you can try to reach out and see if they’d be willing to give up on the name or agree to change the title.
The odds are quite small, but this can work in some cases. Don’t put too much effort on this option, as it’s not very easy, but it can still work at times. Otherwise, you can always try to go back to the drawing board and find alternatives.
Try to come up with a handful of names (at least), and start going over the checklist of tips we’ve mentioned in this article.
Conclusion
A good name for your podcast is a big deal. You’ll have to think about it thoroughly in order to pick the perfect name for your show. A good podcast name can catch the attention of your potential listener. A great name would also give you some advantages in SEO or in searches around the podcast platforms.
Here’s a breakdown of the article with a few quick tips for choosing a perfect podcast name –
- Keep it short, unique and memorable.
- Brainstorm with friends, family and potential listeners.
- Say it out loud, try to see if you’re comfortable with the name.
- Search for existing podcasts that have similar names.
- Search if the domain is already registered, if not, go ahead and secure it for your podcast website.
