What Your Podcast Name Is Really Telling People

The Two Types of Podcast Name

Podcast names generally fall into two categories: descriptive and evocative.

Descriptive names tell the listener exactly what they're getting. "The B2B Marketing Podcast" or "Startup Finance Weekly." These names are excellent for discoverability. When someone searches for a topic, descriptive names appear. The trade-off is that they're rarely memorable. They work, but they don't stick.

Evocative names create intrigue. "How I Built This" or "Freakonomics." These names are distinctive and memorable, but they rely on marketing to explain what the show is about. A new listener won't know from the name alone.

The sweet spot is often a combination: an evocative primary name with a descriptive subtitle. This gives you personality and discoverability in one package.

SEO and Discoverability

Podcast directories are search engines. Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube all use your show title as a primary ranking signal. If your target audience is searching for "leadership podcast" and your show is called "The Infinite Loop," you're invisible to that search unless your subtitle or description fills the gap.

This doesn't mean you have to stuff keywords into your title. It means you should be deliberate about where your key terms appear. If they're not in the title, they need to be in the subtitle, the description, and every episode title.

Sonic Branding

Your intro matters more than your logo. In podcasting, the first fifteen seconds of audio are your brand. The music, the voiceover, the tone, the energy. These elements tell a new listener what kind of show this is before a single word of content is delivered.

A polished intro signals professionalism. A distinctive sonic brand makes your show recognisable. When a listener hears your intro music in the middle of a playlist, they should know immediately what show they're about to hear.

Invest in this. Commission original music. Work with a professional voice artist for your intro if the host isn't doing it. The cost is modest and the impact is significant.

Artwork That Converts

Your podcast artwork appears as a tiny thumbnail on someone's phone. If it's cluttered, hard to read, or visually similar to a thousand other shows, it gets ignored.

The best podcast artwork is simple, bold, and legible at small sizes. Use no more than three or four words. Choose colours that stand out against the dark backgrounds of most podcast apps. Avoid stock photography. If you use a portrait, make sure it's professionally shot.

Test your artwork by shrinking it to the size of a postage stamp on your phone screen. If you can't read the title or distinguish the image, redesign it.

Common Naming Mistakes

Don't include "podcast" in the name unless it serves a purpose. Everyone knows it's a podcast. Don't use puns that only work if someone already knows what the show is about. Don't choose a name that's hard to spell, because people will search for it and fail. Don't pick a name that's identical or confusingly similar to an existing show. Check the directories before you commit.

Your name, artwork, and sonic identity are the three pillars of your podcast brand. They work together to create an impression that happens before a listener hears your first episode. Make sure that impression is the one you intended.