Factors to Consider When Choosing a Podcast Name

Once you’ve figured out the format that you want your podcast to take, it’s time to come up with a name for it. While it’s tempting to use the first title that is spit out by a podcast name generator, that can be risky. When naming your podcast, here are some factors to consider:

1. Podcatchers are search engines.

When people open up their podcast playing apps — “podcatchers” — they often search for podcasts by typing in keywords. For this reason, having a direct title containing keywords can be beneficial. For example, if you produce a podcast about pineapple recipes, you want to include the word “pineapple” in the title because that’s what people will search for. While a title like “Fun With The Spikey Fruit” might seem more poetic, it’s less likely to be found by listeners.

While it’s good to use keywords in your show’s title, beware of “keyword stuffing,” the practice of jamming a laundry list of keywords into the show’s title to manipulate search results. In particular, Apple has cracked down on the practice, removing podcasts from its Apple Podcasts app that use this practice. As a general rule, avoid colons or dashes followed keyword-stuffed subtitles in your show’s name, and keep your title simple and straightforward.

2. People may see your podcast name with no context.

In some cases, people may see the title of your podcast with no other contextual clues — no image, no tagline, no summary, etc. For example, the name of your podcast might appear in somebody’s tweet or in a list of other podcasts. In these cases, you want people to be able to figure out what the podcast is about even if they have no other frame of reference.

3. Consider voice commands when you name your podcast.

With the rapid adoption of smart speakers like Amazon’s Echo and voice assistants like Apple’s Siri, voice commands are being used more and more frequently. Give some thought to how your podcast title sounds when spoken aloud. Watch out for homonyms (words that sound alike but have different spellings) which might confuse these devices. Try giving a voice-activated device a command with your potential name to see if it can parse it before committing.

4. Consider trademarks when selecting a podcast title.

Before committing to a name for your show, do some research to see if it or anything similar is in use by anybody else. Perform a Google search and look it up in Apple Podcasts and Spotify to see if the domain is in use. After all, you don’t want to get deep into the podcast and then discovered that somebody else has already built a brand around the same name.

Additionally, when choosing a name for your podcast, it’s important to consider trademark law. You want to choose a name that is unique and not too similar to existing podcast names or trademarks. The last thing you want is to get sued for infringement! While there are many ways to choose a distinctive podcast name, here are a few tips:

Avoid using common words or phrases. If your podcast is about technology, for example, try to stay away from generic terms like “tech” or “tech podcast.”
Come up with a made-up word or phrase. This can be anything from a play on words to an entirely new word altogether.
Use a phrase that is specific to your podcast’s niche. This will help listeners understand what your podcast is about and make it easier for them to find you in search engines.

By following these simple tips, you can choose a podcast name that is both unique and legally protected.

The most common mistake we see with podcast names is that they are too clever by half; they try to be poetic when a more direct title would attract more listeners. Consider your show’s title carefully, and make sure that it quickly and accurately conveys what your podcast is all about.

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Seth Resler

Founder at Community Marketing Revolution

Seth Resler has been helping audio content creators realize their visions for decades. As a 25-year broadcasting veteran and 10-year podcasting veteran who has worked at radio stations in New York City, Boston, Seattle, St. Louis, Providence, and Silicon Valley, he has practical experience in the trenches. He has since used that knowledge to coach others, starting with Brown University students during his tenure at WBRU in Providence, then as a radio consultant for Jacobs Media Strategies.

Seth has produced and hosted eight of his own podcast series, including CES for Radio, The Worldwide Radio Summit podcast, and Bad Marketing Advice. Seth is the Vice Chair of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Foundation.

Seth regularly speaks about podcasting and industry conferences around the country. He has spoken at The NAB Show, Podcast Movement, Podfest, The Radio Show, The Worldwide Radio Summit, The Nielsen Audio Client Conference, Morning Show Boot Camp, Talk Show Boot Camp, and numerous state broadcaster association conferences.