Coming up with a name for your new podcast can be one of the most challenging parts of starting a show. After all, the stakes are high.
But not that high. At the end of the day, listeners will seek out your podcast because it has content they find valuable — insightful, entertaining, and so on — not because of the name. And it’s like naming your kids: whatever name you choose, it will eventually feel right.
Still, there are reasons to choose your podcast title thoughtfully. It provides potential listeners with their first glimpse of what your show is about. A good podcast name establishes your show’s tone, sets up expectations for the listening experience, and draws in your target audience.
There are technical reasons to come up with an interesting and unique podcast title, too: the right name can make your show more discoverable in podcast directories and in Google search results, which means you’ll attract more listeners.
While there’s no formula for the perfect title, there are a few things you can do to make sure you’re selecting the best possible one. The first is just seeing what names are out there — whether they’re for real shows or ones we just made up like in the lists below.
To get a sense of the different options and maybe spark some inspiration, browse the following lists of podcast names. You can choose one from this list, but it’s probably better to use the names as inspiration for your own.
Catchy podcast names
A catchy podcast name draws attention and encourages people to listen, much like a good book title.
Glamor Glow
Polish, Pouts, and Powders
Mirror Mirror
Cultural Crossroads
Voices in the Mosaic
Kaleidoscope: Snapshots of Society
C-Suite Secrets
The Startup Staircase
Pivot Point: Navigating Business Change
Compass Chronicles: Tales from Abroad
Passport Pals
Cold Blooded
Creative podcast names
Creative podcast name ideas revolve around being interesting or sparking imagination. It makes potential listeners think they’ll broaden their perspectives on a topic or overcome prejudices.
2 Nerds and a Jock
We’re Just The Messengers
What The Podcast
Unwanted Voices
The Good News Project
The Podcast About Nothing
The Hipster Show
Uncut & Unfiltered
The Weekly Vibes
I Said What I Said
That One Show With Zulu
Hometown Crime
Clever podcast names
Clever names use fun wordplay and alliteration to capture attention.
LushLuxe Lounge
Vanities and Virtues
Silken Secrets
Social Tapestry
Profit Prophets
Cutting Edge Commerce
Money Moves
Data Dances
Code Chronicles
Endless Horizons
Travelers Tales
The Culture Corner
Cool podcast names
What defines “cool” is subjective, but overall, for a podcast name, it makes your target listeners feel like they’re in the know.
Life Talks
The Cinephile Podcast
Headlines & Hot Coffee: Waking Up to the World
The Daily Dive
Bytes & Bots
Tomorrow’s Blueprint
Couch Critiques
Snippet Stories
Popcorn Perspectives
Food For Thought
Conscious Connect
Laugh Riot Files
Unique podcast names
A unique podcast name stands out in the sea of sameness. It gives listeners the feel that you and only you can give them the information they need.
Stories for The Soul
Tech Titans
Cinema Secrets
Business Bytes
The Daily AI
Capital Chameleons
Healing From Within
Through the Cultural Lens
Time Capsule Today
Standup Sitdown
Belly Laughs
The Story Of …
Want more name ideas for your podcast? Try out Riverside’s free podcast name generator to get the right name for your show. For example, if you want a funny podcast name idea, you just need to tell the generator and it’ll pop out relevant names.
Always check for name availability before locking one in. Take your short list of potential podcast names and give each one a quick Google to see if they exist in the real world. If one does, just move on to the next one. No name is worth the confusion and potential legal problems that come from copying another show.
How to create your own podcast name
Coming up with a great podcast name is one of the most important parts of the whole process (not as important as topic ideas, though).
Here are 10 tips for coming up with the perfect name for your podcast.
1. Brainstorm broadly
With podcast name ideas, more is more. Take into account the topic and tone of your podcast and start scribbling down any and all possible show titles. You want something descriptive yet interesting. Try plays on words, break out the thesaurus, and make word clouds — any synonym or related word may spark inspiration. You can always whittle your list down later.
For example, if you’re going to start a podcast about money, you might think to use words like “money,” “budget,” and “saving.” But The Financial Feminist went with a related term that added some alliteration instead. With “financial” the show’s name rolls off the tongue and gives listeners more information about its message.
2. Consider your audience
Your listeners are the life force of your show, so your name should appeal to them. Figure out who they are and what they want from your podcast, then focus on titles that communicate that information.
Serial was a fantastic name for a crime podcast show for journalists and true crime enthusiasts: “Serial” is common journalistic parlance for a story told in installments, and the word also sounds a little bit like “serious” and “serial killer” — perfect for a show whose first season was about a murder case.
Similarly, the show "Boom! Lawyered" immediately communicates that it's a show about legal matters that doesn't take itself too seriously.
3. Study the names your favorite podcasts
When you’re looking for a name, think about other show titles that you believe work or don’t work, then consider why. There are a few broad naming conventions you’ll notice:
Short, simple, and direct titles like Crime Junkie and Pop Culture Happy Hour rely on important keywords to convey information. That way, they tend to perform well in searches on Google or in a podcast app.
Clever titles that use puns or esoteric terms are eye-catching and memorable, but they rely heavily on context. Names like these work if they relate clearly to their niche. The title Parks and Recollection doesn’t deliver much information about the show’s content. But in a list of TV show podcasts or next to the cover art, which features Rob Lowe and a very recognizable font, it’s immediately clear that Parks and Recollection recounts the making of that sitcom.
Some abstract titles, like Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and the Use of Power use a colon and subtitle to provide more context. However, Apple Podcasts in particular is strict about keyword stuffing titles and may reject your podcast.
Many podcasts incorporate existing brands or the name of a recognizable host — think of The Ezra Klein Show or The Atlas Obscura Podcast. These titles work well if you have an established audience that already knows what to expect from your content.
4. Keep it concise
Most successful podcast titles are short and snappy. In fact, according to the content creation company Pacific Content, which actually did the research on this in 2019, about half of all podcast titles are between 14 and 29 characters — as in, between Generation Why and My Brother, My Brother and Me.
That may not seem like enough, but there are plenty of ways to include extra information about your show’s topic. You can add it into the description or illustrate it in your cover art, for example.
For example, The Daily from the New York Times is only nine characters long, but it manages to convey a lot in a small package. The logo is bold and striking because the name is short enough to be big, and it also incorporates the New York Times logo, which tells new listeners that it’s serious, factual, and from a well-known news source.
5. Use relevant search terms if you can
Make sure that potential listeners can find your podcast on the internet by naming it with words and phrases that someone might use to find a show like yours.
Aim to include these in your name, provider name, and episode titles, since search engines and podcast directories comb through these sections to find matches for keyword searches. (It’s worth noting that they don’t scan podcast descriptions.) Free keyword tool websites like wordstream.com or keywordtool.io can help you find popular search terms for your topic.
6. But avoid keyword stuffing
Keyword stuffing is the practice of including unnecessary but relevant search terms in a podcast title — stuff like The Ira-Joe-O-Cast: A Comedy Podcast for Fans of This American Life, Joe Rogan, and Oprah Winfrey.
Not only is the practice spammy, but podcast hosting platforms like Apple Podcasts reject any show titles that appear to have been keyword stuffed. Great content will earn you more loyal fans than shady SEO ever will.
7. Try not to include the word “podcast”
The word “podcast” doesn’t just take up precious space in a show title that ought to be short, it’s also redundant. (Imagine if it was called The Simpsons TV Show or The Goodfellas Movie.)
Exceptions to this rule include podcasts about podcasts, like How to Start a Podcast by the podcast hosting site Buzzsprout, or titles that rely on already well-known figures and brands, such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe Podcast (though on the latter, why?).
Feel free to use the word “podcast” in your social media handles and on your website — in fact, doing so may boost SEO for the rest of your web presence.
8. Say it out loud — a lot
Because your audience is going to both see and hear your show’s title, practice saying it out loud as often as possible. Make sure it’s easy to pronounce — you don’t want to be stumbling and mumbling every time you say it. And if you’re investing in podcast promotion, you definitely don’t want potential listeners stumbling when they say it.
Then consider whether there are any words, punctuation symbols, acronyms, or homonyms that create ambiguity. Spoken numbers are especially tricky because they might refer to the numerals or the written number.
If you’d never seen it written, would you know that the show was 99% Invisible or would you guess that it was “Ninety-Nine Percent Invisible”? Most of us don’t have Roman Mars’s silky baritone to carry us over that search discrepancy.
9. Keep your name unique
Using the name of another podcast is not only confusing to potential audiences, but it can also lead to legal issues. Do your due diligence before settling on any name: Check Google, Namecheckr, and podcast directories like Apple Podcast and Spotify.
Also check your potential domain names and social media handles, since you’ll want those to be unique (and available) as well. After the first episode is published, a podcast’s name is considered trademarked intellectual property; you can check copyrighted and trademarked terms via Google.
10. Poll the audience
Once you’ve found a name you love, talk about it with everyone: friends, family, colleagues, strangers. Find out what they think about your podcast title, what it tells them, and what it makes them expect. Ask for their opinions and feedback and take it all to heart. An outside perspective might help you see issues you may have overlooked.
Finding the perfect podcast name FAQ
What should I name my podcast?
The name of your podcast should reflect its content, your personality, and the message you want to share with your audience. For example, if your podcast is about personal growth, you could name it "Evolve with (Your Name)" or "Check This Growth."
Should I name my podcast after myself?
Naming your podcast after yourself is a good idea if you're already a known figure, and potentially if you're building a personal brand. If you’re not a household name, though, it’s a better idea to name your podcast something more descriptive.
What are some podcast names?
Some podcast name ideas could be "The Daily Grind," "Mindful Moments," "Tech Trends Today," "Cooking Chronicles," "Wanderlust Stories," "Startup Uncovered," "Beyond the Bookshelf," or "Fitness Fundamentals." The name really depends on your podcast's topic and tone.
What does the name of my podcast say about me?
The name of your podcast is often a listener's first impression of what to expect from your show. It communicates the topic and tone of your podcast. A catchy and meaningful name can express your passion and knowledge about a topic, helping you attract and retain listeners.
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