Podcast Name Ideas: 15 Formulas and Tips
By Mitt Ray
A catchy company or product name can convince more people to check out what you offer.
It’s the same with podcasts. An attractive podcast name will attract more listeners. The podcast name can also make your podcast more discoverable on search engines and podcast platforms when people type in certain keywords.
If you, too, want a podcast name that grabs attention, check out the formulas and tips below.
7 formulas to brainstorm creative podcast name ideas
Here are a few formulas you can use to brainstorm a podcast name quickly.
1. [Business/brand name] Podcast
The most straightforward podcast name you can use is your business, brand, or host’s name, followed by Podcast.
Like The Michelle Obama Podcast. It’s simply the name of the host followed by “Podcast.”
You don’t even have to always use the term podcast. You can use a variation such as “Show,” “Radio,” “Talk,” or something else. A good example is the podcast name Ted Talks Daily. Instead of “Podcast,” it has the name “Daily” as it publishes an episode every weekday.
This formula is perfect if you already have a brand presence, as people will find it when they look up your name on podcast platforms or even on search engines. It will attract an audience you already have.
2. [Power word and keyword] Podcast
A good alternative for people who don’t have a brand name that attracts attention is to use a magnetic power word or a keyword that the target listeners are likely to search. You can follow this name with “Podcast” or an alternative word.
One of the most clever names I have come across is Gastropod. It’s a combination of “Gastro,” which means stomach, and the first three letters from “podcast.” Gastropods can also mean molluscs like snails which are a delicacy in many countries.
Another good one is the Your New Puppy Podcast from Playtime Paws. “Your New Puppy” is the keyword here. A podcast with a name like this will attract listeners who recently got a puppy.
3. [Audience name] Podcast
The audience name formula is another one you can use while naming your podcast. After you do your research and figure out that there is an audience interested in your topic, you can simply add the name of the audience before the podcast.
An example is the Runner’s World UK Podcast. It includes the name of the target audience, Runners, and the location.
This name will attract runners in the UK or people interested in running in the UK. The more specific your name is, the more targeted your audience will be.
Another good one is The Urban Farm Podcast which is a podcast for people interested in farming in Urban areas.
Tip: It goes without saying, but you will need to know your target audience, if you want to use this formula effectively.
4. [Unique and catchy words]
Unique and catchy words that your audience can associate with will help drive attention and generate shares on social media. This can help you get a lot of listeners. You can take terms that people associate with your niche or industry and come with something unique and catchy.
A popular podcast is Jenna Kutcher’s Goal Digger Podcast. Jenna took a misogynistic term and transformed it into something unique.
Didn’t the name make you chuckle a bit? After you read the name, you’re curious to check it out to see what Jenna covers in the podcast.
Another good one is Reid Hoffman’s Masters of Scale. This is a play on words that will help attract entrepreneurs who want to start or scale their businesses.
5. [Benefit] Podcast
Another simple formula is just listing the main benefit of listening to the podcast. This works best for podcasts where you share how-to tips. A simple one is Garden Basics with Farmer Fred.
This podcast name indicates that the podcast is for beginner gardeners. They will want to check it out.
Another similar benefit-driven podcast name is Art Made Easy with Patty Palmer of Deep Space Sparkle.
6. [Synonym to a word in your niche] Show
If you find that people have taken up many names you want to use, you can simply use a synonym of your niche or industry. Gastropod, as mentioned earlier, is an example of this. Many others play around with words and brainstorm something unique and memorable.
A nice example is The Sporkful which is another podcast in the food niche.
The name uses a combination of fork and pork, which can generate a lot of attention.
One more good one is The Purrrcast, which, as the name indicates, is a podcast about cats.
Tip: Coming up with catchy names like these can seem hard, but it is pretty easy. Make a list of words associated with your niche and play around with them. It is a fun task, especially if you give your mind the freedom.
7. [Number] [keyword]
A popular tactic writers use to make their blog posts shareable is adding numbers. This trick works because people are more drawn to headlines with numbers.
Some podcasts such as 30 Animals That Made Us Smarter replicate this formula.
You might wonder if using a number is a good idea—what are you supposed to do after you record the number of episodes in your podcast name?
Don’t worry, there are no penalties for exceeding the number in your podcast name.. Case in point? 30 Animals that Made Us Smarter has more than 30 podcast episodes that discuss different animals.
8 tips for coming up with a good podcast name
Here are some tips you can use along with the above headline formulas to develop a good podcast name.
1. Keep it short and catchy
The job of the podcast name is similar to that of a headline. It must catch attention and get people to check out the podcast page or listing to learn more. So, use a short and catchy title that evokes enough curiosity without giving away everything.
2. Make sure it reflects your brand
The name needs to be consistent with your brand Some top publishers ensure this by adding their company name to the title or thumbnail. NPR does this with all its podcasts. For example, its podcast on politics is called The NPR Politics Podcast.
Other lesser-known brands use catchy lines or a writing style that reflects their personality. This works best when your brand isn’t well known.
3. Include keywords
Keywords make your podcast more discoverable on social media sites, podcast platforms, and search engines. If your podcast name contains a keyword that your audience is likely to look up, you will organically get more listeners.
Make sure you do a ton of research while choosing keywords. You can use a free SEO tool like the Keyword Planner to find SEO-friendly keywords. You can also research hashtags to see what people are searching on social media.
After that, play around with the keyword to develop a name that works for you.
4. Keep it unique
Your podcast name needs to be unique to stand out. So, before you choose one, search on podcast platforms to confirm it is original. You might also want to do a Google search with “the potential name of your podcast” followed by “podcast.”
5. Don’t choose a name that limits topics
If you’re certain you only want to serve a niche audience for the foreseeable future, you can choose a super-niche podcast name. But if you want to create a podcast that attracts thousands of listeners and monetize it with ads and sponsorships, don’t choose a super-specific name.
An example is the Runners World UK podcast mentioned earlier. With a name like that, you can only discuss topics related to running in the UK. On the other hand, a podcast name like Run to the Top Podcast allows you to discuss a wide range of running topics from around the world without confusing listeners.
6. Brainstorm a handful and pick one
A creativity tip from A Whack on the Side of the Head is to not mix creativity and judgment. You need to treat them as separate phases, so that judgment does not limit your creativity.
During the creativity phase, give your mind the freedom to find as many ideas as it wants. Only start judging the ideas after this phase ends. By then, you have a large pool of options and are sure to find a favorite.
7. Ask your audience and let them vote
If you are unsure what to pick, you can ask your audience. You can create a simple survey and share it with your social media followers or email list and ask them to vote. This will get your potential listeners involved early on. You will also be promoting your podcast even before you launch it. All the people who participated in choosing the name will look forward to the launch.
8. Make sure it’s easy to spell, read, and remember
People can share your podcast through social media, text messages, and email. This helps generate a lot of listeners. But online conversations only make up 10% of conversions.
With 90% of conversions happening offline, give your podcast an easy-to-remember name. People should be able to spell it easily and tell their friends to check it out. Avoid using sophisticated words that your audience won’t understand and stick to simple words most people know.
Do you have some interesting podcast name ideas now?
Your podcast name is forever. You have the freedom to change the name later, but this will mean that you will need to buy a new domain name, create new social media handles, and make many other changes. This can cost you both time and money. To avoid these hassles, take as much time as you need to choose your podcast name. The formulas we have shared above will make it easy.
Running a successful podcast requires a lot of effort. You need to record the content regularly, edit, upload, and promote it. If you are looking to simplify some of these tasks, you should check out the AppSumo store. We have deals on many software and templates that will help you launch and run a successful podcast.