Two decades after podcasting blew up, these bite-size talk shows are as popular as ever. Over 100 million Americans will listen to a podcast in 2024, giving you an enthusiastic and engaged audience to take hold of.

Hang on a minute though, because there are 3 million active podcasts all vying for that audience’s attention. Whether you’re offering up your financial wisdom, cultural criticism or taking a deep dive into spooky unsolved murders, you need a catchy name to hook your potential listeners.

So you’re here to learn how to name a podcast. Fortunately, it’s not rocket surgery. Sure, you need to be catchy, memorable and brandable, and provide a little bit of personality too. But you’ve already got a great idea for podcast content, now you just need some expert tips to land on a powerful podcast name.

Let’s dive in and find out how to come up with a podcast name. Listen up!

How to Come Up With a Podcast Name

Naming a podcast is part of the fun: this is the moment that your great content ideas, expertise and the beginnings of your brand coalesce into a powerful, inimitable name. Of course, that puts quite a lot of pressure on just a few words.

By following a process, and obeying a few podcast naming rules, you’ll soon have a long list of great names you can share with your friends, family, and potential audience. Here’s how to name a podcast.

1. Understand your Brand

Before you can sum your podcast up in a few words, you need to understand what makes it special and how you can connect with your audience. That means you have to get to know the brand you’re about to build.

Your brand will comprise a few characteristics. What’s your unique selling point, the thing that separates you from your competitors? And what’s your podcast tone going to be: casual and chatty, offbeat and weird, or professional and experienced?

Once answered, these questions will help you hone in on a name. Let’s say you’re launching a personal finance podcast and choosing between two names: Moolah Mischief and Guru Finance. Guru Finance tells the audience of your expertise and professionalism while Moolah Mischief might be a great name if your M.O. is financial banter with pearls of wisdom amidst the fun.

2. Be Unique

We’ve already noted the competitive and crowded market that you enter with a new podcast. With hundreds if not thousands of others trying to charm the same audience with wit and wisdom, you’ll need a name that stands out. 

Expert Tip: Get to know the competition

In the hunt for a unique name, you need to know what you’re up against. search your favorite podcast platform for the keywords related to your topic, and scan your competitors’ names. Ask yourself what trends they are following: is alliteration ubiquitous in the top ten? Are people building podcasts around their own names? Whether you follow the trends or buck them is up to you.

3. Keep It Short

There are two important reasons to keep your podcast name short. Firstly, a shorter name is more memorable, and should stick better in your listeners’ minds.

Secondly, a longer podcast name will be cut off on all podcast platforms. Head over to Spotify or Apple Podcasts and explore the design, and you’ll find that after around 20 or 25 characters, the podcast name tales off into an unhelpful ellipsis: dot dot dot.

A general rule for naming your podcast is to make it four words or shorter, and no more than 25 characters. Sure, you’ve got a lot to say, but put it in an episode, not your name.

4. Avoid “The” and “Podcast”

For a time, the words “the” and “podcast” were ubiquitous across podcast titles, but neither of these is building an emotional connection with your audience or helping your podcast stick in the minds of your listeners. They know it’s a podcast, and the definite article wastes valuable characters.

This isn’t a hard and fast rule: “the” can help you become the definitive authority on the subject, for example. But think carefully and consider whether you can come up with something with a little more pizzazz.

5. Be Searchable and Spellable

It’s vital that your audience can find you, both in search engines like Google and on the podcast platform of their choice. Make sure your name is easy to spell, and avoid using unexpected punctuation (such as switching an “at” to @) or quirky misspellings that your listeners could forget about.

Similarly, consider including an industry-relevant keyword in your podcast title, such as “Finance”, “Banter” or “Crime”. But be sure to incorporate a keyword creatively, otherwise you’ll end up getting lost in the crowd.

6. Say It Aloud

As a podcaster, you have the opportunity to hammer home your podcast name whenever your audience hits “play”. You’ll likely open every episode with a variation of “my name is… and welcome to (podcast name)” and this means that your name needs to sound as good as it looks.

Rhyme and alliteration can be leveraged to create a great-sounding podcast name, but could sound unserious if you’re aiming for a professional brand tone. Whatever you choose, practice saying it out loud to ensure it sounds fluid and pleasing to the ear.

7. Brainstorm for a Long List

When naming a podcast you’ll likely land on a good name pretty quickly: it’s got a catchy hook, contains a topic-relevant keyword and you feel like it represents you pretty well. But don’t settle, because there could be a better name out there yet.

You’re not looking for the third- or second-best name for your podcast, you’re looking for the number-one name that’s going to see you sail to the top of the charts. Brainstorm a longlist of podcast names and then whittle them down with a ruthless selection process.

If you need some help getting started, try our AI-powered generator of brand names. Simply input your brand tone, podcast theme and any other key details and you’ll have a readymade list of podcast names to test, tweak and choose from. Many creators also consult B2B podcast production agencies to refine their branding and ensure their show’s identity resonates with the right audience from day one.

8. Ask Around for Opinions

Lastly, some validation of your chosen or shortlisted names is essential. After all, as an industry expert, you may be a little too close to the subject to know how your less knowledgeable listeners will interpret a name.

So ask your friends and family what they think about when they hear a podcast name. Surprise them two days later and ask them which shortlisted names they’re still thinking of. Or consider getting serious with an audience testing service, so you can launch your pod with confidence.

Podspiration: Podcast Name Ideas

Looking for some podcast name inspiration? Here are a few ideas to get you started. Remember to put a unique twist on these podcast names to give your audience a taste of your personality, or whatever it is that makes your show special.

Lifestyle Podcasts:

• Living Well Daily
• Everyday Elegance
• Mindful Living Matters
• The Balanced Life Blueprint
• Adventures in Self-Discovery

Finance Podcasts:

• Dollars and Sense Show
• Financial Freedom Formula
• Money Matters Mastery
• Blueprint for Wealth
• Investment Insights Insider

True Crime Podcasts:

• Behind the Tape Chronicles
• Mysteries Unveiled
• Case Closed: True Crime Tales
• Criminal Minds Unveiled
• Unsolved Stories Unraveled

Comedy Podcasts:

• Laugh Lab: The Comedy Chronicles
• Banter Club 101
• Humor Haven
• Jokes & Japes Junction
• Laugh Factory 

These podcast name ideas can inspire and inform your naming process. Remember, only you understand your podcast brand, so take a name you like and give it a unique and personalized twist to really land with your audience,

Wrapping Up

Creating, writing and hosting a podcast is hard work, but that work will go to waste without a great name that hooks your listeners. Your target audience will hear your podcast name before your dulcet tone ever meets their ears, so invest in a thorough naming process to find a powerful podcast name.

The next thing to think about is promoting your podcast, and while Spotify will host your podcast, it’s not enough of a platform. Consider finding a domain name to match your podcast name and create the foundation of a community of listeners. Ready to get started? Now you know how to come up with a podcast name, check out our Premium Marketplace for an earworm of a name today.

Naming a Podcast? Here’s the FAQ

How do you brand a podcast name?

Your podcast brand comes from two things. First, understand your unique selling point — your expertise, experience or guests. Second, land on a podcast tone: humorous, offbeat, professional or friendly. Find a name that combines these points and creates a connection with your audience.

Should I put my name in my podcast title?

By hosting a podcast there will inevitably be some focus on your personal brand, which leads a lot of people to ask whether they should put their name in the title. In Spotify’s top comedy podcasts, the likes of Joe Rogan, Marc Maron, Conan O’Brien and Olivia Atwood have all placed a personal brand at the front and centre of their podcast.

Now, you probably don’t have the name recognition of Conan O’Brien, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put your name in your podcast title. It’s a question of branding: will emphasizing your own expertise and character help promote your podcast, or will it distract from the content? Only you know.

Does my podcast name have to be unique?

Yes. Your podcast name should tell a clear story of what your podcast is about, while being uniquely yours and ensuring you stand out from other podcasts with similar themes.