Podcast Names: Why Are They So Important--And Overlooked?

 Everything about podcasting is unique, weird, magically creative, and refreshingly collaborative. Podcast names are not an exception. In fact, podcast names exist in this dark matter universe where anything goes, including using the same title as five existing podcasts, titles that only your family understands, offensive names, stupid portmanteaus, and titles that offer no clues to what your podcast is about.

Don't believe me? How about: Cents of Humor; Underwater Racism; The Fourth Trimester; Babies and Syringes; Omnishambles, and for those fascist / racist /eugenics freaks, I give you Aryan Resurrection. 

Why discuss podcast names? Because they matter. My analogy is to book covers. You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but millions do every year. Every study of book selling reveals that a visually engaging book cover will sell more books than a book with an uninteresting cover. It shouldn't be that way. After all, it's the words inside the book that count, right? Sadly, kinda, but the cover gets you the sale. Getting the reader to buy your next book; that's why the words inside matter.

A good podcast show name is important to give your potential listeners a peek at what they can expect from your show. It can also give you a major step up in discoverability if you take advantage of keywords.

In a recent episode of One Minute Podcast Tips, host extraordinaire Danny Brown discussed podcast names. In episode 111, Danny emphasizes the need for podcasters to repeat the name of their podcast, especially at the beginning and the end of each episode. 

That's solid advice from a man who knows more about podcasting than the Kardashians crave attention.

In this article, let's study some podcast names -- the good ones, the ones that could be better, and how aspirational podcasters should strategize their podcast title. 

First, let's take a look at some superb podcast titles. The name of a podcast can be brilliant because it's creative, stand out because it's different, but the true definition of a great podcast title is that it communicates to present and possibly future listeners what the podcast is about.

 

For example, here are some solid names: Behind The Song (about famous popular songs); The Connectors (connecting people and ideas); The Economics of Everyday Things (how everyday products and services work); Left Right & Center (Politics from different viewpoints); The Nutrition Diva (Duh? About nutrition); Speaking of Psychology (Hello! psychology); Why Wars Happened (The cause of wars), and Surfing Corporate (surviving in the Corporate world). 

 

The Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever podcast could not be more explicit. You know exactly what you're getting!

To me, one of the best podcast names ever is Salad With A Side Of Fries. Creator/ host Jenn Trepeck introduces her show this way: "Welcome to Salad With A Side Of Fries, talking wellness and weight loss for real life. I'll clear up the myths, misinformation, bad science, and marketing and teach you how to eat and how to cheat."

There are thousands of health and wellness podcasts, many of which self-promote a program that includes restricted dieting and drastic lifestyle changes that usually involve unbridled exercise.

 

With her mission firmly established, Jenn Trepeck wants to communicate to potential listeners that her show is about wellness but without the weirdness. No hating on all carbs. No 500 burpees before dawn. No drinking apple cider vinegar five times a day.

 

Even her live events promote this podcast's mission. She serves healthy salads and veggies and also has a container of French fries. Jenn Trepeck's message coordinates from what she says, how she says it, her podcast title and logo. In essence, she's created not only a podcast title, but a brand. 

There is a plenitude of useful tools for naming your podcast. First, you can search Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and podcast apps for podcast names. Second, there are a host of podcast name generators and websites, such Captivate.fm, riverside.fm, and searching PODCAST NAME GENERATOR returns a host of legitimate results.

A podcast like The Art Of Kindness is an interesting study. It's a podcast that's part of the Broadway Podcast Network hosted by Robert Peterpaul where he interviews Broadway people. Yet, Peterpaul focuses on the kindness aspect, asking his celebrity guests about their acts of kindness and how we can make the world a more gracious place in which to live. 

First, Robert is indeed a kind soul, so he's not faking for the mic. Second, that focus separates his celebrity podcast from all others. Third, the podcast title is like a Broadway marquee announcing the theme of his show.

 

Let's ask a question that has bothered me -- and I believe you, too -- for years. Why do people duplicate podcast names? We all know that having so many podcasts -- active and dormant -- makes duplication more prevalent than in films, where only about 125 movies are released each year. Further, many films today are sequels like Rocky 12: The Trump Years or Captain America: That's right. It's My Gulf Now!

 

  If a podcast has podfaded for years and your show will be on a different topic, you might go ahead and use it. However, if someone is actively publishing a podcast, I would advise against using the same name out of courtesy, and creating confusion that will diminish your podcast's discoverability.

Let's take a look at a new, ear-worthy podcast has been ensnared in the name trap. The Hole Truth is a three-part anthology series exploring how the U.S. fell down the rabbit hole. Creator /host Marnie Duke tells us: "My new podcast The Hole Truth investigates how conspiracy theories captured the American imagination."

The podcast brilliantly goes deep to discover the roots of these conspiracy theories, why so many people believe them, and what do they say about American society and culture.

Here comes the brutal truth. There is another active podcast called The Hole Truth about finances. There are multiple podcasts called The Whole Truth. I lost track and interest after four.

What's the harm here? Let me count the ways. First, lack of discoverability. Second, listener confusion. Third, branding limitations. Fourth, podcast growth. Fifth, it's unnecessary and needlessly derivative.

How about the Downstream podcast with Jason Snell. It's a solid show about the TV streaming universe. Then there's Downstream, a podcast exploring all paths spiritual. Also, there's Downstream, an U.K., YouTube podcast featuring conversations with activists, authors, economists, politicians, scientists, YouTubers, and philosophers. Who was first? I have no idea, but this duplication is obviously not limited to a few podcasts. 

 

There has been a recent trend toward using the word "Fuck" in a podcast title to stand out from the podcasting gridlock. With respect to decorum, such a strategy works when it's endemic to the show. For example, I like WTF with Marc Maron. The WTF gives listeners a sense of Maron's persona, which drips with crusty sarcasm, razor-sharp insights, and a "I don't give a F**K attitude."

Another good example is the Yeah, I F*cked That Up podcast. It's a unique and well-done show about celebrities screwing up royally. In this case, the title nails the oeuvre of the show.

After all this whining and bellyaching by me, do I have any positive advice? 

First, spend precious time deciding on your podcast name. It shouldn't be an afterthought, or a random suggestion from the co-host's brother-in-law, who once worked the light board at a Guess Who cover band concert. How does the name inform potential listeners what the podcast is about?

Second, check podcast directories and podcast apps for similar or indentical podcast names. You can Google your potential podcast name and type podcast after it. If it's a duplicate, Google will return a result. Cast a wide net for your search, include other nations. 

Third, don't mistake podcast names that are cute, catchy, creative, and quirky for a podcast title that is self-explanatory. Hey, the Speaking Of Psychology podcast isn't sexy, but you understand the nature of the podcast. The Podcasting Tech podcast explains itself in two words.

A solid podcast like Shop Talk, which is about web design and development, sounds like an auto mechanics podcast. The Next Wave podcast is about AI, but couldn't it be about surfing? The E Pluribus Motto podcast is a cute twist on E pluribus unum, but what it is about? State mottos, state birds, state flowers -- but you don't know that from the cutesy name. 

Fourth, shock value in a podcast name is acceptable as long as it doesn't obscure the concept of the show. That's an advantage that true-crime podcasts have because this genre typically has the similar words and concepts in the title. Words like Missing, Murder, Finding, Killer, Crimes, Body, and Dark tend to populate true-crime podcast titles. If you're a horror podcast or just trying to get attention, keep it simple.

Lore by Aaron Mahnke is one of the best horror podcasts with a name suggestive of the podcast's motif. Lore, of course, is a shortened version of folklore. It's so simple, yet it's genius.

Fifth, subtitles can be useful tools with a few cautionary words. Don't use a subtitle only because the podcast title is so obscure. Keep the subtitle reasonably short so it doesn't end in minute print on the show's logo. Look how the subtitle to Feed The Queue works so spendidly.

Sixth, if you're not a celebrity, please don't name your podcast after yourself. I don't know who Larry Craswell is? Or Dean Marchan? Or Lindsey Carruthers? But they have shows eponymously named. 

Seventh, I'll return to Danny Brown's words of wisdom. Say the name of your podcast often on your episodes, and whenever you are representing your podcast.

This is Ear Worthy signing off. That's right Ear Worthy. Didn't you hear me? I said Ear Worthy. For goodness sake, I said Ear Worthy.

I'm only going to say this one more time.

Ear Worthy. (Thanks, Danny for the tip!)