🎨Does Your Podcast’s Title or Art Actually Work?
Your title and cover art are everything. Don’t waste them!
Before your audience knows anything else about your show, they’re likely to just see a title and some cover art. We all know this is some of the most important podcast real estate, and we all know it’s something we HAVE to nail. Let’s pin down how!
If you only have time for one thing:
WE KNOW YOUR PODCAST IS A PODCAST. Please do NOT put “podcast” / “cast” / “pod” in your title!
📜Making the most of your title
Your podcast cannot share a title with any other podcast, book, TV show, movie, or anything else with a title that can be Googled. And say it with me:
Do not have the word “podcast” or any iteration of or play on the word “podcast”
in your podcast title.
It is not 2014.
We know your podcast is a podcast. I promise, we know your podcast is a podcast. You don’t have to tell us again. Using the word “podcast” makes your show sound like a Scary Movie esque parody. Stop that.
And like your concept, remember that unless you’re already famous, your name absolutely does not need to be in your podcast’s title. We don’t know you yet.
If your podcast were a movie, or a book, or a TV show, what would you call it? Your podcast is just as much a piece of art as any of those types of media. Give it a title with the same level of respect.
Respect and, of course, searchability. You want to make sure that when people search for your podcast, they find it immediately. Make sure your title hasn’t already been taken. But also make sure it’s not going to be buried under pages and pages of other results in podcatchers or just online. You don’t have to go full CHVRCHES, but you should make sure your audience can actually find your feed.
🎨Finding cover art inspo
We recently did some case studies on why I love some podcast cover art so much. If you want to see great examples, read this first:
But what good are examples if you don’t have inspiration to make something of your own?
Scroll through your podcatcher of choice. Notice pieces of podcast art that catches your eye, and then try to figure out why. Was it the color scheme? A nice big, beautiful logo? An interesting art style or texture?
Now, go find artistic inspiration in other things you love. Look at book covers, movie posters, even packaging design. Check out the Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute (CARI) for a dive into marketing aesthetics through the years (I am a Deco-Luxe sun, Utopian Scholastic moon, Memphis-Milano rising.) Check out documentaries like Abstract: The Art of Design or my favorite, Dior and I. Go to a local art museum! The best inspiration is surrounding yourself in great art.
and plsplspls send me your cari zodiac PLS
Some other quick tips on your podcast art:
If we don’t need your name in the podcast title, we sure don’t need your photograph on the cover art. We literally do not know you!
Generally speaking, podcast art with white backgrounds don’t tend to pop on websites and apps – which gives you a double disadvantage of getting noticed, because podcast apps are far less likely to feature these shows in New & Noteworthy, curated carousels, etc.
Remember that podcast art is often displayed teeny tiny, a little thumbnail on a little phone screen. Make sure it’s immediately legible and recognizable even zoomed way out.
✨ More Magic
We love this breakdown from a Podcast Movement panel about how one podcaster grew his youtube channel by six THOUSAND percent in three years
This Reddit thread asking folks to share a podcast rec from their country is so sweet 🥺 (FELLOW USAMERICANS, HUSH)
The Audio Production Awards from AudioUK are OPEN FOR ENTRY! 🎉
🎧 From the Desk of Tink
From Tinkster Devin: Radio Workshop is an award-winning podcast featuring rich, first-person narrative stories from Africa, told by youth from across the continent. From Freetown to Cape Town, their stories span everything from the environmental cost of mining in Zambia, to the queer dating scene in Kenya, and migration trends in Nigeria. Forget the Africa you think you know, this is the world’s youngest population, told one story at a time.
Later creator! Next week, we’re back for more pre-pro. And PLEASE COMMENT YOUR CARI ZODIAC. PLEASE!✨
— Wil 🦇
"It is not 2014"? We thought having 'podcast' in a show title was hack even in late 2006!
How do you when to change your artwork? We have used the same logo forever so I am hesitant to change but I wonder if we could make something that is more inline with our identity.