How to Write Amazing Podcast Descriptions (With Examples)

What is a Podcast Description? 

A podcast show description or show summary describes your podcast to a potential audience member. Simply put, it explains the topic of your show and what a listener can expect to hear when they press play on one of your episodes. With an interesting description, you’ll have an easier time attracting new listeners, so it's important to put some thought into creating it!

Many podcast consumers rank a podcast's description high on the list of things they consider when trying to find a new podcast, according to 2020 podcast stats from The Podcast Host. You can use your podcast show summary in conjunction with excellent podcast episode descriptions to get new listeners hooked. 

Why A Great Podcast Description Is Important

Any movie lover knows how much the text on a Netflix blurb matters when trying to choose something new to watch. A podcast description works in a similar way - it gives potential listeners a peek at what to expect from your podcast before tuning in. 

Podcast Description vs. Podcast Show Notes  

While your podcast summary gives a general overview of your entire podcast, your show notes provide information about the individual episodes of your podcast. Show notes typically contain information about new content like episode titles, episode number, sponsors, specific topics you cover in the episode, and the names of any guests appearing on an episode. Your podcast description generally will stay the same. Then you'll create new show notes each time you release a new episode. 

Where Does a Podcast Description Appear?

The description for your podcast will be created inside the media host you use for your show. Once you've written the description for your show, that description will show up in your podcast RSS feed for directories (think Spotify or Stitcher) to pick up your show for wider distribution. 

You’ll want potential listeners to find you easily when they perform relevant searches, and a good podcast description will do just that. So when you write your show summary, make sure to use search-friendly keywords that will increase the chances of your show appearing in results related to your podcast topic on Google and popular streaming services. 

What Makes A Podcast Description Good?

What’s the secret to a good podcast description? Short, catchy, and to the point. When writing the description for your podcast, you should aim to achieve these three things:

Explain your podcast clearly. Make sure a potential listener understands what to expect from an episode of your show when they listen, and avoid vague language. People should understand the topic of your podcast as soon as they read your show summary. 

Make your podcast summary easily searchable. Before you write the description for your show, brainstorm a list of keywords someone might use to find your show while searching. Use keywords that relate to the topic of your show in your description to increase the chances of it appearing in searches. 

Be concise. Include a lot of information about your show in as few words as possible to catch a person's attention with your summary. Avoid flowery language and complicated sentence structures. Get right to the point! 

How Long Should a Good Podcast Description Be?

Most podcasting apps have a character limit for podcast descriptions. The character counts usually far exceed the actual amount of text you'll need for a great podcast description. There's no right answer for how long your show summary should be, but industry best practices recommend keeping your description under a couple of sentences. 

Use your podcast summary to give potential listeners an idea of your show’s theme. You don't have to go into every small detail. You’ll only have a matter of seconds to catch the attention of podcast listeners, so go short, sweet, and succinct when writing the description for your show.

What Goes in a Podcast Description? 

Keep the following ideas in mind when writing the description for your show, so you write a great podcast description that'll help you gain new listeners: 

Who Is Your Podcast's Target Audience?

Think about who will listen to your podcast. Create a description that speaks to your audience. Once you've identified your audience, write a description that resonates with your target listeners. Speak directly to them and tell them why your podcast is the right podcast for them! 

Let’s say you're an investing expert and your podcast involves providing other investors with information on investment opportunities. You could write, "You're seeking new ways to diversify your portfolio, but it's not always easy to find new reliable investment opportunities."

What a Listener Can Expect From Your Show

Listeners want to know when and how often they can expect new content from your show. A good podcast description will provide them with this information. Using words and phrases in the show summary section like "weekly", "each week", "daily", or “every day” is a quick and easy way to tell potential listeners how often you post new content. 

You can also use the podcast summary section to describe the format of your show so listeners have a better idea about your show's structure. If you use an interview format, a phrase like "we speak with industry experts". For shows where you have listeners call in and speak with them directly, you can use a phrase like "we answer your questions". 

Pro Tip: If your podcast involves discussing a television show that airs weekly, include the day your content goes live following the newest episode of the tv show. For example, if a show you discuss airs Sunday and your content goes live every Tuesday, you may want to include a phrase like "every Tuesday after each new episode" in your show summary.

What Will a Listener Get From Your Show?

Tell potential listeners upfront what they will gain by listening to your show. If you're going to help them solve a problem they have, explain exactly how you're going to do it for them. If you're going to inspire them, tell them how. If you want to make them laugh, use humor in your show description.

Explain Yourself

Your podcast summary should answer the question: "why am I listening to this person?". Look for details that set you apart from the rest. You can achieve this easily with small phrases that convey your point of view or experience. 

Phrases like "respected industry expert" or "three decades of experience in the entertainment industry" will quickly give listeners an idea of why they can rely on you for good content. You could also give a brief overview of your formal education if relevant.

Pro Tip: If you're just starting out in your field and aren't an expert, that's not a problem! Another way to establish yourself as a good podcast host is to be relatable. If the basis of your show is to share your journey while learning something new, explain that! Listeners love being able to relate to the person they're listening to and will keep tuning in to your show to check on the progress of your journey and compare it to their own. 

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How To Write A Podcast Show Summary with Examples

Now that we've gone over what you should include in your podcast summary, we'll explain how you should put it all together to create a description that is brief, engaging, and informative. It's simple to write a great podcast description when you break it down into three sentences with each sentence having a clear goal: 

First Sentence - Start by relating to your audience! The first sentence of your podcast description should tell potential listeners something they already know or believe to be true. You can do this by acknowledging a problem they may already have or by stating something that's widely known in the industry you're creating content for: 

"Everyone wants to know what's happening in the world, but not everyone has the time or patience to sit down and read through a bunch of news articles." 

"Is it hard for you to keep track of the characters and plots inside of the Marvel Universe and how they all fit together?" 

Second Sentence - Your second sentence should introduce the hosts, the format of your show, and how often you release content. You can also include a call to action here to engage potential followers: 

"Join retired veteran reporter Jack Correspondent as he recaps the most important stories from around the globe every week."

"Dive into the Marvel Universe every week with Marvel artist Jane Creator and learn more about intricacies like character relationships and crossover storylines."

Third Sentence - Use the third and final sentence to explain who should listen to your show and include any relevant keywords that will help your show appear in search results. Think of it as the conclusion that wraps up your podcast description and functions as the last impression a potential listener will get about your show:

"Keep up with current events and get your weekly news in under an hour with focused and curated news stories."

"If you want to be sure you understand everything happening in the latest Marvel release, don't miss an episode!"

Top tip: Try an AI show notes generator to create podcast descriptions effortlessly fast.