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A podcast episode is naturally made up of segments, whether you realize it or not. That’s right, your intro, main content, and outro technically all count as segments.
Building on this and adding more segments to your episodes is a great way to add structure, interest and introduce new topics, themes, or formats. Regardless of what kind of podcast you create, you can always add more segments. Usually, the problem is a lack of inspiration or know-how when it comes to podcast segment ideas.
That’s where this article comes in. We’ve put together a list of 25 different podcast segments that you can use or adapt to your own show.
TL;DR
- Podcast segments are essentially different ‘sections’, ‘parts’ or ‘chapters’ of a podcast.
- Podcast segments usually signal a change in topic, format, or focus. They might even feature different people than the main body.
- Podcast segments can be directly related to your usual content or totally unlinked.
- Podcast segments work best when you maintain consistency and use music/jingles to create smooth and recognizable transitions.
What are podcast segments?
Podcast segments refer to different ‘sections’ of your podcast. Each of these sections typically has a different thematic focus or format. You can include recurring segments in each episode to introduce some consistency with a familiar structure. Plus, by adding different segments you introduce a variety of topics and formats which is likely to keep your audience more engaged than one long conversation.
Some podcasts don’t include any segments at all, so it really comes down to the creator and the kind of content you’re making. For example, The Rest is Politics Leading podcast is simply an interview podcast that lasts around 1 hour. The only component that gives the podcast any “structure” is the Q&A format.
How many segments should you include in your podcast?
At the very least, your podcast should consist of the very fundamental segments: introduction, main section, and a concluding outro. You can of course, introduce additional segments within the main body of your podcast.
As we mentioned, though, some podcasts don’t include any segments at all.
How long should podcast segments be?
Podcast segments can vary in length depending on their purpose, content, and role within your show. For instance, you could have a recurrent ‘quick Q&A’ section that you do with each of your guests that takes a maximum of 5 minutes. Other types of segments may last significantly longer.
Generally speaking though, you probably want to keep your podcast introduction brief. You don’t have to be overly concise, but you shouldn’t waste your listener’s precious attention on this section.
24 Best Podcast Segment Ideas to Captive Your Listeners
Here, we’ve compiled a list of different podcast segments to give you some inspiration. Our ideas range from quick-fire segments to longer podcast sections. Don’t be afraid to get creative and come up with something new for your podcast:
You can start off with the video below, then read on for 24 podcast segment ideas:
1. Quick Q&A
A quick Q&A is a super simple segment to include in your podcast. You can come up with a few set interview questions that you ask every guest that appears on your podcast. These can be completely unrelated to the rest of your episode content. For instance:
- What’s your favorite movie?
- What are you listening to at the moment?
- What’s your go-to restaurant?
This is a great way to get personal with your guest and introduce a different angle - especially if your overall content takes a more serious tone. A Q&A is also a nice way to introduce consistency across your various episodes, even when you’re interviewing or including different types of guests.
2. Game
You can add some humor and playfulness to your podcast by adding in a ‘games’ segment. This can take any form you want it to, from trivia games to wordplay to riddles.
3. Fact of the Day
A quick and extremely easy segment to include is a ‘fact of the day’ section. You could simply share the fact with your listeners or delve into it, depending on how long you want to spend on this segment. It’s advisable to dig up a fact that links to your episode’s overall theme or topic to keep some consistency.
4. Historical Highlight
In the same vein, you could opt for a more historic angle and share something that happened in history on the day you record your podcast.
5. Audience Questions
An effective way to include your audience is to add an ‘Audience Questions’ segment. You can gather your listeners’ questions on social media, read them out, and answer them during your recording.
6. Live audience call-in
Another audience-oriented segment is a ‘Live Call-In’ section. Platforms such as Riverside make audience ‘call-ins’ super easy. These segments don’t have to last too long, but they make your audience feel included and add some flavor to your podcast.
7. Audience Feature
If you’re reluctant to include audience members in your recording, you could go for a simpler ‘audience feature’ instead. This is where you highlight a certain member of your audience. This could be as simple as a shout-out or spotlighting their services or businesses.
8. Agony aunt
A fun format is an ‘agony aunt’ segment. This is where you collect audience grievances or problems and respond to them during your podcast. You could act as the ‘agony aunt’ yourself or bring someone onto your podcast specifically.
9. Podcast Shout-Out
If you want to support others in the podcasting community or arrange a mutual promotion, you could do a ‘podcast shout-out’ segment. This is where you highlight another podcast that you’re listening to and encourage your audience to give them a try.
10. News
Another popular podcast segment is a current affairs or news section. This is a great way to tie your podcast to contemporary events, offer timely analysis, or simply update your listeners on what’s happening in the world.
11. Tutorial or Life Hack
A tutorial or life-hack segment is where you share your best tips and tricks with your listeners. These can be simple life hacks or a more long-winded tutorial. This is often easier when you’re creating a video podcast since you can use visual aids to demonstrate what you’re talking about.
12. Preview of the next episode
A simple but effective segment is a small preview of your upcoming episodes. This is a great way to plug your own content and encourage your listeners to tune in for your next episode. You could either describe what your next episode is about or stitch together some audio/video clips to create a short highlight reel or preview.
13. Product review
If it aligns with the kind of content you’re creating, you could create a ‘product review’ segment. This is where you talk about a product you’ve been trying out recently and share your thoughts about it with your listeners.
14. Episode recap
A recap segment is particularly useful if you tend to record long episodes. This is simply a segment towards the end of your episode where you recap the key points you covered or remind your listeners about any information you want them to walk away with.
You can also create short recaps or teasers for future episodes. Riverside’s Magic Clips can help you do this effortlessly. Magic Clips uses AI to automatically identify key moments in your long-form podcast to transform into short-form videos. These are ideal for giving your audience a taster of the full episode and sharing your content on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
15. Guest Interview
Depending on your podcast format, a guest interview segment may in fact form the main body of your episodes. Either way, interviewing a guest on your podcast is a very popular and effective format. When it comes to your guest list, you’re free to invite who you want. From industry experts, famous or notable figures, to friends and colleagues, each type of guest will offer something engaging and interesting to listen to.
16. Music
If you’re a music fan, you should definitely include a ‘what to listen to’ segment. Or if you want to keep things simple, you can just carve out a few minutes to enjoy listening to some of your favorite tunes with your listeners.
17. Social Issue
You could use a section of your podcast to shed light or fundraise for a specific social issue. If this is up your street, why not carve out time to explain a little bit about what’s happening? You could either take it upon yourself to outline the key points or point your listeners to useful resources to learn more themselves.
18. Service or product promotion
For branded podcasts, there’s no shame in taking a moment to plug your own product or services. This is especially useful if you’re releasing something new and want to highlight it to your listeners.
19. Subscription plug
For podcasters monetizing their content through subscriptions and exclusive content, it makes sense to remind listeners what they’re missing out on. Take a moment to highlight the main features of a podcast subscription, how much it costs, and why it’s totally worth it.
20. Making of / behind the scenes
Avid listeners and loyal followers always want the inside scoop. A ‘making of the podcast’ or ‘behind the scenes’ segment is the perfect way to give your community exclusive access to your production process.
22. Inspiration of the day
You can do ‘inspiration of the day’ segments in so many different ways. Simply reading out an inspiring phrase or quote, or by spotlighting an inspiring figure.
23. Sponsored content
If you monetize your content through brand partnerships or sponsorships, you’ll likely need to create a sponsored content segment. You could consider this a type of ‘ad-break’, where you pause your normal content to promote your sponsor’s products or services, or thank them for sponsoring your content.
24. Upcoming events or housekeeping
If you run in-person or live online events, it’s always good to remind your listeners when, where, and how to sign up.
25. Word of the day
Leave your listeners with a ‘word of the day’. Or if you want to give more than a single word, then go for a ‘phrase of the day’.
Best practices for creating effective podcast segments
Having too many podcast segments can be confusing for your listeners. Though it’s good to break up your content using podcast segments, you definitely need to keep balance in mind. Here are a few tips to follow:
Keep it simple
Keep your segments simple. Don’t pack them too full of information because this will be difficult for your listeners to follow. And also ensure you stick on brand even as you transition between different formats and sections within your podcast.
Consistency
Featuring a segment consistently week after week is a great way to keep your listeners engaged. Even as you invite different guests onto your show or cover different themes, keeping consistency across segment formats maintains a familiarity that will be welcomed by your listeners.
Use Music & Smooth Transitions
Make sure to use music, jingles, and other sound effects to create smooth transitions between your various different segments. You don’t want to disorientate your listeners as you move through your episode. If you have the resources, some podcasts create segment-specific jingles that are instantly recognizable. If you use timestamps or chapters, it’s also a good idea to refer to each segment in the same way every time.
FAQs about podcast segments
What is a typical podcast structure?
The beauty of podcasting is that it’s a creative medium, so you can really make your podcast your own. The bare bones of any podcast, though, is the intro, body, and outro. Going off this fundamental structure, podcasters tend to add in different segments to pad out their content.
How do you write a podcast segment?
Writing a podcast segment is just like writing a whole podcast episode. Your starting point is deciding the theme or format of your segment. From there, you should structure your segment the same way your overall episode is structured: a short intro to explain the nature of the segment, the body, and maybe a brief outro.
How to segue between podcast segments?
As we touched on earlier, music, jingles or sound effects are essential for transitioning between podcast segments. Without these key audio components, you risk losing your listener’s interest or simply disorienting them.
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