73 Great Podcast Names and How to Choose Your Own

Why is Choosing the Perfect Podcast Name so Important?

Starting your own podcast has multiple steps. Choosing the show title is something you should put a lot of thought into. After all, it’s the first impression of your show that potential listeners will get. 

Share what your podcast is about

No one likes a bait and switch. A good title for anything should give people who read it an idea of what it’s about. With over 2 million podcasts worldwide, you have a lot of competition for listeners’ attention. A good podcast name that accurately reflects the topics you’ll talk about means more listeners who are interested in your subject matter. 

Attract your ideal listener

The subject matter isn’t the only thing the name of your podcast should reflect. It should also appeal to the people you want to attract. So think about who your podcast is for. What references would they get? Would a jokey name draw them in or turn them off? 

Tell people why they should listen

The right name for your podcast will highlight what makes it different from the others and why listeners should choose to tune in. For example, if your podcast brings humor to a topic that’s normally covered in a serious tone, lean into the humor when you choose the name of your podcast. 

How To Choose A Podcast Name

Write Down Podcast Name Ideas

The first step of brainstorming is to write down all of the podcast name ideas you can think of. Don’t think too much about quality at first. It’s better to have plenty to choose from than to run out if the perfect name you had in mind is already taken. You can always eliminate the bad ones later on. 

Keep it Short and Sweet

A great podcast name is easy to spell, pronounce, and remember. The longer the name is, the harder it will be to remember. Two to four words is a good sweet spot. 

Keep Your Target Audience in Mind

Your podcast isn’t just for you. It’s for your target audience. In order to appeal to them, think about the way they might talk and what kind of podcast names would appeal to them. 

Use Wordplay

A lot of the best podcast names use witty puns and wordplay to make potential listeners chuckle and get them intrigued by the premise. 

Incorporate Your Brand Name

Many podcasts are new parts of existing brands. That could mean that the podcast is a spin-off of a different type of media (like freakonomics radio), part of the content marketing strategy for a business, or even that the host is already a public figure. If any of these apply to your podcast, be sure to include your brand name in your show’s name. 

If your brand name is your own name as a person you have to be careful though. iTunes recently started rejecting names in the “[title] with [name]” format as part of their anti-spam efforts. That doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate your name. You just have to use a different format. Mike Birbiglia’s Working it Out is an example of a creative name for a podcast that uses the host’s name. 

Set the Tone

Descriptive words, punctuation, and even intentional misspellings can all work to convey the tone of your podcast to potential listeners. For example, Wardrobe Crisis is a show about how serious topics like the environment and activism relate to fashion. but it also tackles big topics like culture, sustainability, ethics, activism, and the environment. The word crisis tells viewers that it’s heavier fare than they might associate with fashion themed podcasts. 

Optimize for Search Engines

There are a lot of ways listeners discover podcasts. One of them is from searching terms related to the topic. Including targeted keywords in your podcast name makes it more likely to appear in those searches. Use a keyword research tool like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs to find relevant terms that a lot of people are searching for. 

Think About Word-of-Mouth Discovery

Another powerful way listeners discover new podcasts is word-of-mouth recommendations. The name of your podcast will affect how people talk about it to their friends and how likely their friends will be to take their recommendations. If the name is hard to spell, uses abbreviations that aren’t intuitive, or has homonyms, those could all make it harder for listeners to recommend out loud. 

Using a little ambiguity in your podcast name isn’t always bad, but try to reduce the obstacles between someone hearing your show’s title and finding it later on. 

Say Your Podcast’s Name Out Loud

Not everything that looks great on paper sounds great out loud. Before you commit to a podcast name, say it out loud a few times. Listen to how it sounds and pay attention to how it feels to say it. You’re gonna be saying it at least once on all of your podcast episodes. 

Get Feedback From Your Network

When you’re brainstorming, it’s a good idea to get out of your own head and ask people who aren’t attached to the project like you are for feedback. Ask your friends, colleagues, and family what they think of your finalist potential titles. You can also use social media polls to get feedback from your network. 

Don’t Box Yourself In

Any project has the potential to grow over time. Though specificity has its benefits, try to pick a name that allows some flexibility for your range of topics you cover. 

Check Out the Competition

Do some research on other podcast titles in your niche. This doesn’t just help you eliminate duplicates from your own list, but seeing naming conventions that are popular in your niche can fuel your inspiration.

Check Your Podcast Name’s Availability

Let’s talk about availability. This doesn’t just mean “is there already a podcast with this name?” It also means domain availability and social media handles. After all, consistent branding across the board is important.  

Podcast Name Examples

Take inspiration from some of the best podcast names about a wide range of topics. You might even see some of your own favorite podcasts on the list! 

Cool Podcast Names 

1. Always Take Notes
2. Call Your Girlfriend
3. Ear Hustle
4. Freakonomics Radio
5. The Future Belongs to Creators
6. How I Built This
7. Indie Hackers
8. Phoebe Reads a Mystery
9. Reply All
10. The Self Love Fix
11. The School of Greatness
12. SmartLess
13. Steak for Breakfast 
14. Stuff You Should Know

Funny Podcast Names 

1. Anything is Poddable
2. Butt Dial
3. Dungeons and Daddies 
4. Funny Stories to Tell in the Dark
5. Humor Resources 
6. Mental Illness Happy Hour
7. Spreading Humors
8. Sweet Wine & Dry Humor
9. We Have Cool Friends
10. We’re Not Even That Funny

Creative Podcast Names 

1. Baking A Murder 
2. But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids
3. Dark Diaries 
4. Decoder
5. My Favorite Murder 
6. Mysterious Inexplicables
7. Something Was Wrong
8. ZED Talks 

Clever Podcast Names 

1. Armchair Expert
2. Death, Sex and Money
3. Few Regrets 
4. How to Fail
5. I'm Not A Monster
6. Last Podcast On The Left 
7. Lovett or Leave It
8. The Missing Peace
9. Pod Save America 

Catchy Podcast Names 

1. Against the Rules
2. Brown Ambition 
3. Fake Doctors, Real Friends
4. The Hive Jive
5. How Did This Get Made?
6. The Mismatch 
7. Payday with Rayray
8. ’Philosophize this!
9. Thinking is Cool
10. Where Should We Begin?

Unique Podcast Names 

1. Hidden Brain
2. Kwik Brain
3. Masters of Scale
4. Mom’s Basement 
5. Off Topic
6. Over the Wall
7. This American Life
8. Tug of War 
9. Today, Explained
10. You’re Wrong About 

Fun Podcast Names 

1. The Art of Charm
2. The Binge Mode: Marvel 
3. Can’t Make This Sh*t  Up
4. The GaryVee Audio Experience
5. The Lazy Genius
6. Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out
7. The Minimalists
8. My Dad Wrote a Porno
9. Not Past It
10. Off the Record with DJ Akademiks
11. The Rewatchables
12. WTF With Marc Maron

Securing Your Podcast Domain Name 

Once you’ve chosen your perfect podcast name, make it official by buying the domain name. It’s not just a good idea for using it for a website, but it’s the easiest way to establish yourself as the owner of the name. 

Create A Podcast Website

Once you’ve bought your domain name, use it to set up a website for your podcast. You might be wondering if you really need a website for your podcast. Here are a few of the ways it can benefit you: 

• Get discovered on search engines more easily with SEO 
• Build an email list for a newsletter and email marketing campaigns
• Use your website analytics and understand how users find your podcast 
• Write episode transcriptions as blog posts
• If you have sponsors, use affiliate links or run ads on your site.   

Podcast Name FAQs

How do you check if a podcast name is taken? 

• Do a Google search of the name
• Search the name on popular podcast directories, like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts
• Search for the social media handles
• Perform a WHOIS lookup to see if anyone has the domain name

How do you register a podcast name?

To register a podcast name, register with a hosting platform and put the name in the registration for. If the name is available, you can set up your podcast. Buying the domain name also makes your ownership of the name more official. 

Should you use your real name in your podcast?

If you're already a public figure or want to build your personal brand, using your name could help. But if you're not a public figure and discuss topics you don't want say, your boss or your family, to hear you talk about a stage name might be a good idea.  

Should you use the word “podcast” in the title?

Sometimes using “podcast" in your podcast title can be redundant or prevent you from thinking outside the box. There’s no hard and fast rule against it though. Try out different versions of the name and if you like the one that has the word podcast in it the best, go for it. 

What should you do if your podcast name is taken? 

If someone already uses your perfect podcast name, try using a synonym or tweaking the title in other ways. You don’t want to use a name that’s already taken. 

Can you change your podcast name later?

Podcasts exist across multiple platforms. That makes it more difficult to change a podcast's name. For that reason it’s better to choose a name that you love and want to stick to long-term. 

6 Free Podcast Name Generators

If you’re having trouble coming up with a podcast name on your own, you can always use a podcast name generator to get your creative juices flowing. Here are a few reliable ones: 

1. Business Name Generator
2. Namelix
3. Biz Name Wiz
4. Squad Help
5. NameMesh
6. Mighty Network’s Niche Generator

How Sav Can Help

No matter what your podcast’s perfect name is, a domain name and podcast website can help you go from a new podcast to a successful podcast. Our low prices and drag and drop website builder make it easy and affordable for all kinds of creators to get the word out online. Start your free trial today to start building!