Let's MAP Out Your Podcast Name

Your podcast name needs to do three things:

1. get noticed
2. make people curious
3. stick in the minds of your audience.

That’s a lot of pressure to heap upon it. Here’s how to make sure yours is up to the task. 

How to MAP Out Your Ideal Podcast Name

Continuing our “three things” theme, there are also three types of podcast names: descriptive names, creative names, and host-based names. Think of this as a MAP:

‍M — Metaphor

Creative names that spark curiosity and hint at your story

Examples: 99% Invisible, The Moth

Pros: Clever, referential names can build instant recognition and are brilliant for branding purposes. When listeners catch the pun or wordplay, they feel smart and more connected to your show.

Cons: Metaphor-style names can also be confusing and abstract. They can really hamper your early growth if most would-be listeners have no idea what your show about - if they even find it at all.

A — Accuracy

Descriptive names that clearly say what your podcast is about

Examples: The Property Podcast, Football Weekly

Pros: These are highly searchable and very obvious, making them brilliant for SEO purposes and early audience growth. With Accuracy, you’re leaving them in no doubt about what you’re offering. 

Cons: Accuracy names can sound generic or uninspired. As your show evolves, they might feel limiting or even start to bore you.

P — Personal

Host-based names that leverage your personal brand or identity

Examples: The Tim Ferriss Show, WTF with Marc Maron

Pros: Personal names can be ideal for coaches or authorities looking to build or enhance a personal brand. They can work well if you want to become a thought-leader in your space. 

Cons: Like Metaphor-based names, you might find it challenging to grow with this approach in the early days. Do enough people know who you are to pique their interest? Personal names aren’t compelling without any other context or recognition.  

What the Top Podcasts Teach Us About Naming

To find out what makes a podcast name work, Katie Paterson (The Podcast Host) analysed the top 30 shows across every Apple Podcasts category, tracking naming trends and type breakdowns.

She found that descriptive names were the most common overall (40%). Creative names were second (35%), and host-based names were the least common (25%).  

Over the 15 categories, History had the biggest percentage of descriptive names (67%), with Music and Sport joint second with 60%. 

Society & Culture only had 10% host-based names, with History down at 3%, and Fiction at 0%.

Host-named shows were most frequent in Education (44%) and Business (43%). In True Crime, 45% of titles used people’s names, but they were usually the subjects, not the hosts.

These categories value credibility, authority, and real-world examples. That’s likely why name-based titles are more common here than in other genres. It also makes sense that fiction and history podcasts aren’t typically named after their presenters. 

5 Essential Podcast Naming Tips

It’s all very well looking at how the top shows do it. But copying these formulas doesn’t guarantee yours will become one of them. Here are five tips to optimise your podcast name: 

1. If you’re largely unknown or want your show to grow beyond your small existing audience, choose an Accuracy podcast name. You can always rebrand to a Metaphor or Personal-based name further down the line. 
2. Tell a few friends, “I’m going to call my new podcast [X]”, and ask them, “What do you think it’s about?” - if they all guess quickly, accurately, and first time, you’re on to a winner. 
3. Keep your podcast name under 30 characters to avoid it being cut short in apps. The shorter your name is, the easier it is to read and say aloud, too.   
4. Don’t spam your podcast name field full of keywords in an attempt to improve the show’s SEO. Your description and episode titles give you ample opportunity for keyword SEO. 
5. Don’t name your podcast without checking that it isn’t already in use elsewhere. A quick search in a podcast app or on Google will tell you if your preferred name is taken. 

Can I Use AI to Help Name My Podcast? 

It’s 2025, champ, of course you can use AI. But tools like ChatGPT are only as helpful as the input you give them, so be specific about your podcast topic, ideal listener, tone, and any words or themes you want to include.

Try a prompt like:"Give me podcast name ideas for a weekly show about minimalist living, hosted by a former architect, aimed at busy millennials."

Don’t just ask for names, either. Ask for naming styles, comparisons to other shows, or what feelings a name might evoke.

I recommend using a tool built for podcasters, like the Alitu Showplanner. It gives you a clear overview of your content and even creates assets like a trailer script to help you get started.

Final Thoughts

Naming your podcast matters, but it’s not like naming a child. If the name stops working or feels off later, you can change it.

Still, renaming takes effort, so it's worth getting right from the start.

Use our MAP framework to choose the best name type, then follow our five tips to get it right. You can also prompt the Alitu Showplanner for extra ideas and useful launch assets.