AI Podcast Name Generator

Finding Your Voice: The Art of Podcast Naming

I still remember the night my friend Clara called me in a panic. She’d spent six months planning her true crime podcast, bought professional equipment, and recorded three episodes. But she was stuck. Completely paralyzed by the one decision she hadn’t made: what to call the thing.

“I’ve got it narrowed down to forty-seven options,” she told me, dead serious. I laughed, thinking she was joking. She wasn’t.

We spent three hours on that call. I watched her light up when she said certain names out loud and clam up at others. By 2 AM, we landed on “Shadows in the Stacks” - a nod to her background as a librarian and the mysterious nature of cold cases. It was perfect. Specific. Memorable. Two years later, she’s got 50,000 monthly downloads and a Patreon that actually pays her rent.

That’s the power of a name. In podcasting, where listeners can’t see your face or your production quality before hitting play, your title is everything. It’s your billboard, your handshake, your first impression. And in 2026, with over 5 million podcasts competing for attention, you can’t afford to get it wrong.

Why Podcast Names Matter More Than Ever

When I started helping creators with naming in 2019, the landscape was different. You could get away with “The [Your Name] Show” or “[Topic] Weekly” and still build an audience. Those days are gone.

Today’s podcast discovery happens in milliseconds. Someone scrolling through Spotify sees your artwork and title for maybe half a second before deciding whether to click or keep scrolling. You need a name that stops thumbs. This is true whether you’re building a traditional audio show or a video-first presence. If you’re focusing on video content, our YouTube channel name generator can help you find a title that works for visual discovery. One that creates curiosity. That hints at the experience without giving everything away.

Think about your own listening habits. When you’re browsing for something new, what makes you stop? I’ll bet it’s not “The Marketing Podcast Episode 47.” It’s something like “Night Vale” or “How I Built This” or “Crime Junkie” - names that spark questions, emotions, or recognition.

The Algorithm Doesn’t Care About Your Feelings

Here’s something that took me years to understand: platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts use algorithms to recommend shows. And those algorithms are looking at signals like click-through rate, completion rate, and search relevance.

A great name improves all of these. If someone searches “startup stories” and your show is called “The Startup Stories Podcast,” you’re relevant. If it’s called “Garage to Giants,” you might be more interesting, but you’re not matching search intent. Both approaches work, but you need to know which game you’re playing.

This is why I always recommend checking search volumes and competition before committing. A name that’s too similar to a massive show means you’ll never rank. A name that’s too obscure means no one will find you organically. The sweet spot is specific enough to attract your target audience, broad enough to grow.

What Makes a Podcast Name Work in 2026

After analyzing hundreds of successful shows and helping dozens of creators launch, I’ve identified the key characteristics that separate forgettable titles from podcast legends.

Memorable Over Descriptive

The best podcast names lodge themselves in your brain. They use rhythm, alliteration, or unexpected combinations that create cognitive hooks.

Think about “Serial” - one word, massive impact. Or “Radiolab” - two concepts smashed together that shouldn’t work but absolutely do. Even “My Favorite Murder” uses contrast (favorite + murder) to create something sticky.

Your name doesn’t need to explain everything. “Reply All” doesn’t tell you it’s a tech podcast about internet culture, but it creates intrigue. “The Daily” from The New York Times is just… daily. Simple. Unforgettable.

Platform-Agnostic Design

In 2026, most successful podcasts are everywhere. Your show needs to work on:

• Spotify (where 35% of podcast listening happens)
• Apple Podcasts (still the discovery king)
• YouTube (fastest growing podcast platform)
• Social media (where people share episodes)

A name that works beautifully in audio might fail visually. A name that looks great on a thumbnail might be hard to say out loud. Test your top choices across all these contexts.

I learned this the hard way with a client who chose “The Ampersand & You Show.” Clever concept, terrible execution. Saying “ampersand and” out loud is a tongue twister. The logo looked like a typo. They rebranded within three months. If you’re struggling with cross-platform branding consistency, our brand name generator can help you develop a cohesive identity that works everywhere.

Searchable and Spellable

You want listeners to find you when they search, but you also want them to tell their friends about you. If your name is “The Psychologē Podcast” with a fancy accent, good luck when someone tries to type that into Spotify after hearing it spoken.

This doesn’t mean you can’t be creative. “S-Town” from Serial Productions uses hyphens creatively but is still easy to communicate. “99% Invisible” has a number but it’s clear how to write it.

The test: Tell someone your podcast name over the phone. If they can’t spell it correctly on the first try, reconsider.

The Psychology Behind Great Podcast Names

There’s actual science to why certain names resonate. Understanding these psychological triggers can help you make a more strategic choice. In fact, research on consumer behavior by Edison Research shows that curiosity-driven discovery is at an all-time high, making pattern interruption even more critical.

Pattern Interruption

Our brains filter out the familiar. Names that follow predictable patterns - “The [Topic] Podcast,” “[Name] Weekly,” “[Adjective] [Topic]” - get ignored because we’ve seen them a thousand times.

Great names break patterns. “Criminal” (not “True Crime Stories”) works because it’s stark and unexpected. “Conversations with People Who Hate Me” works because it creates an immediate emotional reaction. These names demand attention because they don’t follow the formula.

The Curiosity Gap

Humans hate unresolved mysteries. Names that hint at something without explaining everything create what psychologists call a “curiosity gap.” Your brain wants to close the loop.

“Mystery Show” (rest in peace) was brilliant because it promised something undefined. “Heavyweight” suggests emotional heft without saying “sad stories about people’s biggest regrets.” The gap between what you know and what you want to know is what drives the click.

Emotional Resonance

We remember feelings better than facts. Names that evoke emotion - nostalgia, curiosity, fear, joy - create stronger memory traces.

“This American Life” sounds nostalgic and communal. “Terrible, Thanks for Asking” (honestly, one of my favorite names ever) captures a specific emotional state that many people recognize. “Happier with Gretchen Rubin” promises a specific emotional outcome.

When brainstorming, ask yourself: How do I want people to feel when they see my podcast name? Then test which options create that feeling.

Category-Specific Naming Strategies

Different podcast genres have different naming conventions. Understanding your category’s norms helps you decide whether to fit in or stand out.

True Crime: The Dark and the Dramatic

True crime is the most competitive podcast category. Your name needs to suggest mystery without being exploitative.

Patterns that work:

• Geographical references: “Atlanta Monster,” “Casefile” (Australian, but sounds location-agnostic)
• Time references: “Cold,” “Serial” (suggests serial but also serialized)
• Emotional descriptors: “Crime Junkie,” “Morbid,” “My Favorite Murder”
• Metaphors: “Sword and Scale,” “In the Dark,” “Up and Vanished”

What I love about true crime naming is the balance between literal and poetic. You want to signal the genre clearly while suggesting your unique angle. “The Murder Squad” is direct. “Red Collar” (white collar crime) is clever wordplay that suggests expertise.

Business and Entrepreneurship: Authority and Access

Business podcasts need to promise value. Listeners want to know they’ll learn something actionable.

Patterns that work:

• Promise + benefit: “How I Built This,” “Masters of Scale,” “The Tim Ferriss Show”
• Direct authority: “The Dave Ramsey Show,” “Planet Money,” “Freakonomics”
• Access and insider status: “The Indicator,” “StartUp Podcast,” “Acquired”
• Personal + professional blend: “The GaryVee Audio Experience,” “The School of Greatness”

The key difference from other categories: business podcasts can be more descriptive because the audience is actively seeking solutions. They want to know exactly what they’re getting. “The Marketing Show” might be boring, but “Perpetual Traffic” (from DigitalMarketer) suggests expertise and ongoing value.

If you’re launching a business show, consider what unique access or methodology you’re offering. Your name should hint at that proprietary value. For broader business branding strategies beyond just your podcast, develop a cohesive identity across all your ventures.

Comedy and Entertainment: The Unexpected Twist

Comedy podcasts have the most naming freedom, but that freedom comes with risk. You need to signal humor without being unprofessional or confusing.

Patterns that work:

• Host personality driven: “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” “SmartLess,” “WTF with Marc Maron”
• Conceptual humor: “No Such Thing As A Fish,” “My Dad Wrote A Porno,” “The Dollop”
• Absurdist: “Office Ladies,” “Doughboys,” “Comedy Bang! Bang!”
• Promise of fun: “Lore,” “The Moth,” “Spontaneanation”

Comedy allows for longer, more descriptive titles because the payoff is entertainment, not information. Sometimes, lean into the absurdity. If you want something truly offbeat, our funny name generator can provide the kind of silly inspiration that works for a casual, laughter-focused show. “My Dad Wrote A Porno” is seven words, but every word earns its place by building a hilarious mental image.

The risk in comedy naming is being too clever. If your pun requires explanation, it doesn’t work. Test your funny names on people who don’t know your sense of humor. If they don’t get it immediately, it’s not working.

Education and Knowledge: Clarity and Credibility

Educational podcasts walk a tightrope. Too academic and you limit your audience. Too casual and you lose authority.

Patterns that work:

• Direct topic focus: “Grammar Girl,” “The History of Rome,” “Philosophize This!”
• Access metaphor: “Stuff You Should Know,” “Radiolab,” “Hidden Brain”
• Question-based: “Science Vs,” “Ask a Clean Person,” “How To Citizen”
• Expert positioning: “The Jordan Harbinger Show,” “Lex Fridman Podcast”

What separates successful educational names from boring ones is the promise of transformation. “Grammar Girl” suggests friendly expertise. “Stuff You Should Know” implies practical knowledge. “Hidden Brain” suggests you’re getting access to something normally unseen.

News and Politics: Authority and Speed

News podcasts need to signal timeliness and trustworthiness. You’re competing with established media brands, so your name needs to suggest you belong in that conversation.

Patterns that work:

• Speed signals: “The Daily,” “Up First,” “The Journal”
• Analysis focus: “Pod Save America,” “The Ben Shapiro Show,” “Stay Tuned with Preet”
• Insider framing: “Sway,” “The Axe Files,” “The Argument”
• Clear ideology (if applicable): “The Michael Knowles Show,” “The Mehdi Hasan Show”

News naming is more constrained because credibility matters so much. A name like “Politics Chat” sounds amateur compared to “Pod Save America” or “The Gist.” You need to signal that you have something unique to add to the conversation.

The Technical Side of Podcast Naming

Beyond creativity, there are practical constraints that can make or break your choice.

RSS Feed and Directory Limitations

Most podcast directories have character limits:

• Apple Podcasts: Title and author fields combined can’t exceed 150 characters (though Apple recommends shorter)
• Spotify: No explicit limit, but truncates around 40 characters in search results
• Google Podcasts: Similar to Apple, truncates long titles

This means your full title might not display everywhere. If your show is “The Ultimate Guide to Everything About Ancient Roman Architecture and Engineering,” people might only see “The Ultimate Guide to Everything About Anc…” in search results.

Consider your “display name” - the first 30-40 characters that appear everywhere - as your primary branding. Everything after that is bonus context.

ID3 Tags and Metadata

The technical backend of podcasting uses ID3 tags to store show information. While modern podcast hosts handle most of this automatically, some have quirks with special characters.

Characters to avoid:

• ™, ®, © symbols (can cause encoding issues)
• Emoji (inconsistent support across platforms)
• Unusual punctuation (smart quotes, em-dashes sometimes convert weirdly)

Stick to standard ASCII characters for maximum compatibility. You can use stylized versions in marketing materials, but keep the core name clean.

Trademarks and Legal Concerns

I can’t tell you how many podcasters I’ve seen get cease-and-desist letters because they named their show something too similar to a trademarked brand or another popular podcast.

Before committing to a name:

1. Search the USPTO database - Check if anyone has trademarked your name in the entertainment/media category
2. Google thoroughly - Look for existing podcasts, YouTube channels, blogs, or businesses with the same or similar name
3. Check social media handles - Even if the name is legally available, if @YourName is taken on Instagram and Twitter, you’re building a branding headache
4. International considerations - If you plan to grow globally, check if your name means something unfortunate in other languages

A friend named his sports podcast “The Fanatic” without realizing there was a massive sports radio network with the same name. Six months in, he got a letter from their lawyers. Don’t be that person.

For more guidance on trademark protection and creative property, you can search existing trademarks through the USPTO trademark database. This is where most naming disputes are settled, so doing your homework here is non-negotiable.

Testing Your Podcast Name: The Real-World Check

Before you commit, put your top choices through these practical tests.

The Phone Test

Call a friend and tell them your podcast name. Ask them to text it back to you. If they can’t spell it correctly from hearing it once, your name is too complex.

This test caught a client who wanted to name her wellness podcast “Kairos.” Beautiful word, terrible for audio. Is it “Kairos,” “Kyros,” “Cairos,” or “Keros”? She went with “The Present Moment” instead.

The Social Media Test

Search for your name on Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok, and YouTube. Ideally, you want:

• @[YourName] available everywhere
• #[YourName] not already dominated by unrelated content
• No major accounts with confusingly similar names

If the exact handle isn’t available, acceptable alternatives are @[YourName]Show, @[YourName]Pod, or @[YourName]Podcast. But consistency is key. Being @[YourName] on Instagram and @[YourName]_Pod on Twitter is confusing for fans.

The Spotify Search Test

Search your potential name on Spotify right now. What comes up?

• If there are ten shows with the exact same name and no followers, that’s a red flag (it looks messy)
• If there’s one show with the same name and massive audience, you can’t compete for that search real estate
• If there are similar names but nothing exact, that might be your sweet spot

Also search for related terms. If your show is about productivity, search “productivity podcast” and see what names rank. Learn from what’s working.

The Logo Visualization Test

Close your eyes and imagine your podcast artwork. Can you see the name working visually? Is it too long to fit nicely? Does it require tiny font sizes that won’t show up as a thumbnail?

Good podcast names have visual balance. “Reply All” is centered and symmetrical. “Crime Junkie” has alliteration that looks good in text. “The Daily” is short enough to use massive, bold type.

If you’re struggling to visualize the name, try a tool like Canva to mock up quick cover art concepts. You’ll immediately see which names work visually and which don’t.

The “Five Years” Test

Ask yourself: Will this name still make sense in five years?

Avoid:

• References to current trends that will date quickly
• Specific numbers that will change (“30 Under 30” when you’ll eventually interview people over 30)
• Technology platforms that might not exist (“The Clubhouse Show”)
• Your current age or life stage if you’ll outgrow it

Think about shows like “This American Life” - it’s been running since 1995 and the name still works. “Serial” launched in 2014 and still sounds fresh. Timeless names give you room to evolve.

Common Podcast Naming Mistakes to Avoid

After years of helping creators, I’ve seen the same mistakes repeat. Learn from these so you don’t repeat them.

Mistake #1: Being Too Clever

Puns are fun until you have to explain them to every new listener. If your name requires a story to make sense, it’s not working hard enough.

I consulted with a finance podcast that wanted to be called “401(k)ast.” Clever wordplay, right? Except half their target audience didn’t get the pun, and the other half couldn’t figure out how to type the parenthesis when searching. They became “Money Talks” instead and grew much faster.

Mistake #2: The “Me Too” Name

“The [Name] Experience,” “[Name] Unfiltered,” “The [Topic] Guy/Girl” - these formats are oversaturated. If your name sounds like it could be any of a thousand other shows, you won’t stand out.

Look at the top 100 podcasts on Apple or Spotify. Notice how few follow the “The [Host] Show” format. The ones that do are usually hosted by already-famous people. If you’re starting from scratch, you need more differentiation.

Mistake #3: Over-Optimizing for SEO

Keywords matter, but a name that’s just keywords feels robotic. “Best Business Tips Podcast Marketing Success Show” might check SEO boxes, but no one will remember it or recommend it to friends.

Find the balance between searchable and memorable. “Smart Passive Income” includes the keyword “passive income” but feels like a brand. “The $100 MBA Show” suggests business education while being specific and memorable.

Mistake #4: Ignoring International Audiences

Even if you’re starting locally, podcasts can reach anyone with internet access. Names that rely on local slang, regional references, or cultural context limit your growth potential.

I worked with an Australian creator who wanted to call his show “The Arvo Download” (“arvo” = afternoon in Australian slang). Great for Aussie listeners, confusing for everyone else. He went with “The Daily Briefing” instead and now has listeners in 40 countries.

Mistake #5: Forgetting About Merchandise

Podcast monetization increasingly comes from merchandise, live shows, and brand partnerships. If your name doesn’t work on a t-shirt, you’re leaving money on the table.

Test this early. Mock up a t-shirt design or sticker with your name. Does it look cool? Would someone actually wear it? Names that work as brands - “Crime Junkie,” “My Favorite Murder,” “Reply All” - have built multi-million dollar merchandise businesses.

Using This AI Podcast Name Generator

Now that you understand what makes a great podcast name, let me walk you through how to get the best results from our AI generator.

Start Simple

The basic inputs will give you solid results:

• Count: How many options do you want to see? I recommend starting with 10-15
• Topic: Be specific but not limiting. “True crime” is good. “Business” is good. “True crime about 1920s Chicago mobsters” might be too narrow for name generation
• Tone: This is crucial. A “serious” true crime show needs different naming than a “funny” one. The AI adjusts its approach based on this

These three inputs alone will generate relevant, usable names. Don’t overthink it initially - just get a broad sense of what’s possible.

Add Advanced Filters for Fine-Tuning

Once you’ve seen the basic results, use the advanced options to narrow down:

Target Audience: A show for “entrepreneurs” needs a different vibe than one for “general” listeners. The AI will adjust formality and sophistication levels accordingly.

Keywords: If you have specific words you want included - maybe a theme word, your name, or a concept central to your show - add them here. The AI will prioritize these while still being creative.

Length: Some people want short, punchy names. Others prefer longer, descriptive titles. Set your preference, but remember you can always shorten a long name or expand a short one later.

Iterate and Combine

The best names often come from mixing and matching. Generate a batch, pick your favorites, then generate again with slight variations.

For example, if “Dark Histories” catches your eye but feels too generic, try generating again with keywords like “midnight,” “archives,” or “forgotten.” You might get “The Midnight Archive” or “Forgotten Stories” - similar vibe, more specific. And once you’ve chosen a name you love, you might want to look at our business name generator if you’re planning to turn your creative project into a full-scale media company.

Final Thoughts: When You Know, You Know

After all this advice about strategy and psychology, here’s the truth: you’ll know the right name when you find it.

I’ve seen creators spend months agonizing over options, polling friends, making spreadsheets with weighted scoring systems. Then they hear one name and just know. It clicks. It feels inevitable.

That doesn’t mean you should rush. Take time. Live with your top three choices for a week. Say them out loud. Introduce yourself with them. See which one feels natural.

But also don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. At some point, you need to choose and move forward. The name is important, but it’s not everything. Great content with an okay name will always beat mediocre content with a perfect name.

Remember: you can always rebrand later if you absolutely must. But you’re better off spending the time now to get it right. Your future self - the one with 100 episodes and a dedicated audience - will thank you. If you’re also planning to document your journey in writing, you might find our blog name generator useful for creating a companion site that builds even more authority.

The podcast world is waiting for your voice. Make sure they can find it.

Good luck, and happy podcasting.