Podcast Glossary
Every podcast production, distribution, and repurposing term you need to know, defined in plain language.
A
Apple Podcasts
Apple Podcasts is Apple's podcast directory and listening app, one of the largest sources of podcast discovery and a default destination for new shows. Read more →
C
Co-Host
A co-host is a second regular host who shares hosting duties on a podcast, shaping the show's chemistry, workload, and production setup. Read more →
D
Dynamic Ad Insertion
Dynamic ad insertion programmatically slots ads into episodes at the moment of download, rather than recording them permanently into the audio file. Read more →
E
Episode Trailer
An episode trailer is a short promotional clip that previews an episode or show to convince listeners to hit play. Read more →
Evergreen Episode
An evergreen episode is content that stays relevant long after publishing, drawing new listeners months or years later. Read more →
H
Host-Read Ad
A host-read ad is an advertisement read aloud by the podcast host in their own voice, often as a personal endorsement. Read more →
I
ID3 Tags
ID3 tags are metadata fields embedded inside an MP3 file that tell apps the episode title, artist, artwork, and chapters. Read more →
Interview Podcast
An interview podcast is a format built around the host interviewing a different guest each episode in a Q&A conversation. Read more →
L
Loudness Normalization
Loudness normalization adjusts an episode to a target perceived loudness measured in LUFS, so volume stays even within an episode and consistent across your catalog and platforms. Read more →
M
Mid-Roll Ad
A mid-roll ad is placed in the middle of an episode, after the listener is already engaged, which makes it the highest-value ad slot in podcasting. Read more →
P
Podcast
A podcast is an episodic series of audio (or video) content published through an RSS feed, which lets listening apps automatically pull new episodes as they are released. Read more →
Podcast Audiogram
An audiogram is a short video that turns an audio clip into something shareable on social by adding a moving waveform, captions, and branding. Read more →
Podcast Bumper
A podcast bumper is a short branded audio segment - often a few seconds - used to mark transitions between content or to lead into an ad break. Read more →
Podcast Chapters
Podcast chapters are timestamped markers that divide an episode into named sections, letting listeners skip directly to the parts they care about. Read more →
Podcast Clip
A podcast clip is a short segment cut from a full episode and formatted for social media, used to grab attention and pull new listeners to the complete show. Read more →
Podcast Completion Rate
Completion rate is the share of an episode that listeners actually finish, a core signal of how engaging your content is and where listeners drop off. Read more →
Podcast Cover Art
Podcast cover art is the square image that represents your show in directories and apps, and it is often the first thing a potential listener sees. Read more →
Podcast CPM
CPM, or cost per mille, is the price an advertiser pays per thousand listens of an ad, the most common way podcast ads are priced. Read more →
Podcast Directory
A podcast directory is an app or platform like Apple Podcasts or Spotify that catalogs shows and pulls their episodes from RSS feeds so listeners can find and subscribe. Read more →
Podcast Download
A podcast download is the standard unit for measuring listenership - one verified request for an episode file that meets the IAB's minimum thresholds. Read more →
Podcast Editing
Podcast editing is the post-production process of cutting mistakes, balancing levels, removing noise, and assembling a recording into a finished episode. Read more →
Podcast Episode
A podcast episode is one self-contained installment of a show, published to the RSS feed with its own title, audio, and metadata. Read more →
Podcast Guest Outreach
Podcast guest outreach is the process of finding, pitching, and booking the right guests for your show. Read more →
Podcast Hosting
Podcast hosting is the service that stores your episode audio and generates the RSS feed that podcast directories read to list and deliver your show. Read more →
Podcast Intro and Outro
The intro and outro are the scripted opening and closing segments that bookend a podcast episode, setting expectations at the start and directing listeners at the end. Read more →
Podcast Newsletter
A podcast newsletter is an email companion to a show that reminds subscribers about new episodes, adds context, and keeps an audience you actually own. Read more →
Podcast Recording Setup
A podcast recording setup is the combination of microphone, interface or recorder, and software you use to capture clean, usable audio for your show. Read more →
Podcast Repurposing
Podcast repurposing turns a single episode into many formats - clips, blog posts, social posts, and audiograms - so one recording reaches far more people. Read more →
Podcast RSS Feed
A podcast RSS feed is an XML file that lists your episodes and metadata, letting apps like Apple Podcasts and Spotify pull and display new episodes automatically. Read more →
Podcast Season
A podcast season is a grouped run of episodes released as a set, often around a theme, with breaks between seasons that help with planning and audience pacing. Read more →
Podcast SEO
Podcast SEO is the work of making episodes and their pages easier to find in search engines and inside podcast apps through titles, transcripts, and metadata. Read more →
Podcast Sponsorship
Podcast sponsorship is a brand paying to advertise on a show, usually through pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll slots priced by audience size. Read more →
Podcast Subscriber
A podcast subscriber - now usually called a follower - is someone who follows your show so new episodes appear automatically, unlike a one-time download. Read more →
Podcast Transcript
A podcast transcript is the complete written version of an episode - every word spoken - used for accessibility, search visibility, and repurposing into other content. Read more →
Podcast-to-Blog Repurposing
Podcast-to-blog repurposing turns a recorded episode into a written blog post or article, capturing search traffic that the audio alone could never reach. Read more →
R
Remote Recording
Remote recording captures a guest who is not in the room by recording each person's audio locally, then syncing the tracks for studio-quality remote interviews. Read more →
S
Show Notes
Show notes are the written companion to an episode - a summary, key timestamps, and links to anything mentioned - published on your site and in your podcast feed. Read more →
Solo Podcast
A solo podcast is hosted entirely by one person talking to the audience directly - no guests, no co-host - which keeps scheduling simple and the message tightly controlled. Read more →
Spotify for Podcasters
Spotify for Podcasters is Spotify's free dashboard for publishing episodes, viewing detailed analytics, and managing how a show appears inside the Spotify app. Read more →
V
Video Podcast
A video podcast is recorded and published as video - not just audio - distributed on YouTube, Spotify, and social, giving the show a second discovery channel. Read more →
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