Let’s Start a Podcast! – “What’s In a Name? How to Name Your Podcast”
Host: Will Rodriguez
Release Date: March 16, 2026
Duration: ~10 minutes (core content)

Episode Overview

In this focused and practical episode, host Will Rodriguez dives into one of the earliest and most crucial decisions for aspiring podcasters: naming your show. Will breaks down the anatomy of a great podcast name, explores common pitfalls, and shares actionable strategies for finding a name that attracts, sticks, and grows with your audience. Whether you’re brainstorming your first podcast or wondering if your current show’s name is helping or hurting, this episode is packed with specific examples, memorable advice, and step-by-step exercises.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Your Podcast Name Matters

• The name is your show’s first impression—get it right, and it becomes a confident brand identity.
• Common scenarios: from blank page paralysis to overly clever ideas, naming challenges affect everyone.

2. The Four Essential Qualities of a Great Podcast Name

Will details the four characteristics every successful podcast name should have:

• Clarity:
  • Listeners should instantly understand what your show is about or who it’s for.
  • Quote: “Don’t try to be too mysterious. Clever is fine, but clarity is what converts.” (01:19)
  • Bad Example: “Echoes”
  • Better Example: “Echoes: True Ghost Stories from the South”
• Memorability:
  • A great name is short, sticky, easy to pronounce, and easy to spell.
  • Quote: “Would someone remember it after hearing it once? Can it be easily recommended in a conversation?” (02:02)
  • Cites examples: “Smartless,” “Call Her Daddy,” “The Daily,” “Hidden Brain,” “Armchair Expert.”
• SEO Friendliness:
  • Your name should help—not bury—your show in search results.
  • Quote: “A podcast that might be called Flow… It’s going to get lost among all the plumbing services and yoga studios out there.” (02:56)
  • Tip: Include searchable keywords in your title or subtitle.
• Emotional Resonance:
  • Does the name evoke a feeling, identity, or transformation?
  • Examples: “Terrible, Thanks for Asking,” “How I Built This,” “The Skeptic Metaphysicians.”
  • Quote: “If your listener feels seen or curious just by reading the title, you’ve nailed it.” (03:56)

3. Common Naming Mistakes

Will outlines frequent traps to avoid:

• Don’t use your own name (unless you’re already famous).
  • Quote: “The John Smith Show doesn’t say anything… you’re trying to reach way more people who don’t know you than do.” (04:22)
• Avoid being too punny or obscure.
  • “Mike Drops Soup” is funny to you, confusing to everyone else.
• Skip clichés (“Chat Time,” “Unfiltered,” “Real Talk,” “In My Head,” “Unscripted”)—these are overused and invisible in search.
• Don’t make it too long.
  • Quote: “The longer the name is, the less likely people are going to repeat it.” (05:05)
  • Subtitles have their place, but keep the main title concise.

4. Brainstorming Exercises for Podcast Names

• Create three lists:
  • Core Topics: What’s your show about? (e.g., spirituality, business, parenting)
  • Desired Feelings: What do you want listeners to feel? (e.g., empowered, curious)
  • Intended Audience: Who’s your show for? (e.g., women over 40, entrepreneurs)
• Mix elements from each list to create potential names.
  • Quote: “Those three lists are essential to what your show is going to be. So it will help you to come up with a name that will specifically tell people what the show is about right off the bat.” (06:16)
  • Example results: “The Curious Mystic,” “Brave at Work,” “Quiet Power: A Podcast for Creative Introverts.”

5. Subtitle Strategy—Adding Depth and Searchability

• Use subtitles to:
  • Add clarity and specificity when your title alone isn’t descriptive
  • Integrate SEO-friendly keywords
  • Clarify your target audience
  • Increase emotional resonance
• Examples:
  • “Lighten the Load: Real Talk for Women Navigating Burnout and Big Dreams”
  • “Unspoken: Conversations We’re Too Afraid to Have”
  • “Spirit, Interrupted: A Skeptic’s Search for the Sacred”
• Quote: “You don’t need your entire show description in your name. That is what subtitles are for.” (07:09)

6. Validating and Testing Your Podcast Name

• Once you’ve narrowed the list:
  • Say names out loud.
  • Ask friends/family/listeners what they think.
  • Search on Google, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify—see if the name is already taken.
  • Check domain and social handle availability (critical step!).
  • Imagine the name on cover art and in your intro.
  • If it feels natural, fun, and “yours” — you’re set.
  • Quote: “If it feels awkward to say or to spell repeatedly, get rid of it. If it feels natural, fun, and yours? Bingo.” (08:20)

7. Bonus Tools & AI Assistance

• Tools recommended:
  • Namechecker.com (with two r’s) to check cross-platform availability.
  • Search podcast directories directly.
  • Use AI/chatbots for alternative names and inspiration if you hit a roadblock.
  • Quote: “Ask your AI chatbot whether the name is taken and… ask AI for variations or ideas based on your theme.” (09:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The wrong name is going to confuse people. The right name clicks, but the perfect name, it sticks.” (00:09) – Will Rodriguez
• “Clever is fine, but clarity is what converts.” (01:19)
• “Would someone remember it after hearing it once?” (02:02)
• “If your listener feels seen or curious just by reading the title, you’ve nailed it.” (03:56)
• “The John Smith Show doesn’t say anything, doesn’t tell me anything about why I should care unless I know who John Smith is.” (04:22)
• “Your title should be something that just, again, rolls off of someone’s tongue...” (05:34)
• “Mix and matches…if some of those combinations kind of spark something in you... bingo.” (06:28)
• “You don’t need your entire show description in your name. That is what subtitles are for.” (07:09)
• “If it feels natural, fun, and yours? Bingo.” (08:20)
• “Namechecker.com... allows you to check the availability across domains and social platforms.” (08:45)
• “Ask your AI chatbot... to help uncrust your heart when you find that the name you just found perfect is already taken.” (09:25)

Timeline & Timestamps

• 00:06 – Introduction and why naming matters
• 00:54 – Four essential qualities of a great podcast name
• 04:05 – Common podcast naming mistakes
• 05:40 – Brainstorming exercises for creative naming
• 06:55 – Subtitle strategy: adding context and searchability
• 08:01 – Testing, validating, and visualizing your podcast name
• 08:45 – Bonus tools (Namechecker, AI assistance, direct searches)
• 09:31 – Episode wrap-up and preview of next topic (show structure and scripting)

Summary

This episode offers a comprehensive, practical guide to one of podcasting’s most foundational decisions: your show’s name. Will Rodriguez’s advice is clear, actionable, and designed to help avoid the classic mistakes that make podcasts forgettable or hard to find. The framework—clarity, memorability, SEO, and emotional resonance—gives both new and current podcasters a checklist for crafting a name that stands out. With examples, brainstorming tools, common pitfalls, and strategies for subtitle use and validation, you walk away with confidence and the next step for turning your podcast dream into a reality.

Next up: Crafting your show structure and script for an engaging listener experience.