The Audacity to Podcast® – Episode 420: When to Use Podcast Episode Numbers
Host: Daniel J. Lewis
Date: February 18, 2026
Overview
In this episode, Daniel J. Lewis revisits and updates his stance on podcast episode numbers, sharing five scenarios when using episode numbers is beneficial. Daniel's central thesis is: Use episode numbers when they actually matter to your audience. Drawing on years of experience and recent developments in podcasting tech (notably Podcasting 2.0), he offers detailed reasoning and actionable advice for podcast creators.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Use Episode Numbers for Serial Podcasts
- Serial Content Needs Clear Sequence: For podcasts where episodes must be listened to in a specific order (much like book chapters or steps in a process), episode numbers are essential for guiding listeners and ensuring they don’t get lost.
- Display Episode Numbers Prominently: Place episode numbers at the very start of episode titles for maximum clarity.
- “When that episode number matters to your audience, make sure it is displayed prominently. And the ideal situation for when that matters is when your episodes need to be consumed in a particular order.” ([02:09])
- Don’t Rely on Podcast Apps Alone: Not all apps properly support serial ordering or display episodes in the correct sequence; clear numbering helps listeners navigate regardless.
2. Use Episode Numbers if You Frequently Reference Other Episodes
- Daniel’s Biggest Mindset Shift: Previously skeptical, he now sees episode numbers as invaluable for helping audiences find referenced episodes without leaving their podcast app.
- Poor Experiences Without Numbers: Searching by titles is unreliable—apps may not find the right episode or truncate titles, making in-app navigation frustrating, especially over a long back-catalog.
- “How would you find that in a list of all of my episodes…more than 400 episodes…You would have to scroll through and read, at least to some level, the title of every single episode until you found that one. And along the way, you might even forget what you're looking for.” ([16:25])
- Episode Numbers Enable Quick Navigation: With prominent numbers, listeners can swiftly scroll to the referenced episode.
- “If all of the episodes display that number in the same place for each episode, then it is very easy to scroll through and find the exact episode you're looking for.” ([19:24])
- “It's so much easier to find that episode from the episode number without leaving the podcast app. That's the big key within podcasting 2.0.” ([22:32])
- Current Technical Limitation: Linking directly to episodes within the same app isn’t universally possible (yet), so numbers are the most efficient in-app reference.
3. Use Episode Numbers for File and Folder Organization
- Behind-the-Scenes Benefit: Even if listeners never hear the numbers, sequential numbering brings order to files and folders, easing archiving and retrieval (especially for large shows or multiple podcasts).
- “This one is totally hidden to your audience, but it can really help you with your organization.” ([30:01])
- Automations and Presets: Many tools—like Daniel’s own PodChapters—can use episode number patterns for easier file handling.
- Practical Tip: Consider not numbering recorded episodes until release to avoid renaming headaches if sequencing changes.
4. Use Episode Numbers When You Can't Make Better Episode URLs
- Fallback Method: If keyword-based URLs aren’t possible or are confusing, episode numbers can help create memorable, unique episode URLs (e.g., “/175”).
- Word of Caution: Don’t commit to numbers in advance if order may change; spoken numbers in audio or URLs can confuse or become inaccurate.
- “If you pre-record a bunch of episodes in advance and you've numbered them all and then you change your mind on their numbering…you might have to decide, well, do you renumber the episodes?” ([34:20])
- Prefer Keywords When Possible: They’re easier to recall and less prone to sequence errors.
5. Use Episode Numbers Correctly and Efficiently in Episode Titles
- Apple Podcasts’ Position Clarified: Apple advises against including numbers in episode titles—but only because they provide a separate metadata field for numbers.
- “Apple has said do not put episode numbers in your episode titles. But what they didn't do is clarify what they actually meant by that. ...They don't actually mean don't put episode numbers in your episode titles.” ([37:12])
- Maximize Compatibility:
- For best in-app display, provide numbers both in metadata (behind the scenes) and visible titles (for apps that ignore metadata).
- Daniel’s practice: In the normal title tag, combine “episode number, period, space, episode title” for universal display.
- On his website, numbers are displayed in metadata, not in the main title, as context and user needs change.
- Be Aware of Hosting Platform Limitations: Not all podcast hosts handle episode number/title fields intelligently; this can result in missing or poorly displayed numbers in some apps.
- Teaching Example: If referencing an episode, provide both its number and a keyword URL—let listeners choose their preferred discovery method.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
A Changed Mindset:
“I have changed my mind since 12 years ago in episode 175...Now, however, I see more cases when you should consider using episode numbers…Use episode numbers when they actually matter to your audience.” ([00:28]) -
On User Experience:
“That's the biggest and I think most important mindset shift when it comes to episode numbers: recognizing what is the best way to make it easier for your audience and so they don't have to leave the podcast app.” ([23:25]) -
On Technical Evolution:
“There has been discussion about developing another kind of cross-linking technology...That is not currently possible...until the smart linking feature comes out in podcasting 2.0...the best way to then reference those other episodes is by the episode number.” ([26:02]) -
On Overcomplicating URLs and Numbers:
“Confusing for you. How do you manage that? ...try to avoid having to speak the episode’s number as its URL, because you might need to change that number, especially if you record multiple episodes in advance...” ([36:15]) -
On Apple Podcasts & Metadata:
“What they prefer is...they don’t want episode numbers in the episode titles because they’ve provided a specific different tag for putting your episode number and that’s the itunes:episode tag.” ([37:34])
Example Timestamps for Key Advice
- When to Use Numbers for Serial Podcasts: [02:09]
- Referencing Other Episodes and User Experience: [16:25] – [23:25]
- File/Folder Organization: [30:01]
- URLs & Re-numbering Pitfalls: [34:20] – [36:15]
- Best Practices for Episode Number Display: [37:12] – [41:52]
Actionable Takeaways
- Use episode numbers where chronological or sequential listening is required.
- Make episode numbers prominent (ideally at the start of titles) where references are frequent, to help listeners navigate within the app.
- Employ numbers behind the scenes for better organization; don’t commit to them publicly until order is finalized.
- Prefer keyword-based URLs, but don’t hesitate to use numbers if necessary and memorable.
- Ensure numbers are present for both apps that use metadata and those that don’t—for broad compatibility, include numbers in both the standard and special podcast title fields, but only where they add value to the audience.
Looking Ahead
Daniel teases the next episode, where he’ll discuss When Not to Use Episode Numbers (Episode 421).
Special Mention
Brian Insmener from TopTierAudio.com is thanked for his support via Podcasting 2.0’s value streaming feature. ([43:11])
Final Thought
Daniel’s core message is to put the audience’s needs first:
“Now that I've given you some of the guts and taught you some of the tools, it's time for you to go start and grow your own podcast for passion and profit and maybe even use episode numbers again.” ([45:00])
Resource Links:
End of summary.