How to Write a Podcast Episode Description That Gets Plays
2026-11-10
"What should I put in an episode description so people actually press play?" Write the first sentence as if it were the only one that gets read, because on a small screen it often is.
Apps and hosts' web players cut long text in different places, and there is no published cut-off to rely on. So do not count on one. Put the reason to listen first, and let everything else be a bonus.
Where the text lives in your feed
An episode in your RSS feed carries a title and a description, and these two fields are what most apps show. Apple's RSS guide asks for a title that is a clear, concise name for the episode. Leave out the episode and season numbers, which belong in itunes:episode and itunes:season, and do not repeat the show title.
The description tag takes one or more sentences. The same guide lists the HTML it accepts there: p, ol, ul, li and a, wrapped in a CDATA section, and it sets a limit of 10,000 characters. Your host may be stricter, so check its editor. Notice what is missing from that list: no bold, no italic, no headings. Do not plan a layout that depends on them.
One description, line by line
Here is an invented description for an imaginary show about home espresso. The point is the job each line does.
| Line | Job | Where it should sit |
|---|---|---|
| "Why your shots taste sour even when the recipe is right." | Gives the listener the problem and the payoff | First, so it is visible without expanding |
| "Two baristas compare how they dial in a new bag of beans." | Says who talks and what happens | Second |
| "Mentioned: a refractometer, a grinder burr guide." | Lets the curious find the details | After the pitch |
| "New episodes every other Thursday." | Sets an expectation for a gap | Last, short |
| "Thanks for listening!" | Does nothing | Cut it |
Source: the example is invented for illustration; the field rules come from Apple's RSS guide above.
The first two lines carry the click. The title already says "espresso"; the first sentence adds a problem the title does not state. That is the useful test: if the first line only restates the title, it is wasted.
What to check in your own episodes
- Open your last three descriptions in the app on a phone, not on the dashboard. Note where the text stops.
- Rewrite the first sentence so it holds a reason to listen that is not in the title.
- Check that the title has no episode number and does not start with the show name.
- Turn pasted URLs into proper links with readable text, using only the tags above.
- Keep your regular note about the schedule at the bottom, as the same short line every time. If you promote through swaps, add a line pointing to the partner's show here, not before the pitch. Our note on how to expand your podcast audience covers what a first-time visitor needs to see.
Where this stops working
A good description will not rescue a title nobody understands, and it will not fix a feed that apps cannot read. Keep keywords natural: listing every topic in a row reads as spam, and a listener skips it. If an episode is mostly a guest conversation, the guest's name and one concrete thing they discuss usually beats a generic summary. Test one change at a time and watch plays for a few episodes before deciding.