I've changed my mind since 12 years ago in episode 175, when I proposed that episode numbers were unnecessary for most podcasts. Now, I see more cases when you should consider using episode numbers with your podcast.
It comes down to this: use episode numbers when they matter to your audience.
Specifically, here's how to determine when that applies.
1. Use episode numbers for serial podcasts
Think of podcasts that need to be consumed in a particular order. This could be like chapters of a book, steps in a process, a chronological story, or anything where the audience generally needs to start at the beginning.
This is a serial podcast. In this case, you want episode numbers so your audience knows the correct order to consume the content. Even though you can define a show as “Serial” in podcast settings, you can't assume every app will interpret that correctly. Most apps default to displaying the latest episode first.
If you really want people to listen to your first episode first, episode numbers define that path. When the numbers matter to your audience, make them prominent—even putting them at the beginning of the episode title. I know you might gasp if you've been following me for a while because I recommended against that for years, but my mind has changed on this.
2. Use episode numbers if frequently referencing other episodes
This is where my perspective has shifted the most, largely due to looking at how we use podcast apps and the philosophy behind Podcasting 2.0. The goal is to improve what a podcast provides without leaving the podcast app.
The problem with URLs and title searches
If I want you to listen to an old episode and I give you a URL, that URL takes you out of your podcast app and into a web browser. That breaks the listening experience.
Alternatively, if I tell you the title of the episode, you have to search for it. You might get the title wrong, or you might have to scroll through a list of 400+ episodes reading every single title until you find it. That is not a pleasant experience.
The solution
Consider instead if I gave you the episode number (like episode 175). If your episodes are numbered and display that number in the same visual location, it is very easy to scroll through and find the exact episode. You gain a sense of “spatial awareness” in the list—if you scroll back to 250, you know you are getting close to 175.
Until smart linking features become standard in podcast apps, I think the best way to reference other episodes is by the episode number.
If you host a teaching or informational podcast where you frequently reference past lessons, you should use episode numbers. It helps your audience get to that content faster without leaving the app.
3. Use episode numbers for file and folder organization
This usage is totally hidden to your audience, but it helps immensely with your own workflow.
If you sort your computer files by “Date Modified,” opening an old file changes its position in the list. However, if you number your files and folders according to an episode number, they stay ordered sequentially.
For The Audacity to Podcast, I use the format “tap” followed by a 3-digit number (e.g., tap175). I use this for the file names and the folders where I archive my materials.
This also works great if you use PodChapters. If you follow a file naming pattern, you can tell PodChapters to automatically apply a preset to your files based on that pattern.
A Caution: If you pre-record many episodes in advance and number them, but then change your publishing order, you may have to renumber your files. That is up to you, as it only affects your internal organization.
4. Use episode numbers when you can't make better episode URLs
I mentioned episode 175 earlier. I know that theaudacitytopodcast.com/episodenumbers links to it, but theaudacitytopodcast.com/175 is much easier to say and remember if the keyword isn't obvious.
Consider this for podcasts where a single keyword URL doesn't make sense or isn't memorable. You can use the episode number to easily direct people to notes, references, or downloads.
Another Caution: Just like with file organization, if you record in advance and speak the episode number in the audio, you are locked into that order. If you change the order later, your audio will contradict the actual episode number. If you think you might shuffle episodes, try to avoid speaking the specific number in the recording.
5. Use episode numbers correctly and efficiently in episode titles
There is some misinformation that Apple says “do not put episode numbers in your episode titles.”
This is going to blow your mind: They don't actually mean you shouldn't have numbers in your titles.
What they mean is that in the Apple ecosystem, they prefer you use the specific metadata tags: <itunes:episode> for the number and <itunes:title> for the title without the number. This allows their app to display the data optimally.
How to do episode numbers right right for all podcast apps
The goal is full compatibility.
- For Apple Podcasts and a few other apps: Use the separate
<itunes:title>and<itunes:episode>tags so the app can display the number separately from the title. - For all other apps: In the normal
<title>tag (the fallback), include the number and the title together.
If you separate the data correctly, Apple Podcast listeners see a clean interface, but listeners in apps that don't support those specific tags will still see the episode number in the main title.
Be careful with your hosting provider; some break this fallback functionality. You want to ensure that if an app doesn't read the special iTunes tags, the listener still sees the number.
Learn more about including episode numbers in your titles from my episode 359.
Watch for my next episode, which will be episode 421, when I'll cover when not to use episode numbers!
Special thanks
- Brian Enztminger from Top Tier Audio streamed 519§
If you love The Audacity to Podcast and value the podcasting inspiration and education I provide, would you please consider giving back what it's worth to you?
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Disclosure
This post may contain links to products or services with which I have an affiliate relationship. I may receive compensation from your actions through such links. However, I don't let that corrupt my perspective and I don't recommend only affiliates.
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