How To Package Your Podcast Episodes

Are you wondering how to set up your episode for editing or what direction to give your podcast editor? Below is a standard layout for your episodes.

Not all episodes will have pre-roll disclaimers or ads. You may not have mid-roll ads, either. But when you are ready for those details, the layout below is how you’ll setup your episode.

Classic Advertising Layout

The episode packages below assume you will be using pre-roll and mid-roll ads to monetize, whether you use an advertising service or your podcast is part of your brand funnel. This allows hosts to fucoses on the message of the episode as it relates to their ideal listener and lets the ad be the ad. The solo episodes or interviews do not have a path to sale or conversion other than the content should resonate with the ideal listener and draw them in to build connection, trust, and relationship, motivating them to buy over time.

Pre-Roll Ads are opportunities to sell sponsorship slots for your podcast episodes. For example, “This episode is brought to you by Mcdonald’s. We are LOVING it.”

Mid-Roll Ads are higher-priced ads that might be used to sell a product or service or encourage donation. This ad is up to a minute long and is an opportunity for the host to use their personal experience to sell something to listeners who trust them.

This layout is best for: 

• Content that should not have a sales focus due to its sensitive nature. The mid-roll ad does the promoting, and the episode is simply the episode.
• Anyone who wants to be able to easily rotate ads in and out of episodes depending on content fit.
• Anyone who wants to use a podcast advertising service that will automatically place ads.
• Anyone who wants to use a podcast advertising service that has host-read ads.

Episode Layout | ONE

20-30 Minute Solo Episode

1. Pre-Roll Ad or Disclaimer | 30 Seconds

2. Unique Intro | One Minute

3. Show Music Transition

4. Episode/Interview | 10 Minutes

5. Ad Music Transition

6. Mid-Roll Ad | One Minute

7. Ad Music Transition

8. Continue Episode/Interview | 10 Minutes

9. Show Music Transition

10. Outro (unique or canned) | 30 Seconds

Episode Layout | TWO

45-90 Min Interview

1. Pre-Roll Ad Disclaimer (if needed) | 20 Seconds

2. Pre-Roll Ad | 30 Seconds

3. Unique Intro | One Minute

4. Show Music Transition

5. Episode/Interview  | 20-30 Min

6. Ad Music Transition

7. Mid-Roll Ad | One Minute

8. Ad Music Transition

9. Continue Episode/Interview | 30-40 Min

10. Show Music Transition

11. Outro (unique or canned)  | 30 Seconds

Episode Layout | THREE

Short Form Daily Podcast | 7-10 Min Episodes

1. Pre-Roll Ad Disclaimer (if needed) | 10 Seconds

2. Pre-Roll Ad | 20 Seconds

3. Show Music Transition

4. Intro + Episode  | 7-10 min

5. Show Music Transition

6. Outro (unique or canned)  | 20 Seconds

The Sales Conversion Layout

A sales funnel podcast layout assumes your episodes are crafted to lead someone through your sales funnel. Each episode takes the listener on a journey so they download a free resource, sign up for a course, join a Mastermind, buy a book, or take some sort of specific action. Rather than relying on a mid-roll ad to promote your product or service, the episode itself is crafted to encourage conversion at the end of every episode. Coaches and consultants commonly use this type of episode. Remember, even episodes that focus on conversion need to utilize storytelling and ensure the host builds a PERSONAL relationship with the listener so they don’t sound salesy.

This layout is best for:

• Consultant or coaches who want their listeners to take action as a way to get into their sales funnel
• Hosts with ideal listeners that are expecting some action so they can grow or learn
• Hosts who do not want to use an advertising service
• Hosts who do not want pre or mid-roll ads, but an episode that builds up to one singular action

Layout One

• Pre-Roll Ad Disclaimer (if needed) | 20 Seconds

• Unique Intro | One Minute

• Show Music Transition

• Hero Journey Episode Content

• How Listener Can Take Action

• Show Music Transition

• Outro (unique or canned)  | 30 Seconds

Layout Two

• Pre-Roll Disclaimer if needed

• Unique Intro | One Minute

• Show Music Transition

• Focused Interview

• How Listener Can Take Action

• Show Music Transition

• Outro (unique or canned)  | 30 Seconds