Why your podcast needs a trailer

Trailers are your first impression.

Trailers help listeners preview what you show is about, the topics you’ll cover, and potentially inspire them to click play. Now, when audiences discover your podcast on Spotify, your trailer is one of the first things they’ll see:

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Other podcast platforms also include a high-priority spot for trailers, and there’s a designated link for your trailer on your Spotify for Podcasters profile page. These placements are an excellent opportunity to capture the attention of new listeners and make a memorable first impression with your podcast. Take advantage of this real estate with a trailer that excites people to dive into your full-length episodes.

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Trailers are your elevator pitch.

Trailers are useful for audiences and hosts alike. For audiences, trailers provide an immediate sense of what your podcast is about, without having to read a lengthy description. For hosts, they help you figure out how to describe your podcast in a concise way and hone in on its essential appeal. This exercise can help you refocus the format of your show, strategize your messaging, and consider more deeply why your podcast connects with listeners. At the very least, the next time you’re out in public and your podcast ~magically~ comes up in conversation, you’ll have a short and snappy way to convince people to listen.\

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Trailers grow your audience earlier.

This situation might sound familiar: you thought up a game-changing idea for a podcast, you recorded your first episode, and you’re finally ready for your big premiere.

…except after you hit ‘Publish,’ you only have 4 listeners.

The answer? Release a trailer in advance of Episode 1. Trailers give you a head start on growing your audience, allowing you to make a bigger splash with your podcast debut. With a trailer, you can submit your podcast to listening platforms and start sending people to your show before dropping your first episode. This is not only useful for accumulating followers sooner than later, but it allows for a more coordinated premiere: you can hype up your first episode with greater confidence, having already passed the distribution process of your favorite listening platforms, which can sometimes take up to 2 weeks to approve your show.

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Trailers promote your show.

Podcast trailers are a tool to hook new listeners and promote your show. When you record a trailer with Spotify for Podcasters, we’ll automatically turn your recording into a beautiful, transcribed video that you can use to spread the word about your podcast.

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The animated video is designed to be shared on social and YouTube. It features customizable background music and can be downloaded in multiple dimensions, giving you total control over how you promote your podcast.

Include your trailer as part of your podcast press kit, embed it on your website, and share it far and wide to your future listeners. Spreading the word can create a snowball effect when it comes to your audience size.

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Trailers can evolve.

Whether you’ve published no episodes or 100 episodes, a podcast trailer is an ongoing opportunity to greet new listeners and give additional context to your show. Your trailer doesn’t have to hype up what’s to come — it can usher people into your back catalog and serve as an evergreen entry point for your podcast.

It’s never too late to record at trailer. Use the prominent position that trailers receive in podcast interfaces as a chance to re-introduce yourself to future and existing listeners, and remember that you can update your trailer at any time as your show evolves.

It only takes a minute to record a great trailer. Creators hosting their podcast with Spotify for Podcasters can head over to ‘Your Podcast’ > ‘Episodes’ in the Spotify for Podcasters mobile app, and start gathering new listeners today.

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