What Is a Podcast Trailer?
A podcast trailer is a short episode, marked with the episode type “trailer” in the show’s feed, that previews what the show is about so new listeners can decide whether to follow it.
Apple Podcasts supports “three different episode types”: full, bonus and trailer. It defines a full episode as “The complete content of your show” and a trailer as “A short, promotional piece of content that represents a preview of your current show” (Apple Podcasts for Creators). Acast, the podcast host and ad marketplace, uses the same definition and calls full episodes the default (Acast).
A trailer is not just marketing copy. Apple says that “If available, Apple Podcasts automatically presents a trailer, to help listeners discover new shows,” and that its Smart Play button presents a show’s trailer for listeners on iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5 and macOS 11.3 or later (Apple Podcasts for Creators). Spotify places trailers “at the top of your show page” (Spotify). For many first-time visitors, the trailer is the first thing they hear.
How to Make a Podcast Trailer at a Glance
| Step | Action | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Decide what the trailer must say | A one-line promise, a format line and a release date |
| 2 | Write a one- to two-minute script | A script of roughly 150 to 300 words (our estimate at a normal speaking pace) |
| 3 | Record and add sample clips | A rough cut with real voices from the show |
| 4 | Mix and export to Apple’s specs | An MP3 or AAC file around −16 LKFS, peaks under −1 dBFS |
| 5 | Publish it as a trailer episode | Episode type set to Trailer in your host or Apple Podcasts Connect |
| 6 | Set the trailer on Spotify if your host is elsewhere | The trailer pinned at the top of your Spotify show page |
| 7 | Time it for launch and pitch | Trailer live about two weeks before the first full episodes |
Time: one to two days for a first trailer, plus a two-week lead before launch. Tools: a microphone, an audio editor, a podcast host or Apple Podcasts Connect. Cost: none beyond your existing hosting plan. Skill level: beginner to intermediate.
What You Need Before Starting
You need the show’s name, artwork, description and RSS feed in place, because the trailer is published into the same feed as every later episode. If the show is not yet listed in the directories, our guide to submitting a podcast to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube covers the feed and the three submission routes.
- A show type decision. Apple treats episodic and serial shows differently when choosing which trailer to present, so decide which you are before you publish (Apple Podcasts for Creators).
- Season numbers, if you use seasons. Apple advises including “episode and season numbers in the corresponding metadata fields or RSS tags for all episodes” (Apple Podcasts for Creators).
- A planned launch date. The trailer should name it, and Apple’s two-week advice works back from it (Apple Podcasts for Creators).
- Consent from anyone whose voice you clip. If the trailer uses interview excerpts, the guest agreed to an interview, not necessarily to an advert. Our guide to getting consent to record a podcast guest covers the basics. This is not legal advice.
Step 1: Decide What the Trailer Must Say
A trailer has to answer three questions fast: what the show is, who it is for, and when and how often new episodes arrive. Apple’s suggestion is to “pique interest” by “introducing the themes of your show and sample interviews” (Apple Podcasts for Creators). Write those three answers as single sentences before scripting anything else. If you cannot state the show’s promise in one sentence, the trailer will not fix that.
For a company or executive podcast, add who is hosting and why they are credible, stated as plain fact: a job title or a body of work, not superlatives. Our recommendation, not a platform rule.
Step 2: Write a One- to Two-Minute Script
Script the trailer to Apple’s suggested length of one to two minutes, which at a normal speaking pace is roughly 150 to 300 words by our estimate. Apple’s guidance is the only published length we found; Spotify’s page states no limit but says its tool suggests short episodes first when you choose a trailer (Apple Podcasts for Creators; Spotify).
A simple structure that fits the length, which is our recommendation:
- A cold open: 10 to 20 seconds of the most interesting moment you have recorded.
- The host introduces the show in two or three sentences: topic, audience, format.
- Two or three short clips that show range: different guests, different questions.
- The call to action: the launch date, the release schedule, and “follow the show” in the listener’s app.
Avoid dates that will go stale if the trailer stays up for years, or plan to replace it. Apple shows the oldest trailer by default for an episodic show, as Step 5 explains, so a stale trailer can linger.
Step 3: Record the Host Lines and Pull Sample Clips
Record the host’s lines in the same room and on the same microphone as the show, so the trailer sounds like the episodes it promises. If you have no episodes yet, record a short sample conversation for the clips rather than reading a description of one. Apple explicitly suggests “sample interviews,” and real voices give listeners a better sense of the show than narration (Apple Podcasts for Creators).
Keep each clip under about 20 seconds and make sure it makes sense without context. Our recommendation, not a platform rule.
Step 4: Mix and Export to Apple’s Audio Specs
Export the trailer as AAC or MP3 at Apple’s recommended bit rates, with loudness around −16 LKFS and true peaks no higher than −1 dBFS. Apple says that for RSS feeds it “accepts MP3 or AAC formats” and prefers AAC. It asks that “the overall loudness remains around -16 dB LKFS, with a +/- 1 dB tolerance” and that “the true-peak value doesn’t exceed -1 dB FS,” measured to ITU-R BS.1770-5, applied before encoding (Apple Podcasts for Creators).
Kilobits per second (kbps), at 44.1 or 48 kHz sampling
Source: Apple Podcasts for Creators, “Audio requirements.” Read October 30, 2026.
The RSS ranges apply to both AAC and MP3; Apple prefers AAC. Apple Podcasts Connect also accepts WAV and FLAC, which are not measured in these bit rates. Apple lists lower RSS ranges for 22.05 or 24 kHz audio, not shown.
The chart shows that a stereo trailer for an RSS feed should sit between 128 and 256 kbps, and a mono one between 64 and 128 kbps; anything at the Apple Podcasts Connect minimums will sound noticeably worse.
If you upload directly to Apple Podcasts Connect rather than through an RSS host, Apple accepts “WAV, FLAC, or MP3” and does not accept single-channel WAV or FLAC: mono sources should be sent “with two identical channels for left and right” (Apple Podcasts for Creators). Match the loudness of the trailer to your episodes so a listener who moves from one to the next does not reach for the volume.
Step 5: Publish It as a Trailer Episode
Publish the trailer as a new episode and set its episode type to Trailer, either in your podcast host’s episode settings or in Apple Podcasts Connect. In Apple Podcasts Connect, the episode metadata includes a field that “Indicates whether it’s a full, bonus, or trailer episode” (Apple Podcasts for Creators). Hosts expose the same setting; Podbean, for example, puts it under More Episode Settings, where you “select the episode type as Trailer” (Podbean Help).
Behind the setting is one RSS tag in the episode’s <item>:
<itunes:episodeType>trailer</itunes:episodeType>Podbean’s documentation lists the three values: “full” (the default), “trailer,” for “a short, promotional piece of content,” and “bonus” (Podbean Help). Apple’s page notes that a show must have “at least one episode” to be available on Apple Podcasts; the help pages we read do not say whether a trailer alone satisfies that, though Apple’s editorial guidance clearly expects new shows to launch with a trailer live (Apple Podcasts for Creators; Apple Podcasts for Creators).
Which trailer Apple shows depends on the show type. Apple says: “For an episodic show, Apple Podcasts presents the oldest trailer (by publish date).” And: “For a serial show, Apple Podcasts presents the trailer for the latest season, then fall back to the oldest trailer” (Apple Podcasts for Creators). So a serial show can publish a new trailer each season, tagged with that season number, while an episodic show that wants a fresh trailer has to remove or replace the old one.
A newer, optional standard also exists. The Podcast Namespace, an open set of RSS tags maintained by the Podcast Index project, defines a channel-level <podcast:trailer> tag “used to define the location of an audio or video file to be used as a trailer” “for the entire podcast or a specific season,” with required url and pubdate attributes and an optional season attribute (Podcast Namespace). Apple’s pages we read do not mention it, so treat it as an extra, not a replacement for the episode type.
Step 6: Set the Trailer on Spotify
On Spotify, a show hosted with Spotify for Creators sets the episode type to Trailer on upload, while a show hosted elsewhere picks an existing episode as its trailer in Settings. For Spotify-hosted shows, Spotify’s steps are to click “New Episode,” upload the file, and under Additional details set the Episode type to Trailer before you publish or schedule. For shows hosted elsewhere, “go to Settings, and click ‘Select your trailer,’” choose the episode and click “Set Trailer” (Spotify).
The two apps handle trailers differently. The table below is our comparison of the help pages we read on October 30, 2026.
| Question | Apple Podcasts | Spotify |
|---|---|---|
| How is a trailer marked? | Episode type “trailer” in Connect or the RSS feed | Episode type Trailer on upload (Spotify-hosted), or “Select your trailer” in Settings (hosted elsewhere) |
| Where does it appear? | Presented automatically; Smart Play plays it on iOS 14.5 and later | At the top of the show page |
| Which one, if several? | Episodic: oldest. Serial: latest season’s, then oldest | The one you select |
| Published length guidance | One to two minutes | None stated; short episodes suggested first |
Spotify’s page does not say whether it reads the trailer type from an outside host’s RSS feed, so do not assume it does. If your show is hosted elsewhere, set the trailer by hand once the episode has appeared on Spotify. Video uploads are available on the web only; the Spotify mobile app accepts audio files (Spotify).
Step 7: Time It for Launch and Your Pitch
Publish the trailer about two weeks before your first full episodes, and pitch Apple’s editors in that window. Apple’s editorial page says: “Consider releasing your trailer two weeks in advance of releasing your first full episodes,” and that “For new shows, submit a pitch at least two weeks in advance of when you plan on releasing your first full episodes.” It adds that “The trailer and the feed link is necessary for submitting a pitch request,” and that a pitch should include “details about your show, your launch plan, and featuring art,” plus “advance audio of full episodes” (Apple Podcasts for Creators).
A pitch is a request, not a placement. Apple does not promise to feature any show. Use the two weeks to put the trailer where people will hear it: on the show’s website, which our guide to embedding a podcast episode covers, and in the show notes of related shows you appear on. Our guide to writing podcast show notes covers the trailer’s own description.
How to Verify It Worked
Check three places: the RSS feed, the Apple Podcasts show page and the Spotify show page.
- Feed: open the feed URL in a browser and find the trailer’s
<item>. It should contain<itunes:episodeType>trailer</itunes:episodeType>, and a season number if you use seasons. - Apple Podcasts: on a device running iOS 14.5 or later, open the show page. Apple says Smart Play presents the trailer when one is available (Apple Podcasts for Creators).
- Spotify: the trailer should sit at the top of the show page (Spotify).
- Analytics: after a week, compare trailer plays with follows in Apple Podcasts Connect and Spotify for Creators. Our guide to reading podcast analytics in Apple and Spotify explains where each figure lives.
Common Problems and Fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Apple shows an old trailer, not the new one | Episodic shows present the oldest trailer by publish date | Remove or change the type of the old trailer, or switch to seasons if the show is serial |
| Serial show shows the wrong season’s trailer | The new trailer has no season number | Add the season number to the trailer’s metadata |
| Trailer appears as an ordinary episode | Episode type left at the default, full | Set the type to Trailer in the host or Apple Podcasts Connect |
| No trailer at the top of Spotify | Show hosted outside Spotify; trailer not selected | Settings, “Select your trailer,” then “Set Trailer” |
| Trailer much louder or quieter than episodes | Different loudness targets in the mix | Normalize both to about −16 LKFS before encoding |
| Apple Podcasts Connect rejects a WAV upload | Single-channel WAV or FLAC | Export as two identical left and right channels |
What Not to Do
Do not publish the trailer as a full episode. Consequence: apps will not present it as the show’s preview. Correction: set the episode type to Trailer.
Do not pad it past two minutes. Consequence: you lose the listener the trailer was meant to win. Correction: cut to the promise, the clips and the date.
Do not use guest clips the guest has not cleared for promotion. Consequence: an awkward conversation, or worse. Correction: ask first, in writing.
Do not launch the trailer and the first episodes on the same day if you want to pitch Apple. Consequence: you miss the two-week window Apple’s editors ask for. Correction: publish the trailer about two weeks early (Apple Podcasts for Creators).
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a podcast trailer be?
Apple suggests a one- to two-minute trailer episode. Spotify’s help page sets no length limit but suggests short episodes when you choose a trailer.
When should I publish a podcast trailer?
Apple’s editorial guidance suggests releasing the trailer two weeks before your first full episodes, and pitching new shows to Apple’s editors at least two weeks before launch.
How do I mark an episode as a trailer?
Set the episode type to Trailer in your podcast host or in Apple Podcasts Connect. In the RSS feed this appears as
Which trailer does Apple Podcasts show if I have more than one?
Apple says it presents the oldest trailer by publish date for an episodic show. For a serial show it presents the trailer for the latest season, then falls back to the oldest trailer.
Do I need a trailer to pitch my podcast to Apple?
Yes, for a new show. Apple says that to submit a pitch for a new show you need at least a trailer live in the show’s feed, along with the feed link.
How do I set a trailer on Spotify?
If Spotify hosts the show, set the episode type to Trailer when you upload. If the show is hosted elsewhere, go to Settings in Spotify for Creators, click Select your trailer, choose the episode and click Set Trailer.
Sources and Methodology
This guide is built from Apple Podcasts for Creators’ help pages on creating episodes, episode order, editorial curation and audio requirements, Spotify’s help page on uploading a trailer, Podbean’s and Acast’s documentation on episode types, and the Podcast Namespace specification for the podcast:trailer tag, all read on October 30, 2026. The script structure, word-count estimate and clip length are our recommendations, not platform rules. We did not test how third-party apps other than Apple Podcasts and Spotify display trailers.
- platform documentation Apple Podcasts for Creators, Create an episode. Episode types, trailer definition, one- to two-minute suggestion, at least one episode required. Read October 30, 2026.
- platform documentation Apple Podcasts for Creators, Set up serial and episodic shows. Which trailer Apple presents; Smart Play; season and episode numbers. Read October 30, 2026.
- platform documentation Apple Podcasts for Creators, Editorial curation. Two-week trailer and pitch timing; trailer required to pitch a new show. Read October 30, 2026.
- platform documentation Apple Podcasts for Creators, Audio requirements. Formats, bit rates, loudness and true peak. Read October 30, 2026.
- platform documentation Spotify, Uploading a trailer. Spotify-hosted and externally hosted trailer steps; trailer placement. Read October 30, 2026.
- vendor Podbean, How to set iOS 11 iTunes feed tags in your podcast. itunes:episodeType values; Podbean trailer setting. Read October 30, 2026.
- vendor Acast, What do trailer, full and bonus mean?. Episode type definitions; full is the default. Read October 30, 2026.
- standards Podcast Index, podcast:trailer (Podcast Namespace). Channel-level trailer tag and attributes. Read October 30, 2026.