Why your podcast needs a trailer

Show or podcast trailers give listeners and viewers a taste of what they can expect from your show. Just like movie trailers, podcast trailers are an engaging way to highlight a show’s features, entice potential audiences, and drum up excitement for what’s to come.
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Here’s why.

Trailers are your first impression.

Trailers help listeners and viewers preview what you show is about, the topics you’ll cover, and potentially inspire them to click play. When audiences discover your show or 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 audio or video trailer on your Spotify for Creators profile page. These placements are an excellent opportunity to capture the attention of new listeners and viewers 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 show or podcast is about, without having to read a lengthy description. For hosts, they help you figure out how to describe your show 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 and viewers. 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 show or podcast, you recorded your first episode, and you’re finally ready for your big premiere.

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

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 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 viewers and promote your show.

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Include your trailer as part of your show or podcast press kit, embed it on your website, and share it far and wide to your future listeners and viewers. 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 viewers 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 show or podcast.

It’s never too late to record a 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 show or podcast with Spotify for Creators can create a dynamic audio or video trailer directly in our web experience with our integration with Riverside, here for more info.