Start a podcast script by writing the episode's promise in one sentence, then a cold open that proves it, and only after that the intro, segments and outro. Write the opening and the close word for word, keep the middle as bullet prompts so you still sound like yourself, and mark chapter starts and ad breaks while you write, so the edit, the chapter list and the show notes all come out of the same document.
The template below works for solo and interview shows. Sponsor copy, meaning the words of a paid read itself, is a separate job and not covered here, and video-first scripts for YouTube have their own YouTube script template. Platform rules quoted were read from Apple, Spotify and YouTube on 1 October 2026.
Script, outline or run-sheet: match the document to the format
Reading every word aloud sounds stiff in a conversation, while improvising a documentary loses the story. Decide which parts are fixed and which are free before you start writing.
| Format | Write word for word | Leave as prompts | Working document |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | Cold open, transitions between points, the close | Explanations and examples inside each point | Hybrid script with bullet sections |
| Co-hosted | The cold open cue and who introduces each segment | The discussion itself | Shared outline with a named lead per segment |
| Interview | Guest introduction, any disclosure, the close | Questions and follow-ups | Run-sheet, shown further down |
| Narrative | Nearly all narration | Interview clips, marked by cue | Full script with tape cues |
The fill-in episode script template
Copy the blocks into a document and replace each prompt. The bracketed markers are for you and your editor, not for reading aloud.
| Block | What to write | Prompt to fill in |
|---|---|---|
| Episode promise (not read aloud) | Who the episode is for and what they will know by the end | “After this episode, a listener who ___ will be able to ___.” |
| [CHAPTER] Cold open | The strongest line, story beat or clip from later in the episode | “The moment I realized ___ was the day ___.” |
| Theme and identity | Show name, host name and the one-line description of the show | “This is ___, the show about ___. I'm ___.” |
| Roadmap | What this episode covers, in the order it happens | “First ___, then ___, and at the end ___.” |
| [CHAPTER] Segment one | One point, one example, one takeaway | Point: ___ / Example: ___ / So what: ___ |
| [AD BREAK] Pause marker | A clean pause with no talking over it; note any sponsor read and its disclosure line | Break type ___ / Sponsor ___ / Disclosure line ___ |
| [CHAPTER] Segment two | The next point, building on the first | Point: ___ / Example: ___ / So what: ___ |
| [CHAPTER] Segment three | The payoff the cold open promised | Point: ___ / Example: ___ / So what: ___ |
| Recap | The takeaways restated in plain words | “If you remember one thing, make it ___.” |
| Call to action | A single request, not a list | Follow / review / reply / visit: ___ |
| [CHAPTER] Outro and teaser | What the next episode covers, then credits | “Next time, ___. Until then ___.” |
| Show notes draft | Summary, chapter list with timestamps, links, disclosure | Summary ___ / Chapters ___ / Links ___ |
Drop-off charts tell you which blocks to tighten next time. Apple frames its analytics around questions such as whether listeners skip an intro or a mid-roll, and the podcast analytics guide explains how to read those curves on each platform.
Worked example: a solo episode, filled in
Here is the template completed for an illustrative episode called “Why your brand pitch gets ignored”, so you can see how little needs to be written word for word.
- Promise: after this episode, a creator who sends cold pitches can rewrite one so it answers the brand's first question before it is asked.
- Cold open, scripted: “The pitch that finally got a reply was the shortest one I ever sent, and it barely mentioned me.”
- Roadmap, scripted: what a brand scans for first, the part most pitches leave out, and a rewrite done on air.
- Segment one, prompts only: fit before price; a pitch that opens with who the audience is; lead with them, not you.
- Ad break: no sponsor this week, but leave the pause so a break inserted later has a natural home.
- Recap, scripted: lead with fit, prove it with one example, make the reply effortless.
- Call to action, scripted: “Follow the show so the rewrite episode lands in your feed automatically.”
Notice that the segments stay as prompts. If the topic is pitching, the written version of the advice lives in the brand pitch email template, which makes a good companion link for the show notes.
Chapter markers that work on Apple and Spotify
Both apps read chapters written into the episode description, but their rules differ, so script chapters to the stricter of the two.
| Rule | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| How many | At least three, and no more than six per hour | At least 3 | Apple, Spotify |
| First chapter | Starts at 00:00:00 | Starts at 00:00 or 00:00:00 | Apple, Spotify |
| Length | No chapter shorter than two minutes | At least 30 seconds between start times | Apple, Spotify |
| Titles | 45 characters or fewer, under five words, title case | Under 40 characters recommended, plain text without emojis or HTML | Apple, Spotify |
| Automatic chapters | Generated for English full and bonus episodes, never for trailers or episodes under 10 minutes | English only and not yet on every show; editable, and AI-written chapter hooks can be switched off | Apple, Spotify |
Combining Apple's chapter guidance with Spotify's chapter rules gives one safe set: at least three chapters, the first at zero, none shorter than two minutes, no more than six an hour, and titles under 40 characters and four words or fewer, in title case, with no numbering because Spotify strips index numbers anyway. Write each chapter on its own line as a timestamp followed by the title. YouTube builds chapters from the same timestamp lines in a video description, which its podcast content guide recommends for longer episodes.
Ad-break markers and the sponsor disclosure line
If ads will be inserted later, script the pauses they need. Spotify's ad break guide for its Partner Program warns that a break inside the first 10 seconds may not play, recommends at least 15 minutes between mid-rolls, and allows up to five breaks per episode. Its automatic placement listens for pauses in speech, background music and changes of speaker, so a deliberate beat of silence at each [AD BREAK] marker gives it somewhere sensible to land. The same guide asks you to check automatic breaks whenever an episode contains a baked-in sponsor read, because a break can end up inside it.
A paid mention also needs a disclosure that the listener hears, not just one buried in the show notes. The FTC's Disclosures 101 guide says a disclosure belongs with the endorsement itself and that, in a video, it should be in the video rather than only in the description; the same logic points a podcast host towards saying it aloud at the start of the read. The UK's Advertising Standards Authority, in its influencer advertising guidance, prefers a clear “Ad” label upfront and advises against “sponsored”, a word the FTC accepts. In Australia, Ad Standards applies the AANA Code rule that advertising must be clearly distinguishable.
A disclosure line written with all three sets of guidance in mind: “This next part is an ad. [Brand] paid for this segment.” For a gifted product, swap the second sentence for “[Brand] sent me this for free.” Say it before the endorsement starts, and repeat it in the show notes.
Two platform rules shape the rest. Apple's content guidelines say an episode's editorial content should greatly exceed its advertising. YouTube's policy on embedded sponsorships bans third-party ads that imitate its own ad formats, such as pre-rolls and mid-rolls, but allows paid endorsements that are declared with the paid promotion setting. The FTC disclosure rules guide and the Australian disclosure rules guide go deeper on wording.
Interview run-sheet
- Before the call: confirm in writing that the guest agrees to be recorded and published, how clips may be used, how to pronounce their name, and which links they want in the notes. If you will publish their photo on Apple Podcasts, Apple's host and guest photo policy requires a signed release.
- Tech check: wired headphones on, notifications off, local recording running on both ends, and a short test clip played back.
- Opening question: something easy and specific that gets a story, not a biography.
- Core questions: the three or four questions the episode promise depends on, in the order the story needs.
- Follow-up prompts: “What happened next?”, “Can you give an example?” and “What would you tell someone starting out?”
- Cut list: note the timestamp of anything the guest asks you to remove, and confirm the edit with them before release.
- Close: where listeners can find the guest, a thank-you, and the date the episode goes out.
Trailer script in two lengths
Apple's trailer guide says to keep a trailer to two minutes or less and outlines four beats: introduce the show and hosts, share highlights, build curiosity, and finish with a call to action. Spotify's trailer tips push for under one minute. Write the short cut first, using one line per beat, then expand each beat with a clip for the longer version. Upload either as a Trailer episode type so apps place it correctly.
Turn the script into titles and show notes
The finished script already holds your show notes. Apple's guide to presenting a podcast suggests leading an episode title with the most interesting topic or guest and leaving the show name and date out, since the app displays both. Spotify's show notes article supports bold and italic text, lists, headers and links, accepts only https links, and passes the formatting to every app, where it may display differently. Spell words out in full; Apple asks creators not to self-censor titles and applies its own filter plus the Explicit flag. When the notes are ready, the podcast launch checklist covers publishing.
Limits of the template
A template structures an episode; it cannot make the content interesting, and no structure here is linked to any particular listener result. The Spotify ad-break guidance applies to shows in its Partner Program, and other ad systems have their own placement rules. Disclosure wording is general information, not legal advice: requirements differ between countries and change, and a brand contract can add conditions of its own, so check with a lawyer if a deal or a claim in a read worries you.