What do cult classics and top-notch podcasts have in common? A killer script.
A script can make or break your podcast. Scripts are the unsung heroes of podcasts, bringing structure to the episodes and helping you record an episode that can hook your listeners.
There’s more than one way to write a compelling podcast script. The genres vary, so what works for one person might not fit another. So does the style of writing scripts. You may like a detailed script, just as another person may prefer bulleted lists of talking points.
Apart from the style and substance, the one thing that helps you produce great scripts regularly is a template. However, a single template can’t cover everything, given the many different kinds of podcasts and the variations one wants to see in them.
We’ve put together a list of 10 templates that can help you record great podcasts every time, no matter the kind of podcast you host. With these 10 free script templates, you’ve got what you need to record an awesome show! 🎙️
- What Are Podcast Script Templates?
- What Makes a Good Podcast Script Template?
- 10 Free Podcast Script Templates to Use in 2024
- 1. ClickUp Podcast Script Template
- 2. ClickUp Blank Podcast Outline Template
- 3. ClickUp Podcast Plan Template
- 4. ClickUp Podcasting Template (With Guests)
- 5. ClickUp Podcasting Template (Without Guests)
- 6. ClickUp Podcast Description Template
- 7. ClickUp Podcast Sponsorship Template
- 8. ClickUp Podcast Planning Template
- 9. ClickUp Podcast Template
- 10. ClickUp Podcast Calendar Template
- How to Write a Podcast Script?
- Become an Ace Podcaster with These Free Podcast Script Templates
What Are Podcast Script Templates?
A podcast script template is an outline of an episode’s structure, which includes the different sections, themes, talking points, the opening or introduction, closing remarks, sponsor message, and so on. The pre-designed framework ensures consistent structure across episodes and helps speed up the scripting process.
The level of detail or the information in the script template depends on several factors, such as the theme, the content, the complexity of the content, the format, the guests, and the tone.
With scripts to guide your podcast episodes, you can:
- Organize your thoughts: They keep your ideas in order so you don’t stray off-topic
- Save time: They speed up the planning and scripting process. With templates, you don’t have to start from scratch every time
- Improve flow: They help ensure your episode flows smoothly, making it more enjoyable for listeners
- Ensure consistency: Using a template for each episode helps keep your podcast’s style consistent, which can help retain listeners who relate to your podcast
- Improve quality: With a clear structure, your episodes are likely to be more engaging and professional
Podcast templates are an incredibly helpful tool for creating compelling, organized episodes. With a template for your podcast script, you can cover all your bases, which helps you keep your podcast interesting and easy to follow.
What Makes a Good Podcast Script Template?
A good podcast script template offers clarity and structure and helps you make your episodes streamlined and focused.
Here are the key characteristics of a good template:
- Simplicity: A simple template avoids unnecessary complexity and focuses on essential podcast elements
- Flexibility: A template that adapts to different podcast styles, whether interview, solo, or narrative, tends to be easier to use
- Clarity: Clear headings and sections in a template make it easy to follow and fill out
- Consistency: A good template usually has a uniform episode structure
- Engagement: Templates that suggest prompts or questions that engage the audience
- Preparation: They should include segments for research and guest introduction
- Personalization: The ability to customize the template to fit the unique voice of your podcast
10 Free Podcast Script Templates to Use in 2024
Podcasts are growing faster than most other forms of digital infotainment avenues. And there are new themes, styles, and categories coming up every day. A single podcast script template is unlikely to meet the growing needs of podcasters.
We’ve compiled a list of 10 free templates. No matter the episode topic, these script templates can help get your podcast up and running.
1. ClickUp Podcast Script Template
The ClickUp Podcast Script Template is a beginner-friendly template that ensures all your podcast episodes are neatly organized.
It allows you to write scripts quickly and efficiently. You can organize every aspect of your podcast from start to finish. Plus, it has a field for you to take notes for every episode so you stay on track.
Create tasks and add custom statuses to monitor every stage your podcast script goes through. Edit collaboratively with teammates, for instance, your co-host or producers. You can also use custom fields to add relevant fields to the template.
Also, you can use the AI-powered ClickUp Brain in ClickUp Docs to write scripts and brainstorm ideas for your podcast episode.
Ideal for: People who are looking to launch their first podcast |
2. ClickUp Blank Podcast Outline Template
The ClickUp Blank Podcast Outline Template is the simplest to use among all the templates and outlines listed here. Fill in the details of your podcast episode and add fields to give it a detailed structure—and voila! It’s good to go.
Start by adding the podcast name in the title, then add hosts, recording date, and link to the script. You can also add podcast guests. The progress update field will notify you about which stage you are in your podcast creation.
After you’ve completed the fields, you can add tasks and subtasks to the to-do lists. These depend on your requirements, such as ‘planning topic and guests,’ ‘recording the podcast, ‘ ‘producing the podcast,’ and so on.
Ideal for: Perfect for new podcasters who don’t want to be overwhelmed with choices |
3. ClickUp Podcast Plan Template
This ClickUp Podcast Plan Template is great for hosts who want to plan every podcast episode in detail.
Custom status fields help you keep track of your podcast progress. You can mark the status as Cancelled, Complete, In Progress, On Hold, or To Do. The Progress Bar visually illustrates how close you are to completing your podcast.
Use Custom fields to add details for each episode, such as Topic, Listeners, Subscribers, Episode Title, and more. The ‘Type of Podcast’ field allows you to indicate whether your podcast is solo or with guests.
This feature-heavy, intermediate template is ready to use and fully customizable.
Ideal for: Podcasters who release episodes regularly and need to schedule episodes weeks ahead of recording |
4. ClickUp Podcasting Template (With Guests)
This ClickUp Podcasting Template (With Guests) is particularly helpful for organizing and managing your podcast guest list.
Create custom statuses to track your progress on guest invites. Depending on the situation, set them to Guest to Reach Out To, Invited Guests, or Completed Guests.
The Episode Tracker and Workflow sections help keep a tab on the progress of your podcast publishing schedule. You can mark each episode as ‘Recording,’ ‘Editing,’ ‘Edits Complete’ and ‘Published.’
You can also set multiple assignees for every podcast project, create deadlines, and flag every podcast based on priority.
Ideal for: The podcast production team |
5. ClickUp Podcasting Template (Without Guests)
Going solo? This ClickUp Podcasting Template (Without Guests) is a beginner-friendly template for podcast hosts to plan episodes, guests, and sponsorships.
Set 19 editable statuses, such as ‘Complete,’ ‘Editing,’ ‘Edits Complete,’ and so on. This template has pre-built statuses for specific purposes, such as Affiliate Promotion, Email List Promotion, and New Course Promotion.
It also includes six customizable views that you can set based on your product size and any other specific needs. You can view your template in List, Docs, Board, Calendar, or Table view.
The high level of functionality of this template makes it suitable for podcast hosts who run podcasts with varying needs.
Ideal for: New podcasters or those who follow the storytelling format in their podcasts |
6. ClickUp Podcast Description Template
This template doesn’t focus on podcast workflows and management. Instead, it’s specifically designed to assist you in writing podcast descriptions that highlight your episode’s key takeaways.
This ClickUp Podcast Description Template lets you create engaging and informative podcast descriptions to reel your audiences in! Create separate projects for your podcast episodes, write down the key topics for each episode, and then start writing the description.
You can also use the incredibly capable AI-powered ClickUp Brain to generate podcast descriptions that resonate with your target group.
Ideal for: The podcast production team |
7. ClickUp Podcast Sponsorship Template
Sponsorships and endorsements are an intrinsic part of running a successful podcast. This ClickUp Podcast Sponsorship Template is specifically designed to help you with that side of things.
The template provides an informative guide on how to create podcast sponsorship proposals to increase your chances of securing sponsorships. Track potential sponsors and list the benefits of their support. You can also preserve your conversations with sponsors in the template.
Keep track of the progress of your sponsorship leads with customizable status markers. With custom view options like Doc, List, Gantt, Workload, and Calendar, you can access the template the way you want to.
Ideal for: Podcast teams that work with sponsors and brands to produce their episodes |
8. ClickUp Podcast Planning Template
Whether it’s artificial intelligence, women in tech, or any other topic, this comprehensive ClickUp Podcast Planning Template helps you keep track of all potential topics.
You can start the template from scratch and add tasks and subtasks as you go through your podcast workflow—Ideas, Planning, Scheduling, Recording, Production, and Publishing.
The template is highly customizable, too. Add recording dates, podcast type, guest lists, and more. You can also upload attachments like documents, audio files, and other useful resources.
Ideal for: Solo podcasters or hosts who publish episodes regularly |
9. ClickUp Podcast Template
Another beginner-friendly template, the ClickUp Podcast Template helps you keep your podcast script and episodes in a single directory.
Sort projects based on status, such as Planned, Recorded, Edited, and Posted, or create custom groups of episodes based on their theme or style. Use the template to track publishing dates, music assets, and other relevant resources.
The option to toggle between List and Board views makes it easily accessible. You can also add due dates to ensure no delays in the podcast production queue.
Ideal for: New podcasters exploring different types of themes and styles |
10. ClickUp Podcast Calendar Template
This fully customizable ClickUp Podcast Calendar Template is perfect for staying on track with your podcast publishing schedule. With this pre-built Calendar-style template, you can monitor upcoming episodes, topics, guests, and timelines in the pipeline.
With 18 custom fields, you can set personalized labels that classify every episode by unique attributes, such as Budget, Audio Production, Guest Headshot, Guest Bio, Sponsor, and more.
The Color-coded tags make it easy to keep track of the production stage of each episode, such as Concept, Outreach, Scheduling, Recording, Production, and more.
Ideal for: Podcast production teams as well as podcasters who publish episodes weekly |
How to Write a Podcast Script?
Calendars, templates, themes, outreach, and sponsorship are, of course, important, but there’s still one important thing left to address: writing the podcast script.
Writing a good, engaging podcast script that has the potential to enthrall your audience is a tall order. It isn’t as simple as jotting down notes—many elements go into writing good content for each episode.
Here are some best practices and podcast script tips you can follow to create a script that’s both engaging and effective:
1. Compelling intros
All impactful podcasts grab their listeners’ attention as soon as they begin. You must write a strong opening for each episode.
This opening line can be anything from a catchy question to an unexpected fact or a sneak peek of what’s to come. Doing so sets the tone for the rest of the episode and hooks your audience right from the get-go.
2. Details and more details
The complexity of your podcast script can vary a great deal. If your podcast covers complex topics (for example, education or healthcare), a word-for-word script works best.
On the flip side, if your podcast is lighter and conversational, then you only need an outline—this is perfect for an episode with lots of banter between hosts and guests.
3. Delivering your message
Just be yourself—it’s not just a motivational quote but a helpful tidbit to remember while writing your script. Often, it’s not what you say but how you say it that counts.
Don’t overthink. Simply focus on keeping the language simple and conversational. It’s also a good practice to share stories and anecdotes to make your content relatable and memorable.
4. Outro and call-to-action
Just as in flying, it’s important to stick the landing in podcasts as well. You should conclude your episode with a summary, thanking your guests and listeners. Tease future episodes or share news, directing listeners to additional resources.
Don’t forget to include a call to action, like subscribing or following your channel on social media.
5. Staying flexible
While a script is a guide, be ready to adapt and embrace spontaneous moments, especially if you have a guest. This adds authenticity and engagement to your podcast.
Writing scripts from scratch tends to feel like a long, painstaking process. When you’re craving a cake, do you bake it from scratch? Of course, it’s doable, but probably not the best use of your time.
Having a dependable, intelligent assistant while you’re writing your podcast script can make a world of difference. Here’s where ClickUp Brain comes into the picture.
ClickUp Brain is that intelligent assistant with whom you can co-create a great podcast script. The gen-AI tool can help you draft your script, organize your ideas, transcribe notes, and even get your creative juices flowing if you’re stuck.
Most of all, with an AI-powered writing assistant, you can focus on creating top-notch content for your listeners without wasting time and energy on the trivial stuff.
Become an Ace Podcaster with These Free Podcast Script Templates
More than anything, templates for podcast scripts save you time. With a ready-made structure in place, you can direct your focus on creating great content instead of worrying about the format.
These handy templates by ClickUp offer a 360-degree solution to your podcast planning and scripting needs. Sign up for your free ClickUp account today and get your podcast up and running in no time!
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