Podcast Episode Checklist
An episode is dozens of small tasks across recording, editing, and publishing. This checklist captures every one, from levels check to directory verification, so nothing slips between hitting record and going live.
PodcastingPDF6 sectionsfree, no paywall
What you get
- A pre-record list so every session starts clean
- An editing and post-production list with quality gates
- A publishing list covering show notes, feed, and promotion
- A branded, print-ready PDF you reuse for every episode
How to use this template
- 1. Run the pre-record list. Before recording, confirm gear, levels, and your plan. Two minutes of checks here prevents re-records that cost hours.
- 2. Edit to a standard. Use the editing list as a quality gate (levels, cuts, music, captions) so every episode meets the same bar.
- 3. Publish completely. Work the publishing list so the audio, show notes page, chapters, and feed all go live together, not in scattered pieces.
- 4. Confirm and promote. Verify the episode renders across directories, then run your promo steps while the episode is fresh.
Still choosing the tool you will run this in? Compare two side by side, or read how each profile is built in our review methodology.
What's inside
2 of 6 sections shown; the remaining 4 come with the free download.
What is a podcast episode checklist?
A podcast episode checklist is the production list you run for every episode: the pre-record setup, the edit, the publishing steps, and the checks you do once the file is live. It is the same list each week. Nothing on it is clever, and all of it is the work that gets skipped in a hurry.
Publishing has a long tail of small jobs: chapters, a transcript, the show notes page, confirming the audio actually rendered on Spotify. Those are the first to go when you are running late, and nobody notices for weeks. A checklist is how weekly hosts stop losing one of them per episode.
Pre-record
Quick checks that prevent expensive re-records.
- Confirm the episode plan and guest details are ready
- Check mic levels and record a 10-second test
- Silence phone, close noisy apps, hang the do-not-disturb sign
4 more sections and the PDF are behind the free download.
Tools that help with this
The template does the thinking; these are the products creators run it in. The full software directory has the rest.
Descript
Descript is an AI-powered video and audio editor that lets you edit media by editing text.
$0/mo
Auphonic
Auphonic is an AI-powered audio post-production service that automatically levels, normalizes loudness, reduces noise, and masters your podcast audio to broadcast standards.
$0/mo
Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout is a podcast hosting platform that stores your audio files, generates an RSS feed, and distributes your show to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and every major directory.
$15/mo
Cleanvoice AI
Cleanvoice AI is an automated podcast editing tool that uses artificial intelligence to remove filler words, background noise, and dead air from audio recordings.
$0
Categories to browse: Audio Editing Software, Podcast Hosting Platforms.
Frequently asked questions
What is a podcast episode checklist?
It is the repeatable per-episode production list covering pre-record, editing, publishing, and post-publish verification. Running the same sequence every week is what keeps the easily-forgotten steps, like chapters and transcripts, from quietly disappearing.
What loudness should I export a podcast at?
Target around -16 LUFS for stereo (or -19 LUFS mono), which matches what Apple Podcasts and Spotify expect. Consistent loudness means listeners don't have to ride the volume between your show and the next, which protects retention.
What's the most-skipped step in publishing an episode?
Show notes and chapters. Hosts publish the audio and move on, leaving the one indexable, skimmable asset thin. A full show notes page with timestamps is what earns search traffic and helps listeners find the part they came for.
How is this different from a recording checklist?
A recording checklist covers the ten minutes before you hit record: gear, room, levels, backups. This one covers the whole episode lifecycle and includes those recording checks as its first stage. Use the short one at the desk and this one as the weekly spine.
How long should the whole process take per episode?
For a 35-minute interview, most solo hosts land somewhere around three to five hours end to end once the list is habit. Editing is the biggest variable. The publishing and verification stages should take under 45 minutes if the show notes were drafted during the edit.