Podcast Script Template
An episode plan decides what the show is about. A run of show sets the timing. This script is the third piece: the actual words you say, block by block, from the cold open to the last call to action. It comes in a solo version and an interview version.
PodcastingPDF + CSV7 sectionsfree, no paywall
What you get
- Word-for-word script blocks for the cold open, intro, segments, transitions, and outro
- Pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll ad slots placed where they belong in the script
- A solo-episode script and an interview-episode script, each with a timing column
- An editable CSV to write in each week plus a branded PDF
How to use this template
- 1. Pick the version. Use the solo script when you carry the episode alone and the interview script when a guest does most of the talking. The ad slots and outro stay the same in both.
- 2. Script the edges, outline the middle. Write the cold open, intro, ad reads, transitions, and outro word for word. For the main segments, write the opening line and the points you must hit, then talk naturally.
- 3. Read it out loud once. Say every scripted block out loud before you record and time it. Cut any sentence you stumble on. Written English and spoken English are different.
- 4. Mark changes for the edit. Note anything you ad-libbed, skipped, or re-recorded in the notes column so your editor knows what to keep and where the ad markers go.
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 7 sections shown; the remaining 5 come with the free download.
What is a podcast script?
A podcast script is the written version of what you say on air. In practice most hosts write only the fixed parts word for word, the cold open, the intro, ad reads, transitions, and the outro, and keep the middle as bullet points so the talking still sounds like talking.
Scripting the edges is what makes a show sound the same week to week, and the edges are where sloppiness costs listeners: a wandering first minute loses people before the content starts. Interview hosts script only their own side. Solo hosts usually write more, because nothing else drives the pace.
Solo episode script
One row per block, in the order you say them. Write the script column exactly as you will say it. Time is where the block should start.
| Time | Block | Script (word for word) | Notes / cues |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | Cold open | Most new podcasts lose half their listeners in the first minute. Today I'll show you the three things I cut from my intro that fixed that. | No music. Strongest line first. |
| 00:20 | Intro / theme | This is [Show name], the show where [one-line promise]. I'm [Host]. Let's get into it. | Theme up under VO, fade by 00:35 |
5 more sections and the PDF + CSV 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
Hindenburg
Hindenburg PRO is a desktop audio editor built specifically for podcasters, journalists, and radio producers.
$12/mo
Notion AI
Notion AI is an AI writing and productivity assistant built directly into Notion's workspace.
$0/mo
Podcastle
Podcastle is a browser-based podcast recording and editing platform that combines remote recording, AI-powered audio cleanup, text-to-speech with 1,000+ voices, and built-in hosting in one place.
$0/mo
Categories to browse: AI Writing Tools, Audio Editing Software.
Frequently asked questions
What is a podcast script?
A podcast script is the written text of an episode. Most hosts write the fixed blocks verbatim, meaning the cold open, intro, ad reads, transitions, and outro, and outline the main content as bullets so the conversation stays loose.
Should you script a podcast word for word?
Script the parts that need to be tight: the cold open, the intro, ad reads, transitions, and the outro. Outline the main content with an opening line and bullet points. A fully read script tends to sound flat unless you have practice reading aloud.
How do you write a podcast script for an interview?
Script only your side: the intro, the guest introduction, your handoffs into and out of ad breaks, and the wrap-up. Keep your questions in a separate list and let the guest answer in their own words.
How long is a podcast script for a 30-minute episode?
It depends how much you script. A common rule of thumb for speaking pace is roughly 130 to 160 words per minute, so a fully scripted 30-minute solo episode runs several thousand words. Most hosts script far less and outline the rest.
How do I stop a script from sounding read?
Write it the way you talk: short sentences, contractions, one idea per line. Then read it out loud once and change anything you stumble over, because a stumble usually means the sentence was written for the eye. Standing up while you record helps more than it should.
Where should the ad reads sit in the script?
Pre-roll after the cold open rather than before it, so the hook comes first. Mid-roll at a natural break, often a third of the way in, with a scripted lead-in and lead-out so the return is not abrupt. Keep those lead-in lines identical every week.