glossary

Every B2B podcasting term, in plain English.

Each term is a plain-English definition with a real example, a benchmark where it helps, and links to the templates and calculators that put it to work.

172 terms
8 categories
plain English
no sign-up

172 terms

Terms starting with A

Account-based marketing (ABM)

Account-based marketing (ABM) focuses sales and marketing effort on a defined set of high-value target accounts, treating each as a market of one. A podcast supports ABM powerfully by inviting decision-makers from target accounts to be guests, which opens relationships warmly.

Acoustic treatment

Acoustic treatment is the use of soft materials, such as panels, foam, curtains, rugs and bookshelves, to reduce sound reflections in a recording space. It tames echo so voices sound close and clear rather than boxy.

AMA episode

An AMA, or ask-me-anything, episode answers questions submitted by the audience. In B2B it turns the show's listeners and the host's expertise into the entire agenda, often collecting questions from LinkedIn, email, or a community.

Audience avatar

An audience avatar is a single, sharply defined portrait of the one listener your podcast is built for, their role, goals, pains and the questions they need answered. Every topic, guest and title should be chosen to serve that one person.

Audience development

Audience development is the deliberate, ongoing work of attracting, growing and retaining the right listeners for your podcast. For B2B shows it means building an audience of in-market buyers and influencers, not just the largest possible headcount.

Audience engagement

Audience engagement is how actively listeners interact with your show, completion rates, comments, shares, replies, ratings and direct messages. It measures depth of attention, not just reach.

Audience retention

Audience retention is the curve showing what proportion of listeners or viewers are still present at each point in an episode. It turns a single completion number into a moment-by-moment map of attention.

Audiogram

A short, shareable video clip of a podcast made for social feeds - typically a striking quote with animated captions and an audio waveform, with or without the speaker's video. A staple format for promoting episodes.

Terms starting with B

B-roll

B-roll is supplementary footage cut in over the main conversation, such as product shots, screen recordings, office scenes or stock clips. It illustrates what is being discussed and adds visual variety to a video podcast.

B2B podcast

A podcast made by a business to reach other businesses - typically built around the conversations, ideas and people that matter to a specific set of buyers, with the goal of building trust, relationships and pipeline rather than ad revenue.

Back-catalogue

Your back-catalogue is every episode you have already published, the full archive available to new listeners. A strong back-catalogue keeps working long after publish day, pulling in search traffic and giving new followers a reason to binge.

Baked-in ad

A baked-in ad is a sponsorship message edited permanently into the episode's audio or video file, so every listener hears it and it stays in the episode forever. It is the opposite of a dynamically inserted ad, which can be swapped or removed later.

Binge-listening

Binge-listening is when a new listener consumes several of your episodes in a short span, usually after discovering the show. It is a strong signal of fit and a fast track from first play to loyal subscriber.

Bonus episode

A bonus episode is an extra release that sits outside your regular publishing schedule, often tied to an event, announcement, or a topic that deserves its own moment. It lets you respond to timely news without disrupting your core calendar.

Booking link

A booking link is a self-scheduling URL that lets a confirmed guest pick a recording slot from your available times without back-and-forth email. For B2B podcasts it removes the biggest source of friction when booking busy executives.

Brand lift

Brand lift is the measurable increase in awareness, recall, favourability or consideration that comes from a marketing activity such as a podcast. It is usually measured by surveying audiences exposed to the show against those who were not.

Branded podcast

A branded podcast is a show produced and owned by a company as a marketing asset, rather than an independent show the brand merely advertises on. The brand controls the editorial, the audience relationship, and how the show ties back to its business goals.

Buyer journey

The buyer journey is the path a prospect travels from first becoming aware of a problem to choosing a solution and buying. In B2B podcasting, it is the framework you use to make sure episodes serve every stage, not just top-of-funnel awareness.

Terms starting with C

Call to action

A call to action (CTA) is an explicit prompt telling the audience what to do next, subscribe, visit a page, download a resource, or book a call. In podcasting it appears in the episode audio, show notes, clips, and promotional posts.

Captions

Captions are the on-screen text of what is being said in a video clip, either burned into the video or added as a subtitle track. For podcast clips they are usually styled and burned in so the words appear word-by-word as the speaker talks.

Case-study episode

A case-study episode walks through a real customer's problem, the solution they adopted, and the results they achieved, told largely in their own words. It is one of the most sales-ready formats in B2B podcasting.

Chapter markers

Chapter markers are timestamped labels that split a podcast episode into named sections, letting listeners jump straight to the part they want. In a B2B show they map the conversation to topics a buyer actually cares about.

Co-hosted show

A co-hosted show is built around two regular hosts who carry the conversation together every episode. In B2B this format trades on the chemistry and contrasting roles of the hosts, often a strategist paired with a practitioner.

Cold open

A cold open is a short, compelling clip placed at the very start of an episode, before the intro music or host welcome. In B2B it usually lifts the sharpest line from the guest to prove the episode is worth the listener's time.

Community

A podcast community is the engaged group of listeners who interact with your show and each other, replying to episodes, joining a Slack or LinkedIn group, attending events or suggesting guests. It turns passive listeners into an active network around your brand.

Community distribution

Community distribution is sharing podcast content inside relevant communities, Slack groups, forums, professional networks, and private peer groups, where your target audience already gathers. It is distribution through people and spaces rather than open feeds.

Completion rate

Completion rate is the percentage of listeners who reach the end of an episode. For B2B shows it is one of the strongest signals that your content held a busy buyer's attention all the way through.

Condenser mic

A condenser microphone uses a thin charged diaphragm that is highly sensitive, capturing detail and a wide frequency range. It needs phantom power and performs best in an acoustically treated, quiet room.

Content atomization

Content atomization is the practice of breaking one large piece of content, like a podcast episode, into many smaller assets for different channels. A single recording becomes clips, quote graphics, a newsletter, social posts, and an article.

Content flywheel

A content flywheel is a self-reinforcing system where each podcast episode produces clips, articles, and social posts that drive audience growth, which in turn attracts better guests and more content. Momentum compounds over time rather than resetting with each episode.

Content mix

Content mix is the deliberate balance of different episode types and formats a podcast uses, such as guest interviews, solo expert episodes, and customer stories. A thoughtful mix keeps the show varied while serving different audience needs and funnel stages.

Content pillar

One of a small set of core themes a podcast returns to again and again. Pillars keep a show focused and recognisable, and make it easy to plan episodes that all ladder up to the same positioning.

Content strategy

Content strategy is the plan for what content you create, for whom, and to what business end, so that every asset works toward your goals rather than existing in isolation. For a B2B podcast, it connects the show to your audience, your themes, and how content gets repurposed and distributed.

Conversion rate

Conversion rate is the percentage of people who take a desired action after engaging with your podcast, such as visiting a landing page, subscribing, or booking a demo. It links audience attention to a concrete next step.

Cost per acquisition

Cost per acquisition (CPA) is the total spend on a podcast or campaign divided by the number of customers it acquires. In podcast sponsorship it measures how efficiently ad spend turns into paying customers, rather than just reach or downloads.

Cost per episode

The fully-loaded cost of producing one podcast episode - including team time for recording, editing, show notes, clips and promotion, plus a share of gear, software and any guest or freelancer costs.

CPM (cost per mille)

The price of podcast advertising per thousand listens or impressions. CPM is the standard unit for buying and selling podcast ad slots, and a rough way to value a show's audience for sponsorship.

Cross-promotion

Cross-promotion is when two shows or brands promote each other's content to their respective audiences, for example swapping mentions, sharing each other's clips, or appearing on each other's podcasts. It trades reach rather than buying it.

Terms starting with D

Demand generation

Demand generation is the marketing discipline of creating awareness and interest in your category and solution so that more of your target buyers want what you sell. A B2B podcast supports demand gen by reaching buyers early, before they are actively shopping, and warming them toward your brand.

Discovery

Discovery is how new listeners first find your podcast, through platform search, recommendations, social clips, guest audiences, search engines or word of mouth. For B2B shows, the goal is to be discovered by the right buyers, not the most people.

Distribution strategy

A distribution strategy is the plan for how each podcast episode reaches your audience across podcast apps, video platforms, social channels, email, and your guests' networks. For B2B, distribution often matters more than the recording itself, because a great episode no one sees drives no pipeline.

Double-ender

A double-ender is a remote recording technique where each participant records their own audio and video locally, in full quality, while talking over a call. The separate local files are then synced together in post.

Download

The standard reach metric for audio podcasts: a download is counted when a listener's app requests enough of an episode file (per the IAB v2 standard) to count as a genuine listen. It measures audience size, not engagement or revenue.

Downloads per episode

Downloads per episode is the average number of downloads each episode earns within a set window, usually the first 30 days. It is the most common way podcasts are benchmarked and sold to advertisers.

Dream 100

A focused list of roughly 100 dream guests or target accounts you most want on the show. It turns guest booking into a deliberate, account-aligned pipeline rather than whoever happens to say yes.

Dynamic ad insertion

Dynamic ad insertion (DAI) is technology that stitches ads into a podcast episode at playback time rather than baking them into the audio file. This lets a show swap, target, or expire ads across its whole back catalogue without re-editing episodes.

Dynamic mic

A dynamic microphone uses a moving-coil design that is relatively insensitive to background noise, picking up mainly the sound directly in front of it. This makes it the go-to choice for spoken-word podcasting in untreated rooms.

Terms starting with E

Edit ratio

Edit ratio is the amount of raw recording time relative to the finished episode length, reflecting how much material is cut. A 2:1 ratio means two hours were recorded to produce a one-hour episode.

Editorial calendar

An editorial calendar is a planned schedule of podcast episodes, themes, and publish dates that maps your content against business goals over weeks or months. It keeps a B2B show consistent, on-message, and aligned to launches, campaigns, and sales priorities.

Email list

An email list is the set of listeners who have given you their email so you can reach them directly with new episodes and related content. Unlike platform followers, it is an audience you own outright.

Employee advocacy

Employee advocacy is the practice of getting your team to share and amplify company content through their own social networks. For a B2B podcast it means staff posting clips and episodes to reach audiences a brand account never could.

Engagement rate

Engagement rate measures how actively your audience responds to the podcast beyond passive listening, including comments, shares, replies, and clicks. For B2B it is a proxy for how much your content actually resonates with buyers.

Episode benchmark

An episode benchmark is a reference figure, drawn from your own back catalogue, that you measure new episodes against. It replaces meaningless industry averages with a standard tuned to your specific show and audience.

Episode hook

An episode hook is the single, specific promise that tells a listener why this particular episode is worth their time. In B2B it is the concrete takeaway or tension, not the guest's job title, that drives the title, the cold open, and the promotion.

Episode length

Episode length is the total runtime of an episode, a core format decision that shapes production effort and audience fit. In B2B there is no universal right answer, it depends on the format, the depth of the topic, and where your audience listens.

Episode SEO

Episode SEO is optimising an episode's page and metadata, title, description, show notes, transcript, so it ranks in search engines and gets discovered beyond podcast apps. It turns each episode into a searchable web page, not just an audio file.

Episode trailer

An episode trailer is a short promotional clip, often 15 to 60 seconds, that previews an upcoming or just-released episode by stitching together its most compelling moments. It is designed to tease rather than deliver a complete idea.

Evergreen episode

An evergreen episode covers a topic that stays relevant for years, so it keeps attracting listeners long after it is published. These episodes power your back-catalogue and steady, ongoing discovery.

Terms starting with F

Fireside chat

A fireside chat is a relaxed, conversational interview format designed to feel like an informal discussion rather than a structured Q and A. In B2B podcasting it suits senior guests and topics where candour and nuance matter more than a rigid agenda.

Flagship podcast

A flagship podcast is the single, central show a B2B brand invests in as its primary owned-media property, rather than spreading effort across several smaller shows. It carries the brand's voice and point of view and becomes the hub that most repurposed content flows from.

Follower

A follower is someone who has opted in to be notified of your new episodes on a platform like Spotify or YouTube, without necessarily downloading every episode. Following is a lighter commitment than subscribing, and it signals ongoing interest in your show.

Founder-led podcast

A founder-led podcast is a show hosted by a company's founder or senior executive, using their credibility, network, and point of view to anchor the brand. It works well in B2B because founders can attract high-calibre guests and speak with genuine authority.

Terms starting with G

Green room

The green room is the few minutes before recording starts where host and guest settle in, check tech, and warm up the conversation. In remote B2B podcasting it is usually the virtual waiting period on the recording platform.

Guest brief

The short document sent to a guest before recording: what the show is, what you'll cover, the format and timing, and any tech or prep they need. It sets expectations and makes for a better, smoother conversation.

Guest experience

Guest experience is the end-to-end impression a guest forms of your show, from the first invitation through booking, recording, and follow-up. For B2B podcasts a strong experience turns guests into promoters, repeat guests, and warm relationships for the wider business.

Guest gifting

Guest gifting is sending a guest a thoughtful gift tied to their appearance, either before recording to build goodwill or afterwards as a thank-you. In B2B it doubles as a relationship gesture toward an account you want to win or keep.

Guest onboarding

Guest onboarding is the process of preparing a confirmed guest for recording, covering logistics, tech setup, talking points, and expectations. Done well, it removes friction and gets the best out of every guest.

Guest outreach

The process of inviting guests onto a podcast - the messages, timing and follow-up that turn a target name into a booked recording. For B2B, it doubles as a relationship-building motion with buyers.

Guest pipeline

A guest pipeline is the running list of prospective guests at each stage of being booked, from identified, to invited, to confirmed, to recorded. For B2B shows it works like a sales pipeline, giving you visibility into whether you have enough guests to keep publishing.

Guest pitch

A guest pitch is the invitation message you send a prospective guest, making a clear, flattering case for why they should appear on your show. For B2B podcasts it has to respect a senior person's time and lead with what is in it for them, not for you.

Guest promotion kit

A guest promotion kit is the ready-to-use bundle of assets you send a guest so they can share their episode in seconds, typically including clips, an audiogram, suggested copy, key links, and tags. For B2B shows it is what turns a willing guest into actual distribution.

Guest research

Guest research is the homework a host does before recording, gathering a guest's background, recent work, strong opinions, and notable stories so the conversation goes deeper than a surface summary. For B2B shows it is how you earn a senior guest's respect and draw out non-obvious insight.

Guest vetting

Guest vetting is the process of qualifying a potential podcast guest before you book them, checking whether they fit your audience, can speak credibly on a topic, and align with the accounts or buyers you want to reach. For a B2B show it is less about fame and more about relevance to pipeline.

Terms starting with H

Host-read ad

A host-read ad is a sponsorship message delivered in the host's own voice, often loosely scripted or improvised, rather than a pre-produced commercial. Because it carries the host's credibility and tone, it tends to land as a recommendation rather than an interruption.

Terms starting with I

Ideal customer profile (ICP)

An ideal customer profile (ICP) is a precise description of the type of company and buyer that gets the most value from your product and is most profitable for you to serve. For a podcast, your ICP defines exactly who the show is for, which shapes topics, guests, and format.

Influenced pipeline

Influenced pipeline is the total value of sales opportunities that had meaningful contact with your podcast somewhere in their buying journey, even if the show was not the first or only touch. It credits the podcast for shaping deals rather than claiming sole responsibility.

Interview show

The most common B2B podcast format: a host interviews a guest each episode. It's popular because it's repeatable, it brings a built-in reason to reach out to senior people, and it keeps the content fresh without the host carrying every episode alone.

Intro and outro

The intro and outro are the consistent opening and closing segments of an episode, usually combining branded music, a short voiceover and a call to action. They top and tail every episode for a recognisable, professional feel.

Terms starting with L

Lavalier mic

A lavalier mic (or lav) is a small clip-on microphone attached to clothing near the chest, leaving hands free and staying out of the camera frame. It is common in video podcasts and on-location interviews.

Lead magnet

A lead magnet is a valuable free resource, such as a template, guide or checklist, offered in exchange for a listener's contact details. It turns anonymous podcast listeners into known leads you can nurture.

Limited series

A limited series is a podcast with a fixed, pre-planned number of episodes built around one theme, with a clear start and end. In B2B it is often used to support a product launch, a research report, or a single big idea rather than running indefinitely.

LinkedIn distribution

LinkedIn distribution is the practice of promoting podcast content, clips, quotes, and episode links, natively on LinkedIn, the primary channel where most B2B buyers and decision-makers spend professional attention. It usually means posting from both the brand page and individual people's profiles.

Listen-through rate (LTR)

Listen-through rate is the average proportion of an episode that listeners actually consume, expressed as a percentage of total runtime. Unlike completion rate, which is pass or fail at the end, LTR captures how far the typical listener gets.

Listener churn

Listener churn is the rate at which existing listeners stop following or engaging with your podcast over a given period. High churn means you are losing the audience as fast as you gain it, which stalls real growth.

Listener persona

A listener persona is a research-based profile of a key segment of your audience, capturing their role, motivations, listening habits and the problems they want solved. Most B2B shows define one to three personas to guide content.

Live podcast

A live podcast is recorded in front of a real-time audience, either streamed online or on a physical stage, often with live questions. In B2B it pairs naturally with webinars, conferences, and community events.

LUFS

LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale) is the standard measure of perceived loudness used to set how loud a podcast sounds across an episode. Mastering to a consistent LUFS target keeps your show at a comfortable, even volume on every platform.

Terms starting with M

Marketing qualified lead (MQL)

A marketing qualified lead, or MQL, is a contact whose engagement with your marketing suggests they are a good fit and worth nurturing further. For B2B podcasts, podcast-driven sign-ups and downloads often feed the top of this funnel.

Media kit

A media kit is a document a podcast shares with potential sponsors to sell its advertising inventory. It typically covers audience size and demographics, download numbers, available ad slots, pricing, and past sponsor results.

Micro podcast

A micro podcast is built on very short episodes, typically under ten minutes, designed for quick consumption. In B2B it suits single-insight formats like a daily tip, a one-question interview, or a short market read for busy operators.

Mid-roll ad

A mid-roll ad is a sponsorship message placed in the middle of an episode, after the content is underway. It is usually the most valuable slot because listeners who have stayed past the intro are the most engaged and least likely to skip.

Mixing and mastering

Mixing balances the separate audio tracks (each voice, music and effects) into a clean blend, while mastering sets the final overall loudness and polish. Together they make an episode sound consistent and professional.

Multicam

Multicam (multi-camera) recording uses two or more cameras to capture a podcast from different angles, so the edit can cut between wide shots, close-ups and reaction shots. It is standard for studio-based video podcasts.

Music bed

A music bed is background music played underneath speech, such as beneath an intro, a sponsor read or a transition. It is mixed quietly so it supports the voice without competing with it.

Terms starting with N

Narrative podcast

A narrative podcast tells a story across an episode using scripting, scene-setting, and edited interview clips rather than a single live conversation. In B2B it is used for high-production brand series, customer-journey stories, or investigative looks at an industry shift.

Niche audience

A niche audience is a tightly defined group of listeners who share a specific role, industry or problem. For B2B podcasts, deliberately serving a narrow niche usually beats chasing a broad, generic audience.

Niche down

To niche down is to deliberately narrow a podcast's focus to a specific audience and topic rather than trying to appeal to everyone. For B2B shows, a tight niche makes the content unmissable for the buyers who matter most.

No-show rate

No-show rate is the share of booked guests who fail to attend their scheduled recording. For B2B podcasts it is a key health metric for your booking process, since busy senior guests are the most likely to drop.

Noise floor

The noise floor is the constant level of background sound in a recording, such as room hum, air conditioning or electrical hiss, that sits beneath the voice. A low noise floor means cleaner, more professional audio.

Terms starting with O

Owned media

Owned media is the audience and content a B2B brand controls outright, such as a podcast, newsletter, or blog, rather than renting attention through ads or relying on third-party platforms. A podcast is one of the strongest owned-media assets because it builds a direct, recurring relationship with buyers.

Terms starting with P

Paid promotion

Paid promotion is using paid media, ads on LinkedIn, YouTube, podcast networks, or other platforms, to put podcast content in front of a targeted audience. For B2B it most often means promoting clips or episodes to a defined buyer segment.

Panel show

A panel show puts a host alongside two or more guests debating a topic in the same episode. In B2B it works well for contested questions where several practitioner perspectives are more useful than one.

Pipeline velocity

Pipeline velocity is the speed at which deals move through your sales pipeline and turn into revenue, calculated from the number of open opportunities, average deal size, win rate and sales cycle length. For B2B podcasts, it shows whether the show is helping deals close faster, not just generating more leads.

Platform algorithm

A platform algorithm is the recommendation system that decides which podcasts and episodes get surfaced to users on Spotify, YouTube, Apple and similar platforms. It rewards signals like completion, saves, shares and consistent publishing.

Plays

A play is counted when someone presses play and begins streaming an episode, regardless of whether they finish it. It differs from a download, which counts the file being fetched whether or not it is ever heard.

Podcast as marketing

Podcast as marketing is the strategy of running a show as an owned marketing channel rather than as a product to monetise with ads. The show's return comes from brand authority, relationships, content for repurposing, and pipeline, not from sponsorship revenue.

Podcast attribution

The practice of connecting podcast listening to business outcomes - leads, pipeline and revenue. Because podcasts are consumed passively and off-platform, attribution leans heavily on self-reported and influence-based methods rather than click tracking.

Podcast clip

A podcast clip is a short, standalone segment cut from a full episode, usually 30 seconds to 3 minutes, built to share on social platforms. Clips carry the strongest moment of an episode so it can travel far beyond the people who hear the full show.

Podcast directory

A podcast directory is an app or platform that lists podcasts and lets people find, follow, and play them, for example Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Directories pull episodes from your RSS feed rather than hosting your files directly.

Podcast funnel

A podcast funnel is the way you map a podcast to the buyer journey, using episodes and their repurposed content to move people from first awareness to consideration to sales conversation. It clarifies which episodes attract new buyers and which deepen trust with people already close to a decision.

Podcast KPI

A podcast KPI is a key performance indicator chosen to track whether your show is hitting its business goals. For a B2B podcast the most useful KPIs tie back to pipeline and relationships, not just audience size.

Podcast mission

A podcast mission is the clear statement of why the show exists and what change it aims to create for its audience, beyond just promoting the company. It acts as the north star that keeps the show focused and consistent over time.

Podcast naming

Podcast naming is choosing a title for your show that signals what it is about and who it is for, while being memorable and easy to find. For B2B shows, a good name balances clarity for buyers with enough distinctiveness to stand out.

Podcast positioning statement

A podcast positioning statement is a short, written articulation of who the show is for, what it covers, and why it is different, used to align everyone involved. It turns show positioning into a concrete sentence the whole team can rally around and test ideas against.

Podcast production

Everything it takes to turn a recorded conversation into a finished, published episode: recording, editing, mixing, show notes, artwork, clips and distribution. For video podcasts it also includes video editing and clip production.

Podcast ROI

The return a podcast generates relative to its cost - for B2B, measured mainly in pipeline and revenue influenced, plus the harder-to-quantify value of brand, relationships and content. Usually expressed as a percentage or a multiple of cost.

Podcast sponsorship

Podcast sponsorship is a paid arrangement where a brand pays a show to feature its product or message, usually through ad reads, segment branding, or episode placement. In B2B, sponsorship can flow both ways: a show sells slots to sponsors, or a brand sponsors relevant industry shows to reach a target audience.

Podcast strategy

The plan that defines why a podcast exists, who it's for, what it covers and how success is measured - before a single episode is recorded. It connects the show to a business goal and to a specific audience of buyers.

Pop filter

A pop filter is a thin mesh or foam screen placed between the speaker and the microphone to soften the bursts of air from plosive sounds like P and B. It keeps those harsh pops out of your B2B podcast recording so the audio sounds clean and professional.

Post-deal survey

A post-deal survey asks newly closed customers what shaped their decision, including which content and channels influenced them. It is a structured way to surface podcast influence that earlier-stage tracking misses.

Post-production

Post-production is everything done after recording to turn raw footage into a finished episode: editing, audio mixing, colour, adding intro and outro, graphics, captions and final export. It is where a recording becomes a publishable show.

Post-roll ad

A post-roll ad is a sponsorship message placed at the end of an episode, after the main content has finished. It is the lowest-priced slot because listener drop-off is highest by the close, but the listeners who remain are highly committed.

Pre-interview

A pre-interview is a short call before the recording where the host or producer aligns with the guest on topics, key stories, and the angle of the conversation. For B2B shows it surfaces the specific, useful insights that make an episode worth a buyer's time.

Pre-roll ad

A pre-roll ad is a sponsorship message placed at the very start of an episode, before the main content begins. It guarantees maximum reach because everyone who presses play hears it, though attention is lower than mid-roll since some listeners skip the intro.

Premium feed

A premium feed is a private, paid podcast feed that gives subscribers extra benefits such as ad-free episodes, bonus content or early access. It is a direct way to monetise your most committed listeners.

Programmatic ads

Programmatic ads are podcast ads bought and placed automatically through ad-buying platforms rather than negotiated directly with a show. They rely on dynamic ad insertion to serve targeted spots across many podcasts at scale, usually priced on a CPM basis.

Terms starting with Q

Quote graphic

A quote graphic is a static, branded image that features a memorable line from an episode, usually with the speaker's name, photo, and your show's branding. It is a quick, low-cost way to share an episode's best insight where video is not ideal.

Terms starting with R

Rate card

A rate card is a published price list for the advertising or sponsorship slots a podcast sells, typically broken down by ad type, placement and audience size. It sets a clear starting point for negotiations with sponsors.

Raw audio

Raw audio is the unedited recording straight from the microphones, before any cutting, mixing or mastering. It is the source material that post-production works from, and is usually kept as a backup.

Reach

Reach is the total number of distinct people exposed to your podcast and its surrounding content, across the audio feed, video platforms, and social clips. It captures the top of the funnel rather than depth of engagement.

Reciprocal promotion

Reciprocal promotion is the mutual sharing of an episode by both the host brand and the guest, where each side amplifies the recording to its own audience. For B2B shows it is the simplest way to borrow a guest's network and reach new buyers.

Recording setup

A recording setup is the full collection of gear and arrangement used to capture an episode: microphones, cameras, lighting, audio interface, recording software and the room itself. It determines the baseline quality of everything that follows.

Recurring guest

A recurring guest is someone who appears on your show more than once, whether as a regular co-host, a returning expert, or a panellist across episodes. For B2B podcasts they deepen relationships and give the audience familiar voices to follow.

Remote recording

Remote recording captures a podcast with host and guest in different locations, using software that records each person's audio and video locally before uploading it. This avoids the quality loss of recording a video call directly.

Repeat listener

A repeat listener is someone who comes back for multiple episodes rather than playing one and leaving. Repeat listeners are the core of a healthy show and the buyers most likely to remember and trust your brand.

Repurposing

Turning one podcast episode into many smaller assets - clips, audiograms, quote graphics, a newsletter, social posts, a blog article - so a single recording reaches far more people across more channels.

Retention curve

A retention curve is a graph showing what percentage of listeners are still playing an episode at each point in time, from the first second to the end. It reveals exactly where people drop off, helping you diagnose weak intros, slow segments or bloated runtimes.

Roundup episode

A roundup episode stitches together short takes from multiple guests on a single question, or compiles highlights from past episodes. In B2B it is a high-leverage way to feature many voices without booking a full interview with each.

RSS feed

An RSS feed is the standardised file that lists your podcast's episodes and metadata, and is how podcast apps find and play your show. When you publish a new episode, your host updates the RSS feed and every directory that subscribes to it pulls in the episode automatically.

Run-of-show

The minute-by-minute plan for a recording: the order of segments, intros, questions, transitions and outros. It keeps a recording on track and makes episodes consistent.

Terms starting with S

Sales qualified lead (SQL)

A sales qualified lead, or SQL, is a contact that sales has vetted as ready for a direct conversation, based on fit, intent and timing. For B2B podcasts, an SQL is the proof point that the show influences real pipeline.

Season

A season is a grouped run of episodes published together, usually around a theme, followed by a break before the next run. In B2B, seasons add structure to an ongoing show and create natural moments to refresh the theme, format, or sponsor.

Segment

A segment is a recurring named block within an episode, such as a rapid-fire question round, a tool of the week, or a listener-question slot. In B2B, segments give an otherwise free-flowing interview a predictable structure listeners come to expect.

Self-reported attribution

Self-reported attribution is the practice of simply asking prospects how they heard about you, usually via a how did you hear about us field on a form or in a sales call. It is one of the most reliable ways to capture podcast influence that tracking pixels miss.

Show notes

Show notes are the written summary and supporting details that accompany a podcast episode, typically a description, key topics, timestamps, guest bio, and relevant links. They appear in podcast apps and on your episode page.

Show positioning

Show positioning is the deliberate choice of what your podcast is about, who it serves, and how it differs from every other show your buyers could listen to. Strong positioning makes the show instantly understandable and gives a clear reason to subscribe.

Show trailer

A show trailer is a short, punchy audio or video preview that explains what a podcast is about, who it is for and why to subscribe. For B2B shows it is the pitch that turns a curious browser into a subscriber.

Solo episode

A solo episode features a single host speaking directly to the audience with no guest. In B2B podcasting it is used to share a strong point of view, break down a framework, or react to industry news in the founder's or expert's own voice.

Sound design

Sound design is the deliberate use of music, effects, transitions and ambience to shape how an episode feels. In podcasting it covers everything from a transition sting between segments to the texture under a narrated section.

Subscriber

A listener who has followed or subscribed to a podcast so new episodes reach them automatically. Subscribers are a podcast's compounding asset - the audience that shows up for every episode without being re-acquired.

Subscriber growth

Subscriber growth is the rate at which new people follow or subscribe to your podcast over time. Tracked monthly, it shows whether your show is building a durable audience or just churning through one-off listeners.

Superfan

A superfan is a highly engaged listener who consumes nearly every episode, shares the show, and often advocates for it inside their network. For B2B podcasts these listeners are disproportionately valuable as referrers, guests and buyers.

Surround-sound marketing

Surround-sound marketing is the approach of showing up everywhere your buyers already pay attention, so your brand seems to be in every relevant conversation, channel, and feed. A podcast feeds this by generating clips, quotes, and posts that let one brand voice appear across many touchpoints.

Terms starting with T

Talent release

A talent release is a short agreement in which a guest grants you permission to record, edit, publish, and repurpose their appearance across formats and channels. For B2B podcasts it is the legal basis for turning one interview into clips, quotes, and ads.

Target-account guest

A target-account guest is a guest invited specifically because they work at a company you want to sell to, partner with, or influence. For B2B podcasts it is the point where the show becomes a genuine account-based marketing channel rather than just content.

Thought leadership

Thought leadership is content that demonstrates genuine expertise and a distinct point of view on the problems your buyers care about, positioning your brand as a trusted authority rather than just a vendor. A podcast is a natural vehicle for it because it lets your team and your guests reason out loud in depth.

Thumbnail

A thumbnail is the small clickable cover image that represents an episode or clip on YouTube and social feeds. For B2B podcasts it is the single biggest lever on whether anyone clicks play.

Transcript

A transcript is the full written text of a podcast episode, capturing every spoken word with speaker labels. For B2B shows it turns an audio conversation into searchable, repurposable, accessible content.

Terms starting with U

Unique listener

A unique listener is a single, deduplicated person who consumed an episode, as opposed to a raw play or download that can be counted multiple times from the same device. It is the closest podcast equivalent to a real human in your audience.

UTM tracking

UTM tracking uses tagged links with parameters like source, medium, and campaign so your analytics can attribute web visits and conversions to a specific podcast episode or clip. It is the main way to trace clicks that originate from your show.

Terms starting with V

Vanity metric

A vanity metric is a number that looks impressive but does not inform a decision or connect to business outcomes. In podcasting, raw download and follower counts are the classic examples.

Vertical video

Vertical video is video shot or formatted in a portrait (9:16) aspect ratio that fills a phone screen. For podcasts it is the dominant format for clips on LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

Video podcast

A podcast recorded on camera as well as audio, so each episode can be published as video (on YouTube, LinkedIn and social) as well as a traditional audio feed. For B2B, video is increasingly the default because it unlocks clips and discovery.

Terms starting with W

Warm intro

A warm intro is when a mutual contact connects you to a prospective guest, rather than reaching out cold. In B2B podcasting it is the most reliable way to land senior, hard-to-reach guests.

Watch time

Watch time is the total amount of time audiences spend watching the video version of your podcast and its clips, usually measured in minutes or hours. It is the headline engagement metric on video platforms like YouTube.

Word-of-mouth

Word-of-mouth is when listeners recommend your podcast to peers, whether by sharing an episode, mentioning it in a meeting or tagging a colleague. It is the most trusted and highest-converting form of podcast growth.

Terms starting with Y

YouTube podcast

A YouTube podcast is your show published as video on YouTube, either as full episodes, clips, or both. YouTube functions as both a podcast directory and a search engine, making it a major discovery channel for video podcasts.

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