Podcast trailers are coming to the world of podcasting! Apple Podcasts made some big announcements for podcasters at WWDC17. We can look forward to a refreshed and more intuitive podcasts app arriving with iOS 11 in the fall.
Garth Jantzen, Engineering Manager took to the stage to announce many new ways podcasters can display their episodes. This will have a direct impact on what your listeners see when they subscribe to your podcast. One of the most important new announcements was the introduction of a new trailer episode type.
That’s right, Apple are officially announcing support for podcast trailers!
Look at Movie Trailers for Examples
Trailers have been around for much longer than podcasting. To find a well known example of what a trailer is just look towards movies. The great 2 minute previews cutting together the best bits of a new movie in an audio visual spectacular. They usually contain a large, powerful voice reading lines like, “in cinemas June 16” and “in a world…”
Consider How Radio Trailers Work
In the radio industry the term radio trailer is used but it’s more common to hear the term radio promos. Radio sets a great example as to how podcast trailers could sound as trailers have existed in radio since the first radio station went on air.
Radio trailers usually last no more than 30 seconds. They contain the best bits of a radio show all cut together, sometimes with sound effects, to demo a show you should listen to. These trailers usually start and end with a professional voice over and contain clips of the host or hosts chatting in the middle.
The most common type of radio trailer, that is produced daily at many radio stations around the world, is one for the flagship breakfast show.
What About a Podcast Trailer?
Here’s the official line from Apple on the new podcast trailer episode type:
Trailer is a great new episode type that can be either a podcast level trailer or a season level trailer; depending if there’s a season number present. This is great for teaser trailers before you’ve launched your show or if you want to highlight a trailer for a new season.
~ Garth Jantzen, Apple Podcasts Engineering Manager
Why You Need a Podcast Trailer Created
- The first reason to get a podcast trailer? It’s because Apple now support it. Apple Podcasts is by far the biggest podcast listening platform in the world.
- The second reason is that, by the looks of the iOS 11 developer preview, it looks like your podcast trailer will be featured at the top of your podcast listing on Apple Podcasts.
- Thirdly, it’ll give you a professional edge over the other podcasts who don’t have a trailer if you have a professionally produced podcast trailer for your show.
Free Podcast Trailers
As a support to the podcasting community – a group very close to my heart – I have produced free podcast trailers. I have also recorded a live streaming of the whole audio production process online.
