What do you think of when I say show notes? An episode description? Yes, it can be as easy as an episode description because sometimes when I say the word show notes, people always ask, wait, show notes? Show what? What notes? Show notes are essentially your episode description, but it also has links to all the resources and things you’ve mentioned in the episode. For example, pull up your favourite podcast listening app, whatever that might be. It could be Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you listen. My preference is Google Podcasts, I’m an Android user. When you pull up an episode for a show that you listen to each episode will have its own description, and many people go about the show notes in various ways. It can be something as simple as one paragraph to describe what the episode is about, done! Or you can be more thorough and do what I was saying before, include links about what you talked about. Perhaps if you interviewed a guest, you can have a whole bio about your guest and the links to how to connect with them. This is also a great time to include links on how to continue the conversation with you as well on your show. So now that you know the why, and what it is, how do you go about creating show notes?
I love a well thought out show notes, not from my Podcaster Strategist side of my brain, but from a podcast listener experience. When I am listening to a show and they’re talking about for example this great book that they read and then they go into detail about how this book ties into the theme of what they’re talking about and how it could be really beneficial to you as a listener. Since I am already listening to the show on my podcast listening app, I go to the description I’m like, Oh, what’s that book called again and I scroll, either. I don’t see anything. Or, okay, maybe they wrote it down in their description but I can’t click on it to link to it so then I either a) highlight, Google, figured out or b) don’t even bother because it’s just another layer or whatever I’ll figure it out later. That is a missed opportunity. Because from the listener experience side, if you have curated your show notes for me. I will actually come back and listen to your show more often than not because I know you are advocating for me and helping me out, find the information that I need. Your podcast is already full of information, so why not help the listener out and give them that next level of, basically, customer service. So let’s talk about how to create your show notes.
Now here’s the tricky thing about show notes. It really depends on a) where you’re hosting your show your media hosting platform, and b) which app, people are using to listen to your show. Now for your media hosting platform, most of the time, this will be in the episode description box. You can put the description of your episode and all the links and show notes in that one particular box. Simple. But when it comes down to the podcast listening app, it is the wild wild west out there. I did a big deep dive in my Insights newsletter. So if you’re interested in that, you can sign up for my newsletter at the bottom of this post. If you’re looking for that particular newsletter, you’ll have to email me for and I can send you the link that’s visiblevoicepodcast@gmail.com. So with the deep dive, that I did, I looked into some of the more popular podcast listening apps such as Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music. In my sampling, I use the same episode from my podcast, which had hyperlinks, which are coated with HTML, and also the direct URL so you’re putting in the http:// the whole link, just to see which version each platform uses. Apple Podcast is going to be the tricky one because depending on which version you’re using it may or may not use the hyperlinks or the direct URLs. Although Apple Podcasts, still seems like it is the number one place for people to listen to podcasts, the most important version of their iOS, which is a 14.5 I believe does not actually let you click on anything. It’s kind of like iTunes, when you are on iTunes, even though you have hyperlinks using HTML code, or you have the direct link typing in the http:// like I was saying before, iTunes, actually doesn’t let you click on anything, nothing happens, there are no clicks possible. What I actually have to do is highlight and copy and paste the direct URLs into a browser to go to the links you’ve mentioned in your show notes. But in older versions of Apple Podcasts and hopefully, there’ll be fixing this for newer versions of Apple Podcasts as well. Both URL direct links, and the HTML coded hyperlinks, don’t work. Also, did you know there is a web-based version of Apple Podcasts, so if you are using the Apple Podcasts link to share your episode and podcast, know that there is a web-based version. Even though I’m an Android user if I click the link, it will open up my Chrome browser and get me there so, not a huge problem, but the web-based version is very much like iTunes, it does not allow for any links, so I’m going to have to copy and paste the URL that’s listed. Not a deal-breaker, but just letting you know that is the case. Spotify uses both. It features hyperlinks and direct URLs, which are so handy and so great. I applaud Spotify for that. My favourite app of choice, Google Podcasts that I mentioned earlier, also use both hyperlinks and the direct URL. So yay to Google Podcasts, yay to Spotify, they are really in for the podcast, listening experience. The newer player to the market, which is gaining a lot of steam is Amazon Music. I actually love the way their app showcases the podcast. Aesthetically it is so beautiful. It only rolled out in Canada, very recently, but it did launch in the States, Japan and I think it was Germany, don’t quote me on that, but I know they are reaching other countries, more and more as time goes on, so if you do have access to Amazon Music, I would suggest downloading the app, and trying it out for size. As for their show notes, Amazon music uses links with the HTML code, but not the direct URL.
So as you can hear different platforms use different things, and I wish there was a streamlined method, and just a one size fits all because it will then streamline our workflow when we’re creating our show notes for our podcast. So what should you do? My advice still doesn’t change, it’s to do both, where you can. Add the hyperlink to the direct URL and listeners will be able to quickly get the resource they want with as little friction as possible, creating a beautiful listener experience. But you know what, if the app doesn’t support that good old copy and paste is here for the rescue, and that works just as well such as for iTunes or the web-based, Apple Podcasts. But like anything else in podcasting, things change on a dime. So as I’m recording this in May of 2021 that is the way it stands with your show notes and I’m sure we will continue to do show notes in this way using both the hyperlinks and the direct links because even though I’ve only showcased a few podcast listening apps. There are many, many, many others that people use, and there isn’t a one size fits all. So in order to create a great listening experience for your listener, do both. Create those direct URLs with your hyperlinks and it will be as seamless as possible for your listener to get the resources that they need.
So what have you been doing with your show notes? Or have you even been doing show notes for your show? I’d love to hear about it. Share your thoughts with me, leave me a voicemail with the purple button that says “Send Voicemail” here on this webpage and you can record a 90-second voicemail straight from your device. So happy podcasting and we’ll chat soon!
