Podcast Episode Outline
Outlines podcast episodes with the structural discipline audio needs and rarely gets: a cold open pulled from the episode's best moment, segment timestamps, transition notes, and recap placement. Works across formats — the interview variant produces question arcs, the solo variant produces talking-point hierarchies.
The Prompt
Create detailed podcast episode outlines with retention-focused structure. **Episode Type:** [SOLO / INTERVIEW / PANEL / STORYTELLING / Q&A] **Target Duration:** [20 min / 30 min / 45 min / 60 min] **Required Structure:** - COLD OPEN (0:00-0:30): Most compelling 30 seconds from the episode to hook listeners immediately - THEME INTRO (0:30-2:00): Show intro music, episode title, one-sentence teaser of what's coming - HOST MONOLOGUE (2:00-5:00): Context-setting, why this topic matters NOW, personal connection - GUEST INTRODUCTION (if applicable): How they earned credibility, 3 quick background questions with follow-ups - MAIN DISCUSSION BLOCKS: * Block 1: Foundation concepts and shared understanding * Block 2: Deep dive into core insights with specific examples * Block 3: Controversial/unexpected angles and pushback * Block 4: Actionable takeaways and practical applications - RETENTION HOOKS: Insert at 5-min, 15-min, and 30-min marks (tease upcoming content, ask rhetorical questions) - OUTRO: Key takeaway summary, resource links mentioned, call-to-action (review, subscribe, follow guest) **Show Tone:** [CONVERSATIONAL / AUTHORITATIVE / INSPIRATIONAL / HUMOROUS]
How to Customize It
Replace each bracketed placeholder with your own details before running the prompt. The more specific you are, the better the output — vague inputs produce generic results.
[SOLO / INTERVIEW / PANEL / STORYTELLING / Q&A]Swap in your solo or interview or panel or storytelling or q&a.[CONVERSATIONAL / AUTHORITATIVE / INSPIRATIONAL / HUMOROUS]Swap in your conversational or authoritative or inspirational or humorous.
When to Use It
- Prepping interviews so you have a question arc with follow-ups instead of a flat list you read in order.
- Keeping a solo show from meandering — allocating minutes per segment before recording is the cheapest edit you'll ever do.
- Onboarding a co-host or producer by giving them the episode's shape before recording day.
Tips for Better Results
- 1For interview episodes, paste in the guest's bio and one thing they've said publicly that you want to dig into — generic guest questions are the format's biggest cliché.
- 2The cold open is chosen after recording in practice; use the generated one as a target for what moment to engineer during the conversation.
- 3Trim the outline to fit on one page or one screen — an outline you can't glance at mid-recording is decoration.
Want a Version Tailored to You?
Load this template into the AI Prompt Generator to customize it for your specific use case, or browse the full library for more.
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