How to Choose the Perfect Podcast Category

The perfect podcast category doesn’t exi… 

Oh wait, yes it does!  Keep reading to find out how to find the perfect podcast category for your show! 💪 

What is a podcast category?

Fortunately, listening platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Deezer all have developed a system for referencing and storing podcasts by category. 

This makes it a lot easier to find a show about a topic that you would be interested in. 

Imagine if this didn’t exist? 🤔 

It would be really hard to find what you’re looking for… kind of like going into a library with all the books arranged randomly… it would take forever to discover something you like. 📚 

Basically, what I’m trying to say is that without podcast categories, listeners would go onto their favorite listening platform and not know where to begin, or even how. 

You would have to scroll and scroll and read all the descriptions of each show to see if you would be interested in it. 

What a nightmare! 🤯 

So, thank goodness we have podcast categories! But don’t mess it all up by choosing the wrong one… 

There are 19 main categories in all.

For example, “Health and Fitness”, “Music”, or even “Business”. 🏃‍♀️ 🎶 💼

And most of these main categories are broken down into smaller subcategories as well. 

The subcategories provide even more details to listeners. 

In the “Science” category for example, some subcategories include: “Astronomy”, “Mathematics”, “Earth Science”, and “Chemistry”. 🔭 🧫 🧪

These categories, and sometimes even subcategories, are very practical to be able to find a podcast on the subject that you’re interested in, without wasting too much time. ⏰ 

New categories can be created too as that subject becomes more and more popular. 

For example, Fiction and True Crime didn’t exist until 2019. 

Why is it important to choose the right category?

Choosing the right podcast category isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s crucial for your podcast’s success.

When listeners browse platforms like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, they rely on categories to find shows that match their interests. Without them, your podcast might get lost in the crowd. 🌪️

Think of categories as a GPS for your audience. They help guide potential listeners to your podcast, ensuring they don’t miss out on your amazing content. 🗺️

But it’s not just about helping listeners. Categories also inform the platform’s algorithms about what your show is about. This increases your chances of being recommended in search results, trending sections, or “Top Podcasts” lists. 🚀

In short, the right category not only boosts your visibility but also makes sure your show reaches the audience it was made for.

But how to choose the right category?

There are a few reasons to choose the right category, but a main one is that if you put your podcast in the wrong one, you risk being excluded from the listening platform completely. 😬 

Seems pretty obvious, I’ll give you that. 

But you also need to be as specific as possible, when choosing your podcast category and especially your subcategory. 

With a more precise subcategory, your future audience will find your show more easily according to their interests. 🔍 

And when you choose a subcategory, your show is not only referenced there, but also in the main category that it falls under. 

For example, if you choose the subcategory “Investments”, your show will also appear in the main “Business” category. 💰 

You should also take into account that some categories are more competitive than others, which can have a large impact on the growth of your show. 

If a category is popular, but already has hundreds of podcasts in it, it will be hard, or nearly impossible for your show to stand out. 

But on the other hand, a category that has very little competition, but is not popular at all, is going to be a dead end. 🛑 

What is the perfect category?

Therefore, you need to choose a category with 3 things in common: 

1. Corresponds to the subject of your podcast… duh.
2. Is popular among listeners, so there is already some traffic there.
3. Is a bit niche, so that it’s not too overcrowded with other podcasts.

If you can fulfill these 3 things, you have found your perfect podcast category! 🥳 

And of course, it will take some research to figure out how to achieve this, but I have faith in you. 

So, if your show’s subject could relate to a few different podcast categories, choose the one that is the least competitive. 

This will give you a greater chance to appear at the top of its category, and be ranked on the listening platforms. 🥇🥈🥉

And that will really help you gain visibility for your show and increase your number of listeners! 

Can you change your podcast category?

In a perfect world, you choose your podcast category before you launch your show. 

But nobody’s perfect so sometimes you may have to go back and change it later. 🤷‍♀️ 

Or maybe your show moved in a different direction than you had originally intended. 

Not to worry! 

There’s no need to go to each listening platform to change it… 

All you have to do is go to the “Settings” tab on the Ausha platform and change the category. 💜 

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Note: It could take some time for the category to change on the listening platforms after you change it in Ausha, because it’s automated on the listening platforms’ side, and we can only imagine all the podcasts they have to manage. 

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To avoid wasting your time and energy down the road, take a few minutes before you launch your show to figure out the perfect podcast category. 

Your future you will thank you! 🔮 

To sum up:

There can be so many important decisions to make when launching a podcast. 

Choosing the perfect podcast category is no exception. 

So think it over, take your time, and do some research to choose the right one that will work for you now, and in the future. 😃