We previously broke down what types of podcasts are trending, including a breakdown of which podcasts categories are the most popular amongst podcast creators and listeners alike.
But what exactly are the different podcast categories and what do they mean for your podcast?
Essentially, if you are a podcast creator who wants to submit their show to the various podcast platforms, then you will need to select at least one category which best describes your podcast type. You can pick up to three categories, but make sure you choose categories which relate to your content.
You choose these categories on your media host and the list comes from Apple Podcasts (some platforms will ask for other categories but most just use the same list).
Each category has a series of subcategories which can be used to define your podcast even further. For example, if you host a current events podcast which dissects general news, your overall category would be “news” while your subcategory might be “news commentary.” Alternatively, a news podcast examining political news would fit neatly inside the “politics” subcategory.
You can pick only an overall category (e.g. “Arts”) and leave the subcategory blank, but if there’s a reasonably good fit for a subcategory (e.g. “Books”) then you should pick it, because the podcast will still also be listed in “Arts”.
The Categories
Take a look at all 19 categories and their subcategories below:
Arts
- Books
- Design
- Fashion & Beauty
- Food
- Performing Arts
- Visual Arts
Business
- Careers
- Entrepreneurship
- Investing
- Management
- Marketing
- Non-Profit
Comedy
- Comedy Interviews
- Improv
- Stand-Up
Education
- Courses
- How-To
- Language Learning
- Self-Improvement
Fiction
- Comedy Fiction
- Drama
- Science Fiction
Government
- No subcategories listed for Government
History
- No subcategories listed for History
Health & Fitness
- Alternative Health
- Fitness
- Medicine
- Mental Health
- Nutrition
- Sexuality
Kids & Family
- Education for Kids
- Parenting
- Pets & Animals
- Stories for Kids
Leisure
- Animation & Manga
- Automotive
- Aviation
- Crafts
- Games
- Hobbies
- Home & Garden
- Video Games
Music
- Music Commentary
- Music History
- Music Interviews
News
- Business News
- Daily News
- Entertainment News
- News Commentary
- Politics
- Sports News
- Tech News
Religion & Spirituality
- Buddhism
- Christianity
- Hinduism
- Islam
- Judaism
- Religion
- Spirituality
Science
- Astronomy
- Chemistry
- Earth Sciences
- Life Sciences
- Mathematics
- Natural Sciences
- Nature
- Physics
- Social Sciences
Society & Culture
- Documentary
- Personal Journals
- Philosophy
- Places & Travel
- eRelationships
Sports
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cricket
- Fantasy Sports
- Football
- Golf
- Hockey
- Rugby
- Running
- Soccer
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Wilderness
- Wrestling
Technology
- No subcategories listed for Technology
True Crime
- No subcategories listed for True Crime
TV & Film
- After Shows
- Film History
- Film Interviews
- Film Reviews
- TV Reviews
Are podcast categories important?
If you are choosing three separate categories to describe your podcast, it is a good idea to list these in order of relevancy. Taking the “news > news commentary” example, this podcast might take a light-hearted approach. In that case, you might add “comedy” as your secondary category. You wouldn’t want to reverse the order, though, if the “news” category more appropriately describes your show’s content and gives listeners a better idea of what your podcast is about.
Your categories determine where your podcasts will be listed. The primary category is used to display your show within each category page, and in charts and recommendations, while the subcategories displays your show within select category pages, curated collections and search results. They also help the “if you like this, you might also like this” algorithmic recommendations on the podcast players.
Ultimately, there’s no need to get too worried about podcast categories; they are a box to tick when setting up a new show, and one small but useful way to help people find your podcast. Plus, there is such a broad variety of categories to choose from, you’re bound to find one that suits your podcast!
At The Podcast Studios we work with companies, organisations, and individuals to help them tell their stories in audio form. If there is any part of your podcast journey that needs a professional touch, from start to finish, get in touch today by contacting us at [email protected] or visit our website at www.thepodcaststudios.ie
If you want to write for the podcast section of Headstuff.org, email us at [email protected]
