1 · Choose your format
Build your script
Timing assumes an average speaking pace of 130 words per minute.
2 · Write each segment
Interview question bank — tap to add
Your script
0 wordsHow a podcast script is structured
Almost every episode that sounds effortless follows the same skeleton. The percentages below are for a typical 30-minute episode — the builder above is already laid out this way.
Your single best moment, teased up front. No intro music, no “welcome back” — earn the next 30 seconds first.
Theme music, show name, who you are, and a one-line promise of what the listener gets from this episode.
Two or three segments with a clear turn between them. Script the openings and transitions word-for-word; loosen up inside the segment.
Land the takeaway in one sentence, give exactly one call to action, tease the next episode, then credits and music out.
Writing a script that sounds spoken
A podcast script isn't an essay read aloud. These are the habits that make the difference in the booth.
- Write for the ear, not the eye.Short sentences. Contractions. If you run out of breath reading a line aloud, split it — your listener can't re-read a sentence they misheard.
- Script the seams, bullet the middle.Write hooks, intros, transitions and the outro word-for-word. Inside a segment, tight bullet points keep you accurate without sounding like you're reading.
- Put production cues in brackets.[MUSIC FADES], [BEAT], [SFX: door closes] — cues tell you and your editor exactly what happens, so nothing gets guessed in the edit.
- Signpost every turn.Listeners can't see headings. Say them: “That brings us to the second reason…” A spoken signpost every few minutes stops people drifting.
- Time it before you record it.Spoken English runs about 130 words per minute. A 30-minute episode is roughly 3,900 words — the meter above tracks you against your target as you write.
- End with one ask.One call to action converts; three get skipped. Pick the single most valuable one — a follow, a review, a newsletter signup — and say it plainly.
How many words is an episode?
At a natural speaking pace of 130 words per minute (150 if you're brisk, 110 for slow, dramatic delivery):
| Episode length | Script words | Pages* |
|---|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 650 | ~2.5 |
| 10 minutes | 1,300 | ~5 |
| 15 minutes | 1,950 | ~8 |
| 20 minutes | 2,600 | ~10 |
| 30 minutes | 3,900 | ~16 |
| 45 minutes | 5,850 | ~23 |
| 60 minutes | 7,800 | ~31 |
| 90 minutes | 11,700 | ~47 |
*Double-spaced, 12pt — the standard script format, which is how the preview on this page is spaced.
Which format should you pick?
| Format | Best for | Scripting level |
|---|---|---|
| Solo | Teaching, commentary, expertise shows | Full script |
| Interview | Guests, experts, stories | Questions + cues |
| Co-hosted | Banter, news, comedy duos | Outline + beats |
| Narrative | True crime, documentary, audio drama | Full script |
| Business | B2B, thought leadership, brands | Full script |
| Comedy | Bits, panels, improv-leaning shows | Beats + punchlines |
A worked example: the first 90 seconds
Here's how the solo template opens when it's filled in — note the cues in brackets, the one-line promise, and how little time is spent before the listener knows what they're getting.
Cold open — hook
“I tracked my mornings for sixty days, and the data says the 5 a.m. club is lying to you. Not about discipline — about biology. And the fix takes four minutes.”
Intro & title sequence
“Welcome to The Daily Grind, the show that tests productivity advice so you don't have to. I'm Alex Rivera. Today: what sixty days of sleep data taught me about mornings — and the four-minute reset that replaced my whole routine.”
Segment 1 — the myth
“Let's start with the claim: successful people wake at five. Here's the problem nobody mentions…”