Naming Your Podcast Media Files

Before you upload an episode, give the file a clear, consistent name. A good file name keeps your episode’s link working in every podcast app, and helps listeners who save your episodes find them later.

Avoid spaces and special characters

Use only letters, numbers, hyphens (-) and underscores (_) in your file names.

When you host with Blubrry, the name of the file you upload becomes part of your episode’s web address. Spaces and characters such as &, #, ? or apostrophes have to be converted into codes before they can be used in a web address. A space, for example, becomes %20. Some podcast apps, directories and websites don’t handle these codes correctly, which can break the link to your episode. The codes also make the file name hard to read.

• Avoid: My Show Ep 1 (Final!).mp3
• Use instead: myshow-001.mp3

Use a consistent naming pattern

Some listeners download episodes to a computer or device, where your files sit next to episodes from every other show they follow. A consistent pattern keeps your episodes together and in order.

Build each file name from these parts:

1. A short prefix for your show. Use an abbreviation of your show’s name, such as gnc for Geek News Central.
2. The episode number or release date.
   • For episode numbers, add leading zeros (001, 002, 003) so files sort in the right order. Use four digits (0001) if you expect more than 999 episodes.
   • For dates, use the YYYY-MM-DD format (2026-10-22), which also sorts in order.
3. Optional: one to three keywords about the episode, separated by hyphens. Don’t add more than that.

Examples:

• gnc-001.mp3
• gnc-2026-10-22.mp3
• gnc-142-chocolate-chip-cookies.mp3

Choose your pattern before your first episode and use it every time.

Keep episode numbers out of your episode titles

Your file name is a good place for an episode number, but your episode title isn’t. Apple Podcasts asks that episode titles not include episode or season numbers. Enter the number in the Episode # field when you publish your episode instead.

Write each title so it tells listeners what the episode is about. It’s often the first thing a new listener sees.