🎙️ The Podcast Domain Rule
If you can't easily say it at the end of an episode—"Find us at [domain]"—it's the wrong domain. Podcasts are audio-first, so speakability matters more than for any other medium.
Domain Extensions for Podcasts
| Extension | Price | Speakability | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| .com | $10-15 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Best choice |
| .fm | $90-120 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Great for podcasts |
| .show | $30-40 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Good alternative |
| .audio | $15-25 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Okay, less known |
| .podcast | $30-50 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Redundant often |
| .co | $25-35 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Can confuse ("dot C-O") |
The .fm Advantage
The .fm extension (Federated States of Micronesia) has become the unofficial podcast TLD:
- ✓ Radio connotation: "FM" = broadcast, audio, radio
- ✓ Easy to say: "yourshow dot F-M"
- ✓ Industry recognition: Podcast hosting companies use it (Transistor.fm, Overcast.fm)
- ✓ Good availability: More options than .com
⚠️ Downside: Expensive (~$100/year) and some listeners may not recognize it as a valid domain.
Naming Strategies for Podcasts
✓ Do This
- • Match domain to podcast name exactly
- • Short and memorable (2-3 words max)
- • Easy to spell when heard
- • No numbers or hyphens
- • Check social handle availability too
✗ Avoid
- • Homophones (their/there, to/too/two)
- • Uncommon spellings
- • Long domains requiring spelling out
- • "The" in the domain (theshowname.com)
- • Adding "podcast" if show name doesn't include it
The Audio Test
Before committing, say this out loud:
"Thanks for listening! Find show notes and more at [your domain]"
If you had to spell anything, add "that's with a...", or say "dot something unusual," it's too complicated.
Domain Strategy: What to Register
Minimum
showname.com (or .fm if .com is taken)
Recommended
- • showname.com
- • showname.fm (if budget allows)
- • Common misspellings (forward to main)
Pro Move
Also grab @showname on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok before announcing. Use Namechk.com to check all platforms at once.
Popular Podcast Domain Examples
reply-all.fm ✗ (hyphen)
gimletmedia.com ✓
thisamericanlife.org ✓
serial.podcast ✓
overcast.fm ✓
relay.fm ✓