How should I format my podcast's show notes?

Every podcast app displays show notes a little differently, so formatting that looks right in Transistor won't always look the same in every app. This video shows the same show notes in several apps:

For more examples, see our guide: How show notes look across different podcast apps

What formatting works in each app?

• Apple Podcasts doesn't show bold or italic text, and the newest version of the app doesn't show bullet points or hyperlinked text either.
• Spotify doesn't show bold or italic text, but does show bullet points and hyperlinked text.

So for show notes that work everywhere:

• Use line breaks to separate paragraphs, not bullet points. To add a line break in the Transistor editor, press Ctrl + Enter.
• Write links out as plain URLs, like https://transistor.fm. Apple Podcasts turns them into links for you.
• Don't rely on bold or italic text to carry meaning.

Podnews keeps a fuller breakdown of what each app supports.

A shortened version of your show notes is used as the episode summary in podcast apps, so put the most important information first.

Why does my formatting look different from Transistor's editor?

If you copy text from Microsoft Word, Google Docs or Apple Notes, it brings hidden formatting code with it. You can't see that code in Transistor's editor, but podcast apps can, and it can make your show notes display strangely.

To avoid it, paste your text into Transistor as plain text, then do your formatting in Transistor.

On Windows:

1. Copy your text from Word, Google Docs, etc.
2. Open Notepad and paste it in. Notepad removes the formatting automatically.
3. Copy the text from Notepad.
4. Paste it into Episode Show Notes / Description in Transistor, and save.

On a Mac:

1. Copy your text from Word, Google Docs, etc.
2. Open TextEdit and paste it in.
3. In the menu bar, choose Format > Make Plain Text (or press Shift + Command + T).
4. Copy the text from TextEdit.
5. Paste it into Episode Show Notes / Description in Transistor, and save.

Can I put images in my show notes?

No. You can't upload images into show notes in Transistor, because almost every podcast app throws embedded images away. Here's how missing images look in Overcast, Apple Podcasts and Spotify:

Why don't my show notes appear in Apple Podcasts?

See also: Why don't my show notes appear on Apple Podcasts?

If you have additional questions please reach out to us:

• Email - support@transistor.fm
• Live Chat: https://transistor.fm/contact/

Updated on: 02/11/2026