Podcast Outline Template

Podcast Outline Template, within the Milanote app

Plan your podcast outline, script and talking points

This podcast episode outline template is perfect for organizing your talking points and preparing to record.

Milanote lets you see your episode structure in a visual way—just like your wall of index cards, but portable. Easily drag and drop to rearrange the key points as your story comes to life. It's the perfect reference for recording a compelling episode.

This template is part of our guide on How to plan a podcast.

  • Explore ideas
  • Organize visually
  • Share with your team
  • Gather feedback
  • Export to PDF

How to use this template

Grab the free Milanote template above and follow this step-by-step guide to learn the modern process of outlining a podcast in Milanote, a free tool used by top creatives.

1. Start with an empty template

The Podcast Outline template contains empty notes for your ideas and talking points, placeholders for images, video and links.

Podcast outline empty template
How to do this in Milanote
  1. Create a new board for your outline.

    Create a new board

    Drag a board out from the toolbar. Give it a name, then double click to open it.

  2. Choose the Podcast Outline template.

    Choose a template 

    Each new board gives you the options to start with a beautiful template.

2. Map out the key topics

Start by laying out the major topics or questions you know you want to cover. A great place to start is with the traditional storytelling structure of beginning, middle, and end. Don't worry too much about the order or details yet, just get the main parts out of your head. This is a quick flexible way to brainstorm the centerpieces of your show.

Podcast outline empty template
How to do this in Milanote
  1. Add a Column for each key topics.

    Drag a column onto your board

    Name it, then drag any relevant notes or images into your column

3. Add talking points

Next, add a sentence or a bullet point for each talking point or question you might cover. There are no rules for how much detail to add, do what works best for you. You'll be referencing these as you record your podcast, so try and keep them short, snappy, and easy to scan as you're talking. They're the equivalent of cue cards you might use when giving a speech.

Podcast outline template
How to do this in Milanote
  1. Add a note to describe the talking points.

    Drag a note card onto your board

    Start typing then use the formatting tools in the left-hand toolbar.

4. Get the sequence right

Seeing your episode at this level lets you make connections between themes and concepts you might otherwise miss if you wrote a script in a word document. Re-read your outline so far. Look for points that feel out of place. Perhaps your transitions need some tweaking or a topic appears without a proper introduction. Highlight areas that need more work and move points around to get the sequence just right.

Podcast outline template
How to do this in Milanote
  1. Drag points around to get the sequence right.

5. Add imagery or video

While imagery probably won't make an appearance in your podcast, this is a great technique for kickstarting new ideas. Experiment by adding images or video clips that relate to your topics. You can have them on-hand and reference the details when recording to tell a more vivid story. Try saving images from Google Images, Pinterest, or Milanote's built-in image library.

Podcast outline template
How to do this in Milanote
  1. Use the built-in image library. 

    Use the built-in image library

    Search over 500,000 beautiful photos powered by Unsplash then drag images straight onto your board.

  2. Embed Youtube videos or audio in a board. 

    Embed Youtube videos or audio tracks in a board

    Copy the share link from Youtube, Vimeo, Soundcloud or many other services. Drag a link card onto your board, paste your link and press enter.

You're ready to record!

Now that you've finished your outline, you can start recording, confident that your episode has a strong foundation. If you're starting a new show right now, use the free outline template below to start mapping it out or read our full guide on How to Plan a Podcast Episode.

Start outlining your podcast

Plan your podcast outline, script and talking points