The Podcast Episode Planning Tracker in Google Sheets keeps your whole show on one page: a 16-column episode log with 5 automatic columns, a Total Downloads card and 4 live charts that refresh the moment you type. The sample file ships 15 episodes across 10 formats, 5 listening platforms and 6 production stages, so you can see exactly how it behaves before you enter your own shows.
🎙️ Built for podcasters who want one clear view of what is being scripted, recorded, edited and published, plus how each live episode performed against its download target, without paying for another monthly tool.
✅ Instant download · One-time payment · No subscription · No per-user fees · Lifetime access
🔑 Key Features of the Podcast Episode Planning Tracker
🎧 One episode log from idea to release. Every row holds Episode Title, Category, Host / Guest, Platform, Record Date, Publish Date, Duration (min), Target Downloads, Actual Downloads, Status and Notes, so the plan and the results of each episode sit side by side.
⚙️ Five columns that calculate themselves. Ep. ID, Download Rank, % to Target, Days to Publish and Lead Time (days) are formulas. Download Rank puts your most downloaded episode at #1, and Lead Time measures the gap between recording and publishing.
⏰ Deadline flags you cannot miss. Days to Publish counts down to the release date, switches to “Overdue” when the date has passed and the episode is still not marked Published, and shows “Set Date” when no publish date has been entered yet.
📊 A Total Downloads card plus 4 charts. The card adds every Actual Downloads value (35.4K in the sample). The charts are Episode Count by Category, Episode Count by Status, Actual Downloads by Episode, and Target vs Actual Downloads.
🔽 Dropdowns that grow with your show. Category, Platform and Status pull from the List tab (rows 2-500). Add a new format such as “Live Show” there and it appears in the dropdown immediately, with no setup to repeat.
🎨 Colour-coded production stages. Planned, Scripting, Recording, Editing, Published and On Hold each carry their own colour, and % to Target turns green for published episodes so strong performers stand out at a glance.
📦 What’s Inside the Template
The file has four tabs: the tracker itself, a List tab for the dropdown values, a How to Use guide and an Explore More Templates page. The PDF in your download carries the “Make a copy” link that puts your own editable copy into Google Drive.
Tab 1: Episode Tracker (Card, Charts and Episode Log)
The top band shows the Total Downloads card beside Episode Count by Category, Episode Count by Status, Actual Downloads by Episode and Target vs Actual Downloads. Below it, the episode log lists every show with its dates, duration, targets, rank, status, % to Target, Days to Publish and Lead Time.
Tab 2: How to Use
A short guide covering where to add episodes (sample rows 16-30), which columns are automatic, how to move an episode through Planned → Scripting → Recording → Editing → Published, and how to switch the dropdowns to Google’s chip display style.
Tab 3: Explore More Templates
A page of related templates and a WELCOME15 coupon code for 15% off your next purchase at NextGenTemplates.com.
📊 This Tracker vs. an Excel Spreadsheet vs. Paid Project Tools
| Feature | Podcast Episode Tracker (Google Sheets) | Blank Microsoft Excel Sheet | Airtable / Asana / Monday.com |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | ✅ One-time payment | Microsoft 365 licence, you build it yourself | Recurring per-user monthly plans on most tiers |
| Platform | ✅ Browser, any free Google account | Excel desktop or Excel for the web | Vendor web app |
| Setup time | ✅ Make a copy, replace 15 sample rows | Hours to design columns, formulas and charts | Build boards, fields and views from scratch |
| Real-time collaboration with a co-host or editor | ✅ Built into Google Sheets | Via OneDrive / SharePoint | ✅ Yes |
| Mobile access | ✅ Google Sheets app | ✅ Excel app | ✅ Vendor app |
| Customizable fields | ✅ Edit the List tab, dropdowns update | ✅ Fully manual | ✅ Yes, limits vary by plan |
| Download rank, % to target and overdue flags | ✅ Pre-built formulas | You write them | Needs formula fields or add-ons |
| Share with a link | ✅ Standard Google sharing | ✅ With a Microsoft account | ✅ Usually needs a seat |
| Year-1 cost at 5 users | ✅ Same single payment | 5 Microsoft 365 licences | 5 seats × 12 months |
For solo podcasters and small production teams who want a planning board and a download scorecard without paying per seat, this Google Sheets tracker sits in the sweet spot.
👥 Who This Template Is For — and Who It’s Not For
✅ This template is built for:
- Independent podcasters planning weekly or fortnightly episodes and guest interviews
- Small production teams (a host, an editor and a producer) sharing one release schedule
- Agencies and brands running a company podcast that must report downloads against targets
❌ This template is NOT for:
- Anyone looking for audio hosting, RSS publishing or automatic download imports from Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube — downloads are typed in by you
- Networks managing dozens of shows that need guest booking, contracts and ad-inventory management in one system
⚙️ How to Use the Podcast Episode Planning Tracker
- Open the PDF in your download and click the link to make your own copy in Google Drive.
- Add your own categories, platforms and statuses on the List tab if the defaults do not fit.
- Replace sample rows 16-30 with your episodes: title, category, host or guest, platform, dates, duration, target downloads and status.
- Move each episode through Planned, Scripting, Recording, Editing and Published as work progresses.
- Once an episode is live, enter Actual Downloads. The card, ranks, % to Target and all 4 charts refresh instantly.
- Optional: switch the Category, Platform and Status dropdowns to chip style under Data → Data validation → Advanced options.
💼 Real-World Use Cases
Maya hosts a weekly interview show on Spotify and YouTube. She logs each guest the day they confirm, tracks the recording and publish dates, and watches Days to Publish so an edit never slips past its release slot. After launch she compares actual downloads with her target to decide which formats to book more of.
Daniel produces a company podcast for a marketing agency. His editor updates Status from Recording to Editing in the shared sheet, and at month-end Daniel shares the Target vs Actual Downloads chart with the client instead of assembling a report by hand.
Priya runs a two-person educational podcast. She uses the Episode Count by Category chart to keep a healthy mix of solo, deep dive and Q&A episodes, and Lead Time shows how long her team really needs between recording and release.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Podcast Episode Planning Tracker calculate automatically?
Five columns are formulas: Ep. ID, Download Rank, % to Target, Days to Publish and Lead Time. The Total Downloads card and the four charts also update on their own, so you only type the episode details, the target, the actual downloads and the status.
Does it pull download numbers from Spotify or Apple Podcasts?
No. The tracker does not connect to any podcast host or platform. You copy Actual Downloads from your hosting dashboard into the sheet, and the card, rank, % to Target and charts then recalculate instantly.
How long does setup take?
Usually a few minutes. Make a copy from the link in the PDF, adjust the List tab if needed, and overwrite the 15 sample episodes. There are no helper tables to maintain, because the charts read the data columns directly.
Can my co-host and editor use it at the same time?
Yes. It is a normal Google Sheets file, so you can share it with edit or view access and everyone sees status changes in real time. Each person needs a Google account to edit.
What happens when an episode misses its publish date?
If the publish date has passed and the status is not Published, Days to Publish shows “Overdue”. If no publish date is entered it shows “Set Date”, and published episodes show a dash.
How does this compare to Airtable or Asana for podcast planning?
Those tools are general project platforms with per-seat plans. This template is purpose-built for episodes and downloads, costs a single payment, and runs in the Google Sheets you already use, but it has no automations, integrations or guest-booking forms.
👤 About the Author
Built by PK — Microsoft Certified Professional with 15+ years of Excel, Google Sheets and Power BI experience, and founder of NextGenTemplates. Tutorials are published on the @PKAnExcelExpert, @NextGenTemplates and @NeoTechNavigators YouTube channels. Every template is hand-built and tested before release.
🔗 Explore Related Templates
📈 Want deeper listener analysis once episodes are live? The Podcast Audience Insights Dashboard in Google Sheets and the Podcast Analytics Dashboard in Google Sheets turn show data into multi-page reports.
🎬 Publishing video too? The YouTube Channel Performance Tracker in Google Sheets follows your channel, and the Content Creator Revenue Dashboard in Google Sheets covers the income side.
🗂️ Browse all Google Sheets Trackers or the full Google Sheets Templates collection.
📘 New to Google Sheets dropdowns and charts? Google’s own guides explain how to create an in-cell dropdown list and how to add and edit a chart.
📖 Click here to read the Detailed Blog Post
🎥 Visit our YouTube channel for step-by-step video tutorials
👉 YouTube.com/@NextGenTemplates
Watch the step-by-step video Demo:
📅 Last updated: September 2026
