host-intro
Host intro
The opening segment: episode title, show name, host introduction, and a brief episode premise. Sets the listener's expectation before the main content.
6 starter templates · 6 segment types · early access
A podcast script is a format, not a bullet list.
Most student podcasts start from a list of talking points and the host improvises the rest — which means the editor spends twice as long in post trying to fix what was never written down. A proper podcast script has named segments, speaker assignments, a runtime target, and production notes for the editor. A 5-minute episode targets 675 spoken words at a classroom pace; a 10-minute episode targets 1,350. The format engine is built. The classroom production unit — script, record, consent, publish inside school — is in early access.
6named segment types
6student production roles
6starter templates
135spoken words per minute (classroom pace)
The format
Named segments, not free-form notes
A podcast script in this format has six segment types. Each segment carries a type label, a speaker assignment, and the spoken text or a production note. The editor knows exactly where to insert music, the host knows when to hand off, and a student who reviews the script before showing up to record knows what their part is.
narration
Narration
Scripted narration read by the host or a narrator. Carries the story forward between interview segments or reported sections.
interview
Interview
A question-and-answer segment. The script includes the prepared questions; the guest's answers are noted as spoken (live or recorded) rather than scripted word-for-word.
sound-cue
Sound cue
A production note for the editor: music, ambient sound, sound effect, or a transition tone. Not spoken; marks where audio is inserted in post.
transition
Transition
A short bridge line read by the host between main segments -- a one-or-two-sentence handoff that keeps the episode moving.
outro
Outro
The closing segment: a brief summary, credits, and a standard closing line. Mirrors the intro so the episode has a clear frame.
Script header fields
Every episode starts with a header block. These are the fields the format defines:
- Show name: The Morning Broadcast
- Episode number: Episode 14
- Episode title: The New Gym: What Students Actually Think
- Record date: November 3, 2026
- Host(s): Maya Chen, Jordan Park
- Editor: Sam Torres
- Target runtime: 10 minutes
Runtime targets
At 135 spoken words per minute (a comfortable classroom pace), a script of this length will run roughly this long:
| Target runtime | Script word count |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 675 words |
| 10 minutes | 1,350 words |
| 15 minutes | 2,025 words |
| 20 minutes | 2,700 words |
These are guides, not hard limits. A faster reader delivers the same word count in less time; a slower reader takes more. Rehearsal closes the gap.
The classroom unit
Script, record, and publish inside one course
The classroom podcast unit has four stages. It is designed to fit a multi-week media or journalism course, not a single afternoon. The constraint that most student podcasts hit — losing track of who does what between the script stage and the recording session — is what the format is designed to prevent.
Step 1
Write the script
Start from a starter template or a blank episode. Assign roles in the script header, write each segment, and add sound-cue notes for the editor. The format keeps everyone's part visible -- the host sees what the narrator will say; the editor sees every cue.
Step 2
Rehearse together
The shared script is the rehearsal text. Students read their segments in order, flag anything that does not sound right when spoken, and revise before recording. Catching a mismatch between the written word count and the actual runtime is easier in rehearsal than in the editing suite.
Step 3
Record with consent
Before any student voice is recorded, consent is collected per student per episode. A student who did not consent does not appear on mic. A student who consented can have their consent revoked by a parent -- their segment is re-recorded or removed from the final edit.
Step 4
Publish inside the classroom
The finished episode is available inside the platform for the class and, with adviser approval, for the school. Public publishing outside the school is a separate decision that requires an additional step, so nothing goes out by default.
Student voice consent
Consent before the microphone, not after
A student’s recorded voice is different from their written work. The classroom unit collects consent per student per episode before any recording session begins. The rules are straightforward:
- Consent is collected per student per episode -- a student must consent before their voice appears in a recording.
- A parent can revoke consent after recording. The segment is removed or re-recorded; the episode is not published with the revoked voice.
- A student who did not consent does not appear on mic, in the script credit, or in the published episode record.
- Consent records are logged and held on the platform's private system. They are not shared with outside companies.
- The consent requirement applies inside the classroom. Publishing outside the school is a separate, additional step.
- For students who are minors, on-mic consent is gated by the guardian permission your school or district already requires -- the unit records that permission per episode and does not substitute for your school's own media-release process.
Nothing about a student’s voice, role assignment, or consent record is shared with outside companies. Consent records are held on our private platform system.
Starter library · 6 templates · early access
Templates for the formats a class actually records
Every starter template has a defined segment sequence, a runtime target, a word-count guide, and a teacher note about how the format fits a class period. A class uses one as a starting point and rewrites it around their own story. The library is in early access; access is through a demo request.
News & journalism · 5 min
School News Brief
A two-story news brief with a host intro, two narrated story segments, and a standard close. Good for a weekly school-news journalism unit. The host reads everything; the editor assembles from a single recording session.
Teacher note: Fits a 45-minute class period: write and rehearse in the first half, record in the second.
Segments: host-intro / narration / narration / transition / narration / outro · 675 words
Interview · 10 min
Interview Profile
A profile episode built around one interview subject. The host provides context; the interviewer leads two interview segments. The guest's answers are live and noted in the script, not scripted word-for-word.
Teacher note: Teach interview prep and active listening alongside scripting. The interviewer writes the questions; the guest is not scripted.
Segments: host-intro / narration / interview / transition / interview / narration / outro · 1,350 words
Explainer · 8 min
Explainer Episode
A single-topic explainer with a two-narrator structure: the host leads, a narrator carries the middle sections, and sound cues frame the main argument. Good for science, history, or social-studies content.
Teacher note: Pairs well with a research assignment. Students use their research notes to write the narration segments.
Segments: host-intro / narration / sound-cue / narration / transition / narration / sound-cue / outro · 1,080 words
Discussion · 12 min
Class Roundtable
Three participants respond to a shared question in separate interview segments; a co-host handles transitions. The host frames the topic; the co-host stitches the responses together on mic.
Teacher note: Useful for a whole-class participation unit where every student has a defined on-mic role across episodes.
Segments: host-intro / interview / transition / interview / transition / interview / narration / outro · 1,620 words
Documentary · 15 min
Documentary Short
A four-role documentary with field narration, two interview segments, and ambient sound cues. The most production-intensive template in the starter set. Best for a multi-week unit with dedicated recording time.
Teacher note: Assign the narration sections to different student writers and have the full team edit the script together before recording.
Segments: host-intro / narration / sound-cue / interview / narration / sound-cue / interview / narration / transition / narration / outro · 2,025 words
Review · 6 min
Book Talk
A two-host book discussion where one student introduces the book and one student interviews the reader. Keeps the conversation structured without scripting every answer.
Teacher note: Works as a reading-response alternative to a written essay. Good for English and library programs.
Segments: host-intro / narration / interview / transition / narration / outro · 810 words
Student roles
Every student has a defined job
The script format supports six named production roles. A small group can cover them all; a full class can distribute them across episodes. Only on-mic roles require voice consent — researcher and editor work entirely off mic.
host
Host
Reads the host-intro, narration, transition, and outro segments. The on-mic voice of the show.
co-host
Co-host
Shares the on-mic load with the host. Most useful in a two-host format where segments alternate.
interviewer
Interviewer
Conducts the interview segments. Reads prepared questions; records or notes the guest's responses.
narrator
Narrator
Reads narration segments written for a voice other than the host. Common in documentary-style episodes.
editor
Editor
Acts on sound-cue notes, assembles recorded segments, and exports the finished episode file.
researcher
Researcher
Sources the facts and interviews behind the episode. Credited in the script header; may not appear on mic.
Questions
What the format is and is not
What does the script format actually look like?
A podcast script in this format has a header block (show name, episode number, date, host, target runtime) and a sequence of named segments: host-intro, narration, interview, sound-cue, transition, and outro. Each segment carries a type label, a speaker name, and the spoken text or a production note. The format is plain text; there is no proprietary file type.
Is the script format the same one used for school plays on freeschoolplays.com?
The underlying format engine is shared -- the same multi-format scripting substrate handles play scripts, monologues, and podcast scripts. The segment vocabulary and header fields differ by format; a podcast script has sound cues and interview segments where a play has stage directions and character blocks. You do not need a freeschoolplays.com account to use the podcast script format.
How many students can work on one episode?
The script format supports up to six named roles per episode: host, co-host, interviewer, narrator, editor, and researcher. A small class can assign all six to different students; a single student can hold multiple roles. There is no technical limit, but the starter templates are designed for two-to-four active on-mic participants.
Does a student have to record their voice to participate?
No. Researcher and editor roles are fully off-mic. A student assigned to research sources the content that goes into narration segments; a student assigned as editor applies sound cues and assembles the final file. Consent for recording is required only for on-mic roles.
What do students do with the finished episode?
The finished episode is available inside the platform for the class and, with the adviser's approval, for the wider school. Publishing outside the school -- to a public podcast feed or a school website visible off the network -- is a separate step that requires an additional decision and is not on by default. The platform is not a podcast hosting service.
Who owns the recordings, and how is student data handled?
The school owns its scripts and recordings. We do not claim rights to classroom content or resell it. Student voice recordings and consent records are held on our private system and are not shared with or sold to outside companies. The classroom unit is built to sit inside your district's existing student-records and media-release policies, not to replace them -- follow your school's own rules for storing and releasing student work.
Can the script double as a transcript for accessibility?
Largely, yes. Because the episode is scripted before it is recorded, the finished script is already a near-complete written version of what was said -- the narration, host, and transition lines are word-for-word, and only the live interview answers need to be added after recording. A class can publish that script next to the audio so a student who is deaf or hard of hearing, or who reads faster than they listen, can follow the episode. The format does not auto-generate captions; it gives you the written source that makes a transcript straightforward to produce.
Is the starter script library free?
The starter templates are free to use for classroom podcast production units. Access is through a demo request while the surface is in early access. The format engine itself -- write, structure, rehearse -- is part of the same script platform as freeschoolplays.com and is built today.
What hardware does a classroom need to record?
The script format and classroom unit are software; the recording is done with whatever the school has. A USB microphone and a quiet corner of the room will record a usable episode. We do not sell or recommend specific hardware.
When will the classroom podcast unit be generally available?
The podcast-specific classroom surface -- the unit builder, the script-to-record flow, and the starter library -- is in early access. We are working through the initial school cohort now. Request a demo to get on the list; we will reach out when we have capacity.
Honest status
What is built and what is early access
The script format engine -- write, structure, and rehearse a podcast script with named segments, a runtime target, and student role assignments -- is built today as part of the same platform as freeschoolplays.com. The podcast-specific classroom surface (the unit builder, the script-to-record flow, student voice consent collection, and the starter library) is in early access. We are working through the first school cohort. Request a demo to get on the list; we do not describe a planned feature as if it shipped.
- Built Multi-format script engine -- the same substrate behind freeschoolplays.com, which already handles play scripts and monologues
- Built Named segment types: host-intro, narration, interview, sound-cue, transition, outro
- Built Script header fields: show, episode, date, host, editor, runtime target
- Built Word-count-to-runtime calculation based on pacing
- Built Student role assignments in the script header
- Early access Classroom podcast production unit (the script-to-record workflow inside a course)
- Early access Student voice consent collection, per student per episode
- Early access In-school episode publishing with adviser approval
- Early access Starter script library (6 templates)