Podcasting continues to captivate audiences, with 64% of Americans having listened to a podcast and 42% tuning in monthly in the last year. The term “podcasting” is now familiar to 75% of the U.S. population, reflecting a significant rise in awareness and participation.
Given this surge, aspiring podcasters often wonder, “how long should a podcast be?” While most podcasts range from 20 to 60 minutes, the ideal duration depends on your content and audience.
This article explores how to determine the perfect length for your podcast, ensuring you create engaging episodes that resonate with your listeners¹².
Key Takeaways
- 🎧 Audience Engagement: The ideal podcast length varies by audience preferences. Tailor your episode duration to keep your listeners engaged.
- ⏱️ Commute Considerations: Consider your audience’s average commute time when determining episode length to fit seamlessly into their daily routines.
- 📈 Content Quality: Focus on the quality of your content rather than fitting it into an arbitrary length. High-quality episodes will keep your audience coming back for more.
What is the Average Podcast Length?
The length of a podcast episode can vary dramatically; therefore, examining a few specific podcast examples and discussing the average length of podcast episodes may be helpful.
5-Minute Podcasts
Some podcasts provide all the information needed in just five minutes. This short time frame for episodes is a huge draw for people who are on the go and do not have much time to devote to listening to podcasts.
Example
An example is A Thousand Things to Talk About. This podcast is all about answering difficult questions.
The host, Andrea Parrish, spends some time talking about her research behind the questions. Occasionally, she will tell you what she thinks, but she will always let you think of your own answers—all in five-minute episodes.
If you are ever worried that your podcast is not long enough, you should be comforted by the fact that some successful podcasts need only a few minutes.
Multiple Hour Podcasts
On the other end of the spectrum, some podcasts span hours and hours. The longest continuous podcast episode ever lasted 36 hours. Mike Russell of UK Podcasters gave up sleep to record continuously for a day and a half.
While this was a one-time endeavor, podcasts regularly record episodes that clock in at several hours long.
Example
One such example is Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History. Nearly every episode of this podcast is longer than three hours; some even clock in at well over six hours. However, it has a huge following and is one of the most successful podcasts in existence.
How Long Are The Most Popular Podcasts?
According to research, the average episode length for the most popular podcasts is 38 minutes and 42 seconds.
Keep in mind that people who have hours and hours to dedicate to podcast listening tend to be in the minority, which is why a lot of podcasts are between 20 minutes and 30 minutes while some get up to 60 minutes.
What Are You Trying to Say in Your Podcast?
Many new podcasters run into this trap where they have twenty minutes of golden material but still feel that the episode is too short, so they start to add fluff.
If you have a wonderful 20—or 30-minute podcast episode, there is no need to make it longer simply because you feel it must be longer to be right.
Think about what you are trying to say and what you want your listeners to get out of the podcast episode. Once you have accomplished your goal, you are done. There is no need to try to adhere to artificial rules that you are setting out for yourself.
Don’t Run Out of Steam!
You also do not want to create a few hour-long podcast episodes for your show and then run out of content.
For your podcasting endeavor to succeed, you must share riveting content over many episodes. Some of the most popular shows in the industry have been running for years, and you want yours to be like that too!
How Long Does Your Audience Spend Commuting Every Day?
This is an important question because many of your listeners will likely be listening to your podcast on their way to and from work.
Audio and Podcast content works well for commuting compared to YouTube because it allows people to keep their eyes on the road or the way they are going while still allowing them to get new information.
If you can find out your audience’s average commute, that could influence how long you choose to make your podcast.
What is the Average Commute Throughout the Country?
The average commute time in the United States is indeed just over 26 minutes. However, this varies significantly by state.
For instance, New York has the longest average commute at approximately 33.5 minutes, while South Dakota enjoys the shortest average commute at about 17.3 minutes.
If You Don’t Know, Ask Them!
Consider asking your audience what the average length of their commute is and how long they would like to spend listening to your content to get a better idea of how long your podcast should be.
Use information directly from your audience whenever possible to ensure you serve your listeners as best you can.
Should All Your Podcast Episodes Be the Same Length?
The short answer to this question is not necessarily. The episode length should match the content that you have to cover.
However, many people enjoy consistency. If the average length of your podcast episodes is 60 minutes, but then you suddenly create one that is two hours, it may throw off your listeners.
People like to know how much time they need to dedicate to your podcast upfront. Therefore, drastically changing your episode length may be off-putting to your audience, who consistently wants to listen to your show.
Do Not Change Podcast Length Arbitrarily
If you start with 30-minute episodes, you should think twice before randomly switching to much longer three-hour episodes.
Consider doing audience research first before you make a big shift like this. However, if you find that your audience is dying for more and would gladly listen to a longer podcast episode, there is no reason not to change your podcast structure.
Think About Structure
Consider laying out a structure for your episodes to be consistent with your episode length. This will help you keep the length of your show consistent and ensure that you are not starting from scratch each time you start recording.
How Much Time Do You Have?
While much of the conversation about podcast length involves considering the audience, you should also consider yourself.
Few people have the time and energy to devote hours to podcasting consistently each week. You do not need to feel bad if you are not one of those people; you just need to be honest with yourself and with your listeners.
Making one fantastic podcast episode every two weeks is much better than throwing together a lackluster show every week.
Podcasting is More than Just Recording: Don’t Forget About Editing!
Podcasting is a lot of work. Even if you really like making podcasts, there is no denying that producing a show is extremely time-consuming.
Even short podcasts can take several hours to put together when you factor in editing, adding sound effects, and audio mixing after recording.
For some shows, editing can take even longer than recording the show. You also must remember that sharing your podcasts on social media and promoting them to an email address list takes time.
Budget Your Time Wisely
When determining how much time you have to devote to podcasting, you must consider all these components of producing a show.
If you do not give yourself enough time for audio editing after recording, you will likely end up with a podcast that is not of the right quality for your show.
Ask for Help if You Can
You may be able to make this easier for yourself by hiring a third party or getting a co-host involved in the process. Getting help is a great way to reduce the burden on yourself.
However, not everyone has the resources to seek help from others. If you are committed to your podcast show and want to make each episode the best it can be, getting help may be the right move.
How Often Do You Share Your Work?
You may think that getting more content out in the world is always better; however, quality is usually better than quantity.
Additionally, many of your listeners may not have time to keep up with three weekly episodes. If you put out one longer hour-long episode every other week that gets 500 hundred downloads, that is much better than sharing three episodes a week that only get 50 downloads each.
Can Your Topic Help You Find Your Publishing Schedule?
However, you should also think about what kind of publishing schedule your topic lends itself to. For example, it makes a lot of sense that daily news shows are published every day, while the year in review shows are published yearly.
Before you choose your schedule, consider both how much time your audience has to listen and what your topic requires, then you know how often you should publish a Podcast?
FAQs
How can I promote my podcast to reach a wider audience?
Utilize social media, collaborate with other podcasters, and encourage listener reviews and shares.
Is a professional studio setup necessary to start a podcast?
You can start with a good microphone, headphones, and free editing software like Audacity.
How can I monetize my podcast?
Explore sponsorships, affiliate marketing, listener donations, and merchandise sales
Final Thoughts
No one right length will lead to the best podcast. Podcasting is not an exact science, but keeping the answers to the above questions in mind can guide you.
Consider how long your listeners have to listen to your podcasts, their average commute time, and the amount of content and time you have.
By evaluating these factors, you can determine the optimal podcast length that will keep your audience engaged and allow you to produce high-quality content consistently.
Ultimately, your podcast’s length should reflect the quality of your content and meet your audience’s preferences. There is no single right way to make a podcast.
Focus on creating a show that your listeners will enjoy and return to regularly. The best podcast serves your audience with episodes that keep them coming back for more.
