Podcast FAQ

best time to publish a podcast

by Jerad Zemlak Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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  • The most popular day to publish a podcast on is Wednesday
  • The most popular time slots are 2 am Wednesday, 2 am Tuesday, and 11 pm Tuesday
  • Thursday has the most total downloads per average episode
  • The hour with the most downloads per average episode is 5 am Tuesday, followed by 5 am Friday, and then 5 am Thursday

Research from Megaphone reveals that most podcasters publish the newest episodes on Wednesday, Tuesday, and Thursday (in that order) between 2 AM and 5 AM, with 5 AM gaining the max amount of downloads. According to Megaphone, podcasts that publish episodes on Tuesdays at 5 AM are downloaded the most.

Full Answer

What time of day do podcasts publish the most?

For listeners who scroll through their podcast apps when they wake up, these midnight shows would appear lower on lists of new episodes sorted by publishing time than a 5 AM show would. The hours with the most shows published are 2 AM Wednesday, 2 AM Tuesday, and 11 PM Tuesday

What is the best time of day to publish TV shows?

1 Wednesday is the most popular publishing day 2 The hours with the most shows published are 2 AM Wednesday, 2 AM Tuesday, and 11 PM Tuesday 3 Thursday has the most total downloads per average episode

What time should I download my newest podcast episode?

So if a listener in California wants to wake up at 4:15 a.m. to download my newest episode right when it comes out, that’s their prerogative. But they can also download it before their morning commute at 7:00 a.m. with absolutely no loss of content or value.

How do I publish a podcast?

First things first, to publish a podcast you’ll need to record a few episodes and find a host. To get up to speed on the podcast creation process, check out our complete guide to recording, editing, transcription and more, to get you spick and span for publishing.

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What days of the week do people listen to podcasts?

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday tend to see more downloads than Thursday and Friday, and Saturday and Sunday drop significantly in terms of downloads. In order to maximize your time on the new and noteworthy section, it makes sense to launch at the start of a week.

How often should you publish podcasts?

Weekly. A weekly podcast publishing frequency is great if you're covering trending news or have an interview-style or storytelling-type podcast. Publishing on a weekly basis is perfect for episodes over 30 minutes because it allows your fans time to actually listen to your episode and get excited about the next one.

Is Friday a good day to post a podcast?

The most popular day to publish a podcast on is Wednesday. The most popular time slots are 2 am Wednesday, 2 am Tuesday, and 11 pm Tuesday. Thursday has the most total downloads per average episode. The hour with the most downloads per average episode is 5 am Tuesday, followed by 5 am Friday, and then 5 am Thursday.

When should you make a podcast?

It takes the following series of steps to prep and manage an effective podcast recording.Find a room with solid sound. ... Adjust your systems. ... Set a conservative recording level. ... Record a high-quality audio file. ... Be consistent with your mouth placement and tone. ... Make a test recording. ... Always record 30 seconds of silence.

What is a good length for a podcast?

A 15 to 30-minute podcast is ideal for podcasters that produce content around short stories, daily news, and trending topics. This podcast length is common among shows with solo hosts. Popular podcasts that generally stay within 15-30 minutes include The Daily and Blackout.

How much money does an average podcast make?

As an estimate, if your podcast has about 10,000 downloads per episode, you can expect to make between $500 – $900 per episode in affiliate sales.

How do I make my podcast viral?

In SummaryBecome an early mover in a niche.Release frequent content.Use all distribution networks.Create a separate website that captures leads and makes the podcasts available.Grow your mailing lists.Interview guests and send them links to their episodes.Send guests links to their episodes.More items...

How many episodes does the average podcast last?

56.1% of podcasts had 10 episodes or fewer, and 17% had 50 episodes or more. The mean number of episodes was 30.1, and the median was ...

Should you number your podcast episodes?

Title it so it shows up clearly in search. Don't waste space – be as succinct as possible. Avoid putting episode numbers, your podcast series name, or the word “Episode” in there. Unless it's at the end.

What makes a podcast successful?

A podcast with focus is going to be much easier for potential listeners to understand. You might think a wide appeal will get a wider audience but more often a narrow appeal means there's less likelihood others are doing the same thing. And the listeners you get will be very excited to find you.

Do podcasts make money?

Sponsorships are the most common way podcasters make money. This is when the podcast promotes the sponsor during the show. You probably hear your favorite shows plug their advertisers a few times in every episode. How much you earn from a sponsor depends on the number of downloads your episodes earn.

How long does it take for a podcast to make money?

Relying on the experience of Marc Clair, a podcast host, and producer, it may take as long as 18 months before you start seeing results. That's if you produce a show weekly. In his words, things can be faster than stated if you have luck, a marketing budget, and irresistible content.

What is the best day and time to schedule a podcast?

Research from Megaphone reveals that most podcasters publish the newest episodes on Wednesday, Tuesday, and Thursday (in that order) between 2 AM and 5 AM, with 5 AM gaining the max amount of downloads.

Why is 5amest the best time to post podcasts?

If you are podcasting in North America, posting new episodes at 5AMEST is excellent because it ensures your content will be available first thing in the morning across both the East and West coasts. Consider studying what time zone your listeners are tuning in from to further optimize when you release new episodes.

How do podcast directories pull content from RSS feeds?

Podcast directories pull content from an RSS feeds by running periodical “refreshes” and pulling content from the feeds . This means that there is often a lag time between when you schedule an episode to go live and when it actually is available on an app like Apple Podcasts.

Why do podcasts have 3 episodes?

We highly recommend that new podcasts launch with a trailer and 3 episodes. Why? Because sharing more content when you launch gives more value to your audience. When you start sharing your podcast online and ask listeners to follow the show, it’s important to give them multiple episodes that they can binge to see how they like the show.

What is the final piece of the podcast rollout pie?

The final piece of the podcast rollout pie (yum) is making sure you have everything you need to establish the hosting. In order to set up the hosting you have to have:

How to host a podcast?

The final piece of the podcast rollout pie (yum) is making sure you have everything you need to establish the hosting. In order to set up the hosting you have to have: 1 The podcast title & description 2 A finalized audio file with intro music (if desired) 3 Your podcast artwork 4 Title & description of your trailer or first episode

What time do podcasts come out?

Research from Megaphone reveals that most podcasters publish the most new episodes on Wednesday, Tuesday, and Thursday (in that order) between 2AM and 5AM, with 5AM gaining the max amount of downloads.

When do podcasts post in the afternoon?

This is supported by the finding that episodes published in the afternoon do best when they post just before the afternoon commute (in the 4 PM hour).

What hour has the most downloads?

The hour with the most downloads per average episode is 5 AM Tuesday, followed by 5 AM Friday and 5 AM Thursday

Do podcasts show the newest episodes?

But this theory is based on the assumption that podcast apps tend to list the newest episodes higher in a listener’s feed. We did some testing, and that’s generally true, although it’s not quite as simple as that — in the Apple Podcasts app for example, the algorithm tends to favor newer episodes unless you haven’t listened to a particular show for a while, and in a few other situations. Nonetheless, Apple Podcasts and most other apps we tested did indeed give newer episodes an edge (the exception was Overcast).

What is the most popular day to publish a podcast?

The most popular day to publish a podcast on is Wednesday. The most popular time slots are 2 am Wednesday, 2 am Tuesday, and 11 pm Tuesday. Thursday has the most total downloads per average episode. The hour with the most downloads per average episode is 5 am Tuesday, followed by 5 am Friday, and then 5 am Thursday.

When is the best time to release a podcast?

Early-weekday releases will be welcomed and appreciated by an audience looking for something they can listen to on their commute into the office after a work-free weekend. The morning commute is often an excellent time to release podcasts built around self-care and improvement when searches for these topics are likely to be higher. Your podcast can become must-listen content to inspire motivation and beat those Monday blues.

Why do podcasts do well?

Likely, podcasts did well at this time and on these days because they were more likely to appear at the top of the list in a user’s podcast app when they woke in the morning and on their commute to work – when they’re most likely to be looking for something to listen to.

How to advertise podcasts?

You can also use social media platforms and appropriate hashtags as a way to advertise your podcast and offer it to more ears. TV recap shows can use the corresponding hashtag for the show itself, while podcasts based around self-motivation can make great use of the #MondayMotivation hashtag. Get permission to hashtag your podcast with any advertisers too, and boost your audience that way.

Why is Friday a good day for comedy podcasts?

As Friday closes the working week off, your audience will want to listen to something to help get them in the mood for the weekend. That makes Friday another peak day for releasing comedy podcasts. Podcasts dealing with specific entertainment topics like live music, art, or culture in your area belong on a Friday too. People looking for different things to do with their weekend might be inspired, while possibly persuading venues to become advertisers or offer discounts to your listeners.

Why is it important to release podcasts?

In a crowded platform, the day you choose to release each episode of your podcast is a critical part of your marketing strategy. It can make the difference between your show getting those high download and streaming numbers that attract high-paying advertisers, or falling by the wayside alongside hundreds of others.

What is the best time to download a movie?

The analysis suggests that the best download timeslot is Tuesday at 5 am, with episodes publishing at that time generating an average download rate of 10,386 downloads per episode.

When do you listen to podcasts?

In the morning, you might want to listen to a specific type of podcast. Whereas in the afternoon, on your way home, you are really just trying to relax and so you choose to listen to an entirely different type of podcast.

Why are podcasts downloaded more in the early hours?

Our theory to explain this [why podcasts are downloaded more in the early hours] is that an episode gains a competitive edge by being at the top of the list in a user's podcast app at the time they commute to work. This is supported by the finding that episodes published in the afternoon do best when they post just before the afternoon commute (in the 4 PM hour).

What is podcasting like?

Think about how amazing this really is. Podcasts create this entirely new form of media consumption. It's kind of like radio, but it's far more mobile and on-demand.

What does it mean to optimize to be at the top of a list?

So, just optimizing to be at the top of a list means optimizing for a disinterested audience.

What would happen if all the shows were published on Tuesdays and instead put them out on Wednesdays?

In other words, if you were to take all the shows published on Tuesdays and instead put them out on Wednesdays, Wednesday would probably have the same pattern.

Does publishing a podcast weekly matter?

It's the same thing if you publish weekly. What time you publish doesn't matter. What matters is if people love your podcast so much that during each week, they all pick a time to listen to you. Who cares whether you published it on Tuesdays at 5 AM or some other time? Your loyal audience will listen to it whenever the moment is right for them ... and the success of that is whether they do this as a habit.

Do podcasts show the newest episodes?

But this theory is based on the assumption that podcast apps tend to list the newest episodes higher in a listener's feed. We did some testing, and that's generally true, although it's not quite as simple as that - in the Apple Podcasts app for example, the algorithm tends to favor newer episodes unless you haven't listened to a particular show for a while, and in a few other situations. Nonetheless, Apple Podcasts and most other apps we tested did indeed give newer episodes an edge.

How often do podcasts come out?

Some producers schedule their episodes to release weekly, some every two weeks, some once a month. Others release several times a week, or daily. Just like everything else in podcasting, there is no single perfect solution for everyone.

How to build trust in podcasts?

Then, make sure that you fulfil those promises. Consistency builds trust.

How Long Does It Take For You To Make Good Work?

Be honest with yourself. Some people claim that it takes them an hour of editing time for every minute of finished listening. Some people have really good systems in place and can edit their show quickly . With enough advance planning, you can do things in batches: record a season of episodes at once, then edit the episodes at once, then make and schedule website and social media posts for them all at once. Some folks need to create each episode from script through recording and editing to publication and PR individually.

What are some examples of podcasts?

Another interesting example of a daily podcast is the audio drama Mercury: A Broadcast Of Hope, produced by Atlanta Radio Theatre Company. Each episode disappears from traditional pod catchers after one day. To hear their back catalog of episodes, you have to become a Patreon supporter. This audio drama about a group of optimists surviving a zombie apocalypse in a radio station is exciting. Not only that, but also the method of release means that listeners have to pay close attention, invest financially, or both. If you don't join them on Patreon, you have to have a good memory and listen daily.

What happens if your podcast sounds sloppy?

If you show sounds sloppy, or doesn’t deliver on its promises, you won’ t keep listeners. The word of mouth that you generate won't be positive. Some topics and shows are good to release frequently. Again, if your podcast is just you, and a few sound cues, and you have good systems in place, terrific.

How long is Mercury's Broadcast of Hope?

She has occasional “Deep Dive” episodes, with longer discussions. Each episode of Mercury: A Broadcast of Hope runs between two and a half to six minutes.

Is it good to release podcasts frequently?

Some topics and shows are good to release frequently. Again, if your podcast is just you, and a few sound cues, and you have good systems in place, terrific.

Why do you want your podcast to look professional?

Essentially, you want your overall podcast files to look professional and normal so that it will create an even better user experience on the listener's end!

How long are podcast intros?

These are usually 10 to 15 seconds long, and may combine elements like music, a vocal introduction, some cool sound effects, etc.

How to upload podcasts to Libsyn?

Uploading your podcast to Libsyn could not be easier. You simply click the ‘upload’ button at the top of the screen, choose your file, and go with it.

Is podcasting a marketing or advertising?

Part of podcasting is the marketing side of it. You can expect an RSS feed to do all the work for you. Podcasting done the right way will involve tons of outreach to get your name as a podcast host out there. A good hosting platform won't really do much for your overall podcasting.

Do you have to make MP3s smaller for podcasts?

In other words, some platforms charge you more if your files are larger. So at this stage of the process, you may want to make your MP3s as small as possible. You want audio files small for podcasting, but not so small it has poor and "slurry" quality - which would naturally look bad for you the host.

Is it good to be a podcast host?

There's a lot to doing successful podcasting. Being a podcast host sounds wonderful because it seems like all you have to do is interview people and then have watch your iTunes numbers grow.

Can you edit podcasts on your computer?

There is a bit of a learning curve with it. But with a bit of practice, you should be good to go to record and edit your podcast files, regardless of whether you recorded it on your phone or on your computer. Either way, you will need to end up with a MP3 audio files that you can use to start the audio process.

What Is A Podcast Directory?

You may not have realized that podcasts aren’t actually stored on directories like Apple Podcasts or Spotify, they’re stored on your podcast host. Rather, a directory is like a phonebook - a place to find what you’re looking for. When someone plays a podcast on their chosen directory, it’s channeling audio that’s hosted somewhere else.

What Do I Need To Submit My Podcast?

If you choose the right podcast hosting service, like Buzzsprout or PodBean, you'll have fantastic integration with directories, meaning you can do it all from the dashboard of your host. Regardless, on the most basic level, you’ll need an mp3 file of your recording and an RSS feed for it, generated by your host.

How Do I Get My Podcast Into iTunes or Spotify?

Having your podcast listed on the Apple Podcasts app is the ultimate way to tap into a loyal audience and garner respect and a positive reputation.

How To Upload Your Podcast To Any Other Directory

Luckily, many directories and podcast listening apps use Apple Podcasts as their source of data. So, once you’ve listed your show with Apple, it will automatically appear in other apps like Overcast, Castbox, and Pocket Casts.

Google Play Music

N.B. Ensure your RSS feed has a valid <googleplay:email> or <itunes:email> tag with an e-mail address that you can access, as this is where your verification code will be sent. You can remove the email address after verifying ownership.

Stitcher

Ensure your podcast fits Stitcher’s requirements. They follow the general industry standards - square cover art (1:1) in either a JPG or PNG format, at least 1400px squared, unique title, at least one episode at the RSS feed.

TuneIn

TuneIn is a directory for free internet radio, sports, music, news talk, and podcasts.

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What Is The Topic of Your Podcast?

The Working Week

Time of Day

  • The data shows 2 am is the most popular time for a show to go live, followed by 5 am and 11 pm. According to Megaphone, overnight hours account for the six highest-volume release times and reflect the conventional wisdom that most people download and listen to podcasts in the morning, before or while commuting to work, school, or before running errands. The analysis su…
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Release Times to Avoid?

  • It’s worth noting that even popular publishing times don’t necessarily equal a high amount of downloads. This seems to be true of the slot between 11 pm and 1 am, which – while popular – has significantly lower total downloads than the 2 am to 6 am time slot. One reason for this is that by the time listeners wake up and scroll through their podcast app, episodes released during th…
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Analytics & Social Marketing

  • Regardless of how much research you do, finding the perfect publishing day for your podcast will always be trial and error at the start. That means it’s essential to keep an eye on your analyticswhen starting. Look at the time and day that your podcast is being downloaded or streamed the most, and then consider making this the day you release each episode. Ideally, rele…
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Final Word

  • If your head is a bit fried from all these times and dates, here’s the key information to take away from Megaphone’s analysis: 1. The most popular day to publish a podcast on is Wednesday 2. The most popular time slots are 2 am Wednesday, 2 am Tuesday, and 11 pm Tuesday 3. Thursday has the most total downloads per average episode 4. The hour with t...
See more on podcasthowto.com

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