Podcast FAQ

how long should my podcast be

by Dr. Olin Stokes MD Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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How Long Should my Podcast be?

  • Length doesn’t matter that much. If you want some canned, textbook answer, the average commute is 25 minutes, and that’s...
  • If Your Listeners Like the Content, They’ll Stick Around. On that same token, if your content is good, listeners won’t...
  • Not All Content is Created Equal. Your goal as a podcaster is focus on good content. One hour of...

The length of your podcast also depends on your subject, industry or genre. It could be that around 15-20 minutes perfect for your listeners. But maybe your specific audience wants more in-depth, exploratory information; in which case, 45-90 minutes would provide more value.

Full Answer

What is the ideal length of a podcast?

Watch our webinar for ideas.

  • This is Why: 22-25 minutes
  • The Daily: 24-31 minutes
  • The Big Story: 16-18 minutes
  • The Ben Shapiro Show: 55-59 minutes”

How to start podcast on iTunes?

  • Start by making the first video for your podcasts. ...
  • Then, you will need to upload your file to a web server. ...
  • Next, you will need to generate a RSS feed for your podcast. ...
  • Refer to the RSS template provided on the Apple’s “Making a Podcast” website for more tags that specify to iTunes. ...

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How to start a podcast for your radio station?

Podcasts should be in bite sized chunks no longer than 30 minutes. Be methodical about your approach, split up each show into 10-15 minute sections. You then have more to show and can stagger your content in a breadcrumb fashion. Equipment You Need to Start a Podcast for Your Radio Station.

How to find the number of listeners to a podcast?

  • In 2019 over 32% of Americans have listened to podcasts regularly every month, which is 90 million people. ...
  • People regularly listening every week in 2019 were 22% of the population in 2019. ...
  • It is also crucial to notice that once a consumer becomes a podcasts listener, podcasting becomes their primary source of audio consumption.

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Is a 15 minute podcast too short?

No, it can't be too short. There is no definitive time which a podcast has to reach. Shorter podcasts leave you less time to deliver information, engage and entertain, but can work well if you have a lot of useful tips to share.

How long is the average podcast episode?

38 minutes and 42 secondsOverall average length Considering these extreme outliers, I decided to look at the median average: Based on a sample of 10 million episodes, the median podcast duration is 38 minutes and 42 seconds. In other words, half of all currently published podcast episodes are longer than 38:42. The other half are shorter.

How long should a podcast be for beginners?

Although there are no rules regarding the episode length, it's worth keeping in mind that short episodes will make new listeners more likely to try out your podcast. We recommend keeping the length under 30 minutes when starting out.

What is the most popular podcast length?

The average podcast length is 43 minutes and 24 seconds, but the most popular podcasts in 2019 were 53 minutes long.

How often do podcasts fail?

Less than 20% of the podcasts that have launched this year will make it to next year. Most podcasts fail. If you've launched a podcast or are thinking about launching one, you don't want to put in all that work just to see your experiment get canned in a few months.

Is my podcast too long?

Summary: Podcast Episode Length But the general theory of podcast episode lengths is simple. If you have 40 minutes of good, on-topic content, and your episode lasts 1 hour, then it's too long. If If you have 40 minutes of good, on-topic content, and your episode lasts 20 minutes, then it's too short.

How long is a solo podcast?

Depending on the podcast, episodes can last anywhere from 15 minutes to 2-3 hours – wow! But, what's important to remember here is that, as a solo host, you'll be the only person talking the entire time.

How Short Can podcasts be?

Short podcasts are shows with episode lengths that range anywhere from a minute to around 15 minutes. They've grown incredibly popular in the past few years – over 60 percent of podcasts hosted on Anchor are short podcasts.

Does having a podcast pay?

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 do you know if a podcast is successful?

Download numbers are one of the most obvious metrics for measuring the success of your podcast. Download stats are immediately accessible to you, from the minute you launch your first episode. Watching the numbers climb can be rewarding. Some might even say addictive.

What is the average age of podcast listeners?

50% of monthly U.S. podcast listeners are aged between 12-34, 43% between 35 and 54 years old, and 22% are aged over 55. In 2019, around half of monthly podcast listeners had a full-time job(51%), 17% of whom hadve a household income between $100K-$150K.

How often should I release a podcast?

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.

How many episodes is the average podcast?

2). 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 ...

How many episodes should a podcast have?

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to podcast season length. You might choose to release a season with only 4 episodes. Or you might release more than 20. Basically, you should make your season as long as it needs to be to cover a topic completely.

How many words is a 15 minute podcast?

2000 words for 15 minutes episode. 3000 words for 20 minutes episode. 4500 words for 30 minutes episode.

How long is a solo podcast?

Depending on the podcast, episodes can last anywhere from 15 minutes to 2-3 hours – wow! But, what's important to remember here is that, as a solo host, you'll be the only person talking the entire time.

How long should a podcast be?

Here's the bottom line – if your episode contains a solid 20 minutes of good content that delivers on its title and serves your audience, then 20 minutes is the perfect podcast episode length.

How long is Dan Carlin's Hardcore History?

New episodes of the series are downloaded millions of times within the first month of their release. On top of that though, these episodes tend to be between 4 and 6 hours long.

Why are all episodes the same length?

They're all similar lengths because that's generally how long it takes to present your content. You can deviate from that now and then if the content dictates. But having absolutely no consistency in your episode lengths could be jarring for your listeners, and prevent you from growing your audience. It could easily give off the impression of ...

How long can you play a show on your phone?

You can play 5 minutes of a show whilst making your breakfast in the morning, another 15 on the trip to work, then listen to the rest on the way home. Or even the next day or week. It's just as easy to plug your car speakers into your phone as it is a set of earbuds.

Do you have to be wrapped up for podcasting?

You don't need to be wrapped up on the hour so they can cut to the news. Podcasting is on-demand content, so take as long as you need to create a great episode. But once you've achieved that, be mindful not to drag it out any longer.

Is 40 minutes too short for a podcast?

If If you have 40 minutes of good, on-topic content, and your episode lasts 20 minutes, then it's too short. And if you're consistent and organised with your content, then it's likely your episodes will fall within a certain length range overall. Content shouldn't be made to fit length. Length should be made to fit content.

Do you have to be wrapped up on the hour to record a radio show?

You don't need to be wrapped up on the hour so they can cut to the news.

What happens if you don't give yourself enough time for podcasting?

If you do not give yourself enough time for audio editing after recording, then you will likely end up with a podcast that is not of the right quality for your show.

How long is a podcast?

The average podcast episode length on a Buzzsprout review is 38 minutes. 38 minutes and 42 seconds to be exact according to research. 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.

How long is the longest podcast?

The longest continuous podcast episode ever spanned 36 hours. Mike Russell of UK Podcasters gave up sleep to record continually for a day and a half. While this was a one-time endeavor, podcasts out there regularly record episodes that clock in at several hours long.

How long should a podcast episode be?

However, with that being said, 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 ...

How long does it take to listen to a podcast?

Some podcasts get across all the information they need to in just five minutes. In fact, this short time frame for episodes is actually a huge draw for on the go people who do not have much time to devote to listening to podcasts.

How long is Dan Carlin's podcast?

One such example is Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History. Nearly every episode of this podcast is longer than three hours. Some episodes even clock in at well over six hours. However, it has a huge following and is one of the most successful podcasts in existence.

Why is it important to get help on podcasts?

Getting help is a great way to reduce the burden on yourself. However, not every person has the resources to use help from others. If you are committed to your podcast show and want to make each episode the best you can, getting help may be the right move.

Longer Podcasts Are Doing Very Well

In episode 93 of Libsyn.com 's The Feed Podcast, VP of Podcaster Relations Rob Walch states that at Libsyn.com

This Doesn't Mean All Podcasts Should Be Long

The bottom line is, your podcast should be as long as it needs to be and not a minute more.

Not All Content is Created Equal

Your goal as a podcaster is focus on good content. One hour of rambling isn’t the same as one hour of structure or entertaining conversation.

Favor Content over Length

When I taught college classes, if a student turned in a paper with the minimum recommended 2 pages, but the content didn’t address the assigned topic, they failed. But if a student went a couple of paragraphs short and still managed to hit my requirements, they got a good grade.

How to make a podcast longer?

The “right” podcast length can vary from topic to topic, so Strategy #1 is to always keep in mind the point that you’re trying to share in each episode. Some topics might take longer to get through because they need a little more background information than others .

How to keep a podcast short?

2. Understand Your Audience.

How long is a one way commute?

FUN FACT: Statistics show the average length of a one-way commute in America is 27.1 minutes, which gives you a solid figure, and a number of options to consider when deciding on your ultimate average episode length. On the other hand, if your audience typically listens at night, just before going to sleep, then your episodes could be substantially ...

What happens when you record an episode?

During recording, you may become lost in your own thoughts, go off on a tangent, or simply just want to show that you’ve really researched a topic, but the result is that your episode becomes an exhibition of your talents, rather than something of value to the audience. #5 Keep to the point.

Is there a one size fits all rule for podcasts?

Closing Thoughts. What should be clear from all of the above is that there is no “one size fits all” rule in terms of the length of your podcast, and so figuring out what’s best for your show and your audience will be an equation unique to your podcast, and in some cases, unique to each episode.

What is the purpose of an intro for a podcast?

There is much more to audio than just words. Your podcast intro needs to convince new listeners to keeps listening. Say someone stumbles upon your podcast, or one of their friends invites them to listen. Just because they hit play doesn't mean they are going to keep listening.

What is a preroll ad?

Pre-roll ad – An advertisement that runs before the podcast begins. It can either be at the very beginning or after the intro and before the main part of the show starts. They are often pre-recorded (before the actual episode.) They are usually voiced by the host of the show (but not always.)

Why is it important to have an atmosphere on a podcast?

Sometimes an atmosphere can pull listeners in much better than a lot of words . This may be even more important to think about to keep current listeners listening. It will ultimately be your content that helps listeners decide whether or not to listen to your podcast. However, the intro may help your listeners along.

What is a pre-intro?

Pre-intro – An introduction (usually to the topic or guest of the episode), usually voiced by the show’s host, that comes right before a produced intro and sometimes before pre-roll ads. Will Rice December 11, 2019. Previous. How to Make a Good Podcast. Will Rice October 27, 2020.

How long is Joe Rogan's intro?

So, if you ask how long Joe Rogan's intro is, the answer would be ten seconds. However, that only tells part of the story since it doesn't start until nearly six minutes in. This in itself is really not that long when you consider this episode runs over three hours. Please note, this is not a criticism of The Joe Rogan Experience.

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.

How many hours should I work on a podcast?

If you work 40 hours a week, and you spend 20 hours a week working on each episode, a weekly release schedule probably isn't healthy for you. If your podcast is a five minute show with one voice, few sound cues, and one topic, releasing weekly or more often might be easy. Know your strengths and weaknesses, and use them to advantage.

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 often should I release podcasts?

How frequently should you release new podcast episodes? 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.

What does method of release mean?

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. If your topic is based on current events, you might have to get your work out there frequently.

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 better to have good episodes?

It’s better to have good episodes, less frequently, than average or sloppy episodes, frequently. A show that’s carefully crafted, without stress, will be better than a show that’s pulled together feverishly, within minutes of a deadline. Some people like to have pressure pushing them. Some people don’t.

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A Quick Clarification on Podcast Length

Ideal Podcast Episode Length Is Determined by Content

  • Here’s the bottom line – if your episode contains a solid 20 minutes of good content that delivers on its title and serves your audience, then 20 minutes is the perfect podcast episode length. Why stretch that out to an hour, or cut it down to 15 minutes? That’s just putting artificial roadblocks in front of you in your quest to make the best conte...
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What About Listening Habits?

  • Over the years I’ve heard people try to answer the question of podcast episode length by referring to things like average commuter times. Or the time it takes someone to have a shower. I don’t buy that these are relevant to podcast listening, because you can stop and start listening to episodes wherever and whenever you like. You can play 5 minutes of a show whilst making your breakfas…
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Should All My Podcast Episodes Be The Same length?

  • The same rules apply here: you should never stretch something out if it’s finished, or cut it short if it’s not. There’s definitely a benefit to having some consistency here though. Loyal listeners will come to expect your episodes to be within a certain length range. But you get into that position by having a system, process, and routine in place for putting your episodes together. They’re all sim…
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Flash Briefings & Daily News

  • One reason to create short (sub 10 minute) episodes is if you want to do a daily news or “flash briefing” show. These are becoming increasingly popular on smart speakers, where listeners are building playlists of shows that can update them on their areas of interest on a daily basis. These shows, by their very nature, are short and to the point. But it’s the content that should dictate the …
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Should I Avoid Overly Long Podcast Episodes?

  • Arguably, one of the biggest shows on the planet is Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History. The term “biggest” works on two levels. New episodes of the series are downloaded millions of times within the first month of their release. On top of that though, these episodes tend to be between 3 and 6 hourslong. This length is perfect for the show’s content, which means they are in no way “too lon…
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Summary: Podcast Episode Length

  • As ever, there’s no single one answer here, because everyone’s podcast is different. But the general theory of podcast episode lengths is simple. If you have 40 minutes of good, on-topic content, and your episode lasts 1 hour, then it’s too long. If If you have 40 minutes of good, on-topic content, and your episode lasts 20 minutes, then it’s too short. And if you’re consistent an…
See more on thepodcasthost.com

Need More Podcast Questions answered?

  • So now you’ve got your answer to the question “how long should a podcast be?”. Why not let us help you with a few more frequently asked questions? 1. What’s a Good Number of Downloads for a Podcast? 2. How Do I Upload a Podcast? 3. What’s the Best Podcast Editing Software? 4. What Music Can I Use in My Podcast? 5. How Loud Should a Podcast Be? If you’re a fan of our free co…
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