If you’re starting a podcast, one of the many questions in your head is probably: How long should each episode be? Choosing an optimal podcast length is important, as it will ensure that you cover your subjects succinctly without boring your listeners.
Episode lengths vary, based on the industry and podcast format. For example, some creators do 10-minute quick takes, while others do 2-hour deep dives. You’ll need to consider the nature of your podcast and your audience’s habits when deciding the best length for your episodes.
In this article, we’ll explore the ideal podcast length for different formats, audiences, and niches. Let’s dive right in!
Why Podcast Length Matters
Topics and format are key to your podcast’s success. However, you’ll also need to find the optimal length.
The length of your podcast episode can impact listener retention and completion rates. If episodes are drawn out, many people may lose interest and tune out.
On the other hand, if the episodes are not long enough, they may hinder your ability to engage deeply with your topic or guests.
You’ll also need to consider your production workflow and sustainability, especially if podcasting is a side hustle or hobby, and you have other commitments. Long episodes will take more time to record and edit, but shorter episodes may mean publishing content more frequently to keep followers engaged.
According to data from Buzzsprout, the majority of podcasts (31 percent) have an episode duration of 20 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, 20 percent of podcasts are between 40 and 60 minutes long. Only 14 percent of podcasts are longer than 60 minutes.
What’s the Ideal Podcast Length?
Now, let’s break down the ideal podcast length by podcast type and style. The following are guidelines to help you decide what’s best for you and your listeners.
1. Interview Podcasts
If you’re interviewing experts and other professionals, the conversation will need room to develop. A 15-minute chat will likely feel rushed, but anything over an hour can lose energy and lead to awkward silences or filler talk.
So, the optimal podcast length here would be 30 to 60 minutes. Remember to edit out repetition or filler to keep the conversation sharp.
If you prefer to do long-form interviews, it’s important to choose your guests wisely and make sure you have enough content to cover. For example, the Lex Fridman podcast has episodes that are up to around six hours long, but they’re interesting enough to keep listeners engaged till the end.
2. Solo Commentary
If you don’t have guests on your podcasts, it can be more challenging to maintain energy and interest throughout the episode. Therefore, you might want to produce shorter episodes, around 10 to 30 minutes.
It’s a good idea to break longer topics into multiple episodes. You’ll also want to use storytelling hooks to maintain flow and keep listeners hooked.
3. Daily Briefings
Are you creating a podcast to share industry news? If that’s the case, you only need 5 to 15 minutes per episode.
Listeners will tune in for quick, digestible updates, so you’ll want to be concise. They might catch up on the latest news while preparing breakfast or walking to work.
4. Narrative and Explainer Podcasts
Are you a storyteller? Narrative podcasts are an excellent way to build your author brand and make people interested in your books.
With narrative formats, you’ll need time to build characters and plot. However, you’ll want to ensure that the episodes are well-edited, with pauses at the right time, to avoid losing momentum.
The ideal podcast length in this scenario is 20 to 60 minutes. For example, This American Life, a narrative podcast, often runs close to an hour, but you can listen to individual parts of the episode (prologue, act 1, etc) in 10 – 20 minute bites:
If you’re doing educational or explainer podcasts, you might want to aim for a shorter episode duration, around 15 to 40 minutes. If the content is well-paced, you could try longer episodes and use section breaks and summaries to make them easier to digest.
Average Podcast Length
According to multiple studies, the average podcast length is around 40 minutes per episode. This is a good reference point for most shows and most episodes, but you shouldn’t always take this as-is. Your podcast format, content and style should dictate the length of your episodes.
There are many successful shows releasing episodes of 2 hours or longer, while there are also many who release daily episodes that cover a niche topic in just a 5-10 minutes.
How to Choose the Best Length for Your Podcast
So, we’ve looked at recommended episode durations for different formats, but there are other factors to consider when choosing the optimal podcast length.
First, you’ll want to understand your audience. For instance, do they prefer quick episodes or deep dives? Do they listen to podcasts while commuting, relaxing, or multitasking?
Busy professionals will likely prefer short, information-packed episodes, while those who listen to podcasts for leisure might enjoy 60-minute episodes.
Additionally, the length of your episodes should match the depth of your topic. Some subjects require more space than others, but it’s important to stay consistent. While episode length can vary slightly, huge differences (e.g., 15 minutes one week and 90 minutes the next week) will likely frustrate viewers. Try to stay within a general time frame so your audience knows what to expect.
You can outline your episodes with time estimates per section to stay on track. You might even set a time while recording, especially for solo episodes.
Of course, whether you opt for short or long episodes, you’ll experience both pros and cons.
For instance, short podcasts are easier to produce and can have higher completion rates, but they offer limited depth and make it harder to build a connection with viewers. For this reason, they’re best suited for news, tips, and summaries.
Meanwhile, long podcasts are more immersive, making them ideal for storytelling and in-depth topics. The main downside is that they’re more time-consuming to produce and edit.
Conclusion
Deciding the optimal podcast length for your show is a vital step. The duration of your episodes should match your content and format and fit your audience’s listening habits. Plus, you’ll want to make sure that you can commit to the timeframe of your podcast.
If you’re just starting out, you’ll want to aim for 20–30 minutes per episode and adjust based on feedback and engagement. As you grow, you can try longer episodes, which will allow you to explore topics in more depth.
Do you need an efficient way to organize your episodes, manage show notes, and grow your podcast? Create a website with Beamly.com today!
