How long should a podcast episode be?


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How long should a podcast episode be is something every podcaster will have to consider at some point. And I say at some point because, in full transparency, when I started my business storytelling podcast, I kept going until we ran out of things to say.

Sometimes that would mean a long episode, and sometimes it might mean kind of a short one. I was too focused on how to actually produce the show and not as much on how long it should be.

Today, my episodes are 26 minutes – almost on the dot. That’s partially because that’s the time slot I have for it on the DBTV television network. But it also helps us focus the discussion. Though you can cover a lot in 26 minutes.

Read next: How to update an existing podcast episode

The different lengths of podcast episodes

Indeed, there are different lengths to consider when you ask yourself how long should a podcast episode be.

Short

Alison Osborne of Quill Inc & CoHost mentioned on my podcast that she’s even seen toothpaste or toothbrush companies produce 2-minute podcast episodes – because that’s how long you should be brushing your teeth. So you can listen to an episode while brushing your teeth.

I’ve also started testing bonus episodes, which are just repurposed YouTube Shorts of me talking about a specific topic. They are often 1-2 minutes, so even shorter than the teeth-cleaning podcast episodes. This episode on using my Apple Watch to make phone calls reached the Top 15 percent of my highest-performing episodes of all time even. So I wouldn’t say they aren’t working.

Longer

This Rephonic study says that the top podcasts release 37-minute episodes. That’s probably a good length to go after for many podcasters anyway, and before I instituted the 26-minute time limit for my show, my shows naturally ended up right around this mark.

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Super long

Some podcasts go on for over an hour, and depending on the topic, perhaps there’s that much to discuss, but it also takes commitment from everyone involved to get this to work. The guests have to take more time, and so do the hosts; editing can take more time. And, of course, it’s more of a time commitment for the listeners.

If you repurpose a podcast from a live stream, you could also go longer, as some networks recommend longer livestreams anyway. For example, the Amazon live platform recommends them to be over an hour.

Read next: Why some articles on the web are just too long

Determine how long your podcast should be

The length of your podcast episodes should be tied to a goal. What’s the point of the podcast, and what impact is it trying to make? From that perspective, the two-minute episodes from a toothbrush or toothpaste company are fantastically creative and tie back to their brand.

But if I’m trying to share more in-depth content on a topic, I need to go longer – maybe not super long, but longer than a couple of minutes.

Also, consider how the production fits into your overall content creation process. For example, I use my podcast episodes often as thought starters for articles and even source material for articles. With that in mind, I need to have a certain level of detail in those episodes.


There’s no cookie-cutter answer for how long a podcast episode should be. Sometimes shorter episodes work and get the job done by sharing the correct information. Other times they may have to be longer so we can dive deeper into the topic. Start somewhere in the middle when you launch a new podcast and see what length works for your specific goals.



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