How long should a podcast be?
It’s the perennial question: how long should my podcast be? How do I find the balance between exploring a subject and going deep in a conversation and boring my listeners. Everyone’s busy these days. Do they even have time to listen to longer shows?
It’s a tricky question and I hate to break it to you readers, but there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The short answer: it depends (I know, fairly unsatisfying). But it really does depend on your audience, your content and how engaging you can be.
Some listeners enjoy deep, immersive conversations, while others prefer quick info bites they can consume in minutes. The key is figuring out what your goal is and, as Amit Varma told us, going with what you feel is right for your show. Sure, take your audience’s attention span into consideration, but you’d be surprised at how people will stay tuned in if the content is good.
An ideal length?
The accepted wisdom is that the 20–40-minute range is a good window to aim for as it matches the average commute time for a lot of people or maybe cooking dinner, so it fits into a listener’s daily routine. It’s long enough for a meaningful discussion but short enough to be listened to in a single sitting. Industry studies have suggested that this is the sweet spot for listener retention.
But podcasting is not a science. Some shows do well with episodes as short as 3-10 minutes. Your editor, for one, loves the three-minute Word of the Day podcast where he can learn the meaning, usage and etymology of a two-dollar word while he’s brushing his teeth. News roundups with the big headlines of the day are popular. But then look at Joe Rogan, who until recently was on the top of the podcast charts with this shows that stretch on average a little over two-and-a-half hours each.
The German podcast Alles gesagt? does away with determining a length altogether. Guests on the interview show are given a codeword that they can say when they want to end the episode. When they say the word, the interview ends immediately. Episode lengths have been as short as 12 minutes and the longest over nine hours. (Most are in German but a few in English if you want to take a listen.)
Going Super Short
Short-form podcasts under 10 minutes work well for content such as daily news updates, industry tips, storytelling snippets and motivational thoughts. They’re easy to consume, good for busy people and feel less intimidating than hour-long deep dives. Many people listen to these while getting ready in the morning, during a coffee break or while waiting in line at the supermarket.
If you go down this route, you’ll need to learn how to deliver good content in a limited time. Every second counts, so the script must be tight, the message clear and the pacing sharp. If your content lends itself to quick, punchy episodes, a short form show could make sense. Just be mindful that listeners may expect frequent updates to make up for the brevity. The World of the Day mentioned earlier comes out, yeah, every day.
The long game
But, as already mentioned, some of the most popular podcasts – like The Joe Rogan Experience or Amit Varma’s The Seen and the Unseen -- run for hours per episode. Here, you’ve got the time to delved into complex topics and conduct in-depth interviews. They give you the chance to explore ideas from a lot of different angles and have conversations that are more organic, free flowing and natural that a shorter format might not allow.
However, engagement in these instances is no easy task. These marathon episodes require good skills around keeping up an episode’s pacing and structure. Otherwise it can devolve into chaos or simply drag. Some podcasters break up long interviews into multiple episodes or provide timestamps so listeners can jump to key sections. If you’ve got very engaging content and know how to keep up drive over a longer haul, long podcasts can work. But don’t do it just to do it – you’ll end up just filling time.
Does length even matter?
Length takes a back seat to quality. A 10-minute podcast that’s engaging and well-structured is better than an hour-long one filled with fluff. Go with your gut. If an episode feels too long, edit it down to remove unnecessary tangents or filler. If it feels too short, make sure you’ve covered the topic at the level you want.
Your heart and your content might take you down a shorter road or a longer one, and both are fine. Do some experimenting and listen to what your listeners say. The best advice: make sure that every minute counts and that you’re producing something that you think is valuable. In that case, your audience will appreciate that your episodes are exactly as long as they need to be.
