What's the Ideal Length of a Podcast Episode?

This is a question we get asked almost on a daily basis. Our customers are looking for that magic answer for how long each episode of their podcast should be.

I've even heard podcast producers tell their clients that there's no way their episodes should ever go over 45 minutes.

Our answer is one the one that no one ever wants to hear:

It depends

There are so many varying factors when it comes to how long an episode should be. However, one of the easiest answers is how much time do you need to get the point of the podcast across.

I've listened to some podcasts that were five minutes, and in my opinion, four minutes too long. 

But I've also listened to podcasts where I was devastated that two hours later it was ending because I wanted more time.

If you tell someone it has to be 45 minutes, well, then you'll find many who will take what could be done in 10 minutes and try to stretch it out to 45. And if you tell someone ten, they'll try to condense something that should have been made longer.

When we sit down with our clients, these aren't the questions that should be immediately answered. Instead, it's crucial you know the purpose of your podcast and what message you are hoping to convey to your listeners. What's going to make them keep coming back to your podcast?

If you're stretching into the 90-minutes plus category of your content, then it's probably best to break it out into multiple episodes. However, it all has to make sense.

So instead of focusing on time, focus on making great content. Focus on the end result you're hoping to get for your client. Focus on creating a strategy for your podcast that is a long-term win.

Time limits don't matter, but great content does.