How long should a podcast episode be?

Podcasting Insights hi there, Podmaster Neil Velio here.

And today I want to talk about something every podcaster wrestles with.

How long should your podcast episodes actually be?

Well, first of all, we need to toss out that rulebook.

You've probably seen those magic numbers floating around from some of the podcast gurus on social media.

Keep it under 30 minutes.

Aim for an hour.

Honestly, Yin and yang.

Anyway, these are just guidelines, not commandments.

Your podcast length should fit your story arc and your listener's requirements, not some arbitrary time duration.

And this is where knowing your listener comes in.

Think about who you're talking to and when they're likely to be listening.

Short bursts of under 15 minutes are great for busy mornings, quick walks and a coffee break.

Mid length chats of around 15 to 30 minutes are solid for commutes, lunch breaks, or when they need a mental snack.

Then we get the deeper dives.

30 to 45 minutes.

Perfect if you've got a real deep story that needs a bit more breathing room.

And then those long, arduous conversations of 45 minutes plus.

Okay, look, these are ideal if your audience loves hanging out with you for the long haul, and they're brilliant for a road trip or a Sunday afternoon wind down.

But you've gotta be really interesting to hold their attention for that long.

And to be honest, if your benchmark is Steven Bartlett, he's not.

So let's look into the pros and cons of each duration.

Short episodes of under 30 minutes.

The pros are this.

They're quicker to record and edit.

You get more episodes per month, and they're great for listeners who are strapped for time.

The cons?

You might feel a bit rushed.

It can be tough to build a real connection in just a few minutes.

Sometimes you gotta be really good at what you do to pull this off.

And longer episodes of more than 45 minutes.

The pros of this?

You get to unpack ideas fully.

Listeners who stick around really get immersed.

You get more ad slots as well if you want to monetize the cons.

Well, the editing of these things can seriously eat up your week.

And if you stumble or lose energy, it shows.

And you can lose listeners.

So which do you go for?

Well, ask yourself these two questions.

Number one, Is my content tight enough to keep people glued for 10 minutes?

Number two, do I have enough to say to justify an hour or more?

If the answer to both is yes, great.

You've found your sweet spot.

If not, adjust until it feels natural.

So here's my advice to lean into your quirks love diving deep into vintage video games.

Well do that if you're obsessed with street food.

Own it.

Give your ideal listeners something unique.

Don't replicate the same interview style as the 10,000 other shows doing exactly the same thing.

Be flexible and some stories only need 12 minutes, others deserve 90.

Trust your instincts and act accordingly.

At the end of the day, your podcast's episodes duration isn't a metric to brag about, it's a tool to connect with your ideal listener.

So make that episode as long as it needs to be to serve your listeners, not as long as you think you should.

Thanks for listening and if you found this useful, please do leave us a review and click Follow in your favorite podcast app.

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Good luck with your continuing quest to attain pod mastery.