How long should your podcast episodes really be? This is a burning question for many aspiring podcasters, and while there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, understanding your audience and content can guide you toward the ideal length. Braden emphasizes the importance of knowing who you're speaking to and when they might be tuning in—whether during a commute or a workout. Listen and learn about the the importance of understanding your target audience's listening habits, how to deliver a focused message without distractions, the benefits of both short and long-form content, strategies for inspiring action in their audience, and the importance of recapping and summarizing key points to enhance listener retention.
Don't miss:
Determining your podcast episode length depends on your target audience's listening habits and preferences.
Longer episodes can be beneficial for deep connections, while shorter episodes offer quick, digestible content.
Focus on delivering one core concept per episode to maintain clarity and engagement.
Consider your content's intention; whether it's to inspire action or simply entertain affects length.
Use short clips from longer episodes to attract listeners to your full content.
Always prioritize delivering valuable insights and actionable takeaways over arbitrary time limits.
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This has to be one of the number one questions that I get asked during our ask me anything sessions, during our client intake sessions, during our onboarding calls. Really, I don't have the magic formula for you, but I have a lot of questions to help you decide how long your podcast episode should be.
Some of the most popular shows across the podcast space are one to three hour long interviews. Now, I don't know about you, but I never have an hour to three hours to commit to listening to one show.
Unless I'm on a road trip or a really long hike, I'm not gonna be listening to one show for three hours.
What I've seen from those shows that have these long, long format interviews is they take that longer format recording and they turn it into multiple short video clips. They turn it into short TikTok reels, Instagram reels.
They're taking the longer form content and they're turning it into small, consumable, bite sized content that gets attention. I believe that's short form content attracts listeners, but long form content connects with listeners.
So they're recording longer content in order to create the short format videos that get people's attention to draw them back to the longer conversation where they can engage and connect.
Now, on the flip side of that, I have seen one minute podcast episodes and the beauty and the benefit of that is in one minute they're delivering a clear, concise message. They're delivering quick value and a call to action.
They're inspiring you to take the idea they've shared in less than a minute and go implement it into your life. So depending on your intention with your content, your show length can be whatever you need it to be.
Here's a couple of things to consider when you're deciding how long your podcast episode should be. Number one, know who you're speaking to. When you are clear on who your target audience is.
When you have that avatar, that one individual that you know wants to hear this message, start thinking about when and where they would be listening to you. Are they going to be listening to you when they commute to work in the morning? How long do you think their commute might be?
Are they listening to you when they go to the gym? How long do you think their gym session would be?
And do you want them to listen to one episode of the gym or do you want them to listen to two episodes of the gym? There's no right or wrong answer here. It's about how do you want to meet your ideal client and try and meet them where they're at.
The other thing to consider is what are you delivering in that episode? It's my belief that your episodes should deliver one core concept for your listeners.
If you have something to share that has a very specific outcome, do not let yourself get distracted by the other pieces, the other conversations around this. Bring it all back to this one core concept.
If you find yourself exasperating or expanding into new core concepts, new ideas, that's when you know you have a second episode starting. Allow yourself to deliver that one key message and you can include all kinds of stories to help tell that. Keep that message relevant and practical.
You can add calls to action so that people are seeing what your advice is and how to take action on it. And you can do recaps. You can summarize what you've just shared so that it is clear.
Now, this seems to sound like a shorter episode, but if you're wanting to share your genius and you want to deliver it in a consumable format that gets people's attention, gives them new awareness, and inspires them to action, that is the length of your podcast. Whatever amount of time it takes to give information, new concepts and inspire action.
So to practice what I preach, I'm going to recap that the most important thing to consider when you are thinking of the length of your podcast is to know who you're talking, to know when that person's going to be listening.
Deliver one core concept or idea, give them inspired reason to take action that is long enough podcast episode and then you don't need to worry about your timing. Deliver your information and let them take action. Enjoy your podcasting.
