Welcome to the second in our FAQ series where we lay out simple, practical guides to the most commonly asked questions from our podcast production clients.
Question: How long should my podcast be?
Answer: As long as it is good!
As simplistic as this may sound, the truth is that there isn’t a magic number to hit or a particular length that will transform your podcast into a success. However, there are some simple questions you can ask to help you figure out exactly what the optimum length should be for your podcast. In this article, we share those questions to help you get closer to hitting the right podcast duration!
What is the industry standard?
While there’s no silver bullet, there are some helpful industry standards that can help you set some benchmarks and inform the choices you make going forward. Those industry standards are that:
The average length of a podcast episode is 36 minutes and 34 seconds as reported by Pacific Content in 2019
The majority of podcast episodes out there are between 20 - 40 minutes according to Buzzsprout
As of 2019, podcast episodes are only getting shorter, not longer!
While these can be good to note, there are plenty of successful podcasts of all shapes and sizes out there that flout the rules. There are ultra-short podcasts like The Best Advice Show, right up to marathon listens like Hardcore History, whose latest episode runs for over 5 and a half hours! One of the most successful podcasts out there, the Joe Rogan Experience, has an average run time of over 2 and a half hours.
So, what makes these shows work? Their runtime is both purposeful and intentional. This is the secret to a balanced episode length that gives your audience just the right amount of listening time. Now, let’s go into more detail about how you can determine a purposeful and intentional runtime for your own podcast episodes.
Best practices when determining your runtime
Question 1: When will people be listening? How much time will they have in that context?
In other words, is your podcast perfect for a 5-minute breather in the middle of the day, for a commute, or is it better for a long drive? Consider the location and timing of the listener. Think about when and where your listener is likely to want to listen to your podcast episodes, and use this to determine a few benchmarks.
Question 2: Is it about the journey or the take-away for the listener?
This is about the purpose behind your podcast. What outcome do you want for the listener? If it is about giving them key information or a takeaway in a digestible way, you might consider a shorter run time. If it is more about the unfolding of a story and the journey through that story, you might need more time to unpack things.
Question 3: How much budget do you have?
Naturally enough, longer run times mean higher production costs. Take for example things like studio rental, edit time, and the cost of having a producer on board during the recording. For more insight into budgeting your podcast, take a look here.
Question 4: How much time does the host have for recording and prep?
Another important practical point: If your host has other commitments, consider how best to use their time. If they are tight on availability, it is better to spend time preparing than recording aimlessly for 3 hours. Be aware of how much prep is likely to be needed, how much time they’ll have to put in, and then how much time you have to record. This will all impact just how much can go into a final episode edit.
Question 5: Does your host sound better with more space or tightened up?
Some presenters sound better when they are given the space to ad-lib and go off-script - they might want to exert their creativity, and may benefit when given space to play.
Others excel when delivering within firmer guidelines - including some scripted parts, or even if they simply know there’s a limit on available time. The former may mean you need a longer run time to really get the most out of this host.
Question 6: How long has your podcast existed?
It’s worth noting that most successful podcasts that are longer than one hour per episode have been around for a long time, too. So, as a rule of thumb, we don’t suggest going for over one hour of runtime, unless there is a really specific, intentional reason to do so.
Having said this, we do also suggest that you think creatively about how to make every second of your podcast really count. You may need to build up to longer episodes with more of an audience and budget behind you, or this may never really be necessary. Consider the value of every moment that goes into that final cut!
There you have it - some clear questions you can use to determine how long to make your podcast. If you’re still not sure or are looking for a second opinion on maximising the value of each episode, Message Heard can help. Get in touch with us at contact@messageheard.com or by clicking here.