I was asked this the other day as they were interested in starting their own podcast. When I said there is no set length, the response was – “But there must be an optimal length – what is that?”
Here’s my answer:
The optimal length of any podcast is the length of time it takes you to get your message across.
Trying to force your podcast into a set time sometimes means you are either padding to fill the time or that you are rushing to get it all done. Neither is ideal.
Work out how long it typically takes to get your message across. For example, my podcast typically takes 40-60 minutes. I know now that this is how long a conversation lasts. Some are longer and rarely, they’re shorter.
If they go for longer, I decide whether to just go with it or split the podcast up. For example, my conversation with Richard Dwyer was just under 2 hours – it went out as 3 separate podcasts. I cut some bits out but most of it felt relevant to the podcast and I didn’t want to remove larger segments.
Commuters & Workouts
You often hear that you should fit into the time for a commute or a workout time however this is not easy. Everyone’s commute is different and people also work out for different lengths of time.
The stats show that podcast listeners are pretty loyal and they will listen to the end of your podcast – no matter how long (well the majority will!).
Finding Your Optimal Podcast Time
When you’re thinking about this – consider:
- your time – how much can you spend recording the episode?
- your message – how long do you need to get your message across?
- your guests – how much time do you want to ask them for?
- producing – a longer podcast can take longer for you to produce
Ultimately remember that the right time is different for everyone. If it takes you 5 minutes to deliver your message, then 5 mins is the optimal length for you. If it takes an hour, well an hour is optimal!
Find your optimal length! Will everyone listen – no – and that is true no matter the length.
