How Long Should a Podcast Episode Be?

Every new podcaster asks how long an episode should be. The honest answer: as long as it stays interesting, and not one minute more. But that's not very helpful, so here's how I help the shows I produce figure it out.

Start with your listener's day

Think about when people will listen. A commute in Cookeville is usually 15 to 25 minutes. A workout is 30 to 45. A long drive is an hour or more. If your listeners are busy business owners, a tight 20 to 30 minutes is easier to say yes to than a two-hour conversation.

Match the format

• Solo tips or updates: 10 to 20 minutes. One person talking gets tiring fast.
• Interviews: 30 to 50 minutes. Enough room for a real story without wandering.
• Co-hosted conversation: 40 to 60 minutes, if the chemistry is good.
• Storytelling or deep dives: as long as the story needs, edited tight.

Editing is where length is decided

Most great episodes are recorded long and edited short. Cut the warm-up chatter, the tangents that don't land and the third time you said the same point. A 70-minute recording often becomes a much better 40-minute episode.

Let your listeners tell you

Once you have a few episodes out, Apple Podcasts and Spotify show you how far into each episode people actually listen. If most listeners drop off around the 25-minute mark, that's your answer. Put your best material before that point, and trim the rest.

Let's make your show

I record, edit and distribute podcasts for businesses and creators, with simple all-inclusive pricing. Schedule a free consult and we'll figure out the right format for you.