In contrast to conventional broadcasting, there aren’t any “present clocks,” scheduled advert breaks, or inflexible time slots for podcasts. So must you care about publishing episodes of various lengths?
Whereas I feel episodes do not have to be the identical size, there are some concerns.
1. What does your viewers count on?
Individuals do not normally decide a podcast due to its episode lengths, however they do typically prioritize their listening primarily based on it. For instance, some folks deliberately save lengthy podcasts for highway journeys, chores, or non-focused work; however they is likely to be faster to take heed to shorter podcasts.
Be aware that I particularly mentioned “podcasts” and never “episodes.” It is because your podcast will construct an expectation in your viewers’s thoughts for the way lengthy its episodes normally are, even for those who do not explicitly say so. For instance, I do know that episodes of No Agenda, with Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak, are normally three to a few and a half hours lengthy. I do know that episodes of Dan Carlin’s Hardcore Historical past are of various lengths—however normally lengthy. And I do know that Ask the Podcast Coach, with Dave Jackson and Jim Collison, are about 90 minutes lengthy. However none of those reveals have made any guarantees about how lengthy they’re.
Your viewers may count on urgent play on any episode of your podcast can be some stage of dedication for an approximate period of time. So considerably differing from which may crack their expectations just a bit. It may go away them dissatisfied or annoyed.
If you happen to have made a promise to your viewers, then at all times try to maintain it! For instance, The NewsWorthy, with Erica Mandy, guarantees episodes to be about 10 minutes lengthy. 1-Minute Podcast Suggestions, with Danny Brown, provides podcasting ideas in about 1 minute (wrapped with another stuff, which is why episodes are 2–3 minutes lengthy). And the unique model of The Means I Heard It, with Mike Rowe, promised mysteries “for the curious thoughts with a brief consideration span.”
However keep in mind that your viewers expects an expertise greater than an period of time. So I feel it is okay to interrupt from you viewers’s typical time expectations however nonetheless ship the expertise they need out of your podcast.
2. Do not power a size
Maybe the worst “cheap” factor you can do in your podcast is to power it to be a specific size. This might imply reducing out nice content material simply to make the episode shorter, or—worse—it may imply filling the episode with stuff that wastes your viewers’s time simply so your episode is longer.
TV reveals have to try this as a result of they have to fill their “hour” (extra like 43 minutes due to adverts), however additionally they cannot go longer than that as a result of one other present has to start out on the following hour. (Facet notice: this frustrates me when streaming reveals are constant lengths as a result of I know they edited it to that size deliberately, however for no good purpose aside from the risk the present could also be historically broadcast sometime.) You may in all probability already bear in mind episodes of your favourite TV reveals that felt longer than they need to have been, and even shorter than they need to have been.
However your podcast does not have these constraints! Even when your description says your episodes are normally about half-hour (and “normally” is a superb phrase to make use of!), your viewers won’t ever hate you for giving them again their time.
You’ve got in all probability seen that as I’ve gotten higher with The Audacity to Podcast, my episodes have gotten shorter. I feel a part of that’s the results of extra preparation that I do now in comparison with earlier than (and thus much less directionless speaking). And I really really feel higher once I publish shorter episodes as a result of I do know meaning you have got extra time to take motion, and it additionally tells me that I did not waste time. However some matters merely require me to share extra data, and thus they find yourself longer.
After doing this for 15 years and 400 episodes, I’ve by no means obtained a single grievance about having inconsistent lengths. And I feel an enormous purpose for that’s as a result of my content material is instructional, and thus folks do not thoughts it when it is shorter, but in addition as a result of they may have come to count on various lengths.
3. Must you point out the distinction in size?
Whether or not your episode is far shorter or longer than your typical, whether or not you acknowledge that distinction is in the end as much as you. However this is my primary suggestion: be optimistic and do not apologize.
Listed here are some examples so you may take into consideration how these would really feel for those who heard them in your favourite podcasts.
- “I am sorry this episode went lengthy, however I had lots to share” versus “This episode is longer than typical as a result of there’s a lot to like right here!”
- “Sorry this was shorter than typical,” versus “Sure, this was shorter. Now you have got extra time to take motion!”
Or, you can say nothing about it in any respect!
Thus, crucial issues to recollect are to maintain your express or implied guarantees to your viewers and do not power the size!
Neighborhood nook
- Thanks for the streaming assist totaling 113§ from Randy Black!
- Please come see me communicate at Podcast Motion 2025! I will be presenting “What You Have to Learn about Podcasting 2.0” Wednesday morning within the expo corridor.
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Disclosure
This publish might include hyperlinks to services or products with which I’ve an affiliate relationship. I could obtain compensation out of your actions by such hyperlinks. Nonetheless, I do not let that corrupt my perspective and I do not suggest solely associates.
