If you have 100,000 listeners and you edit out one useless minute, you are saving 100,000 wasted minutes in the world. You’re practically a hero.” tweeted popular podcaster Roman Mars earlier this year

Finding the perfect duration for your podcast is not something you can derive simply by aping other popular podcasts. Leading podcast lengths range from a few minutes to a few hours. So how can you determine the optimal podcast length?

Deciding the duration of your podcast episodes is subjective. It depends entirely on the topic you’re covering and the format you’re using, among other things.

Because every podcast is different, rather than making broad assertions about podcast length, here is a series of questions and tips that you can use to find the optimal podcast duration.

How does content determine the ideal podcast length?

There are 15-minute podcasts that some listeners might find extremely boring and hour-long podcasts that can keep them glued and wanting for more. If your episode offers a solid 30 minutes of relevant, strong content pertaining to the topic, then 30 minutes is the ideal podcast length. Interesting content can keep the audience engaged for longer durations.

The podcast length should be conducive to creating the finest content possible. You don’t have to follow anyone else’s schedule unless you’re recording the show live on a radio station. Take as much time as you need to create a quality episode because podcasting is on-demand content. Ensure that the content is crisp and the entire bit adds value for the listener.

Who is your intended audience?

Think about who you’re talking to. If you’re a niche podcast, you may expect a large or very specific audience. You have greater leeway in deciding on the optimum length with a larger audience. With a specific audience, though, you can consider their lifestyle and what length works best for them.

Investigate demographics, tastes, lifestyle, and professional choices to help you choose the length of your podcast.

Where does your target audience tune in?

Listeners often choose to multi-task as they listen to podcasts. Factor this in when deciding on the podcast length. Would the listening experience suffer if the listener has to pause and come back to the podcast? Consider how long daily activities take for your listeners and modify your content to fit into their schedule.

For example, if you want your listener to finish your podcast during their commute, keep it under 50 minutes. Listeners could be at home, in the vehicle, at work, exercising, walking, traveling, or taking public transportation when they hear your podcast.

How frequently do you release new content?

More frequent episodes aren’t always better for your podcast publishing schedule. Like they say, quality over quantity!

It’s better to release one lengthier episode with 500 downloads than three 30-minute podcast episodes a week with 100 downloads each. Adjust your schedule if your audience doesn’t have time for three episodes per week. Don’t allow your podcast to get stuck in the middle of nowhere! Make it engaging for your listeners by providing reasons for them to stay connected.