How long should a podcast be?

July 14, 2026 · 6 min

Show notes

How long should a podcast be? 20 minutes? 45 minutes? Three hours and a sincere apology to your editor?

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What is the ideal podcast length? We asked five experienced podcasters and producers to find out.

In this episode of Too Long Didn't Listen, five podcast creators share their advice on how long a podcast episode should be. Some prefer podcasts between 30 and 45 minutes because they fit naturally into commutes, exercise and everyday routines. Others argue that aiming for a specific episode length misses the point entirely.

Instead, podcast length should be determined by your audience, your content and whether the episode is still interesting. One guest argues that every minute should earn its place, while another warns against adding filler just to reach an arbitrary runtime. From audience retention and listener habits to production capacity and editing costs, this episode explores how to find the right podcast length for your show.

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

00:37 - Katie Stokes

01:36 - Dee Safieh

02:27 - Adrian Bradley (Freelance Podcast Producer & Consultant)

02:56 - Elsie Escobar (Community Manager at Captivate)

03:52 - Candace Wilson (Founder of Your Podcast Producer Limited)

04:51 - Outro

Guests:

Katie Stokes - Host of Floating Space & Freelance Audio Producer

Dee Safieh - Writer & host of Switchblade Sisters Social Club