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How long should my podcast episodes be? The popular question is simple, yet the answer is more complicated than you might think. Today, we have partnered Ausha To find some clues within the top shows in the UK.
according to Ausha’s PSO benchmark and Edison Podcast Metrics, The average episode length for the top 25 podcasts in the UK is 54 minutesEqual to the average episode length of the top 25 podcasts in the US: 64 minutes.
It’s tempting to say that the optimal time revolves around the one-hour mark, but the podcasts in the top 25 find engagement at varying episode lengths. The Joe Rogan Experience and Diary of a CEO increase in length, with average lengths of over 2.5 and 1.5 hours, respectively. The longer episodes fit the show’s in-depth format and feature genuine interactions with guests. In contrast, the long-running BBC fiction drama, The Archers, keeps its daily episodes to an average of 13 minutes. The writers of The Archers, an audio soap opera, pack the story into short episodes to keep listeners hungry for more.
With so much variation between the UK’s biggest podcasts, know that there’s no magic number for episode length. Experimentation is the simplest way to test what works best for you. Strategic tools like Ausha’s PSO Benchmarks and Edison Podcast Metrics help teams make informed decisions by providing key metrics and benchmarks for your podcast and other similar shows. Be sure to check out other learnings from the Top 25 Podcasts in the UK full report.
