How Long Should Your Podcast Be? (and where to find the answer)
School of Podcasting: Expert Tips for Launching and Growing Your Podcast
Ad break
Dave reads brief PodPage/Blubrry news about PodPage inclusion with Blubrry hosting and PodPage preview link.
Nobody shares a video they didn't watch. Nobody shares a podcast they didn't listen to, so how do we get people to listen? This week we follow up form last week's episode about measuring success without downloads and today I talk about completion percentage in Apple, Spotify, as well as Google Analytics. Josh Liston explains how he and his co-host from the SAKÉ THIS show.
How Long Should My Podcast Be?
The stand ard answer is "as long as it needs to be an not a minute longer." However, another way of looking at this is to ask, "How long can you hold someone's attention?"
You Can See How Far People Listen to Your Show
The Apple Dashboard: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com
The Spotify Dashboard: https://creators.spotify.com
Question of the Month Audio Tools
Last week I had a ton of replies to the Question of the Month. The issue is some of you have a ton of bass. Some of you are so clear it's almost shrill. Other have lots of background noise. This use to take me FOREVER to deal with until I started using tools from Accentize. I use a tool called DXRevive Pro cleans up the audio. Their Dialogue Enhance helps adjust the tone and remove noise. Then they have a free plugin called DXLevel that adjusts the volume levels (and it's free).
Takeaways:
- How Dave thinks about episode length (and why “as long as it needs to be” actually works in practice)
- How to use Apple Podcasts Connect and Spotify for Podcasters to measure completion percentage and attention, not just downloads
- Why video and YouTube completion rates look so much worse than audio—and how not to let that crush your ego
- How to use Google Analytics or Fathom to see which episodes and pages really resonate
- A behind-the-scenes look at the audio tools Dave uses (Accentize DX Revive, Dialog Enhance, and the free DX Level plugin) to make listener submissions sound more consistent
- An update on the “free version” experiment of the School of Podcasting and why future focus is shifting to live cohort-style classes
Dave also shares a listener contribution from Josh Liston of the SAKÉ THIS podcast, with two non-download ways he measures success for his Japan-focused comedy show.
Mentioned in this episode:
Podpage is Now Included with Blubrry Hosting
Blubrry Podcasting — one of the longest-running podcast hosting platforms in the industry — has chosen Podpage to replace their built-in website tool entirely. That means every Blubrry hosting customer gets a professional, automatically updated podcast website powered by Podpage, included with their hosting plan. For Podpage, this is more than a partnership announcement. It’s validation that podcast websites deserve dedicated website tools built specifically for podcasters.
Black Friday Podcasting Sepcial
Hey, podcast creators! Are you ready to take your podcast to the next level? We have an unbeatable deal just for you! Introducing the Hot Seat Service! For a limited time, get your podcast episode and website professionally audited. Dive deep into our 30-point checklist and uncover opportunities to improve your podcast's reach and engagement! 🔍 What's Included? Podcast Episode Audit: Pinpoint key areas for improvement. Website Audit: A thorough 30-point checklist to optimize your online presence. But wait, there’s more! When you sign up, you'll receive a free month at the School of Podcasting! That's one month of top-notch podcasting training normally at $99, absolutely free! 📚 Exclusive Offer: Your School of Podcasting membership includes 5 hours of personal consulting, a service valued at $1000 alone! All This for Just $99! Normally, you'd pay $1278 for this incredible package. But through December 31st, it's yours for just $99! 🚀 Don’t miss this chance to elevate your podcast without breaking the bank. Secure this offer today and watch your podcast thrive! Act Now! Spots are limited! fixmypodcast.com
Check Out Dave's Newsletter With Behind the Scenes Content
In each issue of Podcasting Observations, I share my thoughts on what is happening in the podcasting space, my latest content, and things that have caught my eye. I also may ask for your opinion. Join the free community
Question of the Month: What is a "Newbie Podcaster"
Poll Question: What makes someone a “newbie podcaster”? Is it how long they’ve been podcasting or how many episodes they’ve published? Is it something else? How would you define a newbie podcaster? Leave your answer at schoolofpodcasting.com/question by November 27th and don't forget to mention your show and your website address so I can link to it in the show notes. (Please try to keep them under 5 minutes if you can).
The AI-powered Podcast Player
