Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast with Courtney Elmer | Podcasting Strategy for Business Growth

How Long Should Your Podcast Episodes Be? The Answer Might Surprise You

May 21, 2025

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You’ve probably Googled it. You’ve definitely heard five different answers from five different podcast “experts.” But how long should your episodes be? That depends entirely on your listener—and in this episode, I’m showing you how to figure out your perfect episode length using real data from your show.

You’ll learn the two metrics that matter most (and exactly where to find them), how to run a simple 10-episode audit to calculate your ideal episode length, and why nailing this is the fastest way to increase listener retention—and conversions.

Because every time a listener drops off before your CTA, you’re losing the chance to grow your audience (and your income)—so if you want to fix it, hit play and let’s dive in.

1:05 – Why Copying Other Shows (Even Unintentionally) Lowers Listener Retention

2:58 – How to Stop the Silent Listener Drop-Off That’s Killing Your Conversions

8:16 – Run This 2-Metric Audit to Calculate Your Perfect Episode Length

14:20 – Where to Place Your CTA So More Listeners Actually Hear It

17:36 – Why Higher Listener Retention Drives More Plays (and Conversions)

Other Episodes You’ll Enjoy:

How Do You Make Listeners Stay Longer? (and Why It Matters)

→ This episode was recorded on the Deity VO-7U

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