I listen to a lot of podcasts. I mean a lot of podcasts. I listen to them when I first get up in the morning; anytime I am driving; when I sit down for lunch; when I go on walks; when I am doing a chore around the house; and usually when I am getting ready for bed. (All at 1.7x or 2x speed, unless the podcaster has a heavy accent, in which case I may slow it down.) I listen to podcasts on my car speakers, through my iPhone speakers, or through ear buds. And they are about a variety of subjects: history, Star Wars, gaming, my favorite TV shows, and even one about the mob.
Based on that, I have some advice that I would like to pass on to all podcasters:
Bumper Music
Turn it down. Some of my podcasts feature bumper music, but they have the volume so loud that it vibrates my car or deafens me through ear buds. Most people, listening to amateur podcasts, turn up the volume in their car or on their phones to listen to the spoken word; but most podcasters
Show length (or “watch your rambling”)
Like I said, I listen to a lot of podcasts — and would listen to more podcasts if I had more time (as well as audiobooks and lots of other audio entertainment). It is a major “barrier to entry” when I see a podcast download that is 2+ hours. (Now, Dan Carlin is a major exception to that, but he only publishes 1-2 major podcasts per year.) A weekly podcast doesn’t need to be longer than 2 hours. Heck, most don’t need to be longer than an hour.
I think that the sweet spot for a podcast is 30-45 minutes. Sometimes you need to go longer, but a 30-45 minute podcast can be listened to in one or two sessions — driving to the store, or across town, or even a short walk.
One of my favorite podcasts is guilty of this. Yes, there are times when there is big news on their subject, or when they dissect a new trailer, when 1 1/2 or 2 hours may be appropriate, but sometimes I feel like they are purposely adding fluff when there isn’t big news to discuss just to lengthen the show. Do you know what that does? If I am halfway through the podcast and hear a lot of fluff, I may just delete it and move on to my next podcast. Or if I read the show synopsis and it doesn’t interest me, I am much more inclined to not even download it if I see it is 2 hours than if it’s a shorter show.
So keep it short and to the point. My time is valuable.
Show length (off-topic segments)
Similarly, many podcasts go off-topic. While that can unnecessarily lengthen the show (keep it short and sweet!), some podcasters actually do it successfully.
So if you are going to have an off-topic section, still keep it focused and limited. One of my favorite podcast starts off with their off-topic segment — after a couple of years of getting an ever-lengthening “introduction,” they cut back and now each podcaster gets to talk about “one thing.” They usually discuss a new TV show they are watching or maybe something significant happening in their personal life. But they limit it to “one thing.”
Another podcast I listen to ends each podcast with their “Frivolity” segment. The hosts warn you of the subject (often sports or something pop culture in what is an otherwise-serious podcast). With the warning, if you’re not interested you can simply skip the end of the podcast. I greatly appreciate their consideration of my time.
Personal life
Many podcasters like to discuss their personal lives. Some can pull it off better than others, and some obviously believe that they can make a better personal connection with their listeners if they share things from their personal lives.
My advice is to approach with caution too much discussion of your personal life. I know that podcasters want to bond with their audience, and my innate curiosity makes me interested (sometimes) in what you are telling us about your personal life, but tread lightly. Yes, I may want to hear what new boardgame you played with your family on a boardgaming podcast, but I don’t need to hear an in-depth account about your kid’s illness on a podcast about the law.
Explain your perspective or background
Always orient your audience to what you are discussing, and remember that we can’t see what you see. (This is especially important for podcasts that are simulcast or originally streamed on YouTube.)
For example, one podcast I listen to semi-regularly covers boardgames, from a fairly academic perspective, usually through interviews with game designers. Sometimes the host will start off by asking, “So what was your motive or intention for designing this game?” And then they will have an in-depth discussion about the history of the game, the underlying assumptions, the challenges, etc. — but they never introduced us to the basics of the game, such as what is it about, what is the gameplay like, etc.!
Be careful laughing at yourself
Yes, sometimes your jokes are funny. But I’m not interested in listening to minutes of you and your co-host (if you have one) telling mostly inside jokes and just laughing at yourselves. Being genuinely funny and entertaining is great, but don’t get yourself in a laughing tizzy and expect me to spend my valuable time listening to you laugh.
The truth is, I have more podcasts I would like to listen to than I have time to listen to them (even at 2x speed) — just like I have more books to read than time to read them. Podcasters, respect our time, keep your podcast focused and informative, and we’re much more likely to listen to them.
