Episode length is sometimes a heated discussion in podcasting. There's helpful data from different sources. But what's right for your podcast? I'll help you decide!

I suggest a “who, what, when, where, how, and why” approach to determining the perfect podcast length for yourself.

Who is your audience?

Because most podcasts target separate niches, it can be very difficult to make blanket recommendations on all podcasts.

Many of the podcasts from public-radio showrunners are intentionally and skillfully designed to reach a broad, general audience. But your podcast may reach a smaller, more focused audience that may never be interested in general content (or general perspective).

When you get to know your audience, you can better understand their specific needs and situations. For example:

* New moms may not have much listening time while caring for young children.

* Business executives may not have time to listen during business hours, but they want to continue their education away from the office.

* Kids may have a shorter attention span, especially for non-entertaining content.

* Agricultural workers may have many lonely hours away from the Internet, and they may be eager for something stimulating.

Thus, you can probably imagine that a 5-minute podcast could be ideal for one audience, but too short for another. Inversely, a three-hour podcast could be ideal for one audience, but too long for another.

Your listener is the most important person to your podcast (“Duh,” right?). So what's the best way to serve them?

What is your subject?

Because broadcast media reach a wide audience, they need topics that appeal to the general population. That's why most long-form radio talk shows are about money, relationships (including religion), tech, politics, and sports. That information interests nearly everyone.

But podcasts are far more focused. You don't have to worry about appealing to employees on their rush-hour commute home. You only have to be concerned with the smaller group of people interested in your subject.

And not all subjects are equal. Although it's possible that nearly any subject could be shared (to some degree) in a few minutes or in a few hours, some subjects may be better at different lengths. For example:

* Educational content depends on the depth of the information. It's good to be short when it's a lot to take in (for example, Grammar Girl). But it can also be good to be long when a concept needs more explanation to be understood.

* Inspirational content may be good enough to be short. Think of all the devotional-style books that provide quick inspiration and make it easy to consume each day.

* Entertaining content that is good will probably never be long enough. Look at how well the Lord of the Rings extended editions sell compared to Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. They're both entertaining, but the quality of one far outweighs the quality of the other.

Some podcasts may be harder to consume because their subjects require uninterrupted attention. But you can easily stave off that concern by ensuring your content is segmented in a way that is friendly to multiple listening sessions.

No Agenda is a twice-weekly, three-hour-long podcast that has huge success. I listen to it, myself, and I listen all the way through (except for the techno stuff at the end). I don't complain about the length because the episodes are entirely informative and entertaining. But there's no way that I could listen to a single Grammar Girl episode for three hours!

So what is appropriate for your subject? Do you need more time to explain something, or do you need only a few minutes? Do you have enough good content that will rapture people from time?

When do you publish?

I've always considered frequency and length to be closely associated. Daily shows may seem lucrative, but they take a lot of work. Plus, daily shows can be more difficult for listeners to stay current,