How Long Should a B2B Podcast Be? Data-Backed Insights for Engagement

How Long Should a B2B Podcast Be Data-Backed Insights for Engagement

If you're producing a B2B podcast, you’ve probably asked: How long should our episodes be?

You’re not alone. With over 5 million podcasts in circulation and attention spans getting shorter, episode length is one of the biggest levers you can pull to improve engagement. 

At Content Allies, we've found that keeping episodes under 30 minutes consistently leads to 50% or higher consumption rates. Why? Because your listeners—busy executives, marketers, and decision-makers want insightful content that fits into a commute, lunch break, or walk around the block.

Show Consumption Rate

In this article, we’ll dig into the data behind podcast length, look at industry benchmarks, and share practical strategies to help you plan the ideal episode duration that keeps your audience coming back.

Table of Contents

 
4 Personas of B2B Podcast Listeners

Shorter episodes naturally fit into the day. The average commute in the U.S. is about 27 minutes, which makes episodes under 30 minutes ideal for start-to-finish consumption. Data from Buzzsprout shows that episodes in the 20–40 minute range make up the largest share of published podcasts, and for good reason; they strike the right balance between substance and accessibility.

Distribution of Podcast Episode Lengths

And when you get to the point, people stick around. A focused, concise episode not only earns higher completion rates. It builds trust. Listeners see your brand as respectful of their time and confident enough to distill ideas clearly. Backlinko’s research backs this up: episodes with clear structure and tighter runtimes often outperform longer ones in terms of engagement and retention.

General stats:

Across all podcast genres, most episodes fall between 20 and 60 minutes. In fact, Buzzsprout reports that over 50% of podcast episodes land in this range. Zooming in further, the most common length is 20–40 minutes, which makes up roughly 31% of all episodes published today, according to The Podcast Space and Castmagic.

These numbers reflect a growing trend toward digestible content. Listeners want depth but not at the expense of time. A 20–40 minute range strikes a balance between value and convenience, especially for repeat listeners who consume multiple episodes each week.

By industry:

By Industry

Business podcasts, especially those that follow an interview or expert guest format tend to run slightly longer. According to Soundorp, the average business podcast episode clocks in between 30 and 45 minutes. This gives enough space to explore complex topics or unpack a guest’s insights without overwhelming the listener.

Entertainment podcasts, by comparison, are often even longer. Episodes in that category commonly stretch to 30–50 minutes, benefiting from a more flexible format and a different kind of audience engagement.

In B2B podcasting, completion matters more than total duration. An unfinished episode means lost impact whether it’s a missed insight, a cut-off CTA, or a guest story that never lands. Across our client base, we’ve found that episodes under 30 minutes almost always achieve a consumption rate of 50% or higher—a strong benchmark for engagement.

This isn’t just anecdotal. Independent research shows shorter episodes can reach up to 70% completion rates, especially when structured clearly and optimized for professionals listening on the go​. And in a world where attention is fragmented, completion = value.

Certain industries are especially well-suited for sub-30-minute B2B episodes:

Customer Success & SaaS: These industries often use flexible formats, but short-form episodes (10–15 minutes) are particularly effective for quick best practices, product tips, or success stories​. For example, the CX Pulse Podcast has a podcast consumption rate of 75% against an average podcast length of 13 minutes.

Staffing & HR: Time-constrained professionals in this field benefit from 20–35 minute formats, which allow space to explore workplace trends without demanding a huge time commitment​

Supporting data

Recent research across millions of podcast episodes supports this approach:

The average B2B podcast episode is about 34 minutes long but the most successful shows in marketing and business strategy categories often publish 15–30 minute episodes​.

B2B listeners overwhelmingly prefer the 20–40 minute range, with 30% of all podcasts falling in that window, making it the most common and competitive duration bracket.

Shorter episodes are especially effective in categories where actionable insights, updates, or expert interviews are the primary value drivers such as SaaS, marketing, HR, and customer experience shows.

Benefits of <30 minutes

Shorter episodes don’t just support better engagement metrics, they fit how B2B audiences actually listen.

Commutes, walks, lunch breaks; these are the listening windows for your audience. With the average U.S. commute around 27 minutes, sub-30-minute episodes align perfectly with how and when people tune in.

Consistency becomes sustainable. Producing shorter episodes lowers the content load on internal teams, guest speakers, and editors, making it easier to stick to a weekly or bi-weekly cadence.

Tighter content builds trust. Shorter formats demand better planning. When you focus your episode around one core idea, a handful of smart questions, and a clear outcome, your audience sees you as thoughtful and not just another brand filling space.

The Case For Longer Podcast Episodes

While shorter episodes often perform best, there are times when going longer makes sense. In certain formats and industries, extended episodes create space for depth, nuance, and richer storytelling

Deep-dive episodes

Some topics require more room to breathe. When you're covering complex or technical subject matter like architecture in software systems, regulatory changes in finance, or a deep breakdown of a case study—short episodes can feel rushed. Longer episodes allow your host and guest to move beyond surface-level takeaways and deliver more substantial insights. The payoff? Higher perceived value and greater trust with your audience.

Roundtable discussions or multiple guests

If your format includes more than one guest, or you’re recording a roundtable with diverse perspectives, the conversation will naturally run longer. In these formats, time allows for interplay, deeper follow-ups, and more layered insights. Cutting too early in these scenarios risks sacrificing the richness that makes these episodes engaging in the first place.

Narrative storytelling formats

When you’re telling stories, especially serialized or narrative-driven ones, runtime matters. Listeners want to stay immersed. In these cases, 45–60 minutes can feel appropriate if the story flows well and maintains momentum. A well-paced, longer narrative can create deeper emotional engagement and a stronger bond with your audience.

Certain industries are especially well-suited for long-form B2B podcast episodes:

Software Engineering & Technical: These shows frequently run 50–60+ minutes to fully explore technical frameworks, architecture decisions, or expert workflows. Longer runtime supports deeper education and more detailed examples​.

Manufacturing & Industrial: Podcasts in this space often range from 35–50 minutes, driven by the technical nature of content and the need to explore operational or engineering advancements in depth​.

B2B Fiction & Serialized Storytelling: Fictional formats targeting professionals benefit from longer runtimes, with top-performing shows averaging 52 minutes. The extended format allows for character development, pacing, and immersive story arcs​.