01
Count words people will hear
Use spoken dialogue only. Remove stage directions, speaker labels, music cues, and production notes before you count.
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How long will your podcast actually run?
Turn script words, speaking pace, and intro and outro time into a practical runtime range. Then set a word target your writer can use.
The episode clock
Four inputs. A range you can plan around
Spoken words do most of the work. The bookends and the pace are what turn a script count into a real schedule.
Your estimate will appear here
Enter the words and the pace. The result separates spoken runtime from the bookends so the schedule stays honest.
Use the estimate well
Runtime is an editorial choice
The arithmetic is simple. The useful part is deciding what the clock means for the listener and the team making the episode.
02
Use a pace you can actually read
Start at 140 to 155 words per minute for a clear business podcast. If the format is reflective or interview-led, test a slower read.
03
Protect the bookends
Give the intro and outro their own seconds. A show with a 30-second open and close has a full minute before any spoken script begins.
04
Keep a buffer for the edit
Pauses, ad markers, music, and a guest who thinks out loud all change the final cut. Treat the practical range as a scheduling guardrail.
Episode length FAQ
Questions before you lock the cut
At 150 words per minute, a 30-minute episode with one minute for the intro and outro needs about 4,350 spoken words. Your pace, pauses, music, and edit will move the final runtime, so use the range as a planning target.