Finding the Best Day to Publish Your Podcast Episodes

Headshot of Doug Downs
Doug Downs

When it comes to determining the best day of the week to publish your podcast, there is no definitive answer. The key lies in finding what works best for your audience, your topic or niche, and you. Understanding your listeners’ preferences and habits will help you tailor your release schedule for maximum impact.

Most podcast episodes are typically published early in the morning, around 2 or 3 AM, so they are fresh in the feed for people waking up. However, this timing should also be adapted to suit your audience’s listening habits. For instance, do your listeners prefer to tune in during their morning commute, or do they save their podcast sessions for their drive home in the afternoon? Knowing these details can significantly impact your podcast’s reach and engagement.

Pie chart showing Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are the most popular days to listen to podcastsAmong the most popular days for releasing new podcast episodes are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. These days see the highest podcast listenership, with Monday following closely behind. Friday tends to lag a bit, while Saturday and Sunday are notably lower in both new episode releases and podcast listening. Sunday, in particular, is often considered the worst day for podcast listening.

Interestingly, we chose to publish our podcast, Stories and Strategies, on Sunday – traditionally the least popular day for podcast listening. Here’s our reasoning behind this unconventional choice, which has proven to be quite effective for us.

Our podcast focuses on public relations and communications, targeting a specific and well-defined audience. We hypothesized that many PR professionals, by Sunday, are already thinking about the upcoming week. Unlike other professionals who may fully unwind over the weekend, PR people often use Sunday to reflect and plan, free from the pressure of deliverables. This reflective time makes them more receptive to consuming content relevant to their profession.

Additionally, we observed that other PR-focused podcasts were typically released on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. By choosing Sunday, we positioned our content to be in front of those listeners before they were saturated with other PR podcasts mid-week. This strategic timing allowed us to capture the attention of our target audience when they were most available and inclined to listen.

Today, Stories and Strategies is considered one of the leading PR podcasts globally, as measured by downloads. This success underscores the importance of understanding your audience’s unique habits and preferences, even if it means bucking conventional wisdom.

The most important takeaway, however, is consistency. No matter which day you choose to release your podcast, being consistent with your publishing schedule is crucial. Consistency builds trust and anticipation among your listeners, making them more likely to return for each new episode. It also helps with algorithmic visibility on podcast platforms, ensuring that your show remains discoverable.

While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the best day of the week to publish a podcast, tailoring your schedule to suit your audience’s habits, your content niche, and your own workflow is essential. By doing so and maintaining a consistent release pattern, you’ll set your podcast up for success.