How Often Should You Release Podcast Episodes?

You’ve launched your podcast. You’re proud of your episodes. Now comes the big question:
How often should you publish new content to grow your audience and stay visible? 🤔

It’s a question every podcaster asks, and the answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. Publishing once a week may sound ideal, but if it leads to burnout or a six-month pause, it won’t do you any favors. On the other hand, publishing only once a month might not be enough to stay top-of-mind (or top-of-search) on platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts 🎧

The truth is: the best publishing rhythm is the one you can stick to over time. And the good news? There are smart ways to stay visible even if you don’t publish full episodes every week.

In this article, we’ll explore exclusive data from a study we conducted at Ausha to better understand how podcast visibility works on platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. We’ll show you how publishing frequency impacts your discoverability and give you concrete, sustainable ways to stay visible.

What the Data Says About Release Frequency (Apple Podcasts & Spotify)

At Ausha, we conducted a large-scale study to understand what factors help podcasts rank better in search results on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Among the many insights we uncovered, one stood out clearly: Publishing new episodes regularly plays a major role in visibility.

Here’s what we found:

2 out of 3 podcasts that appear in Spotify’s search results had published an episode within the last 15 days.

That’s a strong signal: Spotify prioritizes active podcasts in its search results 🚀

Even more revealing: Podcasts that published in the last 15 days had an average rank of 45.81, whereas podcasts that hadn’t published in over a month ranked significantly lower, often beyond position 50.

In short, recent activity can earn you up to +5 positions on average compared to inactive shows.

But don’t panic, this doesn’t mean you have to release full episodes every 15 days. What it does mean is that staying active, in some form, helps your show stay visible. And that’s something you can achieve with a publishing strategy that works for you.

Up next: we’ll show you what that looks like in real life, with tips on how to publish regularly without burning out 💡

Publish Regularly… But Realistically

Every Two Weeks: The Sweet Spot Between Visibility and Sustainability ⏳

According to our data, releasing a new episode at least every 15 days significantly improves your ranking on Spotify.

So yes, publishing every two weeks works. It keeps your show alive in the algorithm and creates a reliable rhythm for your audience.

But we also know that maintaining this pace isn’t always easy. Life gets busy. Energy goes up and down. And producing a full episode every two weeks can become overwhelming if you don’t have a team behind you.

That’s why the solution isn’t “publish more,” it’s publish smart. Staying visible doesn’t mean you have to deliver a perfectly edited, 45-minute interview every two weeks. What it means is showing signs of life, consistently.

Let’s look at how to do that👇

Publish Smart: Use Small Formats to Stay Visible

Publishing smart means alternating between heavy and light formats, so you can stay consistent without wearing yourself out 😩

For example:

You publish one “big episode” per month: a long-form interview or deep dive.
Then, two weeks before, you release a 5-minute teaser to build anticipation. You give a sneak peek of the topic or a quote from the guest.

Or:

You publish your main episode.
Then, two weeks later, you share a 1-minute mini episode with a quick, practical takeaway: how listeners can apply one specific insight from the previous episode.

That way, you still publish every two weeks but you’re not starting from scratch each time.
You’re building around your content, keeping your feed active, and making your production cycle more manageable.

Conclusion

Publishing weekly or every other week is the best way to stay visible and grow steadily, the data proves it. But we also know that pace can be hard to keep up. What matters most is building a system that works for you: one that lets you stay consistent without burning out.

Whether it’s alternating between big episodes and smaller formats, or simply planning smarter, the goal is to keep your podcast alive, visible, and enjoyable to make. Because in the long run, consistency wins. Always🎙️