Studies Show Filler Words Impact Listener Engagement

Studies Show Filler Words Impact Listener Engagement

From Podcast Editors Mastermind by Steve Stewart, Mark Deal

June 3, 2026 · 28 min · Episode 128

About this episode

This episode discusses the impact of filler words on listener engagement and how to persuade clients to pay for editing them out.

Do filler words matter? Tom Hanson found several key findings from research and industry data that shows filler words do matter! "Episodes with >4 filler words per minute saw 18–22% higher drop-off rate in the first 10 minutes compared to “clean” episodes" according to a Riverside listener study. How can you and I use this knowledge to convince potential clients that it's worth paying us to remove filler words? We discuss the impact of filler words on the success of podcasts in this episode of the Podcast Editors Mastermind Show. 👉 Stick around to the end for the post-production process Steve used to get excited about editing this interview. Key moments: The perception of editing out fillers has changed Research on the Impact of Filler Words in Podcasts Convincing Clients to Pay for Editing Resources mentioned in the show: Service: Audiocore Edit Assist ( try for free ) https://www.knvpstudios.com/audiocore Study: Impact of Filler Words on Listener Engagement List: Unnecessary Words in a Podcast https://stevestewart.me/unnecessary-words-in-a-podcast About Tom Hanson: Tom started KNVP Studios in 2014 and has offering his services in the professional television, film and…

People in this episode

Hosts: Steve Stewart, Mark Deal

Guest: Tom Hanson

Topics covered

  • filler words
  • listener engagement
  • podcast editing
  • client persuasion
  • research findings

Keywords

  • filler words
  • listener drop-off
  • podcast success
  • editing process
  • client engagement

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Riverside, Audiocore, KNVP Studios, MGM, Sony Pictures, MTV, HBO

Books & works: Podcast Editors Mastermind

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