Issue #50: Are You a Podcast Person?
A beginner's guide to podcasts, plus a list of my current favorites.
Growing up, I remember my dad having particular talk shows he would tune into daily. He still listens to the Minnesota Twins game on the radio. I had zero desire to tune in to AM radio because I assumed it was all boring adult things. Fast forward to now, and I have modern talk radio that I hate to miss.
Podcasts are just that - talk radio. But now you can listen to them on demand and sort through precisely what interviews you want to listen to. It doesn’t matter what your antenna will pick up. I imagine that, at this point, most people have listened to a podcast at least once, but with the number of podcasts out there now, it can get a little overwhelming. I figured I’d break down my podcast listening habits and explain what they are and how they started.
Plenty of times, I’ve recommended a podcast to someone, and they stare at me with a blank expression. It’s OK to have no idea where to start, let this be your introduction guide.
What is a podcast?
A podcast is an audio file available in a digital format for download. It started as just audio, and you’d listen to a person or people talk using your computer or phone. There is some debate about the origins of the podcast, but most people agree that it was invented in 2004 by software developer Dave Winer and Adam Curry, a former MTV VJ. They wanted a way to listen to online radio broadcasts on an iPod. The name comes from combining the words iPod and broadcast.
Podcasts are typically released as a series with episodes. Some are long-running shows reporting current events and lasting for many seasons, while others are more like limited series.
The popularity started growing in 2014, and today, there are over 4.1 million podcasts registered worldwide. Accessing this type of entertainment is incredibly convenient and can provide a resource on just about any topic. There are some wildly specific niche podcasts, and if there isn’t one for something you’re interested in, you could start your own (but that’s a topic for a different day.)
How do you listen to podcasts?
There are tons of apps to help organize and listen to podcasts. I think you should use something you likely already have to get started. I subscribe to 93 podcasts currently (which sounds crazy, but I have a method), and I still use the Apple Podcasts app that comes on every iPhone. Spotify is another popular music streaming app with a podcast listening section.
In the Apple Podcast app, you can create Stations. I use this feature to organize the podcasts I subscribe to by topic.
My favorites, which I listen to each week and rarely miss an episode, have their own folder. The rest are filed by topic, and I can find things to listen to when I have a long car ride or want to take the dog for a long walk and listen to something. Some of my stations include celebrity interviews, true crime, history, book talks, PNW-specific, and travel.
My Podcast Listening Strategy
I listen to podcasts during the workday if I’m editing photos or doing admin work. It’s obviously hard to listen while writing. I also put on podcasts while cleaning the kitchen, cooking, getting ready, walking the dog, and driving around town.
Limited-series podcasts about true crime stories or specific historical events are perfect for our long road trips, so anytime I hear a suggestion for something similar, I save it for a future long car ride.
Organization is essential to me, and I like to know what’s new. When I subscribe to a new podcast, and I don’t want to go backward, I will mark everything old as “played” to see new episodes come in. For the shows that feature interviews, I will also mark any that don’t grab my interest as played. I can’t listen to every episode of every podcast that I find interesting. I’m an inbox-zero person, so I like my podcast app to stay clean and only show me things that I want to listen to.
Where to Find New Podcasts
There are three ways that I find new pods to check out.
Friends. My girlfriends will listen to a specific episode of a podcast and share it with me. Whether it’s about something we’ve recently talked about or they thought of me while listening. Those are my favorites because it’s a connection to that person and usually leads to a bigger discussion.
Online People. I get a lot of recommendations from newsletters that I subscribe to or people I follow on the internet.
is one of my favorites for recommendations, and she often includes new podcasts in her weekly newsletter.The Browse Section of Apple Podcasts. Each genre has a page so you can see what’s trending (usually a little frightening and not my kind of entertainment.) I like the suggestions that Apple offers on the “browse” page. Here’s a snapshot of this current page so you get an idea:
A Few of My Current Podcast Favorites:
I’m on a bit of a hiatus from True Crime, but you can see my past favorites in the links below.
Hysteria features two hilarious and intelligent women discussing politics, current events, and interviewing other incredible women. New episodes come out every Thursday.
Culture Study is a podcast that dives deep into random, but interesting, topics in pop culture in each episode. From trad wives to sapphic pop, you’ll learn someting new that is perfect to share with your happy hour pals.
Flightless Bird will provide a New Zealander’s perspective on uniquely American things. He tries to understand them and participate while sharing his thoughts as an outsider looking in. Disney Adults was the first episode we listened to and we never looked back.
Wiser Than Me has great interviews done by Julia Louis-Dreyfuss. She talks to women who are older (and wiser) than her. I was a late comer to this, so I just went back to the first episode featuring Jane Fonda and I’m working my way through.
Family Trips is done by Seth Meyers and his brother. They interview mostly comedians, but instead of discussing their current projects and typical press tour things, they dive into the past and talk about family vacations. It’s hilarious and relatable and you’ll definitely find new places that you want to travel while laughing out loud.
The Uncensored Moms Podcast is one that I will always recommend. As a childfree person, it might sound weird that I’m recommending a mom podcast, but it’s about so much more than that. They put it all on the table and provide the motivation to be a little less censored in life.
Maintenance Phase covers everything from personality tests to ozempic to health conspiracies. The topic of health can bring out the crazy in some people, so I love this podcast breaking down some of the current buzzwords. Plus, it only comes out once a month, so it’s not overkill on these types of topics.
Unlocking Us with Brene Brown is a podcast that I don’t listen to all the time, but I tend to tune in when there’s an interesting guest or topic. The one I linked to has been on my mind since listening. Brene does a series on whether or not we are living beyond human sacle and I would recommend listening to all of these (especially after reading this book set 40 years in the future.)
Other Podcast Notes
Change the speed. You can speed up any podcast to be 1.25 or 1.5 of the normal speed. I promise that it sounds a little weird, but you’ll be able to fly through them in a shorter time period and still retain all the important information.
Ads really aren’t that annoying and are easily skippable. Podcasters make their money off their ad space, so you might roll your eyes the first time you hear one, but it’s easy to skip forward and avoid them all together. I strangely enjoy hearing the creative ways some podcasters cover their ads.
Utilize the search field. If there is a new artist you love or a comedian that you’ve recently discovered, type their name into the search field and see what pods they’ve been on. I love listening to any interviews John Mayer does because I find him fascinating. You can also do this with unique topics that you want to learn more about or a show/movie you watched and want to dissect more.
The host is important. Just because you like a topic, doesn’t mean you’ll enjoy the podcast. If you can’t stand someone’s voice or their vibe, turn it off and head back to the search function.
Search when you aren’t ready to listen. If you’re like me, decision overload is real. I like to subscribe to podcasts or save them when someone recommends them for me. When I’m heading out the door, I don’t want to be stuck searching through the thousands of options. By having some queued up and ready, I’m way more likely to dive in to interesting content instead of resorting to FM radio.
I hope this helps if you’ve never listented to a podcast before or maybe you’re looking for some new ways to find content. Comment and let me know your favorite podcast or which app you use.
Reminder: Some of the links included are affiliate links. Purchasing through them may give me a few pennies, but it won’t cost you any extra. The pennies help me justify the amount of time I spend watching bad TV to share with all of you and allow me to spoil the dog. Another way to help is to share this, hit the like button, or even drop a comment with something you have loved this month. And if you’re really inspired, you can pledge your support.
Here is a list of my favorite true crime podcasts if you’re looking for an interesting creepy listen for the seasons.
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I’ll be back with my monthly favorites round up this weekend, so make sure you are subscribed. Feel free to share this with anyone in your life who might not have a clue what to do with the purple app that comes preloaded on iPhones.
Cheers!
Steph