Podcasts have been around for a very long time. In fact, they’ve been around since before I was born, in the form of radio shows, that is. In a similar fashion with other types of media that found their way to the internet, podcasts did, too, and soon enough became a niche.
Today, there are podcasts for every topic out there, discussing popular topics such as technology developments and film to the even more specific topics with a more specific audience. Heck, there’s even a podcast about podcasts.
I have been listening to podcasts for a long time now, along with other people in or familiar with the tech industry, but ask anyone who doesn’t use the internet as religiously as some of us do what a podcast is, and they’re bound to be confused.
In 2014, however, Serial was launched, and with it came a glimmer of hope for the podcast world. A hope that podcasts would finally go mainstream.
There are many reasons why podcasts are so amazing. One of them being that you can find a podcast on just about any topic you can think of and have instant access to opinions and news related to said topic. But the main reason is, as I see it, podcasts don’t restrict you. With movies and TV shows, you have to have your eyes glued to a screen to be immersed in the content. A similar sentiment goes for reading. With podcasts, however, you can listen to them in bed, in the shower, on your daily commute or maybe even while working out at the gym. Especially with the advent of high production quality podcasts such as Serial and Gimlet Media’s Startup, podcasts are becoming more and more intriguing and immersive.
So maybe now you want to start listening to podcasts, but you’re not sure where to begin. I’ve listed below some of my favorite podcasts to help you get started.
Apple has a decent enough native app for downloading and listening to podcasts, but I’d personally recommend Pocket Casts. It’s available on Android, iOS and the web, and offers a lot of great search and discovery features as well as a sync feature that I can’t live without. It is on the pricier side, however.
Technology
1. The Vergecast
This was probably the first podcast I started listening to, around two years ago. Let me preface this by saying I’m a huge Verge fanboy, so a podcast that allows me to listen to all my favorite journalists talk about the intersection of technology culture, science and culture culture was a huge win in my book.
2. Daily Tech News Show
I used to be a huge fan of TWiT’s Tech News Today, but when Tom Merritt left to start his own show, I had to jump ship. It’s a great podcast to listen to if you want to be caught up on the day’s tech news.
Comedy & Miscellaneous
1. The GameOverGreggy Show
Each week, four best friends gather around a table and discuss random topics from the best fast food joints to which Disney princesses Tim Getty’s wants to sleep with. I love everything about this show, from the witty comedy to the loving bond these foursome share that really becomes evident as you listen.
2. Transmission
“The best and worst news in technology, burritos and robots from the last 48 hours, hosted by Kyle Roderick and Kenny Roderick” is a show about fun stuff and sometimes they have nice trivia.
3. No Such Thing as a fish
Writers of the BBC show QI talk about interesting stuff they’ve discovered that week, such as facts from ancient history and even the modern world.
High Production Value
1. Serial
This show was all the rave of 2014. It follows a reporter as she looks into a cold case to find out whether or not a convicted murderer had been rightfully imprisoned. This show got my dad, a person who didn’t care at all for podcasts, to start listening. It’s an amazing show.
2. StartUp
This show follows Alex Blumberg of This American Life fame as he started his own venture/foray into the podcast world. Sort of like a BTS into the StartUp industry. You should also check out their other new show, Reply-All.
3. Upvoted
Upvoted follows Alexis Ohanian as he looks into the most upvoted posts on Reddit and the inspiring stories behind them.
Coding and Developing/Designing
1. Design Details
Only two episodes so far, but this has already become one of my favourite shows out there. Basically what they do is interview people in the design industry and it’s a very interesting podcast for anyone interested in design or development.
2. Mobile Couch
Three Aussie blokes talk about development and the business of development. The infusion of some comedy into their talk is also a plus.
Unfortunately, this list has become too long. There are so many more podcasts I love listening to, but these are a good start if you wanna get into podcast listening. Give it a shot, it may just change your life forever.
Honorable Mentions: AutoComplete, AMC Movie Talk, Coder Radio, The Kinda Funny Gamescast, Idle Thumbs, Podcast BEYOND!, Novice No Longer, Plumbing the Death Star.
Soham Adwani is a technology enthusiast, journalist and aspiring programmer. He loves writing and complaining about technology, eating good food and other internet related things. He can be found on Twitter.
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