The New Golden Age of Radio is Here (It's Called Podcasting!)
By Steve
A simple guide to what podcasts are, how to listen, and a starter list of great shows.
In the early days of radio, families would gather around the radio to listen to a favorite show, a suspenseful drama, or an engaging talk program. There was a certain magic to audio storytelling. In today's busy, screen-filled world, that magic is back in a wonderful new way, and it’s called podcasting.
Many of you have told us you enjoy listening to podcasts or public radio while on a walk or doing chores around the house. For those who are curious to dive in, this guide will explain what podcasts are, how to easily listen to them, and offer a few suggestions to get you started. It's a perfect way to turn laundry time into learning time!
Do you have a podcast you listen to regularly? Leave it as a comment below to recommend it to other readers!
Podcasts for Every Passion: “Turning Laundry Time into Learning Time”
What Exactly is a Podcast?
A podcast is essentially an on-demand radio show. It's a digital audio program that you can listen to whenever you want, wherever you want, right from your phone or computer. There are podcasts on virtually every topic imaginable: in-depth news analysis, compelling history lessons, gardening advice, hilarious comedies, and captivating true-crime stories. Many are completely free to listen to (sometimes with advertisements, similar to radio).
How to Listen: The Best Beginner Apps
You don't need to be a tech whiz to start listening. The easiest way is with an app on your smartphone.
For iPhone Users: Your iPhone comes with a free, built-in app called Apple Podcasts. Look for a purple icon on your screen with a white circle and a dot.
For Everyone (iPhone & Android):Spotify is another excellent and very popular free app that is known for music but also has a massive library of podcasts. You can often listen to podcasts directly on your computer by simply doing a web search for the show's name; most have a website where you can stream episodes right from your browser. Many podcasters also upload their full episodes to YouTube, which can be another familiar and easy way to listen (and watch!).
Once you open one of these apps, simply use the "Search" tab to look for a show by its name or a topic you're interested in. When you find one you like, tap the "Follow" or "Subscribe" button (this is free for most podcasts). This tells the app to automatically make new episodes available to you in your library as soon as they are released.
A Key Trick: Downloading on Wi-Fi for On-the-Go Listening
This is the best tip for listening on the go. To avoid using your phone's cellular data (and to ensure you have episodes ready for a walk or drive where the internet might be spotty), you can download episodes ahead of time while you're at home on your Wi-Fi.
In your podcast app, look for a download icon next to an episode—it often looks like a small arrow pointing down. Tap it, and the episode will be saved directly to your phone. It will then appear in a "Downloaded" section in your library, ready to play anytime, even with no internet connection.
When to Listen?
The beauty of podcasts is they allow you to learn or be entertained while your hands are busy. Many of our readers enjoy listening:
While on a daily walk or at the gym
While doing chores like cooking or cleaning
While gardening or working in the yard
During a long drive or on public transport
A Starter Playlist: Shows You Might Enjoy
While huge shows like "The Daily" (a short form news update) are very popular, here are a few suggestions that might be particularly interesting:
For the History Buff: "Stuff You Missed in History Class" offers fascinating deep dives into lesser-known historical events and figures. My personal favorite is called “Hardcore History”. These are really long, extremely in-depth looks at important events throughout history. His most recent podcasts are free to listen to, and if you like them you can buy some of his older episodes through his website (his series on World War 1 was incredible).
For the Armchair Detective (True Crime): If you enjoy shows like Dateline, you'll love the "Dateline NBC" podcast. It features audio from classic episodes, perfect for listening to a compelling mystery. Another excellent choice is "Criminal," a show that thoughtfully explores the human stories behind crimes, focusing on compelling narratives rather than just the gory details.
For the Sports Fan: Instead of day-to-day game analysis, try ESPN's "30 for 30 Podcasts." These are incredible audio documentaries that tell the unforgettable stories behind some of the most interesting moments and figures in sports history. They are exceptionally well-produced and captivating even if you're not a die-hard fan of the sport in question.
For the Gardener: "A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach" is a beloved and highly respected podcast full of practical tips and inspiration for your garden.
For the Story Lover: The world of audio dramas is booming. You can search for "classic radio dramas" to find old-time shows from the 40s and 50s, or try a modern favorite like "LeVar Burton Reads," where the beloved actor reads a new short story in each episode.
For the Curious Mind: "TED Radio Hour" explores big ideas, weaving together fascinating talks from some of the world's leading thinkers.
Quick note about polls— all polls are completely anonymous. I started including them as a fun way to interact with other readers and learn about technology other people are using.
Quick Tech Tip
In most podcast apps, you can change the playback speed. Look for a button that often says "1x" near the play/pause button. You can tap it to speed up the conversation to "1.25x" or "1.5x" if you want to get through an episode a bit faster. Conversely, if you find a host who speaks too quickly, you can also often slow it down to "0.75x".
Tech Term Demystified: 'Subscribing' (to a Podcast)
When a podcast app asks you to "Subscribe" or "Follow" a show, it can be a bit confusing because we often associate that word with paying for something. In the world of free podcasts, however, it simply means you are telling the app that you like the show and want new episodes to automatically appear in your library when they are released. Think of it like telling your local newsstand to save you a copy of your favorite magazine each month—it doesn't cost anything, it just ensures you never miss an issue.
It’s also helpful to know that when you subscribe to a show, most podcast apps will try to be helpful by automatically downloading the latest one or two episodes to your device whenever you’re on Wi-Fi. These downloaded episodes are saved directly within the podcast app itself, typically in a ‘Library’ or ‘Downloaded’ section, so they won't get mixed in with your photos or other files. If you prefer to save space on your phone and choose which episodes to download manually, you can usually turn this feature off. Simply go to the main page for a specific podcast you follow, look for a settings icon (often a gear ⚙️ or three dots •••), and you should find a switch to turn off ‘Automatic Downloads.’ After you've listened to an episode, you can also easily delete it from your downloaded list to free up space, giving you complete control over your listening library.
Good News Byte
Many of the world's top museums, like the British Museum and the Getty, are now producing their own high-quality podcasts. These shows offer incredible behind-the-scenes access, allowing you to listen to curators and historians share the fascinating stories behind their most famous artifacts and artworks. It's like getting a private, expert tour delivered right to your headphones, for free.
Did You Know?
The word "podcast" is what's known as a portmanteau—a blend of two words. It was coined in 2004 by a British journalist who combined the words "iPod" (Apple's hugely popular digital music player at the time) and "broadcast" to describe this new form of downloadable, on-demand audio that was just beginning to take off.
Your Turn to Explore!
This week, open the podcast app that's likely already on your phone (Apple Podcasts on iPhone or you can search in YouTube). Tap the "Search" tab and type in a topic you love. It could be "classic movies," "rose gardening," "World War II history," or the name of an author you admire plus the word “Podcast”. You might be surprised by the wonderful world of audio that's waiting for you!
A little bit of fun: Serial
Serial is an investigative journalism podcast that first aired in 2014, and it is widely credited with turning podcasting into a mainstream phenomenon. The first season, hosted by journalist Sarah Koenig, revisits the real-life 1999 murder of a high school student, Hae Min Lee, and the subsequent conviction of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, raising questions about the fairness of his trial.
What made Serial revolutionary was its format. Instead of having self-contained episodes like a typical radio show, it told one single, complex story over a dozen episodes, releasing them week by week. This "serialized" approach was new to podcasts and created a powerful cliffhanger effect, turning millions of listeners into amateur detectives who would discuss theories with friends and eagerly await the next installment. It was the first podcast to become a true "water cooler" cultural event, and its massive, unprecedented success brought a huge new audience to the world of podcasting.
Happy listening!
Steve