Bored with your playlists? Try these podcasts!
We love music.
All of us do. All of us have the favorites we have been listening for a decade.
However, when it comes to trusting a playlist to help you get through tedious tasks (like commuting to your office, running, cooking, laundry), there’s never enough good music.
Enter podcasts.
Podcasts can make boring and repetitive tasks more enjoyable giving you food for thought.
Podcast = Pod (refers to portable iPods) + Broadcast (like radio).
Also described as on-demand internet radio talks. Nowadays, podcasts are the most popular form of consuming audio content on-the-go.
Mobile internet is one of the luxuries in India. It’s terrible when you’re out.
If you’re frequently traveling, it gets complicated. I appreciate the way Netflix made no delays in introducing their ‘save offline videos’ in India. This is where podcasts come into the picture.
It has been four years since I’ve started listening to podcasts.
You can’t watch a video while running, and youtube hasn't perfectionized their app good enough to run in the background.
Audiobooks are boring. Playlists get monotonous.
Listening to podcasts is the ideal choice because it is:
portable
usually free
doesn’t demand my attention/ screen time (like youtube)
lets me set the default speed to 1.5x and finish an hour’s episode in thirty mins of run
(most importantly) fires my imagination.
Every time, it overwhelms me with a fresh piece of information. Imagine doing that 200 minutes a week. Same as reading four books a month.
Feed your brain. Ease your commute. Boost your runs.
Available mostly as free downloads, and ranging from daily to monthly, podcasts run the gamut from the simple to the sensational. They don’t ask much of their listeners but can give a lot in return.
Let’s jump to my top six podcasts you must try:
99% invisible
I discovered it late, but once I started listening, there was no looking back. There are days when you wish to be taken away from reality.
It’s like you’re a kid again and being narrated a bedside story. You want to listen. Ponder. Imagine what it would be. This is what 99% invisible is all about. Impeccably researched, with a charming delivery from Sir Roman Mars.
The best thing about 99% is that it brings a fresh air of perspective in the world of podcasts. It’s intriguing. It’s like reading ten Quora answers or five Medium articles or watching an entire documentary, all of it compressed in twenty mins.
My favorites:
PodRunner
I’m the underdog of marathons. I start slow, usually drag myself for the first 3–5 km. The longer I run, the more energy I gain. My brain wakes up gradually and then I’m unstoppable. I want my music to progress with my pace; say- 130 to 180 beats per minute (BPM). PodRunner is my bestie in such “reach-the-finishing-line-before-you-faint” scenarios.
Their USP is how the music picks up, as you run. Example: Try the 160–180 bpm here.
The synchrony of the beats as you progress from 20 to 40 minutes of some unadulterated running is something you have to listen to believe. If you run, its a must.
Freakonomics
Podcasts, just like everything else, have a pattern. Every Freakanomics podcast starts with a piece of foot-tapping music which instantly opens up your mind. If you’ve read their blogs or books (Freakonomics/ SuperFreakonomics), this won’t be a discovery for you. Stephen Dubner explores, analyzes, and talks about his takeaways from economics and social behavior in day-to-day life. You don’t need to be a specialist in economics to understand this.
Ted Radio Hour
Ted folks are doing such a great job with these podcasts that you would wish your commute was longer.
If you’re innately curious and love learning, I recommend Ted. Enough said.
The Robin Sharma Mastery Sessions
I’m not a big fan of success porn. Here’s an exception. The good thing about Robin Sharma is that he is THE Robin Sharma.
All of us have heard him, and we know how awesome he is.
Whether or not you’re a fan, give it a shot. It’s likely you won’t be disappointed.
Daily motivation
Smooth as butter, short and perfect for starters.
It's like listening to sunscreen song by Bazz in a different version of five minutes each. Back in 2015, I used to give fortnightly webinars at Zoho, and this podcast taught me the intricacies of voice modulation. My first school.
The brief pause which comes at 2:05 gives you the thirty seconds to take a break; ponder over what’s been said, and then conclude things. Perfect for when you may need a quiet moment or just a distraction from modern life.
Positive vibes.
Other podcasts worth mentioning (you can’t go wrong with any of these)
Today, Explained: Vox’s daily explainer podcast, worth the time.
a16z: Discusses tech and culture trends, news, and the future — well researched and crisp.
Invisibilia: Latin for invisible things — fuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently.
Reply All: An investigative podcast about stuff you see on the internet but usually dismiss in an instant.
Go ahead then, download a podcast today. You always have your music to fall back on.
Views reflected are my own — no endorsements.
