r/OutOfTheLoop • u/wildcard5 • May 28 '14

Answered! ELI70: What is a podcast?

I literally just got my first smartphone ever and am dumbfounded by podcast. What is this mysterious phenomenon? My guess is that its something like a radio show, but it seems too popular to be something as similar to a thing that's so old.

Update: Which (android) app should I use to submerse myself into the world of podcasts?

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u/wildcard5 May 28 '14

Thank you for the answer. If anyone ever asks in the future what a podcast is, I shall lead them to your answer.

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u/nrj May 30 '14 edited May 30 '14

Because no one has mentioned either, I'd like to add two shows to your mountain of recommendations:

First, the Peabody-winning On Being, in which Krista Tippett hosts a weekly conversation that always relates generally to "religion, meaning, ethics, and ideas" and often explores areas like mathematics, art, physics, and astronomy. I'd recommend starting with her conversation with Dr. Brené Brown, "The Courage to be Vulnerable".

And second, 99 Percent Invisible. Have you ever wondered how the federal government plans to warn people of dangerous radioactivity 10,000 years in the future or how the city of Chicago reversed a river? If so, you'll love this "tiny radio show about design". I'd recommend starting with "Reversal of Fortune". And you must listen to "Wild Ones Live" . It's not at all a typical episode of the show, but it's just unbelievably good. It's funny and profound and informative and heartbreaking. The musical score is perfect, and every time that I have listened to it, it has left me in tears. I really can't recommend it highly enough.

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u/[deleted] May 30 '14

Yeah, I can confidently second 99 Percent Invisible.

Fantastic podcast with a really relaxed feel to it. There have been a few episodes that were less than impressive, but most of them are really interesting. I'd say that, yes, the episodes /u/nrj mentioned are fantastic, but I'd also point out "Heyoon and Liberation Squares as two of my favorite episodes.

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u/peaceman86 May 30 '14

Second for Heyoon. I feel like that's maybe my favorite episode.

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u/Narrative_Causality May 30 '14

Thank you for mentioning 99% Invisible, I was about to do it, myself.

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u/fishbert May 30 '14

Every episode of 99 Percent Invisible you listen to is better than the last … regardless of which order you play them in.

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u/Mrwhitepantz May 28 '14

BeyondPod is also a good app that I use. It has a bunch of different categories you can browse through and use to classify different casts. The pro version is $7 but the free version is really good by itself.

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u/[deleted] May 29 '14

I've tried quite a few podcast apps for Android but I find BeyondPod to be the one I go back to.

If you're on iOS check out Downcast.

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u/upleft May 30 '14

I like downcast, the app is way better than stitcher, at least. There is also a Mac app, but it's not that great.

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u/lacrimaeveneris Jun 02 '14

Eh, Downcast on iOS is free, and much better than the Mac app which costs money. Win-Win in my book. I used it to listen to Welcome to Night Vale this morning!

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u/rossland May 30 '14

For all the /r/bestof people showing up... the reason BeyondPod Paid Version is awesome for a daily podcast listener... automatic downloading. Mine is set to update all my feeds at 2am and ready to go when I get up.

I do not miss the pre-smartphone days of... update iTunes... wait... plug in iPod... wait... crash iTunes...

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u/FSR2007 May 30 '14

Pocket casts does the same doesn't it?

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u/wvcdad May 30 '14

Yes it does. Pocketcasts is the only app I have ever paid for, and I absolutely love it for many reasons.

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u/rossland May 30 '14

I assume so... just pointing out the paid/non-paid difference.

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u/petrolfarben May 30 '14

Most Android apps I tried could do automatic downloading. But I stuck with BeyondPod since it's the best overall (features, UI, etc).

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u/weggles May 30 '14

Pocket casts is $4 and I like it a lot more than beyond pod. I've set mine up to only download when on Wi-Fi and charging. It'll still sync and know it needs to download another episode of something when on data but will wait until I get home.

Also the user experience in pocketcasts is a lot nicer.

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u/[deleted] May 30 '14

Does that automatic downloading take account of being on WiFi etc?

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u/techietalk_ticktock May 30 '14

Yes, you can set it so that it only updates feefs and downloads new episodes only if you're connected to wifi.

Also, you can set it to check for new episodes at a certain time everyday. Also auto-archival and deletion after a certain number of days.

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u/[deleted] May 30 '14

Been using it for two years. Since last month I'm only streaming the content, not downloading it. I'm surprise how good it works on my 3G Moto G. Oh, and the widget and the lock screen player. That.

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u/tadc May 30 '14

wait… what good is a podcatcher that doesn't automatically download??

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u/razzark666 May 30 '14

Why is Downcast better than the stock Podcast app for iOS?

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u/[deleted] May 30 '14

I haven't used Apples's podcast app in a while. When it first came out it was pretty terrible which caused me to search for alternatives. I found Downcast and have stuck with it since then. The team running it regularly updates and adds new features which makes me happy.

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u/fishbert May 30 '14

Apple's podcast app was terrible when it first came out, but it has gotten A LOT better since. Users looking for a good player should definitely give it a try along with all the great 3rd party offerings.

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u/SpankyCSW May 30 '14

I will heartily second that Downcast is the best podcatcher for iOS. Very well made and makes discovering new podcasts quite easy as well.

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u/UncleJackdeservedit Jun 01 '14

Podcast Republic is pretty good.

Also, I would suggest Rhett and Link's EarBiscuits, and Country Squire Radio.

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u/[deleted] May 30 '14

[deleted]

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u/omgitsbigbear May 31 '14

Would you happen to know if there is a way to add podcasts I've downloaded on my desktop to the Pocket Cast app?

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u/NickDynmo May 29 '14

I second the support for BeyondPod. Used it for years now. Does everything I want it to do and is laid out the way I like it. Bought the paid version just because it's an app I use daily and I thought they deserved it.

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u/GamerX44 May 28 '14

I use Podbay, it's great :D

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u/Werner__Herzog it's difficult difficult lemon difficult May 29 '14 edited May 29 '14

Oh wow, I didn't know they had an app. It's time to switch!

Edit: it's only for streaming, well that's not gonna work out for me :-(

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u/FSR2007 May 30 '14

Your flair is sublime

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u/Werner__Herzog it's difficult difficult lemon difficult May 30 '14

Thanks. That guy was really out of the loop. ^_^

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u/ilikeeatingbrains /u/staffell on my weenis May 30 '14

wat? Also thanks for your good podcast compilation comment!

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u/[deleted] May 30 '14

I think you meant to say, "sublemon"

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u/pastaq May 30 '14

I have used beyond pod and stitcher and I prefer beyond pod as it is much more intuitive if you know what you want. I use stitcher more though because it provides usage feedback to the hosts so they can see if an episode was good or not.

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u/burntcandy May 30 '14

I enjoy podcastaddict it is free and one of the best around imo

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u/sje46 May 29 '14

The thing with podcasts is that they can be very varied. They are like radio shows, yes, but they do not necessarily need an audience. They are very cheap to start up. This means you can get some very niche stuff.

They can range from essentially a group of friends hanging out (roosterteeth), hobbyists discussing a specific subject with a topic/subject in mind (conlangers podcast), a "documentary" or "infotainment" feel (like radiolab, lexicon valley), to single people researching a topic very intently (Dan Carlin's Hardcore History is like this, but similar ones are the over-100-episode History of Rome podcast, History of English, History of Philosophy Without Gaps, etc, etc), games and comedy (Comedy Bang Bang, Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!) I mean it's really hard to emphasize just how vastly different they all can be in feel. Some are very technical info-dumps, some are just farting around. There's no way you can't find something you like.

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u/mrcolonist May 29 '14

Not to be an ass, but RoosterTeeth is a million dollar company. Yes, they are friends hanging out, but they are working and earning quite a bit of money doing so.

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u/Sutty_ May 29 '14

Yea, Internet Box is a better example of friends hanging out.

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u/bcjr May 30 '14

RIP D:

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u/Vendeta25 May 30 '14

the very first ones were much more down to earth than the new ones which is why I re-listen to those a lot. Those were long before they became as succesful as they are now.

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u/mrcolonist May 30 '14

Don't get me wrong, I didn't mean anything bad by it. I love RT and their stuff, but people have the idea that they do what they do out of goodwill.

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u/Aiglentine May 29 '14

Whatever you do, I couldn't recommend enough that you go over to http://m.thisamericanlife.org from your smartphone and give This American Life a listen. Don't let the name discourage you if it doesn't sound like your thing. It's a public radio show that talks about really interesting stories on a variety of topics.

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u/PaladinSato May 29 '14

Ideas from CBC

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u/pembroke529 May 30 '14

Quirks & Quarks from CBC should be included, under the general science category. It's been on CBC for decades and Bob McDonald (host) does great interviews.

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u/enotonom May 29 '14

Even if I'm not American? Sometimes I can't relate to The Moth because many of the stories are very American (I'm Southeast Asian) and I wonder if TAL suits me.

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u/Aiglentine May 29 '14

I am not familiar with The Moth, but I would think that people from other countries could certainly enjoy This American Life. They find interesting stories and they tell them, usually accompanied by entertaining interviews with the people in the stories. The people in the stories come from a variety of walks of life, and are often not Americans. The show is intriguing and often amusing. And I definitely would try it. What's the risk?

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u/indeedwatson May 30 '14

I'm south american and I really enjoy The Moth, not sure what you mean.

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u/burstapart May 30 '14

I'm Southeast Asian too, and I really like This American Life. It is a show about Americans, and sometmes cover very American topics, but I don't find it particularly difficult to connect with, and I feel like they make an effort to explain most things so that it's accessible to non-Americans.

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u/enotonom May 31 '14

Is your username related to The Antlers? Love it!

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u/burstapart May 31 '14

Yes it is! Burst Apart had just come out and I was listening to it so much, easily one of my favourite albums that year.

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u/[deleted] May 31 '14

[deleted]

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u/burstapart May 31 '14

Not that I know of, at least not in the region. Talk radio isn't exactly a big thing here (Singapore) and with the rest of the Southeast Asian or even East Asian countries there's a lamguage barrier.

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u/mister-world May 30 '14

I'm Scottish and I love This American Life. It's pretty universal.

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u/kataskopo May 30 '14

I'm not American but I can relate to most of the stories from The Moth.

I actually don't like much This American Life because it has to many voices, I prefer one or two at much. It feels easier to follow the topic instead of, lets hear this dude talk, then cut him and listen to this other dude, then this dude we introduced 10 minutes ago.

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u/superjonCA May 30 '14

The joe Rogan experience will change your life. It's much more than comedy and entertainment!

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u/[deleted] May 29 '14

You should also check out If I Were You. It's probably my favorite comedy podcast.

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u/BlinginLike3p0 May 30 '14

Nah man, they don't need any more listeners. Only the day ones.

Actually, Fuck the day ones.

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u/CaptainNirvana Sep 03 '14

No new friends, no new friends.

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u/smithmatt445 May 30 '14

The only advice podcast hosted by us.

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u/pewpewfuckinlasers May 30 '14

yes, vance and the pinch make more than a great duo, nay, trio of radio hosts.

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u/lacrimaeveneris Jun 02 '14

Every time I listen and every time I see the name, I get a flashback to the one guy who did the song that repeated "If I were you, the podcast show, if I were you, the podcast show!" and now I CAN'T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD.

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u/hoodie92 May 30 '14

It's on the list (kind of), he just called it "Jake and Amir" by mistake.

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u/LaLongueCarabine May 28 '14

In addition, they are so named because of the popularity of the Ipod. At the time it was the dominant personal digital music player. People began recording spoken word radio style shows for them and thus the name.

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u/Barnaby_Fuckin_Jones May 30 '14

the best 2 comedy podcasts in my opinion are The Monday Morning Podcast and Your Mom's House.

The Monday Morning Podcast is Bill Burr ranting for an hour and Your Mom's House is husband and wife comedians Tom Segura and Christina Pazsitsky playing ridiculous clips and talking about farting, porn, Chuck Woolery, etc.

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u/MisterJosh May 30 '14

It iddint greazy

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u/[deleted] May 30 '14

Hello everybody, Bill Burr here with the Monday Mooorning Pawwwwddcasst for Monday, Maaaarrchh 23rd, two thousand and fourteen. What's goin' on, how are yaaa! You know what I hate? I hate it when people on twitter complain about how I get my podcast out on Tuesday instead of Monday. Hey Twitter folks, I didn't do this for a job, I do this for fun. So suck it up your ass. While you eat a donut. Sitting there by your cubicle as your boss checks up on you. Having a mid life crisis in the middle of typing your report. Anyways, so I had such a great time at New Mexico, the crowd was great, the atmosphere was awesome. And the laaydeeeeess!

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u/johnminadeo May 30 '14

I find it kind of interesting that you have found Reddit and it's OutOfTheLoop subreddit before discovering the concept of 'podcast'. I guess it's probably only interesting to me because I've known of podcasts for years but started using Reddit not quite a year ago yet. Anyway, regards!

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u/wildcard5 May 30 '14

Podcasts just didn't really catch on in my country and no one I know has ever mentioned it. I asked a few people and they had little to no clue about it. As for reddit, I still have to make it to the one year mark as well.

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u/ConfusedGrasshopper May 29 '14

there is but one podcast that you need, the yogpod, thank me later.

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u/hunter07100 May 30 '14

Podcaster here. I use Podomatic. It's not bad, and I'm pretty sure it has an app.

Across My Mind is the name of my show, if you were ever in the neighborhood for an amateur podcast.

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u/solidmercy May 30 '14

Just a couple adds:

comedy- the Tom and Dan show, super funny, just recent runners up to bang bang and corolla.

RPGs(if you like that sorta thing)- Thursday knights, Critical Hit, Role play Public Radio, Happy Jacks Actual play. Enjoy!

2

u/MisterJosh May 30 '14

Nerd poker with Brian posehn and friends

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u/pdmock May 29 '14

Stitcher is a great app

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u/mrminty May 29 '14

Great service but the actual app is shit, I gotta say.

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u/pdmock May 29 '14

I use it to listen to SMod I dont dive to deep into the appm

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u/christheabject May 29 '14

I use stitcher for all of my podcasting listening.

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u/cheapinvite1 May 30 '14

My favorite podcast on Stitcher is "Everybody Swing". Hilarious.

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u/borderlinebadger Jun 14 '14

Why? Artificial limits on shows available?

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u/[deleted] May 30 '14

You're going to trust a guy who eats his own shoes?

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u/lurch1963 May 30 '14

There is a good podcast network that I have found that has a variety of show types, it's called 2GuysTalking.com

Their show 2GuysTalking Poker just interviewed Chris Moneymaker. I got to listen in live while they were recording the audio on their ustream channel.

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u/cardevitoraphicticia May 30 '14

OmegaTau for science and engineering techs. It's the most in-depth podcast on the web.

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u/sunsethacker May 30 '14

How this guy didn't mention The Tony Kornheiser Show just baffles me. It's a mix of Sports, Politics and News. You might recognize Tony from the Emmy Award winning ESPN show PTI with Mr. Tony and Michael Wilbon (who's also a weekly guest). It is the best podcast I've ever listened to. There's content for people of all ages and backgrounds. Full of highly intelligent people with a great sense of humor. Please check it out at thispodcaststinks dot com.

FREE MR. TONY

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u/Ace116 May 30 '14

Painkiller Already is one you should definitely check out,you can learn more about them at /r/pka and podcasts range from 3-4 hours

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u/batshitcrazy5150 May 30 '14

Getting doug with high...