What Makes Up The Best Educational Podcasts List?

I’ve included a few well-loved classics but in some cases have also (gently) pushed the boundaries of what we might consider a traditional educational podcast. I’ve tried to include enough variety to suit different tastes: design, climate change, LGBTQ+ history. And while the content of these shows varies drastically, I like to think that all are united in their ability to teach listeners something new in an engaging and accessible way. 

The best educational podcasts need to push the listener’s mental envelope a bit while remaining engaging. There’s no need to ram an idea into the listener’s ear. The idea is they adopt new ways of thinking.

I’ve done the heavy lifting on this list of the best educational podcasts, now all you have to do is sit back, press play and bask in that glorious glow of smugness.

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1. Revisionist History 

I would be remiss if I didn’t include Malcom Gladwell’s Revisionist History on my list. It’s one of the best educational podcasts available. Listen to the man himself.

In his own words, Gladwell describes it as a podcast about “things overlooked and misunderstood.” I continually find myself surprised by each episode’s topic. One week he might be turning the story of the Boston Tea Party on its head, and the next, deep-diving into the infamous hug between Richard Nixon and Sammy Davis Jr.

In each episode Gladwell skillfully weaves seemingly disparate threads together to produce a unique, compelling thesis. He has the uncanny ability to take a specific historical moment and use it as an opportunity to teach listeners so much more about the human experience.

Prepare for the niche and the obscure, but prepare to be captivated.

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

2. Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know (SYSK) has been running for over a decade and it continues to dominate the charts. One of the most popular educational podcasts in the world, SYSK covers, well, everything. It doesn’t matter what your areas of interests are: science, pop culture, history, they’ve probably got an episode on it.

The show is co-hosted by Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark, two men who are by no means experts in these fields, and never claim to be. The episodes are undoubtedly informative, but there are some stumbles along the way: ham-fisted remarks in moments that perhaps required delicacy, factually inaccurate (albeit hilarious) statements expressed with utter conviction.

Blunders aside, the sheer breadth of topics they address makes the show undeniably interesting and their accessible approach to explaining topics makes for easy listening. Bryant and Clark have a comfortable, endearing rapport, no doubt established after creating over one thousand episodes together. It’s like listening in on the conversation of your close friends – not always accurate, but entertaining just the same.

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

3. Encyclopedia Womannica

Encyclopedia Wommanica is a series of vignettes about remarkable women throughout history. Cutting across different cultures, countries and centuries, the show shines a spotlight on women whose stories have often been eclipsed by dominant historical narratives.

It covers the trials, triumphs and contributions of incredible women from all different walks of life, including mathematicians, poets and civil rights activists, to name a few. While each episode features a different woman, each month is attributed a new theme ranging from dreamers and pioneers to villainesses and STEMinists.

New episodes are published every weekday and are only 5 minutes long, but trust me when I say that these bite-size episodes pack a punch and will no doubt leave you feeling inspired.

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

4. Climate Cast

Minnesota Public Radio’s (MPR) Climate Cast is a great way to learn more about climate change and its widespread impacts. The show is hosted by MPR’s Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner, who is often accompanied by knowledgeable and impressive guests, including political figures such as Al Gore as well as experienced researchers and academics.

While episodes can cover anything from the nuts and bolts of Hurricane Dorian to the lessons Indigenous communities can teach about tackling climate change, Huttner sticks to the science of it all and approaches each topic in a clear, factual manner.

With episodes varying from brief 4 minute breakdowns to lengthier 40-minute discussions, Climate Cast suits any schedule (and attention span). The show is precise, timely and a great way to keep abreast of climate change research and developments.

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

5. Ear Hustle

This is not your typical educational podcast, but let me explain. Ear Hustle is a show that addresses the daily realities of the people inside California’s San Quentin State Prison. For many, prisons are a mystery, with any knowledge of them limited to sensationalized movies and TV shows.

The best educational podcasts are myth dispelling machines. And Ear Hustle delivers in this regard.

By teaching listeners about what life is like for the people incarcerated in San Quentin, you begin to feel some empathy that you may not have known was there. It’s not about the particulars of any one crime, it’s about life. About the complexities of parenting while incarcerated, of the frustrations and tensions of sharing a cell, of finding a job once on the outside.

The show is heartbreaking and hilarious in equal measure, and the mix of incarcerated and non-incarcerated hosts offers a rare, unfiltered glimpse into their world – authored by the people who are living in it. It’s not only an education in the day-to-day realities of the people in this prison, but an education in America’s criminal justice system at large. Pure genius.

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

6. 99% Invisible

99% Invisible is a hugely popular show that explores “the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world.” It’s hosted by Roman Mars, whose rich, mellow voice has the inexplicable power to soothe even the most irritable of listeners. Informative, engaging and expertly produced, 99% Invisible has the kind of compelling narratives and high production value that can capture the attention of nearly anyone – design-minded or otherwise. As the best educational podcasts should.

The show sparks curiosity and reflection through the innovative topics it explores: the McMansion phenomenon, unpleasant design and the origin story of curb cuts are but a few of the niche yet nuanced subjects tackled.

Regardless of the topic, there’s always something interesting to be learned, and the quality of the show –  along with Mars’ dulcet tones – will be sure to keep you listening.

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

7. Overheard at National Geographic

This is the perfect show for any restless souls out there eagerly awaiting their next adventure. Wonderfully random and playfully delivered, this is a show about the outlandish stories overheard from staff at National Geographic’s head office.

No one theme ties the episodes together; the randomness stretches across a variety of topics, like the truth behind Thailand’s elephant tourism industry or an underwater archaeologist’s journey scuba diving beneath a pyramid. After each episode you’ll discover new, unusual insights into topics you might never have considered.

Episodes generally hover under half an hour, making the perfect companion for those early morning commutes or Sunday afternoon chores. These stories will teach you a little bit more about this wild and complex world we live in, and will supply you with an abundance of peculiar facts to whip out at your next dinner party.

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

8. Monocle 24: The Urbanist

Any city lovers out there? This is my go-to recommendation for 99% Invisible lovers looking for a new fix. With Monocle editor Andrew Tuck at the helm, The Urbanist explores the subject of creating better cities. Episodes are dynamic and ever-changing, some zeroing in on topics such as Moscow’s trolleybuses, others looking at larger themes like the impacts of private development on public spaces.

As a listener, you will be transported across the globe – often multiple times in a single episode – but will always remain in the capable hands of one of Monocle’s internationally-based correspondents or local experts. Stories alternate between longer, detail-heavy episodes and brief, poetic city portraits.

It’s an informative and thoughtful show that will have you looking at cities a little bit differently.

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

9. Making Gay History 

The best educational podcasts push you to think harder. They’re an epistemic challenge.

Making Gay History is a moving collection of stories documenting the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement through archival interviews. It’s hosted by Eric Marcus, a journalist who set out to write a book about the movement in the 1980s.

As part of his research, Marcus recorded 100 interviews with different queer activists and advocates from across the country. Three decades later, he decided to breathe new life into the cassette tapes and turn the recordings into a podcast.

Episodes feature the voices of prominent figures such as Marsha P. Johnson, as well as the lesser-known though equally powerful stories of activists like that of Wendell Sayers. These aren’t polished, scripted narratives.

The interviews take place in the intimate spaces of people’s homes, at their kitchen tables and in their living rooms. They are unfiltered, raw and imperfect, yet undeniably compelling. Hearing this history – directly from those who lived it – is both poignant and powerful.

These are not the stories you came across in your high school history textbook, but they’re ones that deserve to be heard and need to be learned.

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

10. Radiolab

Well-seasoned podcast listeners might be rolling their eyes at this perhaps (painfully) obvious choice. Much like Freakonomics Radio or NPR’s Ted Radio Hour, Radiolab is one of the quintessential educational podcasts, but I thought it was important to flag for anyone new to the podcasting world (also it would be downright disrespectful not to mention it because the show is just that good).

Radiolab is a nationally syndicated radio program and podcast hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich. The show investigates a range of scientific and philosophical topics in a wonderfully accessible way. The show is masterfully produced and its rhythm and style – in large part due to the strong narrative focus and creative sound design – make it entirely unique.

You’ll never be able to predict what the next episode might cover; standouts have explored how we see colour and an unpacking of the concept of blame. The quirkiness of the topics, combined with Abumrad and Krulwich’s magic touch, make for an immersive, educational and unforgettable experience.

Related reading: best Radiolab episodes

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

Well there you have it! Some of the best educational podcast around. Hopefully at least one of the shows from this list has piqued your curiosity and has your finger hovering above the download button as we speak. I think I’ve supplied enough recommendations to last you a few months, meaning you’ll be able to ride that wave of smugness all the way into the New Year.

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99% Invisible transforms the podcast into an art form of exquisite elegance. It is — all at once — sleek, thoughtful, insouciant and devilishly clever.  Developed, hosted and handcrafted by Roman Mars, 99% invisible delves into the world of design and architecture, but in an expansive way.

The show’s name is taken from a quote by Buckminster Fuller: “Ninety-nine percent of who you are is invisible and untouchable.” The podcast, therefore, does a deep dive into design in everything from board games to milk cartons to currency.

The show started life as a project of KALW public radio in San Francisco and the American Institute of Architects in San Francisco.

Each podcast episode focuses on a single topic — a hotel in the Bowery in lower Manhattan or the the color of paper currency — and is introduced and sometimes narrated by Roman Mars. 

Roman Mars is also a founding member of the podcast collective, Radiotopia, which is an independent production and raises all its funds directly from the listeners, most notably from its record breaking Kickstarter campaign and from podcast underwriters.

During a 2015 interview with Forbes magazine, Mars was asked if people listen to podcasts in a fundamentally different way than a radio show.

“People typically listen to podcasts by themselves, often with earbuds,” Mars began. “It’s right there in their ears. It’s not playing over speakers at the bar. And even more important, it’s totally the multitasking medium. We’re in a world now where you have something to do at all times, and podcasts are available for you all the time, on demand.”

The podcast boasts an impressive staff from senior producer Delaney Hall, who helped launch Reveal, an investigative radio show and podcast and won a Peabody Award, to Avery Trufelman and Katie Mingle, who each do double duty as hosts and producers.

Mars has also contributed to radio programs such as Radiolab and Planet Money. Fast Company magazine identified him as one of the 100 most creative people (number 63) of 2013.

With a deep, sonorous voice and alpha wave cadence, Mars makes a perfect vocal companion to the episodes. He gently flames the embers of our curiosity as we sink into each episode.

For example, award-winning episode 110 about the structural integrity of the CitiCorp Center in Manhattan told the story of an engineering student who found a fatal design flaw that threatened the building’s ability to withstand severe storms. Ironically, the flaw was missed by one of the world’s preeminent architects.

In episode 164, 99% Invisible investigated the golden age of billiards in the mid-19th century and how the game was standardized, including billiard balls, which had been made of ivory. The episode explores the search for the perfect material for billiard balls — Bakelite plastic — and how that search also created celluloid to be used as imitation ivory.

There is no topic out of bounds for the peripatetic podcast. Water fountains, lawns, Freud’s couch, postage stamps, escalators, Superman, and even dentures make for fascinating stories. 

The episodes unfold slowly and carefully and often encapsulate tiny morality plays and reveal the hidden genius of inspired design.

In late 2018, 99% Invisible released a six-part series called Articles Of Interest – a mini-series of what we wear. Produced and hosted by Avery Trufelman, the series includes episodes about the origin of plaid – Scotland – and why lumberjacks began wearing plaid. In later episodes, Trufelman discusses what makes a Hawaiian shirt authentic – the pocket matches the shirt – and then delves into why women’s clothes have so many fake pockets.

Once or twice a year, the staff records Mini-Stories episodes, which the staff describes as “fun, quick hit stories that don’t quite warrant a full episode.”

Early this year, an episode included a story about how episodes of cop TV shows set in New York City almost always include a scene down a dark, seedy back alley. From these shows, viewers assume that New York City is full of these alleys. There’s just one problem: there are almost no alleys in New York City. The episode then explains why with the listener receiving a fascinating history of urban planning.

In another mini-story, Daisuke Inoue, the inventor of the Karaoke machine, is profiled about he created the culture-changing device in the 60s and neglected to get a patent, probably costing him about $80 million in future earnings.

So far this year one of the podcast’s most notable episodes is called Atomic Tattoos where Mars weaves an incredible tale of how high school students in Lake County, Indiana in the 1950s had their blood tested for type then sent to the library to have a tattoo placed under each student’s left arm, listing the blood type of the student. At the height of the Cold War, the idea was to make it easier to transfuse blood in case of atomic war. Episode producer, Liza Yeager, had a grandmother who lived there and actually had one of these tattoos.

Do you know why your knife, fork and spoon were made from silver? In episode 340 this February, author Kassia St. Clair talks about her new book The Secret Lives of Color and explains that around the 1500s, poisoning was the primary way to murder someone. Silver reacts with poisons and changes color, alerting the person about to ingest a poison to stop eating immediately.

Like other podcasts, 99% Invisible has spotlighted other podcasts including an episode earlier this year from podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz about the classic cartoon sound effects like the high-pitched whistle when Wile E. Coyote is outsmarted by the Road Runner and falls off a cliff.

One area where 99% Invisible leads other podcasts is the design and depth of information of its website. Typically an afterthought for even the most successful podcasters, 99% Invisible’s website has an architectural design baked into the visual presentation, in-depth episode notes and a weekly newsletter, which has shown to increase podcast listening rates and listener loyalty.

The podcast is downloaded more than three million times per month and typically ranks in the top 10 of Arts podcasts and top 20 overall on Apple Podcasts.

image credit: Bert Johnson

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If you’re interested in an even more diverse set of podcasts from 2018, see picks at the halfway mark of the year from Eric Silver, Wil Williams, Ma’ayan Plaut, Arielle Nissenblatt, and myself — the best podcasts of 2018 (so far).

Alright, enough blabber. Here were my best podcasts of 2018 in no discernable order.

1. Caliphate

Holy crap. I started my Caliphate binge during a 3-hour drive from Austin to Dallas. I honestly can’t remember a quicker trip. Caliphate, produced by The New York Times, follows journalist Rukmini Callimachi as she reports on ISIS and the fall of Mosul. Expertly researched, Callimachi gives adequate context and interviews a former ISIS member to give further insight into their initial appeal, recruiting, and organization.

Caliphate is a 10-episode story with each episode hovering around the 30-minute mark.

2. Binge Mode: Harry Potter

A little less heavy than Caliphate, but arguably denser, the Binge Mode team of Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion strike a happy nerd cord with their deep dives into the Harry Potter series. I’ve written about my love for Binge Mode before (here and here), but it’s honestly one of my favorite podcasts — whether they tackle Game of Thrones or Harry Potter. As co-hosts, Rubin and Concepcion have an unrivaled rapport combined with sharp, sometimes dirty humor and extensive knowledge of the series and wider canon.

Binge Mode isn’t the podcast for a quick binge. As of this writing, the Harry Potter version of the feed has 63 episodes with most having over a 1.5-hour runtime. If you call yourself a Potterhead, you can’t miss it.

3. Articles of Interest

99% Invisible‘s Avery Trufelman produced a 6-part series that exemplifies what I enjoy about podcasts. Each episode goes into a different piece of clothing to analyze its history and the events that shaped it to be what we now think about it. For instance, how did Hawaiian shirts lead to “casual Friday”, or how did blue jeans become and remain such a ubiquitous article of clothing? Each episode is around 30 minutes and while thematically linked, can be listened to separately.

4. The Bright Sessions

I’ll be the first to admit, I had zero interest in audio drama podcasts. I don’t know why, I just never bothered to listen to any. However, we’re fortunate enough to have audio drama conoussier, Wil Williams, write for Discover Pods and she gave me a curated audio drama starter kit. For a comic book fan, The Bright Sessions comparisons to The X-Men are easy to make, but still don’t quite do it justice. The Bright Sessions follows therapist to the extraordinary, Dr. Bright, as she navigates complex relationships, coming of age challenges, and a sinister government corporation.

The Bright Sessions wrapped up their core story in June, but they’re still producing special individual episodes following new patients and creator, Lauren Shippen, has deals in place to adapt the story into other formats. Read our feature on Shippen here.  

5. 30 for 30 Bikram

As you’ll likely pick up from this list, I listen to podcasts for a few reasons: to be informed, to learn about something new, and to be entertained. These interests tend to lead to vastly different podcast choices — which I consider a good thing. ESPN’s 30 for 30 is a podcast I’ve subscribed to since day one. I’ve always been a fan of the documentary series and highly anticipated the podcast version of episodic audio documentaries.

However, the podcast took a mini departure from their winning format with the serialized Bikram season. They expanded their story to a 5-part series detailing the rise of popular fitness regime, Bikram Yoga and its horrific founder, Bikram Choudhury.

Read my full review of 30 for 30 Bikram here.

6. Endless Thread

I was initially apprehensive about a podcast using Reddit as their foundation. It seemed like a short-lived pseudo-branded podcast destined to live in mediocrity. But once again, I was wrong. The Reddit x WBUR collab has been a delightful new podcast for 2018. Reddit, as it turns out, is a nearly endless supply of stories and ideation for a quality podcast to build off of. From diving into Ken Bone’s fifteen minutes of fame, to analyzing the Mattress Firm potential conspiracy, to a story of strangers going great lengths to do a favor, and many other tangents, Endless Thread combines WBUR’s talent for good radio and Reddit’s already proven focus group of what people find interesting.

7. Dissect

I wrote about Dissect, the deep dive podcast analyzing specific hip hop albums, after host Cole Cuchna wrapped up the season on Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Since then, the podcast and host were gobbled up by Spotify and Cuchna has completed two seasons on Frank Ocean and Lauryn Hill.

Cuchna’s penchant for choosing albums that happen to near and dear to my heart is unfathomable (pssst Cole, Yeezus next, thanks). Dissect does a great job of providing context into the events that led to the album creation, analyzing and discussing the significance of the lyrics, and breaking apart the beat production so even us layman can understand.

8. Disgraceland

I don’t typically gush over true crime podcasts unless there’s something unique or some unmatched production value. Disgraceland does have its faults — notably some exaggeration. However, there’s no denying the compelling writing and delivery of the story. Each episode tells the past crime of some musician. Stories include the alleged forced overdose of Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious, drug- and sex-crazed Rick James, and of course the murder of Tupac.

Read my feature on Disgraceland creator, Jake Brennan here.

9. Slow Burn

The first anthology of Slow Burn was one of the best podcasts of 2017, chronicling the Watergate investigation and impeachment process of President Nixon. The collective podcast community was unsurprisingly excited when they revealed the Bill Clinton scandal and impeachment would be the focus of season two. It didn’t disappoint, and in many ways, surpassed the inaugural season. Host Leon Neyfakh does a masterful job of crafting historical evidence, new interviews, and forgotten context to present a well-known story in a new light.

Neyfakh surprised many when he announced his departure from Slate to start his own podcast company. Their first podcast, FIASCO, appears to follow a similar format to Slow Burn and will initially focus on the 2000 presidential election, Bush v. Gore. For their part, Slate has remained steadfast that Slow Burn will continue without Neyfakh.

10. Ars Paradoxica

Another audio drama I fell in love with (thanks again Wil! Read her full review). Ars Paradoxica tells the complicated story of time travel and clandestine government organizations. What I appreciated most, however, was their magnified attention to detail. They don’t shy away from the existential issues time travel would undoubtedly create — multiple universes, butterfly effect, and more. This unbridled focus is also readily apparent within the plot and dialogue that led to constant theorizing and speculation among the most ardent fans.

Though the main story is spread between 36 episodes, there are several bonus episodes and cast interviews that give even more insight into the story and characters.

11. Villains

Best-selling author, Shea Serrano, takes his unique humor, fanboy’ness, and honesty to create one of my favorite new podcasts. The concept of Villains is fairly simple, each week Serrano and a panel of guest hosts dive into a specific movie villain and discuss their motivations, actions, and determine if they’re redeemable. The topics and format is something The Ringer has already had success with The Rewatchables — a movie podcast.

What’s absolutely endearing about Villains is Shea’s honesty about being an amateur podcaster. In multiple episodes, Shea has added post-production audio footnotes providing meta-commentary on the podcast and his mistakes. It’s great.

12. Hi-Phi Nation

Along with Dissect, Hi-Phi Nation is another indie podcast receiving a promotion in 2018. In November, creator Barry Lam announced Hi-Phi Nation had been picked up by Slate to join their ranks. The philosophy podcast carefully blends qualitative and quantitative data to craft an immensely interesting podcast while also being extremely informative.

If you need to start with one episode, I’d recommend “The Chamber of Facts,” which details how our political beliefs are shaped by media echo chambers and what happens when the script is flipped.

13. Decoder Ring

Another new podcast from this year to crack my best of list. Slate’s Decoder Ring is billed as “cracking cultural mysteries”. This likely intentional vague descriptor really works for a podcast that’s explored topics ranging from opposing factions of a Sherlock Holmes fanfic theory to the origins and rise of the art in hotels.

Also, what I said at the top of the article about why I listen: “to be informed, to learn about something new, and to be entertained” — this podcast is a perfect 3/3. Host, Willa Paskin, does a great job acting as the audience’s proxy by asking the right questions and getting to the crucial aspects of the story.  

14. The Big Loop

Whoa, another audio drama! Audio dramas make-up 18.75% of my best of list, a stat I would not have believed had you told me a year ago. Creator and professional good human, Paul Bae, takes an episodic approach the genre. While most audio dramas tell a narrative fiction story serialized over several seasons, The Big Loop changes stories, characters, and overall format with each episode.

In the first episode, “The Studio,” Bae takes his influence from a popular Love+Radio episode, “The Living Room,” but adds a characteristic supernatural spin on the story. Arguably the best episode, however, is “Goodbye Mr. Adams,” which tells the coming-of-age story and a special lesson from a unique teacher. Briggon Snow voices the main character and does a great job encapsulating the teenage angst he brought to his character Caleb from The Bright Sessions. Combined with clever writing and intriguing stories, The Big Loop also adds custom music to provide the soundtrack for each episode.

15. Everything is Alive

Probably the most unique podcast I’ve heard in quite some time, Everything Is Alive brings life and personality to inanimate everyday objects. Creator and host, Ian Chillag, has a compelling and heartfelt unscripted conversation with objects you encounter on a daily basis to understand what they’re thinking, their struggles, and to see life a little differently. Objects range from a can of cola, to a lamppost, to a subway seat, and you actually start to think about how your interactions with these objects may be construed.

16. This is Love

I wanted to leave this list with the most heartfelt, uplifting podcasts in a world too often filled with negativity. Along with Everything Is Alive, This Is Love win the award for most likely to make you sob uncontrollably. From the team that brought you episodic true crime podcast, Criminal, you’ll get weekly episodes detailing different examples of love and loving in the world.

For example, in the second episode, “Something Large and Wild,” I was blown away by how much I cared about the relationship between an avid swimmer and a whale.

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I’m a huge fan of Twenty Thousand Hertz. I had it featured in my first recommendation round-up and I’m still amazed when I encounter fans of 99 Percent Invisible, Reply All, and other cerebral podcasts that haven’t yet heard of Twenty Thousand Hertz. Their lack of fame is probably because they have remained independent without the big backing of a large production company to lend their marketing muscle to increase exposure. They’re also a perfect example of the podcast discoverability problem I’ve previously written about.

Here’s a little secret about Discover Pods. The idea originated after a group of my friends — major podcast fans themselves — decided to share the five podcasts they enjoy most. Despite being great friends, somehow the topic had never come up and to our surprise the podcasts were wide-ranging and new to a lot of us. This enclosed word-of-mouth recommendation setting led to me starting Discover Pods. If we’re great friends and podcast fans and we’re just now having this conversation, there must be tons of others out there needing to have the same.

Twenty Thousand Hertz was included in my five recommended podcasts to my friends.

As one of the few podcasts that remain on my must-listen queue, I was elated to get the chance to speak to Dallas Taylor, host of Twenty Thousand Hertz. I, like many current Twenty Thousand Hertz fans, first heard of the podcast through a cross-promotion from 99% Invisible that replayed an early Twenty Thousand Hertz episode to their subscribers. Curious about his relationship with 99% Invisible, where their stories come from, and ultimately the difficulties for an independent podcast to gain ground against bigger budget production companies, I got a chance to ask all these questions and more. Below is a transcript of our conversation lightly edited for clarity.

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

***

Discover Pods: First things first, how’d you get into podcasting?

Dallas: I’m a sound designer and I’ve been a fan of podcasts for many years. Back in the day it seemed like most podcasts were a couple of guys talking about tech, but then over time they became really creative and beautiful unto themselves. And of course, like a lot of people, I fell in love with 99% Invisible. 99% Invisible was not only beautiful to listen to, but it also changed the way I spoke about and marketed my own business. Up until then, many people viewed sound design as being a very technical thing, but I was more romantic about it. And 99% Invisible really transformed how I communicated the emotional impact of sound in my business..

But [99% Invisible’s] Roman [Mars] does an amazing job of sound shows already and I really didn’t want to step on his toes. I gobbled up every sound-focused show that they did. It’s the one topic that I would never miss. But, over the years they moved into other wide-ranging topics like architecture and other human design elements. I felt like there was a place to do a show only about sound.

Working at a sound studio, there were a lot of little stories about sound we’d discuss internally. I really didn’t hear about these stories anywhere, and if I did, they were in article or in video form. But really, the most effective way, in my opinion, to be able to tell these sound stories was through sound.

I’ve been at Defacto Sound for eight years. The company’s pretty well on track and I wanted to do a project that brought the team together and was our own passion project. It felt really vulnerable making something that could be critiqued by our own clients. It felt like a risk in a lot of ways.

DP: You mentioned your work at Defacto and wanting to bring the team together to tell these stories. Was Twenty Thousand Hertz  a content marketing endeavor for Defacto? Was it ever intended to help drive business for Defacto Sound?

Dallas: Not really. If I wanted to do something that really drove business directly to my company, I would probably do a podcast about producing for advertising agencies or marketing. I’d probably do an interview show where I interviewed popular Producers. But I wanted to go beyond that. This show is much more about getting the general population interested in sound, just like they’re interested in their other four senses. I definitely want a general audience, and if the audience is big enough to the point where a small fraction of those people might send work to Defacto, then great! Even more importantly, though, was bringing our internal team together creatively to make our own thing and stretch our own creative muscles.

I want to make content that our clients make. Because everyone we work with have to speak to an enormous audience. Most of the projects we work on are video projects with audiences from 100,000 to millions of people. It takes a special talent to speak to a lot of people, and that was something I wanted to do with sound. Could 100,000+ people actually be interested in a show only about sound?  

DP: That makes a lot of sense. And to touch on something you said early about specifically 99% Invisible, I think I first subscribed to Twenty Thousand Hertz after they ran a snippet on the NBC Chimes episode. What’s your relationship like with that team? Were you able to negotiate the cross-promotion or was it more of “I like what you’re doing, here’s what we’re doing,” thing?

Dallas: It was completely informal and completely organic.

Many years ago, I think in the first year or two of 99% Invisible, I shot Roman and email that said, “Hey, I’m going to be in San Francisco. I love your show. We’re coming out for a big sound designer convention for video games. And I’d love to grab a drink and just say hello.” Because he’s obviously super into sound and utilized sound in a really beautiful way \he was just like, “Yeah, cool. Let’s meet up.”

After that, it was a very informal relationship for years. We would like each other’s kid pictures on Facebook mostly.

Eventually, I started to get the bug to do a podcast about sound.

I started making the show, and bumped into Roman at Third Coast Festival last year. At that time we had posted two episodes, just a couple hundred people listened to it. The Voice of Siri, which now has over 750,000 listens, and NBC, which has been listened to a ton. But at the time, whenever I posted Siri it was like 250 downloads, and then NBC came out and it was a couple hundred downloads. Roman was super complimentary of the show (which made me feel like a million bucks). And then, very naturally, he wrote and asked if I’d be interested if he replayed it on 99% Invisible” And that’s how really that came about. Very simply, and organically. I was blown away for him to even ask.

I’m really thankful that he did that because that really launched the entire audience that we have now. I have no idea if we would even still be doing the podcast had that not happened.

DP: That’s great to hear. I’m clearly one of those people that discovered it through that marketing channel, so I’m glad for both of you, having that relationship and exposing people and the masses to it.

Dallas: It’s worth even mentioning at this point … This is something that I’ve learned pretty recently is to talk to people. All of these podcasts are on their own insular island. It’s not like all of your favorite podcast’s hosts are just hanging out all the time, talking about what it’s like to be on top of the podcasting world or something. That doesn’t exist. More often than not, even on popular shows, it feels really isolating. And I’m not even calling my show a super popular show. The reality of what it feels like is it feels like you just put tons and tons and tons and tons and tons of work into something, you put it out there, and then you get really minimal feedback.

Even with tens of thousands of people downloading a show, I get surprisingly little feedback. f you’re a podcaster, talk to other podcasters. If you’re a fan, communicate with the podcasters. No matter who they are. Most of the time they’re just a bunch of normal people that you can have conversations with and throw ideas out there. Then, occasionally a cross promotional spark might happen.

DP: It’s good to hear and it goes nicely into my next question because with all your episodes, you have all these different forms of contact methods. Whether it’s the voicemail or your Twitter handle or your email. It seems like you’re one of the more approachable podcast hosts. You said you strive to answer as many as that come in. Do you dedicate a certain part of your day, having this full-time day job, to engage with your fans, and how has the listener support been up til now?

Dallas: The listener support’s really great. We do categorize some of the types of feedback we get in, so not necessarily every email comes to me directly. If it’s a show idea and it’s just like, “Hey, here’s a cool show idea,” usually that will just go straight to Samantha who’s our coordinating producer. But if there’s anything of substance or someone’s really giving really great feedback or nice things, usually that’s going to be passed along to our entire team or me.

I thrive off of people’s communicating with me. It’s really nice to hear when shows resonate with people. I really get fuel from people communicating with us through Twitter or through Facebook or through email. Because that’s really the encouragement fuel that I need to keep moving forward. Hearing someone say, “Hey, on that one particular episode that you worked on I got teary,” or, “I just had a huge epiphany on this other episode,” or, “I heard this episode and totally thought you might consider doing this other episode.” is why it’s worth doing.

And I would say without the listener feedback, it’s really hard to want to keep doing it, to be honest.

It also validates the things that we are creating behind the scenes that we don’t have a real testing ground for. We might do something that we think is funny or quirky but we only have a few people to evaluate it, So it’s amazing to have 10 people write in and say, “That one moment here was just so funny and quirky.” And I know if it spoke to them then I know that spoke to a bigger audience. It’s just nice to know that some of the things we’re trying to communicate is actually landing with people.

DP: That makes sense because you’re putting all this time into stuff and then you’re throwing it over the fence. I’m sure getting that communication back is the proof point that you’re looking for that it did something and people listened.

Dallas: That’s exactly what it feels like. We make a thing, we put all this time and energy into it and then we post it to a website. After that, it just vaporizes into the universe unless someone writes us.

DP: You mentioned 99% Invisible and Radiotopia. With the other large podcast productions out there, Gimlet, just raised a massive amount; NPR. Do you experience any challenges being a large independent podcast without the production and marketing muscle that other podcasts may have?

Dallas: As far as production, I actually have a huge advantage in my opinion. The sound design talent here at Defacto Sound is some of the best in the world, so production value isn’t even something we think of. It just comes naturally.

As far as support from marketing, I don’t know. Gimlet and Radiotopia are fantastic at, essentially, being curators of content. If you listen to anything on Radiotopia, there’s a good chance you’ll love the other shows in the network. Same for Gimlet.

With other networks, it seems to be more about ad sales than anything. I will say the appeal of having someone handle ad sales for the show is very, very appealing. The freedom of being completely independent is also nice too because I just have no one to answer to. There are no cooks in the kitchen. There’s no approval process. If there’s an advertiser that I want to work with, I reach out directly. I’m also negotiating directly with the brands that are advertising on the show. There’s no middleman between me and the brand. If I’m talking to Blue Apron or Squarespace or Audible, I’m talking directly to the person who handles that account. Not 5-6 layers of people.It’s not

As much as I love the freedom, I’m still open to the network idea. It just has to be a mutually beneficial situation. There seems to be a podcasting bubble emerging, with new sources of money coming in from untraditional sources. As interesting as it would be to take the money and run, so to speak, I’m more interested in a healthy, long-term show. This show speaks about topics that are deeply embedded into my soul, and nothing is more important than the content. If the right network is interested in that, I’m happy to chat.

DP: Occasionally I’ll be blissfully ignorant about specific things that annoy other people, but once it’s brought up, for some reason I just can’t get it out of my head. Things like papyrus font or glass bricks. And thanks to you, the credit card reader chip beep, when you’re going to a POS machine is just absolutely the bane of my existence. Are there other sounds in your day-to-day life that you just absolutely can’t stand?

Dallas: A couple days ago I was in the airport and whenever you go to get your baggage from baggage claim, there’s this alarm system with an actual yellow police looking alarm thing. Right before the baggage claim carousel kicks on, it goes completely haywire. It sounds like the nuclear apocalypse is about to happen. I understand the point of getting people’s attention, but this sound in downtown Washington D.C is terrifying. It sounds like a war is imminent.

The sound of car horns are horrible and it’s making us worse human beings. We don’t have any options for saying different things with our horns. It just makes people mad and it’s making people aggressive and frankly, it’s hurting people’s health.

If you’re walking on the sidewalk and someone bumps into you, everyone goes, “Oh, I’m sorry. Excuse me. Pardon me,” blah, blah, blah. If you honk at someone, it’s the pedestrian equivalent of flipping someone off, purely because of how aggressive the sound is. Why don’t we have a couple different horns on our car with different meanings?

DP: You recently did an episode about noise pollution and just reducing the everyday noise, but you also did an episode on manufactured car sounds, the engines and things like that. I believe I read somewhere in Europe that electric cars have to have fake engine sounds because people aren’t looking when they cross the street because they’ve relied on listening for the sounds.

Do you think as a society we’re at a point where we’re reliant or we have some expectation on these everyday noise pollution sounds to get through our day-to-day life?

Dallas: Yes, for sure. I do think we’re reliant on a lot of those things, but I don’t necessarily think that that’s an argument for keeping them. It’s more so that we’re just evolving as a society. And electric cars make sound (tires on pavement, whirrs), it’s just that all of the sound that’s around the car is even louder.                        

We’re programmed to accept the sounds around us, without thinking about how we’ve evolved and how unnatural they are. For example,if you’re looking at your cell phone at midnight and trying to go to sleep you have all this blue light. And you’re like, I can’t go to sleep but I’m just browsing Reddit constantly to try to make myself go to sleep. Well, up until 15 years ago it was unheard of to put a screen a foot away from your face when you’re trying to go to sleep. And that was 10, 15 years ago, and then the rest of human history before that. We don’t really think about these things that we’re doing. And that goes for sound too. All of the sound that’s around us is pretty unnatural and didn’t really exist up until very recent human history. We should probably, at least, think about them.                             

DP: After doing the episode on accents, are you more appreciative and/or critical of movie accents than you were before?

Dallas: Not really. I think I feel more guilty about spending so long removing my Southern accent. I grew up in Arkansas. I left almost 20 years ago, and ever since I’ve really tried to remove the accent altogether. I’m kind of sad that I spent so much of my adult life trying to remove that “sense of place” that was built into my accent.

DP: When you travel back to Arkansas, does it come back fast?

Dallas: Maybe a little bit. Whenever I’m with older people, I’ll let it come out a little bit more. It’s comfortable to have an accent. You make people comfortable and they’re more comfortable with you if they hear that similar way of speaking.                             

If you speak a certain way, that’s totally fine, embrace it. It’s part of who you are, it’s how you connect to the world, it’s how you connect to your family, how you connect to your friends. And it’s perfectly fine. And for those people who do have preconceived notions about the way someone speaks (Boston, NYC, Texas, Alabama, California, etc..), chill out. It’s totally fine.

DP: I’ll finish up with maybe an easy one. What are your favorite podcasts that you listen to that you see them and you got to listen to it that day or that week?

Dallas: Reply All. I don’t know what it is. It’s such a release for me. It’s highly produced but comes across very, very casually. And I don’t tend to find myself really enjoying people sitting around talking. But that’s not what Reply All is. You do have the PJ and Alex banter, which is really cool to be apart of, but there’s so much substance to the content and the depth of what they’re saying. I never know what I’m getting into. And that’s the trap that I want to make sureTwenty Thousand Hertz doesn’t get into. I want people to end an episode with a laugh but then another one with a cry. With another one being like, oh that was interesting. With Reply All, you can start it and you don’t know where it’s going. It could be super emotional, it could be super funny. And I just love that adventurous aspect of it.                              

Of course 99% Invisible. It’s just perfect in length, style, pace, cool factor. Every producer on their staff brings their own character but they have this, I don’t know, footprint among everyone that’s just so beautiful. I’m not typically into really long content because now that I’m getting older, I have kids and I have less time to really partake in long pieces of media content. I just want things to be short, concise, to the point, and with emotion. I just don’t know of anybody that really made design sexy before Roman Mars. I’m sure there are people out there, of course, but he just articulates it so beautifully to give designers and engineers heart. And I just love that mission.

The post Twenty Thousand Hertz mixes sound design and storytelling for a fantastic podcast appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

Well, here’s your chance to give another podcast a try.

In talking with several people about their favorite podcasts, unsurprisingly there were a few podcasts that kept popping up: Serial, S-Town, 99 Percent Invisible, The Moth, Pod Save America, Stuff You Should Know, and several others. So, if you like these, what other podcasts might you enjoy?

If you love S-Town and Serial, you’ll enjoy Untold

Serial and S-Town popularized mainstream true crime podcasts, and some can even say they’re responsible for the latest surge in podcasts overall.

Untold tells the story behind the murder of Daniel Morgan that involves both police and political corrupt that lays the foundation for the “most investigated murder in British history.”

If you’re into the true crime genre, and enjoy British accents (who doesn’t?), this is a podcast for you.

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

Honorable mention(s): They Walk Among Us

If you love 99% Invisible, you’ll enjoy Twenty Thousand Hertz

99PI is one of those great podcasts if you want to learn something new or gain a new perspective on things you encounter on a daily basis. It’s on my short-list for top podcasts available.

Twenty Thousand Hertz tells stories in a similar fashion, however, they’ve narrowed their focus on all things sound and sound design. Ever wonder about the story of the sounds behind the NBC Chimes, Siri, or car engines? This is a podcast for you — I promise you’ll learn something new.

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

Honorable mention(s): The Memory Palace, Gravy

If you love Pod Save America, you’ll enjoy Grab Them By The Pod

Political podcasts are taking over talk radio (see Podcasts: The New Talk Radio?). Right now, nobody does it better nor is more popular than the folks at Crooked Media who host Pod Save America, Pod Save the World, Lovett or Leave It, and With Friends Like These.

What makes Pod Save America so popular is the combination of the hosts’ intellect, insider knowledge, and humor. If you agree, then Grab Them By The Pod should be your next listen. A former lobbyist and staffer by trade, Jesse was compelled to start a podcast following the latest election. Plus, if the name gives any indication, this podcast is riddled with humor.

Related reading: Podcast Spotlight: Grab Them By The Pod

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

Honorable mention(s): On The Media, Pod Save the World, Lovett or Leave It, With Friends Like These

If you love Stuff You Should Know, you’ll enjoy No Such Thing As Fish

A lot of people tune into podcasts simply to learn about something new, there’s no shame in that. Stuff You Should Know provides these listeners with vital trivia and backstories to satiate this yearning.

No Such Thing as Fish is a podcast from the Quite Interesting crew. It’s part bar trivia, part Jeopardy, and part stand-up comedy. If you’re one of those people who looks towards their podcasts to learn something new and expand their trivia knowledge base, add this to your list.

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

Honorable mention(s): We Have Concerns

If you love The Moth, you’ll enjoy Risk!

The Moth has become renown for telling compelling true stories. Recent episodes tell personal experiences with the Berlin Wall and another tells of his encounters with Laurence Fishburne.

Risk! is a hilarious podcast on a similar note. It’s similar to The Moth in that it’s people telling their personal stories, however, Risk! focuses on stories people never thought they’d share in public. It’s also featured some of the most popular names in comedy including Sarah Silverman, Marc Maron, Lisa Lampanelli, and several others.

Listen: iTunes | Stitcher

Honorable mention(s): 2nd Story, True Story, The Monti, Snap Judgment, Story Collider

Special thanks to the Reddit Podcasts community

The post If You Love That, You’ll Enjoy This (Podcast Recommendations) appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.