What to wrap your ears around

I spend a lot of time in a car - it's not unusual now for me to travel between 50-100kms per day when work comes up. I don't mind the travelling - so long as I have entertainment to keep me going. It's been a while now since I listened to commercial radio. Call me an old fuddy duddy, but the same pop songs repeated several times a day broken up by annoying, relentless ads just ain't that appealing. I switched to talkback for while, but this was turning me into a cynical old fuddy duddy, so it became pretty clear I needed a change.

You may or may not be familiar with podcasts - online audio programs to listen to at your leisure. They cover a range of topics, from finance and business to gaming and films - often it's just people getting together to chat about their particular interests. The downside, these podcasts are usually only interesting to those who produce them and not many others. Podcasts became a bit of a niche - tune in at your own risk - but if you get burned you're likely to tune out.

So, obviously podcasts aren't a new thing, but there has been something of a podcast rejuvenation over the past 12 months. As we see technology expand further and social media grow, certain 'techie' companies are  going from stride to stride - visual content for example is massive (think Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube), but where does that leave audio?

Which is where this podcast rejuvenation comes in - the US in particular has seen rise to some of the most successful podcasts OF ALL TIME (in the history of the internet). And hot dang, are they worth a listen - I've tried and tested through my many hours on the road. Get ready to wrap your ears around these badboys:

Serial (This American Life) 

Serial broke records when it became the fastest podcast to reach 5 million downloads and streams - and it was only released in October last year. Produced by the forerunners of podcasts, This American Life, this amazing podcast will have you hooked from the beginning and you will then binge-listen to all episodes as quickly as you can. I don't want to give anything away, so if it seems like I'm being evasive this is deliberate - also, don't google Serial to suss it out. Just listen cold and it will make the experience so much more worthwhile. Then get everyone you know to listen so you can have into-the-night conversations because it left you with so many questions (*hint: it's a suspense/ mystery, but that's all I'm saying).

Listen when: you're working out and you want the time to go by really quickly without you noticing

Start Up (Gimlet Media) 

If you're wondering how I knew all that thorough podcast information at the beginning of this post, it's largely due to this little gem. Alex Blumberg is CEO of Gimlet Media - a start up tech company that's trying to crack the social media game. He's great at creating podcasts, but running a company is a completely different story, so he decided to capture his experience for us to enjoy. It's pretty good - he records EVERYTHING - and there's a lot to take away from listening to his journey. Get ready to chuck in your day job and create you're own start up.

Listen when: you're on the commute to work and you need to feel amped up

Invisibilia (NPR)

Invisibilia has only been around since the beginning of January and there are six episodes to date. It's awesome - to hear them explain it, Invisibilia is about 'invisible forces' that control human behaviour. The first episode is about The Secret History of Thoughts. The next episode is about Fear. Their research is so incredible and it's intertwined with real-life stories. Every episode is a one off - there isn't an order for listening, which is great because you can pick and choose what takes your fancy. Requires a bit of attention, but it's very fascinating. 

Listen when: exploring the mind is what blows your mind

Ok, so you're probably thinking at this point, that this list so far is very USA heavy - fear not! The following titles are more local options for you:

WILOSOPHY (with Wil Anderson)

WILOSOPHY isn't a new podcast, but it has been on hiatus for a while (Wil Anderson is also involved with TOFOP/ FOFOP - a comedy podcast also worth a listen). Various reasons, but he admits in the first episode that he lost the vision for creating this podcast. Anderson is a well-known Australian comedian and social commentator. The success of programs like 'The Gruen Transfer' and 'Gruen Nation' has established Wil as an authority of pop culture and the media generally. WILOSOPHY is an exploration of Anderson's relationships with different people, how they influence his life and their own life influences - often other famous (Australian) people. Worth a listen, a lot of the topics are quite deep - not necessarily the funny man stuff we're used to.

Listen when: you're feeling existential 

Sleek Geeks (with Dr. Karl and Adam Spencer)

With the exception of Brian Cox, I don't believe there are two better communicators of science and maths than Dr. Karl and Adam Spencer. Sleeks Geeks started as a TV series, but has transitioned nicely to the podcast. Dr. Karl and Adam discuss a range of well known topics and work to debunk a LOT of myths about science (*spoiler alert - paleo diet and coconut water enthusiasts may be disappointed). Again, each episode is unique so you can tune in anytime and get enthralled by Dr. Karl's passionate rants.

Listen when: you're in the mood for learnin'

TED Radio Hour (NPR) 

Okay okay, TED is technically a US based program, but its shows are sourced from around the world. TED is the epicentre of new ideas, innovations and inventions and the TED Radio Hour is a treasure trove of the best of TED Talks to date. Scroll through the backlog of programming, including those in Australia and find what interests you (I guarantee you will find something interesting).

Listen when: you need to restore your faith in humanity



Just a few to get you started - or have you been into podcasts for a while? Leave us a comment on any others you can recommend!

Elouise x