Criteria for Choosing a Podcast

Nearly Unlimited Podcasts, Limited Time

I love listening to podcasts. Lately, I’ve been thinking about my criteria for choosing a podcast. We even have our own even if it has been on a long hiatus.

Yet, listening to podcasts has become difficult for me. Podcasts take dedicated time. That’s not something in which I’m in abundant supply.

First of all, I have a short commute. We live near our place of employment.

I do have to bring the baby to daycare daily which gives me about 20 minutes to listen to a podcast. That also means I have the baby with me.

This rules out a lot of podcasts during this time. I don’t have a problem with explicit language, being that makes up a large part of my vocabulary.

But, I have a one-year-old now. She is building her language skills every waking moment.

Now, I have to watch my tongue, but I also have to make sure she doesn’t hear it from others as well.

I haven’t excluded those shows, but I now listen to them at night before bed. This isn’t a lot of time. Especially since this is when I do most of my blogging.

Also, I’m a teacher, so listening to a podcast while teaching is not workable most of the time.

Again, I love podcasts. I wish I could listen to them all day. I can’t.

My Criteria for Choosing a Podcast

So I have to come up with criteria for choosing a podcast.

The Podcast has to have a focus.

In fact, this could have been the only rule for a podcast. Too many podcasts are all over the map. Also, a podcast shouldn’t be an excuse for friends to get together and talk. That’s only interesting to other friends that couldn’t be there. Give your podcast a reason for being.

The hosts have to have chemistry.

Yes, you should make a podcast with your friends. They will be able to expect your answers and moods on topics. Make sure you have some structure.

Don’t curse to curse.

I will listen to podcasts that have bad language. I prefer they are used to make a point. I’m guilty of swearing to curse. If you are putting your podcast out in the real world, then think about your audience. The audience might be a kid.

Tangents are not only ok, but they are also encouraged.

This might seem in opposition to the first criterion, but it’s not. Podcasts are a conversation, and conversations veer from the topic. Tangents are happy little accidents. There are hundreds of Star Wars podcasts all discussing the latest news. Tangents make you different. You need to make sure your audience can follow where you are going because tangents are what set your show apart.

Bring your passion for your subject.

I don’t expect every podcast to be a Ph.D. lecture. Do research and have your laptop ready in case you have brain blank. Having a passion for a subject can be infectious. If your love comes through, it brings in the audience.

Record with an audience in mind.

I’ve recorded some podcasts that I didn’t think anyone would listen to. I knew I was talking into the abyss. Yet, I always tried to think of one person that might listen to my podcast. It might be a real person, it might be a younger version of myself, or it might be an imaginary person who would enjoy it. Doing this forces us to not be too obtuse with our information.

Be descriptive in your descriptions.

In graduate school, a history professor informed the class to write for an eighth-grade student. He was quick to point out that this didn’t mean to talk down to the eighth grader. His point was that you shouldn’t assume your audience knows the story. Fill them in. Yes, a lot of people that listen to Star Wars podcasts have seen the movie many times. But, you might have a new convert to the saga that is listening to expand their knowledge. You should be able to speak to both. If not, then be clear about that as well in your description.

Once I’ve chosen to subscribe a podcast I don’t actually pay these any mind. But when I search for a new podcast, this is the first place I check. Titles are important, but descriptions need to let me understand all the above criteria. In fact, this is something I need to work on for ours.

So, I’ve laid out my criteria, which podcasts regularly meet them? The Longbox meet most of these (they do go off color a little…ok, a lot). Even when the program seems to veer off the rails there structure is always there. Better Podcasting always meets this and they should considering it’s their topic.

These are my criteria for a successful podcast. What are yours?