What Do I Look for in a Podcast?

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

As Auddy’s Content Development Exec, an awards judge, and a freelance producer, I have to listen to a lot of podcasts. I listen to analyse what other podcasts are doing well, what they could be doing better and what their audiences are saying in response to the content.

Listening to a wide range of audio – from kids shows and podcasts for dogs, to news podcasts and audio diaries – also allows me to learn new techniques that I can build on and experiment with in a different genre.

But what actually makes a good podcast? What are the key things I look for?

These are some of the criteria that I tend to judge a podcast by:

1. Audio quality

I’m not going to listen for more than a couple of minutes if the audio quality is poor.

2. Timing

We all live busy lives, so when we make time to listen to a podcast we want it to cut to the chase. In other words, we don’t want to hear a 5-minute introduction that drags on, or unnecessary chit-chat that doesn’t really go anywhere.

3. Impact

Will I remember the show in a few months’ time and, realistically, would I recommend it to others?

(If you’d like to check out some podcasts I would recommend to others, you can see my list of podcasts to listen to for stress relief and relaxation here, and for honouring women’s history here.)

4. Creativity

Are the podcast creators being creative with the format of their show, the shape of the narrative, and sound design? With so many podcasts out there, what makes this one so special?

5. Value

Is the show providing me with genuine value? Am I learning something that I haven’t heard repeated elsewhere? Is the show exposing me to voices that don’t often have a platform?

6. Diversity

It is imperative that contributors from underrepresented backgrounds are included throughout a series in a meaningful way.

If you bear these things in mind when you’re making a podcast then you’re putting yourself in the best position to hook listeners instead of turning them off.