Creativity Listen/Watch/Read Pip-Life Podcasts

22 Great Podcasts To Listen To

August 5, 2015

Corinne asked me about the kinds of podcasts I like on Facebook the other day, so I thought I’d write a whole post about it!

I think it’s ace to find out what other people like to listen to, inspiration-wise. Maybe if I share my favourites, you’ll share some of yours too?! Fingers crossed for that.

I listen to podcasts when I’m walking or on the tram or putting on my make-up trying to make my face look like it’s awake. It’s a good way to sneak in some fresh ideas and cool conversations. Sometimes I even listen in the bath.

This list details what I’ve got in my phone at the moment (and why!) Scroll down to the comments if you’d like to share your faves too?

If you are new to podcasts: Search for the podcast title in your podcast app to listen on a device – or just Google the podcast’s name to listen on your computer.

Longform
I love a bit of meat on the bone and Longform does it so well. Long interviews with interesting types. You could start with the Cheryl Strayed one? Or Malcolm Gladwell? I love the Tavi one. (I am Tavi obsessed, for sure!)

How To Be Amazing
Another favourite due to length (one hour is perfect for a long walk!) I recently listened to the Tavi Gevinson (!) episode and loved it.

This American Life
I think this is up there in the Everyone’s Favourite Podcast stakes. I don’t listen regularly enough, but I have my friend Ella to tell me when something SUPER good-for-me comes up. Like the ‘Is That What I Look Like?’ ep with Molly Ringwald (please excuse previously autocorrected MOLLY RINGWOOD.)

Here’s The Thing
Hosted by Alec Baldwin, it’s kinda like listening to someone’s cheeky Dad talking to people over dinner. You could start with the Lena Dunham or Sarah Jessica-Parker eps?

Design Matters
Oh I love this one. Debbie Millman interviews all manner of creatives and it’s really ace to eavesdrop. I highly recommend the Oliver Jeffers episode.

BBC Woman’s Hour
A chatty radio show type of podcast. There’s always varied and interesting content ranging from revenge porn to depression to family life to period photos on social media. The issues of the day, so to speak, five days a week.

BBC Food Programme
I forgot about this and then Michelle reminded me. She recommends the Bread For Scotland ep and I recommend the Jane Grigson tributes. There’s heaps more good stuff in their archive, too.

Death, Sex and Money
A podcast about life, love and family too. All kinds of subject matter fall within the Death, Sex and Money spectrum.  Have a listen to the Siblings episode if you are not sure where to start?

TED Radio Hour
The ubiquitous, much beloved TED talk bundled up in a podcast, brimming with ideas and innovation. What could be better? Perhaps you could begin with Why We Collaborate?

Conversations with Richard Fidler
I used to sort-of know Richard Fidler when I lived in Canberra and I am always super chuffed when I hear his name attached to awesome things. Go him! You could start with Bruce White On Bees? Do you want to know more about bees? I bet you do! There are also interesting eps with Ramona Koval, Hannah Gadsby and Robin Barker to name but a few.

Stuff You Should Know
Because you don’t know it all and there’s heaps of stuff you probably missed while you were gazing out the window at school, wishing you had a Frosty Fruit. Try ‘How Racial Profiling Works‘ or ‘How Clowns Work’ or ‘How Tea Works‘ for starters.

Freakonomics Radio
Culture, human behaviour, conversations. This is a hugely popular podcast that you might like too! How about trying the ‘Failure Is Your Best Friend‘ or ‘Think Like A Child‘ episodes? There are a heap of other good ones too.

Life Matters
Radio National’s wonderful program has a podcast version too. Profiles of artists, musicians, writers as well as current affairs issues make Life Matters a must-listen for many Australians. You can see the program breakdown here (as it’s a bit hard to see what’s on when on your phone!)

The Slow Home Podcast
This is a relatively new podcast, but it’s great and has gained heaps of momentum in a short period of time. Focused on simplicity and slow living, Brooke McAlary interviews heaps of interesting types about their approach to a pared back life. I love the ep with Down To Earth’s Rhonda Hetzel – a long time favourite of mine.

The Moth
About to grace the Melbourne Writer’s Festival as a real LIVE production, The Moth is a storytelling focused show where you get to listen in as things unfold.

Note To Self
This ace show is based around coping with digital life, the changing online world and the weird stuff that happens on Facebook. Kind of. Try the Judging Your Originality In A Cut And Paste World ep? Or perhaps How Eating Disorders Evolved Online.

The Tim Ferris Show
Tim Ferris is a smart cookie and I like to hear the things he has to say. You could start with Brain Picking’s Maria Popova on Being Interesting, Creating More Time In A Day, And How To Start A Successful Blog? Sound poifect to me!

Spilled Milk
The foodie podcast of Orangette’s Molly Wizenberg. Try the Picnic or Banana Bread eps for starters. I’m suddenly hungry…

Nerdette
Argh. I love this podcast. It’s for smart peeps who like tech and life. Sounds just like us, right?! You could begin with their Caitlin Moran or Tavi Gevinson or Miranda July episodes? They also do Game of Thrones recaps, if GoT is your kinda thing!

Good Life Project
Jonathan Fields talks to interesting people about their interesting lives and discusses creativity in general. I think you’ll like it. I’m currently downloading How Constraints Fuel Creativity: When Less Is More.

The Mortified Podcast
Snigger. This is funny. And mortifying. People read stuff they’re written as teens/kids in front of a live audience – and this podcast listens in. I’ll let you choose a favourite. Options include Jenny: Is My Boyfriend Gay? and Shelley: Are You There God? It’s Me. Shelley.

The Dinner Party
I really like this. We listen to it on long car trips, sometimes. It covers culture, food, drinks, music, movies, books and more. Maybe try the one that covers Amy Schumer and Kurt Cobain.

 

What do you like to listen to, podcast wise?

pip signature

PS – I ran to the hairdresser after I published this and came back to see a few auto-corrected errors! Sorry about that. I have fixed them up now, but apologies for the glitchy-glitches. Totally my fault.

PPS – I didn’t include ‘business’ or ‘writing’ or ‘blogging’ related podcasts, to keep things nice and broad- but feel free to mention those in the comments!

26 Comments

  • Reply Penelope White December 5, 2017 at 12:18 PM

    I’ve got about 7 True Crime podcasts I wax & wane between. I put my phone under my pillow at night to go to sleep… not that they are that boring because they usually are very interesting…. but the problem with that is that I have to re-listen to it to find out the conclusions. ‘True Crime garage’ & ‘True Crime all the time’ plus ‘The Vanished’ & ‘They walk among us’ are also listen-worthy. These podcasts fill my childhood need to be a ‘Forensic scientist’ after watching countless episodes of ‘QUINCY’

  • Reply Sharon April 8, 2017 at 8:41 AM

    Oh this is fantastic Pip. I love Podcasts and only know a few, so this is a great list. Richard Fidler is a fave and I also love listening to Chat 10 Looks 3 (Annabelle Crabbe and Leigh Sales) these two are such fun!

  • Reply Meghan April 1, 2017 at 10:50 PM

    I love Pop This!

  • Reply Jodie August 15, 2015 at 4:11 AM

    Add:

    NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour
    Stuff You Missed in History Class
    Mystery Show
    Again With This, which most recently recapped / laughed at every episode of the first season of BH 90210

  • Reply Camille August 11, 2015 at 4:48 PM

    Great list! I really love Slumber Party with Alie and Georgia. It’s these two funny gals, Alie and Georgia, who have people over for a slumber party podcast in a teepee in their living room, so wacky. It’s usually comedian friends that they have on for guests, and they ask them slumber party type questions. It’s pretty great. 🙂

  • Reply Kristie August 7, 2015 at 5:47 PM

    Brilliant list Pip. Thanks for sharing. I needed new podcasts to listen to!

  • Reply TashBecause August 6, 2015 at 10:17 PM

    I am trying to listen to podcasts more – I always really enjoy them (plus I do record one myself with the hubby – it’s only some silly fun though).

    I think my absolute favourites at the moment are Chat 10 Looks 3 with Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales and also Mad Art Cast (about sciencey art and arty science). These are my tried and tested ‘will keep me interested’ podcasts… Oh! And The Hidden Almanac! Gotta have some nice light fantasy fiction 🙂

    • Reply Isabel September 3, 2015 at 11:50 AM

      Tashbecause, thanks so much for pointing me towards Chat 10 Looks 3. Have devoured about 7 or 8 episodes over the last week, just love it! I have to have my Goodreads account open at the same time though, their excitement about books to read is so contagious, I find myself adding almost everything to me ‘to read’ shelf! x

  • Reply Brooke McAlary August 6, 2015 at 11:19 AM

    Such a great list Pip! My current favourites are Nerdist, WTF w Marc Maron, The One You Feed, Undisclosed, Serial, Walker Stalkers (a Walking Dead podcast), Tales from the Jungle Crews (Disneyland nerdery), No Such Things as a Fish, Here’s the Thing w Alec Baldwin and more recently The Nerdist Writers Panel.

    Thanks also for the very lovely and kind inclusion of my podcast. xx

  • Reply Kath August 6, 2015 at 9:48 AM

    I love Strangers – it’s a beautiful series of stories and is around 30-40 minutes long per Ep so I often listen while I’m cleaning 🙂

  • Reply Tommi T. August 6, 2015 at 1:00 AM

    Thank you for putting this together. I see some stuff I’m going to enjoy looking into. It’s funny that you mention listening to Dinner Party on road trips. That is my preferred road trip podcast too. I really love Mysterious Universe, a funny and intelligent podcast about fringe science and paranormal things. I think the two best craft podcasts are Cast-On with Brenda Dayne and The Knitwits. Both are super funny and well done.

  • Reply Vicki August 6, 2015 at 12:30 AM

    I enjoy Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond on “Dear Sugars”. They cover really interesting topics such as polymory, dating younger men, guilt and shame etc based on letters from readers. It is on Boston Radio and I am sure a search will locate them. I could not get the link but they can be found on WBUR Radio 90. 9.

  • Reply Rebecca Jee August 5, 2015 at 10:09 PM

    My faves are NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour and Leigh Sales/Annabel Crabb’s Chat 10, Looks 3. I just started listening to NPR’s Ask Me Anything too, which is kind of fun.

  • Reply Lou August 5, 2015 at 9:27 PM

    The BBC has a podcast archive of Reith lectures. The Grayson Perry and Atul Gawande ones are great! I’m all about Dan Savage on the morning tram, WTF on the arvo tram and Guardian Football Weekly with the family! Xx

  • Reply Sarah August 5, 2015 at 9:26 PM

    This is a great list, and I have already added some to my list. I’m listening to The Infinite Monkey Cage at the moment with Brian Cox and Robin Ince – a bit of nerdy science thrown in with some comedy. Really good.

  • Reply Amy August 5, 2015 at 7:29 PM

    Thank you Pip! Great timing.

    My all time fav podcast is The Minutes by Mel Buttle and Patience from the Grates. X

    • Reply Meet Me At Mikes August 5, 2015 at 7:39 PM

      Oh that is a GREAT suggestion, Amy!!!

  • Reply Polka Dot Bride August 5, 2015 at 4:56 PM

    I love a bit of After The Jump, Being Boss, Serial, The Art Of Simple, The jess Lively Show, 10,000 Hours, Explore Your Enthusiasm, Smart Creative Women With Monica Lee, One Part Podcast, The How They blog Podcast So many!! I jus tlove hearing stories!

  • Reply Anna August 5, 2015 at 4:37 PM

    I love Happier by Gretchen Rubin.
    Also, if you were into Serial, try Undisclosed. It looks at the same case but uncovers many more shocking details and revelations

  • Reply Michelle August 5, 2015 at 4:32 PM

    What a great list Pip! So many new podcasts to explore, but at the end of the day I’m happy listening to Ira and Sheila every week. Especially Sheila, she’s vocal fry free !

  • Reply Tania @ Petit Pixel Design August 5, 2015 at 4:11 PM

    Being Boss…for creative entrepreneurs about doing what you love and getting it done. Books on the Nightstand…for reading ideas. Elise Gets Crafty…small business, goal setting, motivation and creativity. Creative Start…how creative ppl got started in their fields. Love & Radio….the living room episode!! The Osher Gunsberg Podcast…weekly convos with inspiring ppl from all over the place (Osher is Andrew G from idol days, I had no idea foe ages! He talks about his experiences with anxiety at the start of most eps which I appreciate)

  • Reply Catherine Elizabeth August 5, 2015 at 3:27 PM

    I love this I am a podcast addict!
    I actually did a very similar post on my blog a couple of week ago: http://www.saintcardigan.com/2015/07/23/podcasts-to-craft-to/
    All of these sound fab Pip, I’m definitely going to download a few 🙂

  • Reply Josephine August 5, 2015 at 3:26 PM

    Wow – your timing could not have been more perfect! I spent some time during my lunch hour today looking for podcast recommendations! I love to listen while I work, makes the day go faster 😉

  • Reply Emma (The New Normal podcast) August 5, 2015 at 3:22 PM

    Oh this is so excellent Pip! I LOVE podcasts.

    Not to toot our own horn too much, but my friend Tess McCabe and I have a podcast (recorded in Brunswick!) for multi-tasking creative parents which might be right up your alley. We have chatted to Rachel Power, Veggie Mama, Ruth Bruten, Amy Constable, Shelley from The Galerie and HEAPs more awesome peeps.
    Have a look at http://www.thenewnormalpodcast.com
    We would love to have you on as a guest one day too!

    xxxx

    • Reply Tricia August 5, 2015 at 7:42 PM

      Emma I was just about to mention how fabbo your podcast is!! I absolutely love it!

  • Reply tash August 5, 2015 at 3:07 PM

    I love Improv 4 Humans with Matt Besser. It’s very funny and clever and silly! (Some naughty words though, watch out) I also love ‘Stuff you missed in history class’, ‘The Mystery Show’ and ‘Comedy Bang Bang’. I like your list – will be visiting some of these I think! 🙂

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