MONDAY MEDIA: Podcasts I Still Listen To
I have been producing Inside the Magic, my independent podcast about all things Disney, for over four years now. In that time, thousands of other podcasts have come and go, discussing every nearly topic imaginable. Likewise, I have subscribed (and unsubscribed) to a variety of shows over the past few years, with only a handful sticking around today. So I thought I’d share the few that remain on my list of…
Podcasts I Still Listen To
The Daily GizWiz can be found on Leo Laporte’s TWiT Netcast Network and is just the right mix of crazy humor, gadget information, and complete nonsense. Leo Laporte has a long history of broadcasting, so he is able to make the show sound professional, even if it’s really just two guys goofing off for 15-20 minutes every week day. The other goof-off is Dick DeBartolo, who is one of MAD Magazine‘s most prominent writers. It’s a fun show that I can turn to during any car ride to keep me entertained.
I have tried many other TWiT network podcasts over the past couple of years but ultimately ditched them all. This Week in Tech (where TWiT gets its name) was one of the shows that inspired me to start Inside the Magic, but has lately become too long-winded with guests who are simply obnoxious to listen to. Likewise, MacBreak Weekly was formerly a great place to hear intelligent discussions about the latest Apple/Mac news but has since turned into the Andy Ihnatko turn-your-brain-into-mush-with-endless-ramblings hour.
I am a certified home theater nut and listening to the HDTV and Home Theater Podcast from the HT Guys lets me know that I am not alone. This show comes out twice a week and covers all of the latest home theater gadget news in a two-guys-in-a-basement recording style. There’s nothing flashy about the show but it works well and gets the job done. The hosts, Ara and Braden, answer a lot of questions from their listeners that go well beyond the basic “how do I set up my equipment properly” inquiries. Both hosts are quite knowledgeable in not only home theater technology but also computers in general, so they’re able to branch out and review products intelligently.
The only Disney-related podcast that I still listen to is my friend Paul Barrie’s Window to the Magic. I don’t listen to any other Disney podcast that covers Disney news as I already get enough of that while hosting Inside the Magic. It would be like the local ABC news anchor going home and watching the CBS news broadcast after work. Paul takes his show in a completely different direction, focusing on the sounds of the Disney theme parks, which is something I can always enjoy. His show has been around almost as long as mine and my only complaint is that I don’t always have time to listen to everything it has to offer. But when I do, I enjoy it.
That’s it!
Yes, I only listen to three other podcasts. There’s simply not enough time each week for me to subscribe to any more. In fact, I’m already several weeks behind on these three with no hope of ever catching up. The fact that there are so many podcasts in existence is both wonderful and problematic. It’s impossible to enjoy them all, so I’ve had to pick my favorite three and stick with them for now.
So what are your favorite podcasts? Comment!
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Gracias for the the mention, my friend. Glad u enjoy the show! Keep up the great work on ITM, and Ill keep listening!
I am listening to those three, but since I work from home and don’t really want to support terrestrial radio or pay for sattellite radio, I line up a bunch of podcasts to provide that important background “noise” that I need.
I highly suggest radiolab from WNYC, Stuff you should know from the How stuff works site, drabblecast at drabblecast.org, and This American Life from Chicago Amazing podcasts.
I listen to the Adam Carolla Podcast through out the week and it has only gotten better since he started.
I also still listen to tWit but mainly use it as background noise while doing other things.
Also I tune into WDW radio with Lou Mongello for the interviews he conducts with various Disney alumni like Dave Cochrel and one of the Sherman Bros.
Here are the podcasts I still download:
Inside The Magic
Circuits with David Pogue
Daily Giz Wiz
Diggnation
The Tech Guy
Netcot
Official Lost podcast
Onion News Network
WDW Radio Show
Wired Magazine
X-Play
I also listen to some radio and TV shows via podcast download:
Attack of the Show
Cheat!
The Clark Howard Show
The Dave Ramsey Show
But like Ricky, I don’t have time to enjoy all of any of them except Inside the Magic.
I love Window to the Magic for the exact same reason Ricky mentioned: the sounds of Disneyland.
I also listen to Lou’s WDW Radio Show. Love his interviews, the DSI segments and the Wayback Machine segments. Good stuff.
Additionally, I listen to Ricky’s Inside the Magic.
Favorite non-Disney Podcasts:
SModcast-Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier bring the funny weekly.
gdgt Weekly-Peter Rojas and Ryan Block (creators of Engadget and Gizmodo amongst other sites) doing big tech news/insight.
This American Life-If you don’t listen to this you are missing some amazing stories.
I’d be curious to know how many folks listen almost exclusively to podcasts while commuting in their car like I do. I have a 1 1/2 hr roundtrip every day, and I listen only to podcasts, which means I subscribe to quite a few. Anyone else do the same?
I listen to podcasts 100% exclusively while driving around. I can’t just have talk shows on in the background while I work… it’s too distracting. Riding in the car is the only time I can devote my attention to listening.
I listen to them 90% while in the car and 10% while in the shower.
Of course I do neither of those for the video podcasts. They’re reserved for when I’m on a trip and not driving, or sitting bored somewhere while waiting for something.
i second the stuff you should know podcast. good stuff.
The decline of the TWiT network is a real tragedy for the Podcast world since they were the ones that inspired so many great podcasts out there. But I’m with you. Ever since they introduced live video then TWiT/Macbreak Weekly have lost all direction and I’m ditching them.
Anyway, if you want a good fix of “Weekly Tech” discussion then I strongly suggest the Engadget podcast. They have fun, but unlike TWiT then they actually have a passion for technology so the discussions are great. (Also GDGT is a great weekly tech show)
So much emphasis on the TWiT network about their live video stream has definitely hurt the audio programming. I subscribed to TWiT and MacBreak Weekly to have quality audio podcasts about tech topics… I don’t want to sit at my computer and watch a bunch of middle-aged guys sit around and chat, occasionally actually talking about a topic or two.
However, they still have hundreds of thousands of listeners, meaning they’re leaps and bounds ahead of most podcasts.
Yes to the postcast commuting. Secret confession, after listening to so much NPR during my commute I felt guilty for not donating to their pledge drives. So instead I bought an Ipod and got into podcasts.
I agree with all that has been said about Leo’s TWiT and MacBreak podcasts. In the last year or so, as they moved to video as was noted, the quality has plummeted. The panel gets so off topic and rambles about meaningless junk there really is no worthwhile content any longer. And now that the ads end up being 10 minutes each, it has become intollerable. It really is a shame.
I listen to loads of podcasts, but probably my two favourites at the moment – aside from ITM, obviously – are:
Hometown Tales: Two guys talking about urban legends, folklore, bizarre news, etc. I’ve been listening for a few years and it’s always entertaining, especially when they do a themed show, and it’s a good one to contribute stuff to if you know about your local culture.
Listen UP: The official 1UP podcast, and excellent listening if you’re into gaming. Nothing really objectionable in there but they do like the dirty language sometimes, so it’s one for grown-ups.
Another 100% podcast listener when driving. The iPod connector on my stereo saved my life…
Here’s my podcast list:
Big Bass Brothers – Local restaurant reviews
Board Games with Scott – video show reviewing board games
Coasterbuzz – News about other amusement parks (some Disney sometimes)
Coverville – All about cover songs (a bizarre hobby of mine)
Cubscast – Go Cubs!
Daily Giz Wiz
Dice Tower – board games
Disney Pincast
Doing Indy – video cast about Indianapolis
Filmspotting – As a budding movie geek, must listen
Indianapolismusic.net – 10 live shows in Indy every week
ITM
Meandering Mouse – I think I found this about 10 minutes before I discovered ITM, very different take on things.
Scene Unseen – Most unique movie review show I’ve ever heard
The Spiel – even more board gaming
WDW News Today Podcast – One more angle on the Disney stuff.
Listen Up, Retronauts, and the Sports Anomoly – Three 1Up network Video Game podcasts I just subscribed to.
No, I don’t keep up with all of them all the time, but I do listen to the time-sensitive ones asap. And not all of them come out every week, so I usually have built in buffers :)
I have no commute, so it’s hard to find time to listen to podcasts. So besides ITM, I only download Infendo Radio (Nintendo related) and the Adam Carolla Podcast.
With the production of two disney based shows, here is what I download:
Diggnation – Daily News With A “Beer” Twist
The Disney Pincast – Pin Fan
Inside the Magic – The First Show Ever To Download, Classic
Netcot – Van is just awesome, haha
The Totally Rad Show – Movies, Music, Games with a Fun Twist
WDW News Today – I help produce it, haha
WDW Radio Show – It’s Lou!
Window to the Magic – Another classic and the only Disneyland show
It’s funny that you posted this topic…I was finishing up a post over on my blog with a very similar topic when you posted this. You beat me by about 2 hours!
WDW Today – regular listener for several years
WDW Radio Show – Mousetunes was the first I listened to and followed Lou over to the new show
WTTM – Started becoming a regular listener just recently
Inside the Magic – Started listening around same time as Mousetunes, quit for a while, but I’ve since resubscribed, Ricky!
Trapped on Vacation – You can probably tell by my list that I occasionally lurk over on the DPN
Meandering Mouse – See previous
Tiki Bar TV – That’s my sense of humor!
The Big D in HD – nice one to keep on iTunes…iPod can’t handle it.
At the Main Street Cinema – similar to the Big D
Occasionally, I’ll listen to the Economist podcast and a Cubs podcast, but my Nano is only 4G, and I don’t have room for a whole lot more until I get fully caught up!
Don’t worry, you’re not the only one behind. Listening to just ITM and the various IGN games podcasts, I am being distracted by my sudden interest in listening to music-lots of it. Therefore, I havent’ listened to a single episode of either your show or the IGN ones this year. Sorry.