What I’m listening to right now.

I love listening to podcasts during my commute and while I work. As we get near the end of the year, I figured I’d share what I’m listening to right now. Some podcasts, I listen to every single episode, every week. Others, I listen to if the topic interests me.

At work and at home, I’m not really surrounded by people who share my interests. There aren’t many people to talk about technology, space, Star Wars or some other randomly geeky topic, and so my podcast choices serve as a way to learn more from people as enthusiastic about a topic as I am. I also tend to prefer discussion podcasts that are professional, but aren’t overly produced. The shows I like sound a lot more like friends talking about stuff they love than a super-polished NPR-style show.

Also, I should mention that I’m still using Overcast to listen to podcasts. It’s a much better experience than Apple Podcasts and with my new M1 MacBook Pro, I can use the iOS app on the desktop, which is a nice option.

Every Episode, Every Week

Right now, I’m listening to three podcasts every single week. I usually listen to these on the day they are released.

Upgrade+
I’ve listened to Upgrade with Myke Hurley and Jason Snell from the beginning of the show and love their perspective on technology, especially Apple-related tech. I pay for the Upgrade+ membership to support the show and to get slightly longer episodes.
📅 Releases every Monday

Clockwise
Every episode is 30 minutes, covers four topics and features Dan Moren, Mikah Sargent and two guests. Love the format of this show and how they cover a range of topics both serious and silly.
📅 Releases every Wednesday

Six Colors Member’s Podcast
I’m a paying Six Colors subscriber so each Friday, I get a casual tech podcast with Jason Snell and Dan Moren. It’s typically my Friday ride home and a nice way to end my tech week.
📅 Releases every Friday

Every Episode, Every Other Week

Because I don’t listen to enough Jason Snell, I also listen to two “fortnightly” podcasts that both publish every two weeks and feature Jason Snell.

Liftoff
Space news with Stephen Hackett and Jason Snell. When this show started, I wasn’t sure they’d have a lot to talk about. Guess what? There’s lots happening in space.
📅 Releases every other Tuesday

Downstream
This is a spinoff of Upgrade’s occasional Upstream segment. Jason Snell (Yep, that guy again) and Julia Alexander look at the streaming industry and how entertainment is changing in the streaming era.
📅 Releases every other Tuesday

Every Episode, In Season

I love Star Wars and Star Trek, but don’t really have people to talk to about the new shows. I really enjoy listening to podcasts that feature fans discussing the shows I love.

Vulcan Hello
Scott McNulty and Jason Snell discuss new Star Trek. Or at least new live action Star Trek. When shows are being released, they do an episode by episode breakdown. They are currently discussing the fourth season of Star Trek: Discovery.
📅 Releases shortly after an episode airs

A Complicated Profession
After starting as a Mandalorian podcast, Dan Moren and Tony Sindelar have expanded the scope to discuss the new Star Wars series launching on Disney+. They aren’t publishing right now, but I expect them back when The Book of Boba Fett starts at the end of the year.
📅 Releases shortly after an episode airs

Most episodes

The rest of my go-to podcasts, I try to listen to every week, but sometimes run out of time. In that case, I just listen to the topics that interest me.

Accidental Tech Podcast
I really enjoy the banter that Casey Liss, John Siracusa and Marco Arment have on ATP. I used to listen to every episode, but the episodes tend to be long and I have recently started picking and choosing what episodes I listen to.
📅 Releases every Thursday

The Pen Addict
I’ve actually seen The Pen Addict record live from the Atlanta Pen Show. So I think I qualify as a super fan. I probably listen to most episodes, but it’s heavily based on whether I’m interested in the topic Brad Dowdy and Myke Hurley are discussing.
📅 Releases every Wednesday

The Incomparable
The mothership for Jason Snell’s pop culture podcast network. I listen to the main show most weeks, but sometimes they discuss a topic I’m not interested in or a show I haven’t seen yet. My favorite episodes are the book club episodes where they discuss books that have been nominated for Hugo awards.
📅 Releases every Sunday

99% Invisible
Roman Mars’ design podcast. I was worried that when he sold the show to Stitcher, that the magic would fade, but it’s still as delightful as ever. But sometimes, they cover a topic that doesn’t interest me and I skip that one.
📅 Releases every Wednesday

Biff!
This show started as The Speedy Arrowcast, a recap and discussion show for Arrow. It was always fun — sometimes more fun than the episode was. After Arrow ended, they shifted the focused to be broader — superhero TV and movies. I listen when they are discussing a show I like (Loki, WandaVision) and tune out when they cover something I don’t watch (Legends of Tomorrow).
📅 Releases every Thursday

Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, University of South Carolina Ph.D. student, mass comm researcher, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. Bob occasionally and begrudgingly posts to Twitter and Instagram. He wears a mask and got vaccinated to protect his community. #TeamModerna