Topic: Podcast discussion thread

[segagamersteph]

Alright so this is my thread for anyone who does podcasts to share their wealth of knowledge. Or share your favorite podcasts you listen to, preferably with reasons why.

I listen to several podcasts and watch a few online. Some of my favorites are Glitch Please (Rooster Teethe), Completely Unnecessary Podcast and Not So Common Podcast (The Punk Effect), Drink a Beer and Play A Game, Laserdiscoteque (Culture Dog), Nerdpocalypse, and anything Kevin Smith does.

I been doing my own show since July. I took a break then re-launched it in January with a new name and new format. I have contemplated just being honest with my audience but I am skeptical if that's even something they would care, or if it would lose me listeners? Plus I run the risk of someone who knows me finding out. I'm not sure how much longer I will keep doing the show as the rat but it's the personality I am known by so it's kind of working out for me right now.

Does anyone out there who does podcasts put on a show or play a character or are you entirely just you on the show? I guess my situation is kind of, unique but I am still not sure how to integrate it into the show without getting political or dividing people. Or just staying the course and keeping my private life out of the show.

Do those who listen to podcasts prefer those where the host does get personal or you like them to keep it on point? Do you listen to any podcasts with more than one topic or format or where the host is the draw no necessarily the topics discussed?

Is it better to stick to a single topic or small group of topics? I bill my show as unfiltered, uncensored and uncut but that's pretty much the standard for podcasts. I also describe it as covering all things related to internet and techie culture but thats not accurate either, I pretty much talk about whatever the hell is on my mind. I do make it a point to talk video games, movies, and music each episode with technology as often as I can, but sometimes I chase rabbits.

Also anyone out there maybe interested in appearing on my show, or having me on as a quest on their show let me know I am trying to broaden my exposure.

[pokepal148]

My favorite podcast is Radio Free Nintendo at NintendoWorldReport.com.

[Adrock]

The main podcasts I listen to:

1. Pod Save America - Puts a lot of news/political stuffs into perspective so I don’t go crazy.
2. Locked On Lakers - Harrison Faigen recently left to become Silver Screen and Roll’s Editor in Chief so once he relaunches that podcast, I’ll transition over. Anthony Irwin is really hard to listen to without Faigen.
3. Laker Film Room - Irregularly updated but highly informative basketball podcast.
4. Nintendo Voice Chat - IGN’s weekly Nintendo podcast.
5. The Hoop Collective - I listen to most but not all of these. There are too many episodes to listen to all of them.

Other podcasts I listen to occasionally:

1. Lovett or Leave It - Jon Lovett is on Pod Save America on Monday’s episodes. His own podcast is a little more comedy oriented. If they cover something I want more info on, I’ll download on an episode to episode basis.
2. Let’s Play Video Games - I’d listen to this more, but updates are very, very erratic. Laura Kate Dale basically leaked the holy hell out of Switch.
3. Polygon’s Quality Control - These are usually fairly short interview-ish podcasts in which a Polygon Editor talks to a reviewer about their review of a video game or movie. I don’t listen to all of these; it depends on what’s being covered. Polygon had a few podcasts I liked, but most of them are on hiatus.
4. GameXplain Real Talk - I really, really hate Derrick Bitner’s awful voice. It doesn’t help that I often disagree with his views and hate how frequently he nervous-laughs. He’s on most episodes so while I actually enjoy the other GameXplain guys (Andre Segers and Ash Paulsen), I have a hard time listening to Derrick. I’m sure he’s nice in real life.

I’ve blogged in the past, but I never thought about doing a podcast. I don’t think I have a good podcast voice.

I don’t mind when podcasts go on tangents though I like when they keep the conversation moving. It’s easy to tell when a group has been podcasting for a while because they’re good at getting back on topic.

[broodwars]

While I can clearly say that we haven't been altogether successful (as evidenced by the fact that our podcast never gets referenced in these sorts of threads), I feel that our podcast (No Free Time Radio, formerly Nintendo Free Radio) succeeds where it does because all 3 of us are not playing a character. We're just 3 guys going through life who like to play games, and the feedback we have gotten responded positively to that. I feel that people come to long-form podcasts for honesty and sincerity, while brief Youtube videos specialize in someone playing a character.

Over the years we've done that show, I've found it best to keep tangents on a leash. Yeah, if they lead to interesting discussion, let them run their course but don't let it lead to rambling. Be ready to pull back to the main topic when it's clear that anything interesting to be said has. The people who are listening to your podcast come there because they want to hear what you normally talk about, so keep it on point where possible.

When possible, avoid the problem of one guy talking exclusively about a subject. It's an issue we've hit frequently in the past, and it never ends well. You have to try to get the other people in your podcast involved to keep the conversation moving, even if they're completely ad-libbing the whole thing.

The tendency for them going on hour-long tangents is precisely why I stopped listening to the Giant Bombcast, despite it being one of my favorite podcasts. I tune in to hear games discussion, not to hear you ramble on for a half hour about last night's wrestling match or your favorite bar. If you want to talk about that, create a new show around that or create a regular block of content around that rather than leave it to me to skip ahead randomly looking for whenever you shut up and get on point.

Some of my other favorites would be the classics 1Up Yours & its various incarnations and Active Time Babble & its various incarnations. Jeff Canatta's gaming podcast, DLC, is quite good as well, though I haven't listened to it in ages.

[segagamersteph]

All good points. To be fair, until I came out as a transwoman, I was always playing a character in a sense so in some ways I am being real on the show, just not entirely.
I don't exactly play a character, my opinions are very much real and I stick to the topic.

Sorry for not mentioning your podcast, I left it off intentionally because of the site here, I assumed everyone knew about it.

I forgot the Giant Bombcast. I can't remember when or why I stopped listening, must have been time. I typically have a guest one but I try not to have a guest every week because I kind of want it to be my show. I never hide my true thoughts, my listeners know I live for Kylie Minogue, but I do have to keep some things, you know under a certain pretext, so not to let things out.

The only one I actively seek out new episodes and support on Patreon is CUPodcast. I often find myself replying to their arguments on my own show but I try not to be too much of an asshole.