Podcasts are meant to be listened to
Photo courtesy of nappy/Pexels
Traditional podcasts focused on audio, but the video aspect has become just as important in recent years, for better or worse.
As a fan of long drives, sitting outside, walking around town, and the like, I love to listen to a variety of podcasts. I have a select few that are my favorites, but I try to find new ones to listen to when I can. That being said, there are a number of qualities that I look for when deciding if I want a podcast to enter my rotation. The biggest thing I look for is a podcast that is meant to be listened to, not watched.
A podcast is not the same thing as a YouTube video or a TikTok— it is supposed to be more accessible and can be accompanied by a video only if the creator chooses to do so, although it is ultimately supposed to be an auditory medium. Yet I cannot even count the number of podcasts that I have listened to where it is almost impossible to keep up with what is going on while only listening to the audio.
There are creators who will reference things in the room, or pull up something on a green screen located behind them, which is especially annoying when I am listening to a podcast while driving and I cannot go on my phone to see what they are talking about. It feels like everyone around me is telling an inside joke that I do not know about, and it is terrible!
Another bad quality in podcasts I have noticed during my listens is a significant difference in volume throughout the podcast. Talking at a low level that is difficult to hear and then suddenly laughing so loud my ears start ringing makes me want to shut off the podcast immediately, regardless of how funny the joke was. This irritation is even worse when wearing headphones, where the loud screaming or laugh is being injected directly into my ear.
An example of this is a creator that I personally do still love, Brittney Broski. She hosts a podcast solo called The Broski Report that I would often listen to on Spotify. She is incredibly funny and is able to crack herself up with her own jokes. Unfortunately, she likes to talk in silly voices that are often at a whisper level and then laugh immediately after. This jump in volume is just too much for me and her podcast has officially been removed from my rotation.
This issue has begun to baffle me, as I am currently in a podcasting production class in which we are making our own podcast and learning the technological skills behind it. One of the things we have learned is how to normalize the volume and remove sound spikes so that the volume is relatively stable throughout the episode. If this is such a simple skill in the editing process, then the spikes in volume in these insanely popular podcasts must be purposeful, as they often have entire editing teams. Who wants to be constantly adjusting their volume?
One last thing that can make a podcast a great listen for me is the exclusion of physical comedy. This could be, holding up a sign, making a funny face, or bringing in a funny prop. These are all things that would only be seen if the podcast was being watched, so why are they being included? If you think you are funny enough to start a podcast, especially a comedy podcast, you should not be relying on these physical items to carry a joke or a bit. I say this lightly, as sometimes a prop can really make or break a joke, and I myself am not a comedian.
So to all my podcasters out there, please think of us listeners, not just the viewers. I cannot keep missing jokes just because I am driving!