How I Overcame My Podcast Backlog
I like podcasts. The problem is that I love podcasts too much. There are so many quality shows on every topic imaginable that my queue of podcast episodes I want to listen to can quickly pile up. Before I know it, I have enough of them to fill several weeks, even if I did nothing but listen to them back to back.
This is not an uncommon scenario for me, but I have learned a few tricks to close the gap and catch up (at least partially). If you’ve never changed your default podcast player or experimented with its features, you may not realize that these apps include a lot of tools to help you browse podcasts faster.
Moreover, I also have some ideas on how to increase the number of podcasts you listen to throughout the day. While sometimes you’ll have to file for bankruptcy on your podcast, clear the queue, and start over, these tips will help you avoid this method of last resort for as long as possible.
Take advantage of podcast app features to listen faster
There’s no shortage of podcast players , and most of them offer features that will help you browse podcasts faster. I’ll highlight a few different tricks you can use in different apps, so check out what your podcast player of choice has to offer. If it doesn’t have a specific time-saving feature that you think would be useful, you can always switch to something else.
If you have an iPhone, you may be able to use Apple Podcasts as it’s built into iOS. It’s not the most feature-rich player, but it does allow you to adjust playback speed (up to 2x) by pressing the 1x button on the left side of the playback screen. It’s a quick and easy way to cram more podcasts into the same amount of time.
Increasing the speed will not change the pitch of the voices or music, but it will take some time to get used to each conversation at a fast pace. Try starting at 1.25x speed and increase it as your ears get used to it.
Spotify has been busy adding support for podcasts and audiobooks to its app in recent years, and one feature you’ll find on the play screen in the Android and iOS apps is a sleep timer—that’s a small stopwatch icon on the right. side. This will help you add a few minutes of podcast listening to the end of each day without worrying about missing huge chunks of episodes when you fall asleep.
The excellent Overcast app for iOS shows an impressive level of commitment to helping you hear whatever you want to listen to. One of the best features it offers is Smart Speed, which you can activate by clicking the three-slider button in the bottom left corner of the playback screen: it intelligently reduces pauses in episodes, so you’ll listen to more conversations. and less dead air.
Another extremely popular podcast app is Pocket Casts for Android and iOS . This app can automatically exclude specified times at the beginning and end of a podcast. This is useful if a particular show includes intros and outros that you know you don’t need to listen to every time. On a podcast’s individual page in the app, tap the gear icon and choose Skip First or Skip Last . (Pocket Casts also lets you adjust playback speed, cut pause, and fall asleep to podcasts, which is why it’s one of my favorites.)
These apps (and others like them ) have different combinations of these features, so choose the one that has more options that you find useful. Additionally, in almost any app, you should be able to automatically download new episodes to your phone (so you don’t have to pause listening to the podcast when you’re not connected to the Internet) and set up a queue of episodes to listen to in order, so that when the episode ends, you It didn’t take long to choose a new one.
My Favorite Ways to Incorporate More Podcasts into Your Day
Beyond the features you’ll find in your podcast app, there are other ways to fit more podcasts into the time you have. There are probably other times when you could listen to podcasts in your ears, but don’t: for example, when you’re doing housework, working out at the gym, or making breakfast. You don’t have to spend every waking hour listening to podcasts… but it will definitely help you deal with the work lag.
If you don’t use a podcast player that works with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay , and one (or both) of those systems are available in your car, consider upgrading to an app that does. You can listen to podcasts during your commute, daily commute, and even quick trips to the store (podcast players are smart enough to pick up where they left off).
I’ve had to learn to be less obsessive about listening to every episode of every podcast. Even on podcasts you love, if there are episodes on a topic you’re not that interested in or that feature a guest you’re not that interested in, don’t be afraid to skip them: chances are you won’t. you’ll really miss a lot, and it gives you more time for the episodes you actually enjoy.
Likewise, sometimes you need to be ruthless with the podcasts you subscribe to: if you find yourself deleting episodes you haven’t listened to more often than not, simply unsubscribe from them so you don’t clutter up your queue. If you’re not quite ready to take this step, try a reset: Archive all existing podcast episodes and start over by publishing new ones.