Braden’s Top Podcast Recommendations
Article by Braden Newell
@braden_newell
Thumbnail Photo by C D-X on Unsplash
Header Photo by Juja Han on Unsplash
Last month the Journal was thrilled to announce the launch of our very own Husky Talk podcast. Student advocate and SMUdent Jeremy Hebb interviewed SMUSA President and CASA Chair, Bryn de Chastelain, to discuss the university's COVID-19 response and how SMUSA is engaging with students this virtual semester. For an inside look on how SMUSA operates, listen to the podcast here. The hour-long episode is a fantastic listen during your commute or evening chores and is a must-hear for any SMUdent. In honour of the launch of Husky Talk, I dedicate this month's technology article to my top podcast recommendations and favourite shows you should consider subscribing to.
What is a podcast?
Typically a podcast is a pre-recorded radio show. While there are some variations on this definition, this is a podcasts' most basic form. While there are many podcast apps available on your devices like Overcast and Spotify, Apple Podcasts is perhaps the most dominant podcast app out there, especially for iOS and Mac. Traditionally, podcasts are free to the listener and are supported through advertisements and donations from listeners. Podcast apps allow you to subscribe to a show to receive daily, weekly, or monthly episodes, which automatically show up in the app when they go live.
Podcast vs. Music (vs. Audio Books)
The type of audio you listen to as a person is a very personal question. No one form of media is better than the other. Some of us prefer the spoken word, while others enjoy a solid beat. Others even enjoy listening to an audiobook. Personally, I like to listen to podcasts on my commute to and from work or on a long car ride. Others love listening to music (I am also an Apple Music subscriber), and others love an audiobook from Audible. Everyone has their audio preference!
For every SMUdent…
Every student who will be going to Saint Mary's should check out and consider subscribing to these two podcasts: Husky Talk by the SMU Journal and Knowledge 4 Students (aka K4S).
Writing about Husky Talk may seem like some shameless self-promotion for this student publication (and don't get me wrong, it is). Still, podcast host Jeremy Hebb recorded a fantastic first episode by interviewing SMUSA President Bryn. Jeremy has many more ideas on the way covering local politics and student life. As a current or future SMU student, you may find Husky Talk to be an exciting look into student life on our one city block campus.
Knowledge 4 Students, otherwise known as K4S, is a podcast recorded by SMU students to help post-secondary students navigate university life. Episode one covers advice first-year students should know! This show is fun and upbeat. Full disclosure, the Journal entered into a cross-promotion partnership with K4S in September. However, that deal is not a part of this specific article recommendation.
For the business students…
I can thank my discovery of podcasts to my eleventh-grade economics teacher, Christopher Roper, who played an episode of Planet Money in class one day. While Mr. Roper and I never had a great relationship (he once made me eat my McDonalds cold after refusing to let me bring it into his class), I still attribute my passion for podcasts to his economics class. As a former business student in the Sobey School, I have several recommendations that may pique your interest.
As I said above, Planet Money from NPR is my OG podcast listening experience. Planet Money takes complex economic topics worldwide and simplifies them into 20-30 minute weekly episodes to help people understand the wild world of economics. Some of their best series include the Planet Money team creating a T-shirt and following it worldwide from the cotton being farmed to the shirt being disposed of in Africa, building and launching a satellite, and buying a single barrel of oil from a Texan producer.
For the marketing major, you may want to check out Under the Influence of CBC Radio. Host Terry O'Reilly spent over 20 years in advertising and now hosts this CBC original podcast to share fun and weird stories about the advising world in Canada and worldwide.
How I Built This "HIBT" from NPR is hosted by Guy Raz. Guy interviews the founders of many of the companies and names we love today. The podcast covers rejection and success experiences that l entrepreneurs go through.Guy discusses everything from nearly losing it all, to how money has changed their lives. Some of HIBT's best episodes cover women founders, like Spanx founder Sara Blakely and her struggle with sexism in the world of venture capital.
Land of the Giants from Recode is a relatively new discovery for me. Land of the Giants season one explored the inner workings and creation of Amazon. More recently, the show ended its second season by exploring Netflix's world and culture. If you are curious about the inner workings of two (and hopefully more) of the world's biggest companies, check out this podcast.
Podcasts for your daily commute…
The Indicator from NPR is the younger cousin of Planet Money. Stacy Vanek Smith and Cardiff Garcia talk about a new economic indicator every weekday. This show takes complex economic topics and turns them into simple to understand and relatable stories.
9to5Mac Daily is my go-to when catching up on Apple technology news. Tune into 9to5Mac Daily to find out about the latest Apple updates, rumours, and more.
The NPR Politics Podcast started as a weekly show covering the political news of the United States. Recently they began airing episodes every weekday. The NPR politics team brings you the latest new out of washington including coverage on POTUS, FLOTUS, SCOTUS, the US Congress and the US Senate
For the technology guru in your life…
Flashback from RelayFM is a seasonal show covering the technology world's most fabulous flops and long-forgotten successes like the Apple Newton, the Microsoft Zune, and AOL messenger. Combine a passion for technology and respect for history with the Flashback podcast.
9to5Mac Happy Hour is a weekly podcast hosted by Zac Hall and Benjamin Mayo. The two discuss the latest in Apple news and rumours while bringing context and discussion over a one to the occasional three-hour episode.
Mac Power Users or MPU from RelayFM is an incredible weekly show that shares how you can maximize the utility of your Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Instead of focusing on the Apple News of the week, the MPU duo talks about what you can do with your Apple gear, often with a special guest.
Honourable mentions…
Nighttime by Jordan Bonaparte and Curiouscast is a show recorded locally in Nova Scotia. It discusses mysteries, hauntings, and strange stories from around the country. I first discovered this podcast while reading a CBC article about Nighttime releasing a series of episodes covering exclusive interviews with the 2015 Valentine's Day shooting plotter, Lindsay Souvannarath.
Rough Translation from NPR takes stories from around the world. It connects them to issues happening here back at home in North America. The host, Gregory Warner, takes you to Africa, the Middle East, and Asia sharing stories that are unique, captivating, and may have otherwise never been told.
Do you have a podcast recommendation I should listen to? Tweet at me, @braden_newell. I am always looking for new podcast suggestions.