There were a whole lot of Best Podcasts of 2021 lists this year, such as these examples seen here, even one from industry people themselves. But there’s one glaring flaw that unites all of them: almost all of the shows recommended were heavy, narrative non-fiction shows. You know the ones: revealing a dark mystery or traumatic event, a reporter delivering a voiceover from an extremely tight script, interviews from experts “in the field,” starting with a dramatic quote and immediately following up with, “That’s That Person.”
All of those shows took a long time to make, went through countless numbers of edits, and are good journalism. They’re capital-I “Important”. But, they can’t be the only shows y’all thought were good this year. Unless we really only want to produce and listen to heavy, devastating topics and made in public-radio-style.
Personally, those aren’t the kinds of shows that I need to download as soon as I get up. Those aren’t the podcasts that have kept me company in quarantine and the remember-to-be-a-human™ walks we all had to go on. Those aren’t the shows I structure my whole day around so I have time to listen to them. Those are the conversational podcasts, with hosts I look forward to hearing from, clear premises and structures, and a consistent weekly/biweekly release schedule.
Think about your favorite movie. Is it the most expensive movie ever made? Did it win a ton of Oscars? Is it taught in film schools across the country? Probably not! So why are we only honoring the podcasts that meet these high, unrealistic standards? We can’t, as an industry, be embarrassed and self-conscious about unscripted shows. These are the shows I love listening to and the ones I love to make; the ones that I know hit home with people. So, why aren’t we giving them their due?
People love podcasts because this is an incredibly intimate medium. The show is keeping you company: maybe lightening the load of a hard day or entertaining you while you get through work, chores, and commutes. As capitalism squeezes every minute out of us it can, our free time is precious. I don’t want anyone to have to eat only audio vegetables every time they turn on a podcast.
I am fortunate to make shows like this for a living under the Multitude banner and for companies looking to build community through audio. And the comments I read from listeners are what I carry around with me: “This show made me feel comfortable when I was in a dark place” or “You got me obsessed with something I didn’t even know I loved, and I found friends who love it too!” The intimacy of conversational podcasts fosters community and relationships so quickly and, if harnessed correctly, acts as a lighthouse for listeners floating on the seas of this perpetual pandemic.
But these lists suppose that the only podcasts we “should be listening to” are deep, emotional, trauma-illustrating investigations. They encourage us to spend free time enduring the audio equivalent of homework. And who knows if season two is going to come out? Considering how difficult it is for limited series to deliver on the astronomical audience and financial metrics that these shows are held to, probably not. How am I supposed to make a connection to a host with only six episodes? These shows exist as flashes in the pan, burning hot and then disappearing just as fast.
No one list can capture all of podcasting, but they do communicate to our industry and listeners what carries prestige—and the folks who fund the next projects read these lists to figure out what kinds of shows deserve investment. Critical acclaim counts for something, especially in a burgeoning industry. But, these Top 10 lists don’t capture what actually makes podcasting powerful -- hearing something entertaining and enjoyable, making a connection to the hosts, tuning in week after week and making that show a part of the routine. And there’s no way these are the only shows the list creators heard this year.
Though when you’re looking around at the audio industry, being ashamed of unscripted conversational shows makes a whole lot of sense. Media companies will only fund shows (or acquire companies) that give them a level of prestige. The people who make Prestigious Shows want listeners to know how much work goes into them, so they dismiss conversational shows as unpolished “chat shows,” like they’re all the third hour of the Today Show. The money flowing to fiction podcasts isn’t a flood, but a tributary routed only towards Hollywood-touted productions that count as profitable IP. And the adage of “everyone has a podcast” and “there’s no barrier to entry” continues to make the total number of podcasts grow exponentially.
But the malaise can be broken if we recommend shows we truly love! Podcasting doesn’t have a YouTube algorithm, so we’re not chasing any technologically-dictated idea of Best. Word-of-mouth continues to be the best way to promote a podcast, cutting through all the Internet noise. When we promote the shows that make us happy, even if they’re just some friends hanging out with some microphones recording, they won’t be “guilty pleasures” or “the podcast I listen to but don’t tell my audio colleagues about” anymore. They’ll just be the good shows.
Head of Creative, Multitude