Podcast guides
Plain-language guides to finding podcasts, judging them, understanding how feeds and apps work, and a few short lists of shows worth your time.
Finding and judging podcasts
Search tips, topic hunting and how to tell a good show from a copy.
How to search podcasts and episodes and actually find what you meant
Practical search tips for podsearch.org: searching episodes versus shows, narrowing by title or description, language and date filters, sort order, and what to do when a search comes back empty.
How to find good podcasts about any topic, from woodworking to Roman history
A step-by-step method for finding podcasts on a subject you care about, including browsing categories, following topic pages, searching episodes, and checking whether a show is worth your time.
Duplicate, unofficial and AI-generated podcasts: how to spot the real feed
Why the same podcast can appear several times in a directory, how to tell the official feed from a copy, and how to recognise shows produced automatically with synthetic voices.
How to judge a podcast in three episodes
A practical checklist for deciding whether a podcast deserves a place in your queue: which episodes to sample, what to listen for, and the signs that a show is not for you.
How podcasts work
RSS feeds, new-episode delays, moving between apps and the extras hiding in feeds.
What is a podcast RSS feed, and why does it matter to listeners?
A plain-language explanation of the RSS feed behind every open podcast, how apps use it, why one show can have several feeds, and what it means for you when an app disappears.
Why your new episode shows up late: how podcast apps find new episodes
How apps and directories notice new episodes, why the delay happens, what Podping changes, and what you can do when a new episode is missing from your app.
How to move your podcast subscriptions between apps with OPML
A step-by-step guide to exporting your podcast subscriptions from one app and importing them into another using an OPML file, plus how to back up your library and what does not transfer.
Chapters, transcripts and soundbites: the newer features hiding in podcast feeds
What Podcasting 2.0 features such as chapters, transcripts, soundbites and person credits are, how they help listeners, and where to see them on podsearch.org.
How to build a podcast habit you will keep, and what to look for in an app
Practical advice on queues, listening speed, downloads and subscriptions, plus what features matter when choosing a podcast app and how to follow shows from podsearch.org.
What to listen to
Short, hand-picked lists of established shows, each linked to its page here.
Podcasts for curious minds: shows that explain how the world works
A short, hand-picked list of established explainer podcasts covering science, design, psychology and everyday systems, with notes on what each one is like and who it suits.
True stories and history podcasts worth a long drive
A curated list of established narrative podcasts for people who like real stories, from deep history to personal storytelling and careful true-crime reporting, with notes on format and length.
Business and money podcasts that explain the economy without the jargon
A short list of established podcasts about economics, companies and founders, with notes on format and who each suits, plus advice on how to listen critically to money advice.
Interview, music and technology podcasts for people who like to hear how things are made
A short list of established podcasts built around good conversations and creative process, covering public-radio interviews, musicians explaining songs, and stories of online crime and security.