This week’s PodPod Earworms feature includes new and exciting voices across the podcast industry, some we’ve met at Spotify’s Stream On party and some that featured previously on the PodPod podcast, bringing you all the best series recommendations to tune into this weekend.
Along with the industry expert recommendations, we’ve also covered exciting new podcast launches that have dropped this week from a sitcom-style scripted podcast sure to bring back nostalgic feelings, to successful podcasts that have launched new video-format episodes, the history of the Irish Taoiseach and the return of an entrepreneurial podcast.
Andrew Butler - Head of social and PR, Tortoise Media
The Socially Distant Sports Bar is hands down the funniest sports podcast around, but the past couple of episodes have been an excellent use of how to use your live recordings when you publish them as audio-only post-event. I was at the shows themselves but it didn’t stop me wanting to make sure I listened to the same show a few days later. An added bonus was the extra content Steff, Elis and Mike recorded afterwards for paying listeners so that you weren’t just listening to the live show – it was a nice touch to get additional value as a paying listener.
David Law - Co-host, The Tennis Podcast
I listen to No Laying Up - a brilliant golf podcast - most weeks to keep up with the sport, pick up ideas about how to do things and generally be entertained. The last week it has become required listening to know who’s doing what ahead of The Masters, and perhaps more importantly to understand the political wranglings between the Rory McIlroy-backed PGA Tour, and the Saudi-breakaway LIV Tour.
Brett Spencer - Director, Centre of Podcasting Excellence, City, University of London
I constantly have a huge backlog, but I’ve just finished listening to the second series of Dua Lipa At Your Servicefrom Persephonica. Guests have included Monica Lewinsky, Trevor Noah, civil rights campaigner Bryan Stevenson and New York Times editor Dean Baquet. Dua Lipa asks surprising and incisive questions and finds new angles to enter into the conversation. It proves she’s way more than just a pop star and shows there’s life in the interview podcast yet. It’s the sort of thing that radio should be commissioning but can't, due to the need to play a track every ten minutes.
Roma Agrawal - Co-host, Create The Future
I would recommend 99% Invisible. I've been listening to that podcast for years and years. I'm slightly obsessed with Roman Mars - don't tell him that - and I just love how they delve into the creativity, the design, the ideas, the people that are responsible for making stuff around that. I just think that the range of stuff they cover is absolutely fascinating.
Arvind Hickman - Media editor, Campaign
Should the BBC-employed Gary Lineker be allowed to score a few political goals on the back of a tweet that challenges out the Government’s “Stop the Boats” policy? The furore around it caught me offside, the tactics employed by the anti-Lineker mob (AKA Conservatives) are from an old playbook, but the BBC’s Media Show provides a balanced view on whether his Twitter tackle crossed a line and if he should be shown a red (or yellow) card.
Freshly Dropped
The Irish Taoiseach Podcast
A new weekly series by Global’s radio station LBC that deep dives into the lives and careers of the 15 men that served as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland since 1922, the year that marked the conclusion of the Irish War of Independence. The series is hosted by award-winning political broadcaster Iain Dale and debuted 6 March.
Success is in the mind
PinPoint Media’s Success Is In The Mind podcast returned on 8 March with entrepreneur and Trumpet co-founder Nick Telson as the first guest interviewed by the host of the show and PinPoint CEO Oliver Bruce. The award-winning show speaks to founders and entrepreneurs across various businesses and dives into the less glamorous sides of the business.
Popcorn for dinner
A first-of-its-kind sitcom podcast following the story of four friends in their 20s - voiced by Maddy Kelly, Charlie Foster, Jillian Ebanks and Ben Fawcett - as they go about their day to day life. The weekly scripted series launched 7 March and is narrated by Big Time Rush actress Ciara Bravo and features classic sitcom hallmarks such as laugh tracks in the background.
Distractible and Go! My Favourite Sports Team
YouTube content creator and filmmaker Markiplier announced on Wednesday during Spotify’s annual Stream On event that his podcasts, Distractibleand Go! My Favourite Sports Team will premiere in a video format exclusively on Spotify from that day as part of a new partnership with the audio giant, with the first video episode of Distractible available now.
6 Degrees From Jamie & Spencer
Hit BBC pop culture podcast 6 Degrees From Jamie & Spencer, which tracks down megastars with six calls or less, has been adapted into a television show on BBC iPlayer. The new six-part TV show features appearances from A-list celebrities including Channing Tatum & Salma Hayek, Brad Pitt, Aubrey Plaza, Daniel Radcliffe, Idris Elba, & Jessica Chastain. The show launched 9 March and is available to download as a box set.
