Podcast Genre vs. Podcast Type

If you are an avid podcast listener you probably have a favourite genre that you enjoy. It might be sports, politics, comedy, or my favourites technology and history. Apple podcasts does a really good job of categorizing podcasts by the various genre, but they do not give much for sorting by podcast style. What is a podcast style? Why is podcast style important? Well I am glad you asked, because I think it is as important as podcast genre.

Podcast style is how the information is presented, think of it as the delivery method. This is not an exhaustive list of podcast styles but probably covers 90%:

You can find any of these 8 podcast styles in most genres. They all have their benefits and serve the different genres in their own special way.

For me personally I like to develop a personal connection to the podcast host(s). My favourite podcast style, runaway, is the roundtable format. This is where three or more co-hosts talk about or debate a topic. I enjoy this style and find myself rooting for one of the co-hosts more often than not.

As with all of your consumption habits of any media there is an issue to be addressed. For example, if you mostly read thriller fiction novels you should probably give non-fiction self-help books a try every now and then, if for no other reason than to give your mind a workout. In this same light, you should vary the style of podcast you listen to.

I have recently subscribed to some story-based non-fiction podcasts. Think of these as documentaries for your ears. I find this style of podcast requires much more cognitive effort to follow along, which I believe is good for your brain. The great thing about podcasts is that I was able to find this story-based podcast in one of my favourite genres, making it an easy transition. It turns out varying the podcasts I listen to has opened the door for me to expand not only the podcast style I listen to, but I has also allowed me to discover an appreciation for a new genre.

It is through mixing different genres with different delivery styles that I have quickly discovered that true crime genre podcasts do not suit roundtable style delivery, but caters to the story-based style very well. As I already listen to too many podcasts, the last thing I need is to find a new podcast rabbit hole to go down. With only so many listening hours available each day, I now find myself having to choose my new found true crime listening passion over some of my old standby favourite podcasts.