7 podcasts you need to start listening to

Podcasts are a great way to survive a long flight, a terrible traffic jam or any other dull moment. 

Never tried it and don’t know where to start? We are happy to help you with some tips and tricks and a list of our favourite podcasts.

Quick guide

All you need to listen to podcasts is a smartphone with a podcastcatcher. There are many apps you can use, both for iOS and for Android. We use Overcast for our iPhones and Stitcher for our Android phones. The apps allow you to look for and subscribe to your favourite podcasts, so that new episodes automatically appear in your personal favourites list.

Our favourite podcasts

1. Real people tell true stories: Spark London. A podcast in which people reveal true stories about themselves on stage in front of a live audience. Sometimes they make you laugh, some might make you cry. The good thing is you never have time to get bored, as every story takes maximum five minutes. Want to hear more stories like these? Then check out The Moth, the American version of this podcast.
2. Learn something about design and architecture: 99% Invisible. What’s the origin of fortune cookies? And why did Sigmund Freud opt for a couch instead of an armchair? If you want to know, you have to listen to 99% Invisible, one of the most popular podcasts on iTunes. It’s all about design and architecture and the way they shape our world, even if we don’t realize it. It’s like an audio version of discovery channel, for design lovers.
3. If you like a good laugh: WTF with Marc Marron. Marc Maron has been creating pure and honest comedy for twenty years, both as a writer and as a stand-up comedian. Since 2009, you can also listen to his conversations with celebrities like Keith Richards, Ben Stiller and Barack Obama. Revealing and often very funny!
4. Political update: Fareed Zakaria GPS. Fareed Zakaria hosts CNN’s flagship foreign affairs show, is a Washington Post columnist, a contributing editor for The Atlantic and a New York Times bestselling author. Esquire Magazine called him “the most influential foreign policy adviser of his generation”. In his podcast he focuses on international politics with in-depth interviews and round-table debates.
5. Non-fiction show: This American Life/Serial. This American Life was initially a show on public radio with one-hour episodes. The show was so successful (it won about every possible broadcasting award) that a spin-off podcast was launched: Serial.
6. The life of a flight attendant: Betty in the sky with a suitcase. Perfect to listen to when you’re flying: a podcast with true stories told by flight attendants, pilots and other people working in aviation. Very entertaining!
7. Exceptional stories: Iemand. A Radio 1 podcast about people who have experienced something extraordinary, achieved something exceptional or made a special accomplishment. Every episode features someone else’s story. Unfortunately, only in Dutch…
   
   

Which podcast do you find interesting, entertaining or hilariously funny? Let us know!