By the end of 2024, there will be a projected 505 million podcast listeners globally – and 84% increase from just five years ago. That means almost a quarter of all internet users listen to podcasts. More than a quarter of Americans listen to podcasts on a weekly basis and many see it a source of news. The average weekly listener consumes eight podcast episodes per week.
None of this should, perhaps be surprising, given listeners can find podcasts on nearly any topic, from news to politics to sports – and, of course, technology. Many feature engaging hosts and informative (and often entertaining) guests, making podcasts a source of both education and entertainment. They are also very easily accessible via mobile apps or any browser. Not surprisingly, Apple Podcasts (37%) and Spotify (27%) are, by far, the leading podcast platforms – though several others have more than 5 million users each.
Given the continued increase in podcast listening and production, we are pleased to introduce the TMCnet Tech Podcast Awards from 2023. This award is a celebration of the remarkable contributions of tech podcasts that empower, educate, and entertain. These awards aim to honor outstanding content creators, hosts, and guests. For this inaugural program, TMC’s (News - Alert) editors took time to listen to and evaluate many podcasts covering a number of topical areas in the tech space, from AI to cybersecurity to CX and much more – and found many that should be in your podcast list. We hope to find even more in future editions.
Take a look and, hopefully, you’ll agree and find several that become your must-listen podcasts.
Description: The Twenty Minute VC (20VC) interviews the world's greatest venture capitalists with prior guests including Sequoia's Doug Leone and Benchmark's Bill Gurley. Once per week, 20VC Host Harry Stebbings is also joined by one of the great founders of our time with prior founder episodes from Spotify's Daniel Ek, Linkedin's Reid Hoffman, and Snowflake's Frank Slootman.
Editor’s take: Host Harry Stebbings is seriously enthusiastic and entertaining and aside from the long string of ads at the beginning of some episodes, this is a very educational podcast and a must subscribe. The content? A lot of tech, venture capital and business (as you would expect from the name). You get a good amount of human interest content as well.
Description: 401 Access Denied is a bi-weekly podcast produced by Delinea, a provider of privileged access management (PAM) solutions. Hosted by seasoned cybersecurity expert Joseph Carson, ethical hacker, Advisory CISO & Chief Security Scientist at Delinea, the podcast provides listeners with authorized access to real-life stories and advice from leading cybersecurity experts, best practices for navigating security challenges, and much more. Carson invites industry peers every two weeks to discuss all things security, from hot topics to current events to behind-the-scenes techniques, dissecting what’s really going on in today’s world of cybersecurity. Topics include everything from how a college graduate can find a job in cybersecurity and develop the necessary skills, to how CISOs can prevent ransomware attacks and insider threats.
Editor’s take: We really liked the variety of these podcast titles from episode 89 (Smart Hacking) to episode 75 (Security & Trust in Voting Systems). Episode 95, Living with ADHD in InfoSec, was great. We had trouble listening to it all in one sitting though ;-). Host Joe Carson, interviewed guest Klaus Agnoletti a freelance InfoSec pro. The discussion revolved around handling ADHD in the workplace as well as Dyslexia, which Joe revealed he has. Klaus said his therapist was hesitant to prescribe medicine, but ultimately did and it helped him a lot. He said it gives his brain a kick in the butt. This podcast is really fascinating and informative and we highly recommend subscribing.
Description: The a16z Podcast discusses tech and culture trends, news, and the future – especially as “software eats the world.” It features industry experts, business leaders, and other interesting thinkers and voices from around the world. It is produced by Andreessen Horowitz, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm. Multiple episodes are released every week.
Editor’s take: We have listened to numerous A16Z podcasts as well as their Bio Eats World podcasts. There is no better source of information on science and technology in the podcast world, but they can be a bit too dry at times and would benefit from more excitement. Basically, everything is in the tone of NPR (News - Alert) and we wish we could add just a sprinkle of Jim Cramer entertainment dust.
Description: Industry veterans Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis (News - Alert), David Sacks and David Friedberg cover nearly any topic related to the economy, tech, politics, social and poker – in fact, the podcast name itself is a reference to their poker group. They share insights from their experiences as they discuss trends and issues related these subjects.
Editor’s take: This is the premiere podcast in tech, venture capital, business and politics. It is even-handed and balanced – unlike any network or cable news. Host Jason Calacanis has evolved to become an incredible moderator who allows guests to make their points – even if he doesn’t seem to agree with them. David Sacks and Chamath Palihapitiya rarely say anything incorrect and can be months ahead of conventional wisdom. David Friedberg is yet another voice of reason but can sometimes be overly cautionary – for example predicting major famine as result of the Ukraine war. Having said that, this is the most educational, authentic, entertaining and valuable podcast you can listen to.
Description: The ALYNMENT podcast aims to connect the dots between private networks, their business implications, and enterprise needs in a way that is both accessible and thought-provoking. It captures real-world stories and realistic perspectives that help enterprises align the what, why, and how of everything related to private networks. The podcast answers critical questions related to private networks, featuring insights from industry experts and vendor communities.
Editor’s take: In episode 42, Host Ashish Jain interviewed former FCC Chair and TMCnet columnist Tom Wheeler and Mike Mulaca, CEO of Alef. What we liked about this podcast was the upbeat intro and how they took a technical concept and turned it into a solid business discussion. Tom really put the scarcity of wireless spectrum into perspective. This was a great episode. We were impressed and really recommend this podcast.
Description: Strategies for solving business challenges through today’s Information Technologies, featuring the foremost thought leaders in the field. AVANT is an industry-leading platform for IT Decision Making.
Editor’s take: On episode 115, host John Paullin interviewed Five9’s Todd Cadieux. The style of podcast was to take a key clip from the podcast and play it at the start. We aren't fans of this format but this is more a matter of personal taste. John and Paul had good chemistry, but they have known each other for a while so this is to be expected. The topic was AI and the contact center. It was a great listen and worth subscribing to.
Description: B2B Tech Talk with Ingram Micro is a podcast that brings listeners the information they need to stay relevant and successful in the tech industry. Hosted by Nina Buik, the podcast features topics such as IoT, cloud evolution, augmented reality, the future of artificial intelligence, improving ROI, and more. It aims to provide forward-thinking insights from technology thought leaders, C-suite executives, tech experts, and channel pioneers.
Editor’s take: On the December 29, 2023 episode, Devaughn Bittle, Patrick Cash and Kevin Fraser chat with Eric Chong, enterprise client technical sales specialist at Intel, and James Coombs, partner sales executive at Microsoft (News - Alert). Of note was the sheer scale of Microsoft’s AI investment. There was also a solid discussion regarding Wi-Fi advancements. The podcast had strong information, though we would have liked a bit more energy. Regardless, it is worth a listen and subscribing to.
Description: Cybersecurity awareness and education should be part of your business culture. That’s why we created Cybersecurity Simplified. Each podcast is short and completely relatable, without technical jargon. This is cybersecurity for IT folks and non-IT folks alike. Ransomware, managed security services, end-to-end security services, cyber threat response, hybrid workplaces, cyber insurance, myths about hackers, XDR, cybercrime in the Coronaverse – these are just a few of the topics we dive into on Cybersecurity Simplified. Hosts CTO David Barton and Emmy award-winning journalist Susanna Song bring the experts straight to you.
Editor’s take: On episode 44, Susanna Song and David Barton discuss the Las Vegas casino giants getting hit by ransomware and what could have been done to reduce the risk of such an attack. Both co-hosts do an amazing job and our only room for improvement is the HighWire logo on the screen behind Susan's head is bright and distracts from looking at Susanna when she speaks. This is an extremely informative cybersecurity podcast worth subscribing to.
Description: Dev Interrupted is a weekly podcast made exclusively for software engineering leaders. Hosts Dan Lines and Conor Bronsdon invite expert guests from around the world to explore strategy and day-to-day topics ranging from dev team metrics to accelerating delivery. The podcast is known for its informative and engaging conversations and practical advice for engineering leaders. Episodes have covered topics such as Stupid Things Orgs Do That Kill Productivity, Upskilling Your Engineering Team, The Dangers of Shipping at All Costs, AI Tooling for Dev Teams. The podcast’s objective is to provide software engineering leaders with the knowledge and tools to build and lead high-performing teams.
Editor’s take: On the Season 3 Finale episode, hosts Dan Lines, Conor Bronson, and Ben Lloyd Pearson team up for a special holiday edition and discuss how the podcast has evolved and what's in store for 2024. Some of the highlights of 2023 were career development and how to interview, get hired and become a great leader. There was also a discussion on how devs can game traditional programmer productivity management tools and how their use doesn't boost productivity. This podcast focuses on a technical topic, but presents it in a fairly entertaining manner – its worthy of a subscribe.
Description: First Contact is an engaging podcast that provides a rare and enlightening look into the world of the call center industry, featuring stories of professionals who’ve made unexpected careers within this space. Hosted by Christian Montes, the podcast embraces the reality that no one wakes up one day and decides to work in a call center. Using this unconventional but relatable viewpoint, the show uncovers the unusual journeys and unexpected rewards of call center life. The podcast is hosted by Christian Montes, who leverages his extensive industry experience to pose thought-provoking questions about guests’ life paths, struggles, successes, and most significantly, how they ended up in the call center industry.
Editor’s take: In season 4, episode 10, "Empathy-Driven Contact Centers: From Complaints to Connections, with Dr. Natalie Petouhoff,” Christian Montes discussed how the doctor became a consultant – based on a flight she took and a random relationship which developed as a result. She was an engineer with a PHD and this helped her start the journey of integrating tech transformation, while keeping in mind the human component. Christian is a good moderator – he didn't interrupt; He helped guide Natalie through her life's journey. He really shows his experience in the contact center and corporate management space, but does it in a way that allows him to ask questions in a flowing manner. This podcast was very well done.
Description: High Bit is a new podcast that brings you smart and practical approaches to problem-solving with the engineers, builders, and technical experts within the Initialized Capital community of early-stage startups. The show focuses on startup engineering, which isn't as linear as it might seem. Behind the scenes, hard problems are being solved with creative solutions multiple times a day. In each episode, the hosts discuss a particularly challenging engineering problem with one of their guests and dive deep into how to solve it.
Editor’s take: On episode 2 with guest Jose Acain, Astroforge Co-founder and CTO, host Brett Gibson discussed space mining and what happens when a space launch goes bad. The video podcast we watched on YouTube was professionally produced and very interesting. We really enjoyed this episode. The questions were great and Brett's rapport with Jose was impressive. A minor nitpick was the fact that guest was in front of a light background while Brett was in front a dark background. We found this a little distracting but loved the actual content, which is what matters. We suggest you subscribe.
Description: Lex Fridman is an AI researcher at MIT and beyond and delivers conversations about the nature of intelligence, consciousness, love, and power on his podcast.
Editor’s take: Lex has a somewhat monotone style for our taste, but he asks the best questions in the business, by far. He gets his top tier guests (Jeff Bezos, Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, etc.) to divulge things you wouldn’t expect. He either prepares like no other host or he has an innate sense of what questions his audience would like him to ask. Either way, he is a must-subscribe.
Description: Hosted by Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, Andy Ihnatko, and Jason Snell, MacBreak Weekly covers all things Apple – Macs, iPhones, iPads, Watches, Apple TV, and more. The hosts dive into Apple news, rumors, updates, and reviews. Tech experts Leo Laporte, Andy Ihnatko, Alex Lindsay, and Jason Snell thoroughly examine the Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. They keep sharp eyes on any news, including Apple event announcements and internal workings. The hosts deliver thoughtful commentary on changes in Apple's services like Apple Music and Fitness+, company earnings, manufacturing practices, the effect of local, national, and global tech policies, privacy concerns, regulations and governmental oversight, legal issues, and competitive edge. With extensive experience covering Apple and the tech industry, the MBW hosts go well beyond the specs. They cut through the company hype and present it all in an approachable, conversational style.
Editor’s take: On episode 901, host Leo Laporte, one of the best in the biz, did a “best of” episode. It was a festive and fun holiday episode and discussed things like the M2 Mac and more. Watching the episode made us nostalgic as TwiT.TV was one of the first podcasts in tech we started following – and it has aged like a fine wine.
Description: NEDAS Live! is where wireline and wireless meet. The podcast's objective is to address the communications infrastructure ecosystem, brought to you by NEDAS. NEDAS Live! hosts guests covering topics related to the growing convergence of wireline and wireless technologies, featuring prominent guests from various industries.
Editor’s take: In Episode 39, Revolutionizing Rural Connectivity With Altruistic Innovation, host Ilissa Miller is vivacious and did a great job getting Steve Smith, CRO of LiveOak Fiber Steve to explain his journey to building a large, fast-growing greenfield carrier. Ilissa has been in the tech and, specifically the broadband carrier space long enough to make her one of the experts in the field, This certainly comes through as you listen and we highly recommend it.
Description: The intersection of technology, startups, and venture capital touches everything now. That’s why Equity unpacks the numbers and nuance behind the headlines for entrepreneurs and enthusiasts alike. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, TechCrunch reporters Alex Wilhelm and Mary Ann Azevedo keep you up-to-date on the world of business, technology, and venture capital.
Editor’s take: These podcasts are highly informative as they are from the TechCrunch team – the best reporters in tech and VC. The challenge is the content can get drawn out and boring – there needs to be more of a focus on entertainment. Still, you won’t find a better way to be educated about the most important happenings in the venture capital and tech worlds.
Description: Tech UNMUTED is an insightful podcast about modern workplace collaboration and artificial intelligence tools hosted by George Schoenstein, CMO at Fusion Connect (News - Alert), and Santi Cuellar, Senior Manager of Solution Marketing at Fusion Connect. As leaders in business communication and collaboration technologies, George and Santi explore the latest industry trends, real-world use cases, and expert perspectives on how emerging digital tools can enable connectivity and efficiency, with a particular focus on the Microsoft ecosystem. With a blend of industry expertise, conversational flair, and entertaining asides, George and Santi make intricate tech subjects – like CX, hybrid work, common challenges in IT, emerging marketing strategies, and more – easily digestible.
Editor’s take: On episode 38, George Schoenstein and Santi Cuellar discussed the widespread adoption of AI and specific companies in the space. At the end, they offered predictions of what comes next in AI – truly personalized digital assistants – a great future to look forward to! While we found it highly informative, we would have liked the tone of the podcast intro to be a bit more performative – similar to how Jason Calacanis overemphasizes his excitement on many podcast intros.
Description: Jason Calacanis covers startups, tech, markets, media, and all the hottest topics in business and technology. He also interviews the world’s greatest founders, operators, investors, and innovators.
Editor’s take: Host Jason Calacanis is entertaining and has access to amazing guests. Some time back, Molly Wood was the co-host. We miss the chemistry she and Jason had but, since she left, the program is more tech and business and less MSNBC. This is good news for those seeking more balanced news and opinions. Jason now has had an array of guests and always seems to know the right question to ask. His chemistry with frequent guest Sunny Madra is also second to none. A recent favorite episode was number 1870, an interview with FCC's Brendan Carr.
Description: Your first podcast of the week is the last word in tech news. Join Leo Laporte and the top tech journalists and pundits in a roundtable discussion of the latest trends in tech.
Editor’s take: On episode 959, "The Old Farts Gather," Host Leo Laporte hosts the last live episode of the year. One host, Steve Gibson said the fact it’s possible for bad guys to use extortion to receive payments via crypto is a game-changer. The conversation ensued that crypto hasn't fulfilled its open currency potential and instead, many good people have lost a lot of money. Twit is one of the original tech podcasts and you can't find a more knowledgeable source for serious and important tech news and perspective.
Description: To The Point Cybersecurity Podcast is a 30-45 minute weekly podcast covering the latest cyber news, threats, and trends impacting the federal government and the world at large. The podcast provides key insights into the latest updates to important U.S. Government initiatives like CDM, Raise the Bar, and FedRAMP, new ways for agencies to stay ahead of an ever-changing threat landscape, as well as provocative insights from public and private sector experts on how digital trust and the human element can help mitigate threats.
Editor’s take: On episode 265, "Cyber in the 21st Century with Combiz Abdolrahimi," Rachel Lyon and Eric Trexler exhibit a great rapport, making for a great, flowing, show. Abdolrahimi is a great guest with an amazing bio in government and the private sector. They discuss how to protect critical infrastructure including food sources – think ransomware shutting down the food supply chain. Eric mentions that many sectors in business don't do the basics. Combiz says there needs to be more proactivity and better adherence to cybersecurity standards. This show is an important listen.
Edited by Erik Linask
