Let's be honest, your commute to and from work is unlikely to evoke much excitement. You're just getting from point A—B and trying to avoid that guy with the serious coffee breath as you do it. Fortunately, we've got the perfect way to pass the time, no matter the length of your commute. Podcasts. We know getting started and finding the right show for your commute can be a bit of a lucky dip, so we’ve taken the struggle out of it for you.
Here's the commuters' guide to podcasting, tailored right down to the length of your trip. From 15 minutes to 45, we've got you covered. Happy listening.
15 Minute Commute
The Mindful Kind
Just like podcasts, ‘mindfulness’ is a bit of a buzzword at the moment, and the benefits are real. But getting started and figuring out just how to fit it into your routine can be a struggle. That’s where The Mindful Kind comes in. With episodes under 15 minutes, let the calming tones of Rachel Kable guide you through your mindfulness journey. It's backed up with a lot of her own personal experiences too.
Tell Me Straight
Okay, so this one can get up to about 20 minutes, but being a couple of minutes late to work every day is fine, right? Asking for a friend. For many of us, politics can get a little overwhelming (by little, we mean completely). ABC's Tell Me Straight doesn’t lose us in the fluff, and breaks down the most interesting, obscure, or unclear stories to make us understand why we should care. Told straight up. Get woke, guys.
Word Up
Sadly, a lot of knowledge about the Australian Indigenous culture has been lost, but Word Up is helping remedy that—in five-minute bites. Each week, a new word from the diverse languages of Indigenous Australia is shared with subscribers, deepening our understanding of how closely language and culture are tied together. Definitely a worthwhile listen, and the perfect length for latte-sipping.
30 Minute Commute
Download This Show
Marc Fennell is a very busy man, and we thank him for it. When he’s not co-hosting the Feed on SBS Viceland, he runs Download This Show—all about the latest news in the tech, social media and digital world. It’s not just for the tech geeks either. All the news is broken down with Fennell’s usual charm, so anyone can understand it (even us), and it's wrapped up inside half an hour. Listen to the interview with Dan Harmon, the mind behind Rick and Morty, for a standout episode.
Ladies, We Need To Talk
ABC, you’re at it again, killing the podcast game. Women, this one is for you. Ladies, We Need To Talk, hosted by Yumi Stynes, and is all about breaking down those taboo topics we women so commonly have learned to avoid. It’s tackling things like being a woman who doesn’t want children, why we cheat, menstruation in all its glory, and body image. With sensitivity and personal stories to share, you’re never alone in how you’re feeling. Good stuff.
45 Minute Commute
We Fact Up
Ever wondered about where the phrase ‘hair of the dog’ comes from? How about why corn flakes were invented? We Fact Up is the podcast for you. Hosted by mates Dave Zwolenski and Matt ‘Redd’ Patterson, they’re taking it back to the time before the internet existed to answer the important questions, sent-in by listeners. They do their best to figure it out with zero information, before Googling to find out just how wrong they are (usually very, very wrong). Prepare for some odd looks on the train as you stand laughing in the corner. Worth it. PRO TIP: The episode with Jack Post (yep, cackling Jack from the Hamish & Andy Show) is our favourite so far.
Free To A Good Home
Ever perused the classified ads in the local paper, or fallen into the Gumtree vortex? Michael Hing and Ben Jenkins certainly have, and they’ve compiled the very best ads to share with you. By which we mean, of course, the worst. We’re talking requests to be stuffed into a laundry bag (just to see where it goes), haunted clocks and a hunt for a bloke called David. You know who you are. Joined by a comedian friend each week, Free To A Good Home is a guaranteed good time.
You’ve Gotta Start Somewhere
The people working in the media seem to have scored themselves some pretty sweet gigs, those lucky things. Hosted by The Project regular and long-time radio and podcasting professional Rachel Corbett, You’ve Gotta Start Somewhere takes us behind the scenes of some of Australia’s most well-known media personalities, and finds out just how they got where they are. Hint: overnight successes? Not a thing. With guests like Shaun Micallef, Waleed Aly, and Leigh Sales, you’re in for some fascinating conversations. Goodbye bland tram trips.
Serial
Do we need to describe this one, really? At this point, Serial is almost synonymous with podcast, and rightly so. If you haven’t heard this true crime podcast yet, you need to get on that ASAP. Plus: Adnan Syed, the focus of season one, just got granted a new trial in part due to this gripping podcast. The power of the podcast, hey?
Need even more of a podcast fix? We've compiled a list of our top true crime podcasts here.
Image credit: Alice Moore