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Podcasts

December 2024

Three of the best US podcasts, as nominated by the New York Times: Critics at large from The New Yorker, Cement City and The Nameless Man from Pushkin.

The best (US) podcasts of 2024

From chat shows to true crime, here’s a pick of the 10 best Americans series released this year.

  • Reggie Ugwu
The Martha Stewart documentary on Netflix went down well with Coles CEO Leah Weckert.

What our top CEOs read, watched and listened to in 2024

From business books to crime thrillers and podcasts, here’s what our CEOs did in their spare time this year.

  • Anthony Macdonald and James Thomson
Tom Holland, left, and Dominic Sandbrook, hosts of The Rest is History podcast.

The podcast all of federal parliament is obsessed with

Australia’s political leaders have ambitious reading and streaming plans for the summer break, but one audio program is winning bipartisan support.

  • Tom McIlroy

November 2024

Joe Rogan (right) interviewed Donald Trump for three hours for his podcast.

Memo to Kim Williams and the ABC: This is the age of ‘bro’ podcasts

Men are tired of the superficiality and bias in so much of the mainstream media. They’re going to alternative platforms to get what they want.

  • John Anderson

September 2024

Mamamia chief content officer Zara Curtis and CEO Natalie Harvey.

Why this media company is making ‘ethical porn’ podcasts for women

Mamamia is launching its 58th podcast, Butter, after asking its audience about their sexual fantasies and getting some ... interesting responses.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones
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August 2024

Michelle Andrews (left) and Zara McDonald host the hugely popular podcast, Shameless.

With $70 this duo grew Australia’s biggest media brand for young women

Six years on, 30-year-olds Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews have built a burgeoning company without any external investment.

  • Lauren Sams

July 2024

Henrik Isaksson at the Sydney Game Fishing Club jetty in Watsons Bay. “The catching of the fish itself is fun, but it’s just part of the experience – there is no better way to experience nature.”

This managing director caught a 300kg marlin – and threw it back

During the week, Henrik Isaksson runs the local arm of podcasting giant Acast. On the weekend, he’s into casting of a very different kind.

  • Michael Bailey

April 2024

Kindling co-founders Sachin Shah and Adam Miller

Got a small audience? This start-up could help you monetise it

Kindling is figuring out what AI tools can help podcasters and YouTubers “supercharge” their content, and find someone willing to pay for it.

  • John Davidson

February 2024

Joe Walker, who runs a podcast (formerly called the Jolly Swagman) and snagged a 4.5 hour interview with Ken Henry earlier this year. He has clocked up 150 episodes including big names like historian William Dalrymple, Yanis Varoufakis, Noam Chomsky, and Canadian philosopher Cheryl Misak.

The 4½-hour podcast you’re missing out on

Spotify says Gen Z want shorter podcast episodes and more lighthearted content, but that hasn’t stopped others listening to 4.5-hour epics featuring Ken Henry.

  • Gus McCubbing

January 2024

Former US president Donald Trump with Kid Rock.

Donald Trump sparks a true-crime podcast boom

The former US president has created his own genre.

  • Benjamin Mullin

December 2023

Spotify chief Daniel Ek has made a tough call on a third round of redundancies this year.

Spotify lays off 1500 staff after podcast spending spree

It’s a gloomy end to the year for employees at the music streaming giant, as 17 per cent of the company has been shown the door.

  • Adam Satariano

August 2023

P J Vogt

Is it OK to enjoy a podcast by people involved in a workplace scandal?

A new offering from hosts who lost their jobs on a top rating show present their potential audience with a moral dilemma.

  • Rachael Bolton

June 2023

Anna Wintour and Edward Enninful.

The podcast with the story behind the stories you never read

For anyone who is fascinated by the world of media – or who just wants to know more about the stories that never made it to the world – this is a must-listen.

  • Lauren Sams

March 2023

Female Founders

Female Founders: a new podcast series

Hear some of Australia’s top women entrepreneurs explain how they turned a simple idea into a successful business.

February 2023

The Fin podcast.

Podcasts now make $82.5m in ads - but it could be double

Podcast advertising is now worth $82.5 million a year, new figures show, but insiders expect that revenue to rise much further.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones
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While Bill Gates has succeeded in many things, he finds it impossible to keep up with all the podcasts and TV shows he should be consuming.

What Bill Gates regrets and the best piece of advice he’s received

White Lotus and Drive to Survive are among the billionaire’s favourite streaming shows.

  • Paul Smith

January 2023

Spotify is reportedly freezing its US budget for new podcasts.

The great podcasting market correction

Last year, the medium achieved one of the ultimate signifiers of middle age — a realisation that the best days of its high-spirited youth may now be behind it.

  • Ashley Carman and Lucas Shaw

December 2022

Camille Socquet-Clerc stays across cutting-edge climate tech by listening to Zero.

What podcasts these entrepreneurs will be listening to in 2023

The listening habits of Australian founders also reveal a focus of philosophy, relationships, cybercrime and how to be a good parent.

  • Tess Bennett
Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka loved a story of a very different kinds of jets.

What our top CEOs watched, read and listened to

Stories of fighter planes, corporate disasters, against-the-odds victories and Indigenous culture inspired Australia’s top business leaders in 2022.  

  • James Thomson and Tony Boyd

October 2022

Fake Joe Rogan and fake Steve Jobs make a podcast. Image created using Stable Diffusion.

When fake Steve Jobs and fake Joe Rogan made a podcast

It may be a marketing stunt, but this AI-created episode shows how far voice synthesis technology has come.

  • Theo Chapman

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/podcasts-jh8