Snippet: Podcast Ranting ☇

The Verge’s John Lagomarsino wants you to listen to podcasts at 1x speed:

There are a few ways podcast apps go about speeding programs up. The most common is simply to run the audio at faster-than-normal speeds, often 1.5x. Thankfully, this process doesn’t tend to affect the pitch of the material. At best, it forces our brains to work in overdrive; worst, it destroys the art of timing.

Like Stephen Hackett, I wasn’t going to comment on this, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to chime in a bit. For the shows I listen to, missing a dramatic pause here or there is not a big deal, since I listen to podcasts most often while I’m doing other things. Regardless of if the content is super-artsy, my attention is never at 100% anyway. Therefore, I run Overcast at almost 2x and with Smart Speed and enjoy more shows in less time and also consume a greater variety. It is a bit like skimming, but it works for me.

As someone who co-hosts two different podcasts, I don’t mind if the listeners on the other end are enjoying them at a faster speed, too. Since a lot of the discussion is organic, there is a lot of fluff that some may want to skim over. Some editing gives a more professional feel, but most podcasts don’t have the tightness or overproduced feel of a scripted television show or movie. I’d rather people discover the shows I’m involved with and give them a try, rather than possibly bumping another show or eventually bumping them for something new.