I like podcasts. The problem is, I love podcasts too much. With so many quality shows out there covering every topic imaginable, your queue for podcast episodes to listen to can build up quickly. Before you know it, you'll be able to fill up several weeks just by listening to them one after the other.
This isn't an unusual scenario for me, but I've learned some tricks to reduce the backlog and catch up (at least partially). If you've never changed from your default podcast player or played around with its features, you may have noticed that these apps come with a number of tools to help you play your podcasts faster. Maybe not.
Beyond that, we also have some ideas on how to incorporate more podcast listening into your day. In some cases, you may have to declare your podcast bankrupt, clear your queue, and start again, but these tips will help you avoid that last resort for as long as possible.
Listen faster with podcast app features
There are many podcast players out there, and most of them offer features that allow you to listen to podcasts faster. We'll show you some different tricks you can use with different apps, so check out what your podcast player of choice has to offer. If you don't have a specific time-saving feature that you find useful, you can do the following: Always switch to something else.
If you have an iPhone, you might be using Apple Podcasts, which is built into iOS. It's not the most feature-packed player, but you can adjust playback speed (up to 2x) with the tap of a button. 1x Press the button on the left side of the playback screen. This is a quick and easy way to cram more podcasts into the same amount of time.
Increasing the speed doesn't change the pitch of the voices or music, but it does take some time to get used to all the dialogue in fast-forward clips. Start at 1.25x speed and increase the speed as your ears get used to it.
Speed up playback a little or a lot.
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Spotify has been keen to add support for podcasts and audiobooks to its app in recent years, and one of the features you'll find on the playback screen within the app on Android and iOS is a sleep timer. This is the little stopwatch icon on the right. side. This allows you to add a few minutes of podcasts at the end of each day without worrying about missing a ton of episodes when you fall asleep.
The excellent Overcast app for iOS shows an impressive level of commitment to supporting everything you want to hear. One of the best features it offers is Smart Speed. You can access Smart Speed by tapping the button with three sliders in the bottom left corner of the playback screen. Silence in episodes is intelligently shortened so you can hear more dialogue. Dead air is also reduced.
Smart Speed interrupts the silence.
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Another very popular podcasting app is Pocket Casts for Android and iOS. This app can automatically skip custom times at the start and end of your podcast. This is useful if a particular show has an intro and outro that you know you don't need to hear every time. Tap the gear icon on the podcast's individual page in the app, skip to first or skip to end. (Pocket Girlfriend Cast is one of my favorites because it lets you adjust playback speed, trim silence, and even fall asleep while listening to a podcast.)
These apps (and others like them) come with different combinations of these features, so choose the one with the most options that you find useful. Additionally, almost every app should allow you to automatically download new episodes to your phone (so you don't have to pause your podcast listening when you're not connected to the internet) and set up a queue for episodes. . You can listen to them in order, so when an episode ends, you don't have to fumble for a new one.
My favorite way to fit more podcasts into your day
Beyond the features found within your podcast app, there are other ways to fit more podcasts into your available time. Maybe you're doing housework, working out at the gym, or making breakfast, but there are more moments when you can have a podcast blasting into your ears, but you can't. You don't have to spend every waking hour listening to podcasts…but it can certainly help clear your backlog.
If you don't have a podcast player that works with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, and your car has one (or both) of these systems, consider switching to an app that does. You can listen to podcasts during road trips, your daily commute, or even a quick trip to the store (your podcast player is smart enough to continue where you left off).
In some cases, you may need to unsubscribe.
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What I've had to learn is to not place too much emphasis on listening to every episode of every podcast. Even if your favorite podcast has an episode that's about a topic you're not that interested in or features a guest that you're not that interested in, don't be afraid to skip it. You'll really miss out on a lot, so you can spend more time on the episodes you're really into.
Similarly, sometimes you have to be ruthless about the podcasts you subscribe to. If you find yourself frequently deleting episodes you don't listen to, unsubscribe and clean up your queue. If you're not ready to take that step yet, try resetting it. Archive all existing episodes of your podcast and start over with new episodes as they become available.
