Podcasting is hot these days. There are a lot of Christian podcasts to choose from. The problem I've found is that most of the ones I've come across are tough to listen to. Some are sermons that don't translate well to the Internet. Others are ones that either have bad audio quality or there is something about the style of the hosts that just doesn't work. Now that I'm involved in two podcasts and just finished listening to part of an episode of a really bad Christian podcast (I just couldn't finish it) I'm working through the question, what makes a good podcast. Here is my short list of what it takes.
Hosting Style
While hosting style can be all over the place I think there are a few common elements. First, the hosts don't spend a lot of time talking about themselves or their life. When they do it's to relate to part of what they are talking about. People don't listen to podcasts to be involved in the hosts lives. They listen because the topic is something they care about.
The hosts are kind, caring, and honest. The podcast episode I just listened to had the hosts bashing someone for the way they looked. That isn't appropriate (and isn't something Christians are called to do). If the hosts had been kinder that would have been a good step in making it better to listen to.
Finally, I think podcasts with more than one host that have a good conversational style is key. We love to be apart of a good conversation rather than being told something. Podcasts that are a conversation seem to be easier to listen to.
Decent Audio Quality
A podcasts audio quality doesn't have to be perfect. But, it has to be decent. There are a lot of problems that can creep into the audio which are annoying to our brains on an unconscious level. When those sounds are there people don't like to listen and often don't even know why.
Consistent Content
The show needs to be consistent. People listen to podcasts for the topic of the show. If the topic is all over the place people aren't interested in the show. If the podcasts starts off as a knitting podcast and starts having episodes on brewing beer the audience is going to get turned off. This may be an obvious example. But, a Christian podcast for the Asian community that starts to add episodes for the Latin American community would very likely have the same issue.
These are my big three, in no particular order. What do you think makes for a good podcast? Is there something I missed?
Passion and Humility
For me, the two big factors that make or break a podcast are passion and humility:
1. Passion is MUST. The presenter must LOVE what he/she is talking about. If they're doing the podcast primarily for any other reason (like to be loved, or to sound important, or to get business, etc) then that can be heard in their voice, and I don't care to listen.
2. Podcasters, in the end, have to love their audience and be humble enough to put themselves on the same level, or below, that audience. If "I'm talking to you from on high and you'll listen because I have a microphone" then, as a listener, I'm not interested. A podcaster needs to humble himself/herself even though their voice is often the only one heard.
Both of these relate to doing a podcast for the right reason. I think too many podcasts are done not because there's a passion for the topic and not because they want to connect with an audience of people, but because they want to be 'famous' and 'listened to'. I know these are traps that, as a podcaster, I'm always warning myself against.
Agree Completely
I completely agree with these. When a podcaster looses their passion podcasts seem to become stale and boring. There is just something missing.
And, when a podcaster looses humility they usually become someone I don't want to listen to.
I didn't think of these partially because I listen to podcasts where the podcasters have the passion and seem to be pretty humble.
A good analysis might be to look at what doesn't work on a podcast.