2018 has been a year of road trips.
From our centralized hub in Denver, my wife and I drew out spokes on the map that led us through the deserts of the American Southwest, the rolling hills of the Midwest, and racing across the expansive wonder of Big Sky Country. On a loose estimation, we’ve seen 4,500 miles over the course of two and a half weeks—all of it from the tight confines of a Honda HRV.
The mileage is something to love, and while the interior is deceivingly roomy, even the largest spaces turn uncomfortable when you can’t agree on what music to play. Instead of arguing over which playlist goes on next, we’ve turned our ears to podcasts to get us through the long, empty highways.
If there’s one thing I’ve noticed right off the bat about podcasts, it’s that you sort of happen upon them. You’ll never know what you like or what you are interested in until it comes through the speakers.
When we started collecting podcasts for road trips, we began with We Have Concerns because of the unusual episode titles and off-topic conversation. When that podcast ended its production, we found ourselves falling down a long rabbit hole of recorded content that we have yet to listen to.
Another thing about podcasts: Everyone has one. From famously known producers covering the big stories to your next-door neighbor who likes to talk about rare reptiles, it feels like everyone is recording something—which means there is something out there for you.
Where to start? How about your player?
Any podcast worth their salt has their content available through major podcasting platforms. All of the audio services you likely already use also have a podcast streaming component. Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast Player, Stitcher, and Spotify are the heavyweights in the field and feature enough variety to appeal to the most fickle of listeners.
A note on advertisements
Advertisements happen. They are also why so many podcasters have increased their production value and the number of episodes they release. However, binging a dozen podcasts on the road will put the same advertisements in front of you. For your sanity, make sure your player has a “30-second skip” function.
Discovery
Every player has its way of showing you additional podcasts that you may want to subscribe to. I would explain how this works, but it is the internet, so we can assume it is equal parts of creepy search algorithms and paid advertisements. My point: Not all of these suggestions are winners. Your best bet is to ask friends or consider other podcasts also made within the same studio.
What podcasts are best for long road trips?
Since safety is a concern, you won’t want to be fiddling with your device while driving. Long-form podcasts tend to fit into a handful of categories.
Category 1: News and Entertainment
Just about every major news outlet has at least one podcast. They range from your standard full-coverage of all the day’s headlines to a deep-dive into one particular issue. Entertainment podcasts can cover topics from the latest books, movie reviews, talks with actors or musicians, or previews of new albums.
News podcasts don’t stay topical for very long and require a fair amount of grooming to make sure the more relevant ones remain towards the top.
Category 2: Humor and Satire
Comedians deal with sound waves. With easy access to a microphone, speaker, and recorder, their careers are off to the races. Comedy albums have been around for decades, and most of them are available on platforms like Spotify today.
Most of your favorite comedians fill the gaps between comedy specials with regularly updated podcasts. These podcasts can add color to the comedian’s personality that might not be presented on stage—for better or worse.
Marc Maron has been doing standup for decades but didn’t hit his stride until he started the WTF podcast, which gained an enormous following and has attracted guests like Barack Obama. Joe Rogan moved his focus from stage to studio and produces 5 to 6 podcast episodes a week, each ranging from 2 to 3 hours each. It’s an uphill battle to get through all of them, so search for the topics you may appreciate.
As with all comedians, some of their language or topics can be rather blue and not suitable for children.
Category 3: Cliff-hangers
Long-format, Serial-style podcasts are an outstanding way to kill vast blocks of time. It’s like binging a whole season on Netflix, but for your ears. Think of them as stylized audio-books that do a deep-dive into very detailed topics that cover several episodes. These long-hearted discussions typically cover topics of true crime or history.
Some suggestions:
When in doubt, hit the studios
Similar to how movie studios release a particular brand of film, there are podcast studios that produce similar quality content that may also interest you.
Some suggestions:
Still want to talk?
Here’s a bold idea: maybe you start your own podcast? If you’re the type who’d rather host a long conversation behind the wheel than listen to one, why not build up an audience with a podcast of your own?
Anchor is an app that allows anyone to record, produce, edit, and distribute their own podcast straight from their phone. If you’re traveling the country for the experience and to gather stories, why not share them across one of the fastest growing mediums?
One last note
You have a thousand miles to drive, and most of that is probably through country lacking a 4G cell connection. Make sure you have enough listening content downloaded before you take off.
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to check out these 5 Podcasts To Add To Your Listening Queue, these Awesome Podcasts For Your Next Road Trip and meet the host of the Women On The Road podcast, Laura Hughes.
