Imposter Alert

Introduction

Hello there.

I’m Julian and I'm really pleased that you've chosen to download and listen to this episode.  I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to little 'ol me! 

If you're new here, then welcome to the Productivity Matters podcast; here to help you be better at getting things done, through the use of apps, products and services. 

On this episode, there are two distinct items - firstly, I’m going to take a look at podcasting, and the growth of podcasts in the UK.  Following that, What is Imposter Syndrome and do you suffer from it?

That's all coming right up.

Podcasting

Podcasting in the UK is on the rise.  At least, that's according to Ofcom.

Who are Ofcom?  It's the The Office for Communications; the regulator for the communications services that we use and rely on each day, in the UK.

They make sure people get the best from their broadband, home phone and mobile services, as well as keeping an eye on TV and radio.

They also oversee the universal postal service, which means Royal Mail must deliver and collect letters six days a week, and parcels five days a week, at an affordable and uniform price throughout the UK.

Another remit is to help to make sure people don’t get scammed and are protected from bad practices. This is particularly important for vulnerable or older people.

They also help to make sure people across the UK are satisfied with what they see and hear on TV and radio, and that programmes reflect the audiences they serve. We consider every complaint we receive from viewers and listeners. Often, we investigate further and we sometimes find broadcasters in breach of our rules.

Ofcom are independent, and funded by fees paid by the companies they regulate.

It appears that podcasts fall outside of the Ofcom remit, but that doesn't mean they don't keep a keen eye and report on findings.

In this case, a report from 2018, which found that, in the UK, the number of weekly podcast listeners has almost doubled in five years – from 3.2m (7% of adults aged 15+) in 2013 to 5.9m (11%) in 2018.

The increase is across all age groups, but the steepest growth is now among young adults aged 15-24 with around one in five now listening to podcasts every week.

- the most popular podcast genre is Comedy, followed by music, TV and film.

- Half of podcast listeners are under 35. While only 29% of traditional radio listeners are under 35, this rises to 49% for podcasts.

- Approximately 96% of listeners also listen to the radio each week, though live radio commands a much lower share of their total listening activity (48%) than adults generally (75%).

- Podcast versions of BBC radio programmes such as Desert Island Discs and Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review feature regularly in Apple’s iTunes podcast chart. TV broadcasters are increasingly interested in podcasts as a source of material for TV shows, or as an extension of established series (such as ITV’s podcast Love Island: The Morning After).

Starting Your Podcast

So, now is a great time to get into podcasting.  What's more, because it's yours, you can do with it what you like.  You own it.  You can record to your own schedule and not answer to the regulators or senior bosses.

Plus - there is no age barrier to running a podcast.  Young or old, everyone has a voice, and it can be quite cathartic to sit and talk; get things off your chest.  It's like a self-service therapy!!

However, you do need to consider your audience.   Content is king - you'll hear a lot about that when researching podcasts; simply because, without great content, you won't have an audience.
You need a reason to 'tune in'.  Either download or stream the episodes.

You also need to get over the anxiety of talking to yourself.  Which is, basically, what you're doing when you sit down to record.  The anxiety that what you're recording isn't good enough, and even greater anxiety that nobody will listen.

Of course, if you don't promote your podcast, then no-one will know it exists, and you will end up with very few listeners; just those who fell over your podcast whilst browsing.  But put in some serious promotion and the numbers will grow.

One of the biggest issues with podcasting, is PodFade.  It's easy to get started, but it's easier to stop.  Life gets in the way and you stop doing it.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of podcasts that start with great intentions, but fade into the background as the episodes dry up.

It's hard to keep going. You have to really work at it.  I've missed publishing for a couple of odd weeks; and I felt really guilty.  But who was I feeling guilty for?  You?  I doubt anyone noticed I wasn't there.  I felt quilty for me.

The other point that might stop someone starting a podcast is because they don't think they'll be any good!  To quote Zig Ziglar....

"You don't have to be great at something to start, but you do have to start in order to be great"

If you're thinking about podcasting; just pick up your mobile phone, download the Anchor app and record and publish. 
It's all there, in your hand, and I highly recommend giving it a go.

Imposter Syndrome

Leading on from this, and especially the point about feeling inadequate to start a podcast, comes the subject of Imposter Syndrome.

This is a psychological term referring to a pattern of behaviour where people doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud.

This feeling of being a fraud is not uncommon. It has been estimated that nearly 70 percent of individuals will experience signs and symptoms of impostor phenomenon at least once in their life. 
This can be a result of a new setting, academic or professional. Research shows that impostor syndrome is not uncommon for students when entering a new academic environment. Feelings of insecurity can come as a result to an unknown, new environment. This can lead to lower self-confidence and belief in their own abilities.

Certainly, this is something that I can relate to.  When I start a new contract, there's always this feeling that 

The Symptoms:
A lack of self-confidence, anxiety, doubts about your thoughts, abilities, achievements and accomplishments, negative self-talk, feelings of inadequacy, dwelling on past mistakes and not feeling good enough — these are all signs and symptoms of imposter syndrome.

The Cause:
Nature and nurture together create the tendency to experience feeling 'not good enough' or the Imposter Syndrome. However, the feeling remains latent until it is triggered by something external to us; something we react to; something that tips us into actively feeling not good enough.

Overcoming:
The first step in overcoming Impostor Syndrome is to acknowledge what you're feeling, and why. Start by keeping a journal. Whenever you experience feelings of self-doubt or inadequacy, write them down, and explain why you're feeling this way. Be as specific as possible about each situation.

The next steps are:
Step 2: Realise The Truth. ...
Step 3: Choose Someone To Confide In. ...
Step 4: Turn It Around And See The Gift In Your Imposter Syndrome. ...
Step 5: Set Goals And Expectations You Know You Can Achieve. ...
Step 6: Accept Where You're At And Revisit In 90 Days.

Thank You

I hope you’ve found this episode interesting.

If you have any questions about getting started with a podcast, feeling like an imposter or, indeed, anything else, then please get in touch via Twitter @prodmatters

Don’t forget to follow me where you normally listen to your podcasts.

Thank you very much for listening and until next time, remember, Productivity Matters.

Equipment I use to make my podcasts*:
Blue Yeti Microphone - https://amzn.to/2R2am1N
Pop Filter - https://amzn.to/2OVMbQP
Professional Microphone Boom Arm - https://amzn.to/2P4EIio

Please help to support this podcast - click here to make a donation which will help me to keep creating great content.

It's very much appreciated.  Thank you.

*If you purchase from these links then I may receive a commission.  This does not affect the price you will pay.  Thank you.

Making of a Podcast

Intro

Hello?  You there?  Ah! Good.

In a recent episode, I talked about the irony of how many podcasts there are about making podcasts - then realised that this might be a good idea for me too!!  I mean; it fits in well with my raison d'etre.... ooh la la!!

So, on this episode, I’m going to talk through my experience of getting this podcast made, the ways in which I promote it and if it's something you're interested in, then just do it!

The Reason Why

I've always been a keen listener of podcasts.  I've subscribed to many over the years, and they've been getting ever more popular.  All of the big broadcasters have broken some of their programmes into smaller chunks, or segments from the main programming.

But it's the independent podcasters that are taking over the airwaves (or should that be bandwidth).  There's space for everyone, whether you want to present all encompassing drama or investigative journalism on a weekly or monthly basis; or if you are short-form presenter, with the ramblings of your mind on a daily basis.  

Do you have hours to talk, or just a few minutes?  It doesn't matter.  There's no right or wrong length for an episode.  There's no scheduling to fit into.  You just need to get whatever you want to say 'out there'.

And you can do it by yourself, Solo style, like me; or you can present with a friend or a bunch of friends.  Invite guests to discuss their passions - that's also another way to promote your podcast.

Getting Started

Now, it can be a little daunting.  There are so many places vying for you to publish your podcast.  Where do you start?

I started with Anchor.  It's a free service that not only publishes on their own site, but also syndicates the feed across multiple other publishers.  This means you only need to upload once, and as long as it meets the criteria (which it usually will do) then it will automatically feed to Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Overcast, Spotify, Pocket Casts etc etc etc...

This particular podcast is available on 11 platforms.  And, of course, the more platforms you're on, the broader the audience.

Equipment

Another consideration is the equipment to use. 

Anchor provide all the tools you need in their mobile app - available on iOS and Android.  You can record, edit and upload all from the one device.  It's a good way to get started; and is quite simple too; if a little fiddly.

Just by using the microphone that's part of your phone, you're good to go.  Now - it may not be the best sound quality; but there are plenty of podcasts where this is how they do it; and in some cases, make a feature of it.

If you want to make more of a presentation, then you'll need a microphone and computer - either a PC or a Mac (or laptop equivalent).  There are a multitude of microphones available and this episode is not a review - you can find reviews elsewhere; but popular models are the relatively inexpensive Blue Snowball, to the Audio-Technica AT2020USB (and upwards).

I use the Blue Yeti; which I bought after only a couple of episodes. I based my decision on cost, as well as the functionality and ease of set up; i.e. there isn't any - just plug and play.  It's a USB microphone, so I don't need additional power. 

As a desktop mic, it easily picks up knocks and even the taps on the table - which is why I now suspend the mic from an arm, to reduce this annoying interference.

Another reason I like the Blue Yeti is for the headphone socket, so I can hear myself directly and can check sound levels easily.

Software

If you're using a laptop or desktop to record, there are a couple of free options to capture your recording.  Audacity is great to use and not too complicated (and this can be used on Mac or PC), and if you're using an Mac, then Garageband is ideal.

You can record what you want, and then edit as required.  Making a podcast isn't quick.  Whilst the end result, for me, is usually around 10 to 15 minutes, it can take an hour to record and edit; then edit some more.  But, I like to think it's worth it?!

If you've never done it before, it can be quite daunting talking, in essence, to yourself.  And unless you know what you're going to say, there could be a lot of 'ums' and 'ahs' and you could find yourself repeating words - which you won't know until you listen back.

Once piece of advice is to talk slowly.  Give yourself time to think; but importantly, you can edit out much of this later.

If you are capable of talking on the fly then that's great.  You might find you need bullet points, to prompt you as you go.  Some may find the need of a full script is better.

That's what I do.  I write a fully fledged script and then use it as a base.  It needs care, to make it sound natural when talking; and that comes with experience and some practice.

Sounds Good

So, you have a microphone.  You've loaded the application to record.  You have script.

How do you make it all sound good?

First of all, make sure that the space you're recording in isn't an echo chamber.  Unless you have access to a proper recording studio, then you're likely recording at home. 

One of the issues is that of an echo. Take the curtains out of a room, and you'll notice how much your voice echoes.  You probably wouldn't notice having a conversation with someone, but listen back to a recording and you'll soon realise how empty it sounds.

Curtains help to deaden the sound.  You need to do the same.  Some people sit under a duvet.  I actually prop pillows up in front of me, to help.

Another, non-essential piece of equipment, is that of a pop-filter.  This sits over the microphone and helps to prevents the 'p' and  'b' popping sound as you talk.

Now, practice what you want to say.  Speak in your usual voice.  Be natural.  And when you do this check the levels on your recording software.  You'll notice some green bars flashing as you speak.  The louder you get, the further up the range they go, changing colour through amber, then red.

Red is bad.  It's too loud and will sound distorted to your listeners.  You need to remain in the green area - so you'll need to adjust the input levels (also known as gain).  And you need to speak in your normal voice to make sure you get it right.

Once you're happy - press record and off you go.

Recording

Now, you can either record the entire podcast in one go, or, and this is what I do, record in sections.  It makes it easier if you make a mistake and helps with the editing later.  But, it's a personal choice; and you might want to experiment to see which is best for you.

The more parts you make, the longer it will take to edit; on the other hand, if you record in one go, then you'll either have to re-record the entire thing again, or take a lot of time editing.

Editing

OK.  You've finished recording.  Congratulations.  That wasn't so bad, was it?

Now, save it.  Before you do anything else.  You don't want to suddenly lose everything.

Now you need to listen back and cut out all those mini stumbles, the 'ums' that you didn't know you were saying and those often repeated phrases, that are a habit, and don't sound too good in a broadcast.

Publish

Once you've done the editing, and you're happy, then upload the file.  Here you can also add the show notes - the information that your audience will read about the episode.  On the main Anchor website you can choose to schedule the episode to be published in the future.  This functionality isn't available via the app.

You're almost there.

Promote

Your episode is waiting to be published.  Now you need to promote it.  There's no point spending all the time writing, presenting and editing your podcast, and then not tell anyone about it!

So, where do you go?  Instagram and Twitter are two of the best places, and if you have Facebook, then there too.   Search out the hashtags to use, that will get your post noticed.  Experiment with different ones - your audience will probably change as you do; so you'll get heard by more people.

I create specific artwork for each episode, based on a template, that I update each time.  It makes it quick and retains a sort of brand image.  I use Canva (which is free) for creating the artwork, and I use Buffer to schedule posts so that they automatically post at relevant times to the audience.  There is a future episode about this; so remember to follow this podcast.

You might want to use other tools to help promotion, such as Headliner, to create a short trailer.  It's also free to use, and adds an element of professionalism to your podcast.

Artwork created.  Buffer loaded with posts to advertise your new episode; at a time to coincide with the release of the episode on Anchor.  Now, you just need to wait.

But - even when your podcast has been released, and people are listening to it, you still need to continue to promote it.

It's a big world out there, and the audience is ever growing and changing. So don't sit still.  Keep promoting, try various hashtags to see which ones work the best and get the bigger audience.  Try posting at different times to see which works best.

Remember, your audience is global - so whilst your sleeping, others are awake and reading your blog, tweets, instagram posts and listening to your show.  Notice how I've also embedded a player into this website, so making listening even easier for my audience.

Podcast of the Week

This time my Podcast of the Week is Hacks and Hobbies.  Hosted by Junaid Ahmed.  Junaid offers a series of hobbyists and guests who teach us lessons.  Guests include Steve Sullivan on the subject of being a gentleman, Marylyn King talking about personal branding and David Calvert, from CarThoughtsWithDavid, who has talked about his book and Juliet Herman on what it means to have inner happiness. 
Or his episode about buying a bike...     

It’s one I recommend you go and have a listen.

Making Money

Making a podcast is enormous fun.  Whether you're doing it for pleasure, or whether you have a business you're promoting.  You just have to do it.

It's about consistency.  Putting out content on a regular basis, to build a following.  Tell your friends and family about it.  Don't be shy.  And listen to feedback.  Take on board any constructive criticism to help improve your episodes.

Monetisation comes later.  If you're doing it to make money, you'll have a very long wait on your hands.  I recently started a 'Paid Listens' programme with RadioPublic.  It means a small pre-roll advert and then on-with-the-show.  For every 1000 listens I will earn a whopping $20 (that's only for those listens via the RadioPublic app) not the other podcast apps.  This is not a get-rich-quick scheme.

If you are after the money; then you'll also need to look at other avenues, such as a blog, with advertising, or getting your show sponsored.  Again, this needs numbers; although Anchor does have a sponsorship program, but only if you're in Canada or the USA!

So....

Do it for love.  

Do it for your audience, but mostly, 

Do it for you. 

Thank You

I hope you’ve found this episode interesting.

If you have any questions about anything I've said, then please get in touch via Twitter @prodmatters

Don’t forget to follow me where you normally listen to your podcasts.

Thank you very much for listening and until next time, remember, Productivity Matters.

Equipment I use to make my podcasts:

Blue Yeti Microphone - https://amzn.to/2R2am1N

Pop Filter - https://amzn.to/2OVMbQP

Professional Microphone Boom Arm - https://amzn.to/2P4EIio

If you purchase from these links then I may receive a commission.  This does not affect the price you will pay.  Thank you.

All Change

Hello.  You're here.  Wonderful.  Thanks for joining me.

If you've been here before, then welcome back.  If this is your first time; then where have you been? 

I'm Julian - your host, and today there are a few things I'd like to talk about.  So, get yourself a cuppa and settle back.  Or not.  It's up to you!

Activity is not productivity.

I’ve heard that a couple of times recently and thought I’d pick up on it. 

It’s true that just because you’re active and doing something, doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re being productive and getting things done. 

Doing something doesn't mean it's worth doing, or even needs doing

On a previous episode I asked if listening to a podcast is productive?  

I decided that, in itself, listening to a podcast, or any form of audio entertainment, is not productive.

It's an activity, and it may help you to get things done, but in itself, it's not actually helping you to achieve anything. 

You're not getting anything done through listening to a podcast. 

Personally, I don’t work very well listening to the spoken word. I find I get distracted because I’m paying attention.  I know, typical man, I can't multi-task!

Music works better for me when I’m working. Although my colleagues might not appreciate me singing along!!

So. Remember that doing something and being active doesn’t mean you’re being productive. 

Mind you - doing exercise is being active, and the consequence is better fitness and health - so in a roundabout way, that is being productive.

Oh - it's such a subjective matter.

Change to format

Now. Eagle-eyed listeners may have noticed a small, subtle change to the titles of my new episodes.  

Have you figured it out?

I've removed the episode number.

Many podcasts aren't actually serialised - they can be listened to in any order.  So, unless they need to be in a specific order, like chapters in a book, or an episode of a drama, then the numbers seemed, to me, to be irrelevant.

If you're interested, then this is episode 5 from series 2.  But that doesn't mean anything, so I've taken them out.

I've also broadened the brief.  

Productivity Matters was originally intended to discuss apps that help you get things done - but I've made a small change to the description, and therefore the overall purpose.

I still look at apps, but I've added products and services; which encompasses more, and allows me to be a bit broader with subjects.  

It's still very much around being productive.  and getting things done,  and hopefully you'll find these interesting, with more breadth and depth, and not just restricted to technology.

In fact, I'd love to go further and do some interviews.  This is a step into the unknown for me; having little experience, but if I want to expand this podcast, then I think I need to embrace the double-header / interview style and that’s something I’ll be looking at over the next few weeks.

In fact, if you're listening to this and think that you would be a good interviewee, with regards to your experiences, then why not get in touch, via twitter @Prodmatters, and maybe we can get something arranged.

Who Moved My Cheese

Many, many years ago, I read a book by Spencer Johnson, called 'Who Moved My Cheese'.

It's a book about change, and how to manage and cope with change and I recently read it again.  It's not a big text book, but a small 32 page paperback with four sections.

It has sold over 26 million copies worldwide in 37 languages and it remains one of the best-selling business books, continually ranking highly on Amazon.  Now some may say that it's past it's sell-by date.

Published on September 8, 1998, "Who Moved My Cheese?" is described as a way to manage and cope with change in your business and personal life.  It is a motivational business fable. The text describes change in one's work and life, and four typical reactions to those changes by four characters, during their hunt for cheese.

The four characters are two mice, "Sniff" and "Scurry," and two little people, human metaphor, "Hem" and "Haw." (The names of the little people are taken from the phrase "hem and haw," a term for indecisiveness.)

They live in a maze, which is a representation of the environment, and they're looking for cheese, which is a representation of happiness and success. Initially without cheese, each group, the mice and humans, pair off and travel the lengthy corridors searching for their cheese. 

One day both groups happen upon a cheese-filled corridor at "Cheese Station C." Content with their find, the humans establish routines around their daily intake of cheese, slowly becoming arrogant in the process.

One day - the 'Cheese' is gone.

The mice had seen this coming, and were prepared to move on.  The little humans, however, hadn't anticipated it and were suddenly scared and worried.  What will they do?

I'm not going to spoil it for you; but, during the course of the book, there are a number of little sayings that punctuate the story; which help to understand the metaphors involved.

Change Happens

They Keep Moving The Cheese

Monitor Change

Smell The Cheese Often So You Know When It Is Getting Old

Adapt To Change Quickly

The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Can Enjoy New Cheese

Change

Move With The Cheese

Be Ready To Change Quickly And Enjoy It Again

They Keep Moving The Cheese.

If you've never read it, then I definitely recommend it.

Podcast of the Week

Since I started doing this podcast, I've been listening to more and more podcasts.  I don’t mean just those from the big media companies, but also from small, independent producers, like me.

There's a couple of reasons for this.  Firstly, it's always nice to hear what others have to say, and I may learn something new.

Secondly, I like to listen to hear how the podcast is put together, and to learn from the presentation.  It's interesting, because I'm sure, for all of us who put out podcasts, we have our own ideas about how our podcast should sound; the tone and speed etc.

Listening to others can help to maybe introduce new ideas.  For example; I was going to pre-record the endings of my podcasts.  The outro.  But, for me, that came across as too impersonal.  Apart from the fact that the audio might not match that from the actual episode, I wanted to refer directly about the episode; and for the sake of a few minutes more, that was worth it for me.

I felt the same about the introduction.  Having a pre-recorded intro wasn't for me.  Having said all that; I appreciate that I only publish one episode each week, and it's only 10 to 15 minutes long.  So editing time is not as great as for an hour long episode.  Maybe, one day...

I also listen for the quality of the sound.  Is it too echo'y?  Is it clear or muffled?

There are a lot, and I mean a lot, of podcasts about making podcasts, which seems slightly ironic!  Although, the audience is huge, so it kind of of makes sense.  In fact, maybe I should produce one of my own, based on my own experiences; to help others. Mmm…. Stay tuned for that one.

So, onto my podcast recommendation of the week - ooh! Is this going to be a regular slot?  I just made this up.  Maybe it is.

A podcast that I listen to regularly is Prosperity Kitchen.  Hosted by Gemma McCrae, this is a podcast that helps you to be a better you.  Gemma is an international life coach and business coach, and her podcast offers inspiration and motivation to be better at what you do.

She talks clearly and calmly about a range of topics, from happiness to health, confidence, lifestyle, mindfulness and, a particular favourite of mine, productivity hacks.

It's a weekly podcast, although at the beginning of the year, Gemma did put out daily episodes to help kick start 2019.

You can find much more on her website too.

If you're looking for a podcast to help you be better; then give Gemma a listen on Prosperity Kitchen.  I'll include a link in the show notes.

Thank You

That's it for this episode.

I hope you enjoyed it and if you have any questions about anything I've talked about, then please get in touch via Twitter @prodmatters or via email blog@productivity-matters.co.uk

If you've listened to the end of this podcast, then thank you very much - tweet me the phrase 'Change is good' and I'll give you a shout out in a future episode.

Thanks for listening and until next time, remember, Productivity Matters.

Equipment I use to make my podcasts:

Blue Yeti Microphone - https://amzn.to/2R2am1N

Pop Filter - https://amzn.to/2OVMbQP

Professional Microphone Boom Arm - https://amzn.to/2P4EIio

If you purchase from these links then I may receive a commission.  This does not affect the price you will pay.  Thank you.

Pocket Casts

Introduction

Hi all, it's Julian here again, and welcome to another episode from Productivity Matters.   If you're new here, then welcome.  If you're a regular listener, welcome back.

In this series I've been looking at apps that are designed to help you be more productive; to get things done as efficiently as possible.

I'm not sure that listening to podcasts actually counts as being productive.  I mean, listening to the radio or music isn't actually productive, although it can lead to being more productive.  Podcasts, on the other hand, are less about the music and more about the information.

There are many apps out there to consume podcasts, and today I'm going to take a look at one in particular. Pocket Casts has been around a while, available on iOS and Android (and a web player too) and they have now released version 7.  I couldn't let the opportunity slip by to take a closer look.

So - buckle up, here we go.

What is a Podcast?

This might seem like a strange way to start this episode, but let's look at what a podcast actually is?

It's strange, because that's how you are here right now.  Listening to this podcast.  

The straight definition is "A digital audio file made available on the Internet for downloading to a computer or mobile device, typically available as a series, new instalments of which can be received by subscribers automatically."

Podcasting has become very popular in recent years, allowing many people to get involved - including yours truly!

It's a mechanism for anyone to speak their mind, investigate issues, tell stories and more, using the audio medium.   The way to access these podcasts is usually via a podcast app; of which there are many.  Some are basic and some offer a wealth of functionality.

One such app is Pocket Casts; it's been my app for listening to podcasts for the last few years, and it's brilliant.

Pocket Casts

Over the years, they have made changes and updates to improve the experience, but today they launched version 7 - and it's beautiful.

I use the iOS version, although it's also available on Android and the web, and there's a  Windows and Mac version too.

The look and feel is fresh, with icons along the bottom of the screen leading you to what you want to do.  Starting with the Podcast icon, which takes you to a list (or grid) of the podcasts you've subscribed to.  Next, the filters.

You can create quick filters, similar to channels - call them what you like, literally; and then add podcasts to them so you can get to them easily.  This is helpful if you have bucket loads of podcasts.

The Discover section leads with the Featured podcasts, then a selection of Trending.  Scroll down to find other sections that will highlight podcasts you might be interested in.  Alternatively, towards the bottom of the list, you can search by networks, or categories.

The search bar at the top of the page will allow you to enter the name for finding a specific podcast quickly.

The final icon is Profile.  This will tell you how many podcasts you've subscribed to, and then how many days you've listened for.  Depending on your settings; which I'll talk about soon, it will also tell you how much time you've saved.

Further down the Profile page is a link to all your stats, downloaded podcasts, those you have starred and finally, your listening history.  This is new and it's great to be able to find a previous episode of a series.

Right at the top of the screen, on your Profile, is the Settings icon.  In here, you have completely granular control over each part of the app.

Playback gives you control over how far you want to skip forward or back, in seconds.  You can set the screen to say awake and more.

The Notifications section sets the global setting for getting notified of new episodes; you can then set each podcast individually.  The App badge allows you a number of options for being off; showing the total unplayed, new releases, or a specific filter count.

Under Appearance, you can set to dark mode (or extra dark!) and also the colour of the app icon that appears on your home screen.

Storage and Data use is as the name suggests, and you can set it to warn you before downloading over mobile data.

Finished a podcast?  Then auto-archive an episode.  You can set this to happen after a set period.

Auto download - one of my favourite settings. Set to download only when connected to Wifi, only specific podcasts and more.

There are now even Siri shortcuts to make accessing and playback easier, using your voice.

Things get really interesting when you look at the settings for each individual podcast.  Just open up the podcast and click on the settings icon.

You can set the auto-download and whether you want to be notified when a new episode is available.  You can automatically add the new episode to your playlist, so it will appear in the ‘Up Next’ section of the app; and you can decide if you want it to appear at the top or the bottom of that section.

For example, you may have some news podcasts, which are time-sensitive, due to the very nature of the content, so you want to prioritise them over an entertainment podcast, which you could listen to at any time.

When you select the Playback Effects, you can set the speed for the playback; which is useful for speech only podcasts; and you can trim the silence - this means that pauses are skipped, to let you listen more quickly.

Remember I mentioned the statistics about time saved?  This is where the figure about how much time you’ve saved comes in.  On my app, it tells me I’ve saved over 20 hours through skipping pauses.

The final setting is called ’Skip First..’ and it means you can set the episode to start a pre-determined number of seconds from the beginning.  This is useful if you know there will be a ’sponsored’ section, and want to skip it to get to the content.

New in Version 7, you can now listen to the episode without subscribing first.  This is something that used to annoy me a little - having to subscribe to a podcast before knowing whether I want to commit.  So now I can try it beforehand.

The ‘up next’ syncing is great to set it all up once, and then listen on your PC or tablet.

There are new archiving features, enhanced Apple Watch support, and you can also view your listening history.

Thank You

So, there you have it.  A completely fully-featured podcast app, that gives you full control over how you want to listen. It’s completely free to download and use on your mobile device.  If you want to listen via the web, then there is a one-off cost of £8.40.

Does listening to podcasts make me more productive?  Not really; but Pocket Casts makes it a breeze to download and manage the podcasts I like to listen to.

If you have any questions about Pocket Casts, then please get in touch via Twitter @prodmatters

Don’t forget to subscribe where you normally listen to your podcasts and until next time, remember, Productivity Matters.

Equipment I use to make my podcasts:
Blue Yeti Microphone - https://amzn.to/2R2am1N
Pop Filter - https://amzn.to/2OVMbQP
Professional Microphone Boom Arm - https://amzn.to/2P4EIio

If you purchase from these links then I may receive a commission.  This does not affect the price you will pay.  Thank you.