Podcasting Poll

| By Scott McClellan | Found in Technology, The Web | 23 Comments

I’m curious: As a generally tech-savvy audience (you at least know how to navigate to a blog), what do you think of podcasts? Do you subscribe to a bunch of them? Do you look to them for entertainment, information, or something else? Or are you over the podcasting craze and instead spend your time listening to music? Are you constantly looking for new podcasts to add to your library or is your library clogged with a ton of feeds you never listen to? If the entire podcasting medium disappeared tomorrow, would you be bummed or would you even notice?

Please share your thoughts below.

  • http://www.churchmediadesign.tv Brad Zimmerman

    A podcasters thoughts on podcasting,

    The medium is just now growing to a stage where it can be sustainable. Not only do i create Church Media Design Tv but i subscribe to over 40 other podcasts, it is hard some time to keep up with them because i only listen to them on long trip or at the office during breaks. But the content in these shows is far better then what you find on cable tv. Networks like revision3 are paving the way for this new medium to last a long time and to take over tv. a few shows from rev3 have been added to hulu.com. So podcasting is making it mainstream. I get most of my news and reviews from podcasts, if i didn’t have shows like twit and the totally rad show i would be lost in the tech and entertainment worlds, because show like ET don’t cover news anymore they just talk about gossip and celebs. If you ask me podcasting needs more things like the apple tv to help it get into homes and after it is in the home they will not be leaving anytime soon! Subscribe to a podcast today!!!

  • http://www.worshiprising.com Kevin

    I listen for entertainment and information, probably 2-4 podcasts a week (more when LOST has new episodes and the theory podcasts are in season). I love the RELEVANT podcast, This Week in Tech, LOST podcasts (like the one by Jay and Jack), and there are several pastors whose messages I follow via podcast subscriptions. Great for keeping my brain occupied while driving, exercising (on occasion), etc.

  • http://jermination.wordpress.com/ jermtech

    Even though I work at a church, I have to admit that I rarely listen to “message” podcasts such as Andy Stanley, Erwin McManus, and Rob Bell. But I DO listen to others every single day, including Entertainment and Current Events stuff. My three faves would be Dave Ramsey, Laura Ingraham, and The Tenth Wonder HEROES fan cast.

  • JD

    I subscribe to quite a few podcasts but I rarely find the time to listen to all of them. I probably have 800 or so right now and have only listened to half.

  • http://danscottblog.com dan scott

    I listen/watch to a few regularly: Rob Bell/Kent Dobson at Mars, Jeff Manion (my own pastor at Ada Bible Church, I don’t get to service because of my job), Rocketboom, This American Life, and Speaking of Faith with Krista Tippet.

    At first I thought it was a great idea, but who has time to listen to every great pastor’s 45 minute weekly talk?

    That said, we are thinking about short 5-10 min training pieces for our kid’s ministry small group leaders… we’ll see how that goes.

  • http://www.Creativeideas.wordpress.com Dave Smith

    I’m really enjoy podcasts. But I only listen to them during my 30 minute commute. I’d say half my podcasts are redistribution of radio programs (sound like my grandparents using the word program like that).

    The other half of the podcasts I listen to I’m trying to learn something about culture, technology or art. But I feel like I’m in the minority with my friends as few of them listen to podcasts.

  • http://brodyharper.com/ Brody Harper

    Not a one.

  • http://www.catalystspace.com/catablog/ Jesse Phillips

    Listening to: Catalyst Podcast, first and foremost. Also enjoy RELEVANT Magazine – HILARIOUS!!!

    Matt Chandler, Francis Chan, Rob Bell, Mark Driscoll = also interesting.

    But, my ipod broke, and I don’t find the time much anymore, sadly =( I LOVE the idea of podcasting, but something in me is too lazy sometimes to download and listen to them.

    Would that I could, using a website, choose my 10 favorite podcasts, and have a satellite beam them to my car, then I press the button to listen in my car, as convenient as radio. Am I too lazy?

  • http://www.catalystspace.com/catablog/ Jesse Phillips

    let me guess, you’re thinking of creating a podcast? If so, it must be funny, like Relevant, but (sometimes unlike Relevant) have “relevant” content – LIKE CATALYST! YAY!

  • http://lovewins2.wordpress.com/ kenny

    i just wanted to say that brad zimmerman is THE man there at church.media.design! i followed his three easy to follow step by step video podcasts on beginning your own podcast, and our church is now out there in the podcast world. look us up and see how it is going. you can even download the handouts that our preacher bruce gives us. our addy is:

    http://portcitypodcast.blogspot.com/

    not to mention, jd helped me get started with another podcast years ago, and that was cool, but i forgot most of what he taught me. however, he did assist greatly in my own blog creation, and i thank him for that.

    i do listen to podcasts and view podcasts, as well. i listen to rob bell, and randy harris, and jeff walling, and rick atchley to name a few. i watch the church.media.design video podcast when i get the chance, and i have view those three episodes again just recently (saturday, to be exact) and created a new hosting page.

    this medium is awesome! i use it all the time. i load up my iPod to go on long distance trips with sermons and songs. it really helps when you find a dead spot out there on the road.

  • http://gavinknight.com Gavin Knight

    Listening to podcasts, and watching video podcasts, has almost completely replaced radio and TV for me. I love the a la carte nature of it. I listen to and watch a range of christianity, tech, sports and politics podcasts as well as a few general interest ones.

  • http://mandoron.wordpress.com Ronnie (a.k.a. MandoRon)

    I subscribe to several podcasts but rarely have time to listen them anymore. Mostly when I’m mowing the lawn or going on a trip.

    I listen to them primarily for entertainment. Occasionally for other reasons.

  • http://www.allanwhite.net/ Allan White

    Kinda down on podcasts right now. I only listen to them when I commute via light rail, which isn’t every day. Tech info is better in text – skimming, reading, retention are all good.

    I love NPR podcasts, and The Writer’s Almanac.

    We’re starting to publish Luis Palau’s radio messages as podcasts; we need to up the quality level I think. And, are they worth doing? Do people listen? I’m just not passionate about doing them.

  • http://www.coffeeshopjournal.com Marla Saunders

    Like others, time is an issue. I listen to some churches: Driscoll, Steven Furtick, Mark Batterson, Grace FEllowship in Georgia. But I mostly listen to those as I fall asleep at night, so I tend to hear the first 10 minutes!!! But hey…they work better than Tylenol PM.

    In the world of online information gathering, I want to be able to visually scan a blog or site in a few minutes and determine if it is what I want or need. No time to invest in an unknown. Sometimes, though, I think I’m missing something. Like the description of Relevant’s podcast.

  • http://www.collideleadership.com Ross Middleton

    I love podcasts, I listen to a lot of church and ministry stuff. They can be and are a great equipping tool.

  • http://www.therevolutionmovement.com Devan

    I subscribe to a couple podcasts, we also podcast as a youth ministry some of our messages.

  • http://estherofelgin.blogspot.com Lex

    I think I’m subscribed to a couple, but I never listen to them. I don’t really have the time.

  • http://staiferthoughts.blogspot.com dan

    I subscribe to about 10 podcast but not all of them update weekly. My fav are The Village Church, North Point, Mars Hill Seattle, Acts 29, Resurgence, The Source for Youth Ministry, Doug Fields, LifeChurch.tv South OKC Worship and Dave Ramsey. I try to listen to them weekly or save them for long car rides.

  • http://www.skillfulproductions.com Kyle Baker

    I have about 900 podcasts on my laptop. There are some I never listen to, and some I get into a sort rotation when I run, or drive in the country. There’s some mind-bending stuff from the Idea Festival, but I never seem to get to that, when I run, its normally Churchtechtalk, Mark Driscoll, Dave Ramsey, or my friend Allan’s podcast: “who cares if you listen?”
    Then there’s some like the Strongbad video podcast that are great for dull moments.

    Kyle Baker
    http://www.skillfulproductions.com

  • http://digidsolutions.typepad.com Jarrod Skeggs

    The big payoff for me with podcasts, (so yes, I’m into them and I listen to them regularly), is that it is content that I want, not content that has been thrown out on a radio frequency for the masses to hopefully tune into. I also like the way directories such as iTunes helps me discover new podcasts with the “People who subscribed to this podcast also subscribed to…” feature.

    I listen to just a few “Church” or “Sermon” podcasts. Most of what I listen to is tech based information. All in all, I like the control that podcasting puts in the consumers hands. This is the way it should be.

  • http://www.chrisfromcanada.com Chris from Canada

    It could disappear and I wouldn’t know.

  • http://www.livingmartyrs.com brad

    I have about 10 subscriptions in my aggregator between home, work and laptop. I have that list pared down to what I can commit to to. This American Life is one, and I get lots about photography (the hobby part of my occupation). The Kindlngs Muse is the only faith-related podcast I’m subscribed to. My opinion is exactly the same as Jesse Phillips’ when it comes to the Relevant podcast.

    If Collide is toying with the idea of its own podcast, there’s certainly room for it in my gadgets, computers and brain. I think you guys would do a great job! Keep it short-ish (20-30min) and audio-only and I’m there! :-)

  • http://churchmediareview.blogspot.com/ Ron Riley

    I find them very useful. There are few times as a minister that I used to get to sit and listen to someone preach to me. Now I have my choice of many preachers from multiple backgrounds all challenging me and making me better at what I do. It is hard to fit everything into the schedule, but if I can I try to listen to at least one sermon each week, something about culture, and something about tech. I like Apple Quick Tips, Mars Hill/Driscoll, and Worship House Media to name a few.