9 ms·

‘Serial,’ Podcasting’s First Breakout Hit, Sets Stage for More

163 points by benbreen 12y ago

kosmopolska 12y ago
Here in Sweden, the last episode of Filip & Fredriks Podcast[1] was recorded in front of a 16 592 people audience this past June. To be fair they had quite the career on television before that, but podcasting seems to have become a thing here. [1] http://www.filipandfredrik.com http://www.filipandfredrik.com
armandososa 12y ago
I love Serial. But I love more the idea that I live in a world where such a show can exist and be successful.
jklp 12y ago
For some strange reason I thought this was part of Alex Blumberg (also from This American Life)'s Gimlet Media - which he started in August this year, and which he's documenting at http://hearstartup.com http://hearstartup.com. Anyone know if the timing of Serial's debut was co-incidental, or if there's something happening between the two ex-TIL producers that we don't know about?
- cdcarter 12y ago
  I would believe coincidental, as Serial is underwritten by TAL, and to my knowledge Koenig is still considered a producer for TAL.
supercoder 12y ago
I know this will get me downvoted but I can't understand the fascination with Serial. Overall I found it quite a boring listen. Too many side paths that amount to not much at all, feel like it could have done with a harsh edit. But it's production qualities are high quality and so anything that leads people to create more content at a similar level the better !
- uptown 12y ago
  I think it plays into people's belief that they'll be able to figure out something nobody else has. It's what Sarah is trying to do, and the way she presents the story is shaped in a manner to make you lean one way one week, then completely reverse course the following week. It's smartly executed.
- StavrosK 12y ago
  If we're going to downvote opinions, can we at least be consistent and downvote the positive ones as well?
  - dang 12y ago
    Please don't post procedural comments about downvoting on HN. They're off-topic, and usually end up being false. All: If a comment has been downvoted unfairly, simply contribute an upvote and trust your fellow users to do the same. In extreme cases, it's fine to email us about it. But please don't add noise to the threads.
- pervycreeper 12y ago
  Having only read TFA, I'm still unsure as to what the `hook' for this show is.
  - acjohnson55 12y ago
    Listen to the first episode. It's pretty much a microcosm of the entire series.
- klenwell 12y ago
  "I can't understand the fascination with Serial." Think JFK assassination for the Reddit generation. I know I'm hooked.
  - ssully 12y ago
    I am sorry but that is an awful comparison. Nothing about the two can be compared except the occurance of death. Also there is no conspiracy in Serial.
kenjackson 12y ago
I gave them $20. I'm curious how much money in donations Serial can get.
- StavrosK 12y ago
  I'm thinking of donating because of how interesting I find it, but for me it will all depend on whether the final resolution is definitive or not. If there's no closure it's going to be the most frustrating experience since Lost for me.
  - cdcarter 12y ago
    You should probably prepare for disappointment and frustration, then. I made my gift, but primarily to help them break free of their underwriters, and because the show is incredibly strong journalism and a great look at the way criminal justice works. The details of the case, though incredibly compelling, are a side show to how complicated the whole process is.
ckuehl 12y ago
A quick plug: for those who enjoy Serial, there's an incredible amount of high-quality discussion about it on the serialpodcast subreddit [1]. The very high level of engagement the show has with some listeners is surprising. I don't think it's typical, but many posters talk about dedicating hours to reading case documents, re-listening to episodes, doing independent research, etc. [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/serialpodcast https://www.reddit.com/r/serialpodcast
- djb_hackernews 12y ago
  As a counter argument I'd say don't waste your time. It is this close -> || to becoming a boston bomber situation with people making wild accusations and speculating to their hearts content about all manner of peoples private lives and those are the posts that get voted up.
  - mason240 12y ago
    It's hard to disagree when stuff like this, comparing the death of a high schooler to the a conspiracy to assassinate JFK, is on the on the front page. http://www.reddit.com/r/serialpodcast/comments/2n7m7n/watching_jfk_last_night_i_thought_about_why_hae/ http://www.reddit.com/r/serialpodcast/comments/2n7m7n/watchi...
dankohn1 12y ago
Serial has been an immensely satisfying listening experience. I now look forward to Thursday mornings for it to come out.
- bnzelener 12y ago
  +1 It's a good format. The honesty and genuine voice from This American Life - and the episodes don't give you much resolution at the end. Just feels real.
alanfalcon 12y ago
I'd love some data behind the claim that this is podcasting's first breakout hit, beyond the comparison to This American Life's slower initial growth in the form. Is this a legitimate claim to fame, or sensationalism from the New York Times from a writer who seems to be largely dismissive of podcasting in general?
palidanx 12y ago
In addition to serial, I began listening to http://www.wnyc.org/shows/deathsexmoney/ http://www.wnyc.org/shows/deathsexmoney/ which reminds me of a more poignant Terry Gross.
jwilliams 12y ago
If you're in the mood for a podcast recommendation, check out Welcome to Night Vale http://commonplacebooks.com/ http://commonplacebooks.com/ - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welcome_to_Night_Vale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welcome_to_Night_Vale
researcher88 12y ago
I actively try to avoid 20/20 and Dateline crime mysteries. There are so many of these and they are so engaging, and often without any resolution beyond a "he said, she said". The only conclusion I can draw from them is that crime is often incredibly random and irrational, and everyone has credibility problems, real victims sometimes lie to exaggerate and the justice system is deeply flawed. But I feel that it's disaster porn; gripping us by appealing to the worst of us. I was excited for Serial until I realized what it is. I feel for the wrongly convicted, if that's indeed what happened, but I'm not watching/listening to be an activist against injustice. No, I'm just distracting myself without learning anything by absorbing scintillating details and pondering irrelevant mysteries.
- kbenson 12y ago
  To be fair, Serial hasn't really taken a side on the matter, at least not yet. It's really been more about figuring out as much as possible, and doing it in an engaging way. Serial feels very much "about the story" to me. As for just distracting yourself without learning anything, I feel you there, but at the same time most of us do it in numerous other ways such as reading fiction, or watching movies, so I don't feel for you too much.
  - droopyEyelids 12y ago
    The point of it is, it's legitimate snuff for the masses. Same reason SVU is on its 14th season. Noted psychologist Albert Ellis wrote a book on it in the 50's or 60's, when society's itch was mostly satisfied through gristly pulp detective novels. The reader (or viewer, or listener) gets to indulge in graphic death and horror, but also gets to maintain their view of themselves through a narrative that allows them to think of themselves on the 'good guys' side.
    - potatolicious 12y ago
      I actually think Serial is on the other side of the fence as SVU, Law & Order, and pulp detective novels. Personally I've had a great takeaway from the podcast, not because of the sordid subject that's at the heart of it, but rather the amount of time and care the creators have spent looking at not just the crime, but also at the system and people that surround it. Pop crime fiction teaches us a lot of things that Serial has gone to pains to refute - that eyewitness testimony is at all reliable, that people can recall mundane details of their lives at will, that a clear sequence of events is even possible to reconstruct, that the wrongly accused believe passionately in their own innocence, so on and so forth. Serial has taken the popular notion of interviewing persons of interest, constructing a timeline, and catching people in brazen lies, and turned them upside down to expose the much more complicated behavior of humans underneath, and the fallibility of everything that these detective shows are based around. The picture that Serial paints is markedly different from that of your typical crime drama, and that is an important takeaway. I think characterizing it as simply a gaudy way to "indulge in graphic death and horror" is overly cynical. In any case it certainly doesn't belong in the same sentence as any of the other crime fiction that portrays police work simplistically.
kbenson 12y ago
I think Patreon would work really well for this. I know they can support both monthly an work-released based donation types (with per-month maximums), and being able to pledge a certain amount per episode would make this easy and me very happy that my money was going towards actually producing content.
abdurraheem 12y ago
http://www.reddit.com/r/serialpodcast/comments/2mxkje/hae_min_lee_memorial_tree_photos_and_tour_of/ http://www.reddit.com/r/serialpodcast/comments/2mxkje/hae_mi... I grew up not far from Woodlawn High, attended a neighboring school. After hearing about the trees that were planted in Hae Min's memory, particularly the second tree which was planted behind the school where "Lee liked to flop after an exhausting practice session with the lacrosse or field hockey teams" I recalled doing exactly that every summer after baseball practice (summer league was at woodlawn high) and I was curious to know if the tree giving me shade all those years was the one planted in her memory. So I decided to stop by after work and take some photos with my phone while I was around. Side note I also went to Sunday School with Adnan's brother - or at least saw him around the campus - did not know any of them personally however. My only memory from the trial days is my parents telling me "See what happens when you have a girlfriend!" (grew up in a similarly conservative household, personally very liberal)
username223 12y ago
This seems to be one of a spate of recent articles, e.g. [1]. For a skeptical take, see Marco Arment [2]. Then again, he could just be expressing sour grapes because people with actual skill, money, and time are invading his turf. FWIW, I have listened to a lot of NPR via podcast for many years, and see a podcast-only version of it as a natural step. At this point, the amateur "three nerds and a microphone" stuff is background noise for when I can't sleep. [1] http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/10/whats-behind-the-great-podcast-renaissance.html http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/10/whats-behind-th... [2] http://www.marco.org/2014/11/16/why-podcasts-are-suddenly-back http://www.marco.org/2014/11/16/why-podcasts-are-suddenly-ba...
- archagon 12y ago
  "Then again, he could just be expressing sour grapes because people with actual skill, money, and time are invading his turf." Uh, what? That's pretty disrespectful. ATP is one of the best produced and most popular tech podcasts out there today.
  - username223 12y ago
    As a follower of "Hypercritical," I listened for the Siracusa for awhile, but the meandering chit-chat and interminable sponsor reads eventually soured me on ATP. Maybe I would listen if I had an hour commute to and from work every day, and needed more background noise.
    - archagon 12y ago
      Me, I love the chit chat. The dynamic of ATP is perfect. I haven't found another chat-type podcast that I can stand listening to every week. As for the ads, I'm glad my podcast app maps fast-forward to 45 second skip!
- johns 12y ago
  If you listen to hearstartup.com you'll find Marco investing in Gimlet Media which is all about creating a lot more podcasts like Serial so he's very much in favor of the format.
hartror 12y ago
This popped up while I am listening to Serial. But I am a bit of a podcasting junkie so not surprising.
Animats 12y ago
We've had "podcasting" for well over a decade, the iPod is dead, and this is the first "breakout hit"?
- smackfu 12y ago
  I think mainly because the top of the podcast charts is all existing public radio shows, so they don't "count" as podcasts.
wanderingstan 12y ago
A friend and I are exploring some ideas and around next-generation podcasting (and audio entertainment in general). Early prototype stage. There is a lot of room for innovation, and the market is growing--as this article explains. If you're in the SF area and interested in this area, drop me a line.
- corobo 12y ago
  Unfortunately nowhere near SF (Middle of England, UK!) but am definitely interested in what you're coming up with if you have any further info anywhere?
spacecowboy_lon 12y ago
First breakout hit not so sure I heard nightvale name checked on the bus 3 months ago.
netcan 12y ago
I've heard that when TV started spreading people thought it would never overtake radio. "Who has time to just sit and watch something?" You can listen to audio while you do other things. Podcasting is probably my main "media" for the last 5 or so years. I listen to 15-20 hours per week as I commute, exercise, wash dishes… Right now. As a marginal, unprofitable, poorly understood medium podcasts are amazingly "free." At least some of that stems from podcasting being broken. Anyway, if anyone is looking for some fertile space to innovate, podcasting is it. Discovery is completely and utterly broken. Even just getting a podcast that you know the name of can be borderline impossible for less savvy users. Podcasting apps kind of suck too. Podcasts struggle to get interaction, which is important for discovery.
- danschuller 12y ago
  Any recommendations? I'm loving Serial, I listened to nearly all of it today. Occasionally I listen to Startups For the Rest of Us (http://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/ http://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/) but it's hit and miss if the content is relevant for me. Hardcore History is excellent. It'd be nice to discover some more.
  - adriand 12y ago
    This American Life, the show that created (I think more or less), Serial, is a great show. 99% Invisible is a great show about design. Radio Diaries is interesting. If you're into super thoughtful discussions about religion, science, meditation, and so on, On Being is fantastic. Other ones worth checking out: * Radiolab * Stuff You Should Know * Studio 360 But - Serial is definitely my favourite podcast of all time. I'm not sure there's anything better out there.
    - logn 12y ago
      Here are links that go to MP3 files (versus their webapp players)... This American Life bookmarklet: javascript:var i = prompt("TAL episode number:");window.location=i?"http://audio.thisamericanlife.org/jomamashouse/ismymamashouse/"+i+".mp3":"http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives"; Radiolab: http://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab http://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab
NatW 12y ago
It's worth mentioning that This American Life (TAL) went all out promoting 'Serial' with on-air mentions, airing its first episode and using popups on the TAL website e.g.: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives.
gldnspud 12y ago
I would be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to plug Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak's "No Agenda Show" podcast. http://www.noagendashow.com/ http://www.noagendashow.com/ It's entering the eighth year, reaching its 700th show, and has been entirely funded by producers (active listeners) throughout its history. No ads. No native advertising. In the morning!
petercooper 12y ago
Wasn't the Ricky Gervais Show really podcasting's first breakout hit? It got a Guinness World Record and ended up becoming a TV show in both the UK and US.
- schneider_sh 12y ago
  I think another early podcasting success was Bill Simmons from ESPN. In my opinion, his podcasting success helped build his brand even further and allowed him to launch Grantland. A more recent podcast to big deals success is Men in Blazers. The two soccer commentators spun their podcast into a 10pm Monday show on NBCSN. I think that sports podcasting in general is quite a mature format. Though, this probably isn't all too surprising as it is basically a more dedicated form of sports radio.
  - cmdrfred 12y ago
    What about Adam Carolla? He is the current record holder.
niix 12y ago
I'm absolutely in love with this podcast. I randomly stumbled upon it look for something else to listen to while waiting on new episodes of "Stuff You Should Know". The story is so engaging. Congrats to Sarah and the team on their success!
mrcwinn 12y ago
I loved the original episode this series was born out of: the story of a doctor in North Carolina who takes over the practice of a convicted murderer [http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/492/transcript http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/492/t...]. I have to say, though, I don't enjoy Serial very much. I'm the only person, it seems. :-) Listening to a reporter (not an investigator) guess and gab about a murder just seems like a waste of time. The constant teasers throughout each episode (maybe he did it? but then, maybe he didn't? and maybe this happened, but then maybe it didn't happen?) are infuriating. This is to say nothing Sarah Koenig. She's obviously done fine work in her career and is a big part of This American Life, and I'm happy to see any podcast get some attention. I just don't enjoy the show, personally.
- pkulak 12y ago
  I think this is less about one single podcast than it is about the entire medium. Whether you or I enjoy Serial, it's a huge hit and it's turning a lot of people on to the format.
thinkr 12y ago
Wanted to add some other ones I did not see suggested: Freakonomics Radio - by the authors of the book of the same name Travel with Rick Steves - podcast by famous travel guide Rick Steves Dinner Part Download - nice way to learn about interesting facts/random trivia/pop-culture regarding all sorts of subjects which can make for interesting conversation at your next social gathering edit: meant to post this as a response to the question asking about other podcasts
pain_perdu 12y ago
Would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this: http://www.crowdmurder.com http://www.crowdmurder.com - Gamifying the investigation of the case from the Serial Podcast. "Use Real Court Evidence to Solve the Murder of Hae Min Lee Access Courtroom Audio, Build Time-lines, Maps & Suspect Bios. Team up with fans of the Serial Podcast from around the world to help solve a murder. Every Court Document and Recording We're Publishing Every Piece of Publicly-Available Evidence from Adnan's Trial and building powerful annotation tools"
cmdrfred 12y ago
If anyone here hasn't listened to The Bugle podcast (I've been a Bugler since the second episode) you are missing out on the world.

163 points by benbreen 12y ago

Here in Sweden, the last episode of Filip & Fredriks Podcast[1] was recorded in front of a 16 592 people audience this past June. To be fair they had quite the career on television before that, but podcasting seems to have become a thing here. [1] http://www.filipandfredrik.com http://www.filipandfredrik.com

armandososa 12y ago

I love Serial. But I love more the idea that I live in a world where such a show can exist and be successful.

jklp 12y ago

For some strange reason I thought this was part of Alex Blumberg (also from This American Life)'s Gimlet Media - which he started in August this year, and which he's documenting at http://hearstartup.com http://hearstartup.com. Anyone know if the timing of Serial's debut was co-incidental, or if there's something happening between the two ex-TIL producers that we don't know about?

cdcarter 12y ago
I would believe coincidental, as Serial is underwritten by TAL, and to my knowledge Koenig is still considered a producer for TAL.

supercoder 12y ago

I know this will get me downvoted but I can't understand the fascination with Serial. Overall I found it quite a boring listen. Too many side paths that amount to not much at all, feel like it could have done with a harsh edit. But it's production qualities are high quality and so anything that leads people to create more content at a similar level the better !

uptown 12y ago
I think it plays into people's belief that they'll be able to figure out something nobody else has. It's what Sarah is trying to do, and the way she presents the story is shaped in a manner to make you lean one way one week, then completely reverse course the following week. It's smartly executed.
StavrosK 12y ago
If we're going to downvote opinions, can we at least be consistent and downvote the positive ones as well?
- dang 12y ago
  Please don't post procedural comments about downvoting on HN. They're off-topic, and usually end up being false. All: If a comment has been downvoted unfairly, simply contribute an upvote and trust your fellow users to do the same. In extreme cases, it's fine to email us about it. But please don't add noise to the threads.
pervycreeper 12y ago
Having only read TFA, I'm still unsure as to what the `hook' for this show is.
- acjohnson55 12y ago
  Listen to the first episode. It's pretty much a microcosm of the entire series.
klenwell 12y ago
"I can't understand the fascination with Serial." Think JFK assassination for the Reddit generation. I know I'm hooked.
- ssully 12y ago
  I am sorry but that is an awful comparison. Nothing about the two can be compared except the occurance of death. Also there is no conspiracy in Serial.

kenjackson 12y ago

I gave them $20. I'm curious how much money in donations Serial can get.

StavrosK 12y ago
I'm thinking of donating because of how interesting I find it, but for me it will all depend on whether the final resolution is definitive or not. If there's no closure it's going to be the most frustrating experience since Lost for me.
- cdcarter 12y ago
  You should probably prepare for disappointment and frustration, then. I made my gift, but primarily to help them break free of their underwriters, and because the show is incredibly strong journalism and a great look at the way criminal justice works. The details of the case, though incredibly compelling, are a side show to how complicated the whole process is.

ckuehl 12y ago

A quick plug: for those who enjoy Serial, there's an incredible amount of high-quality discussion about it on the serialpodcast subreddit [1]. The very high level of engagement the show has with some listeners is surprising. I don't think it's typical, but many posters talk about dedicating hours to reading case documents, re-listening to episodes, doing independent research, etc. [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/serialpodcast https://www.reddit.com/r/serialpodcast

djb_hackernews 12y ago
As a counter argument I'd say don't waste your time. It is this close -> || to becoming a boston bomber situation with people making wild accusations and speculating to their hearts content about all manner of peoples private lives and those are the posts that get voted up.
- mason240 12y ago
  It's hard to disagree when stuff like this, comparing the death of a high schooler to the a conspiracy to assassinate JFK, is on the on the front page. http://www.reddit.com/r/serialpodcast/comments/2n7m7n/watching_jfk_last_night_i_thought_about_why_hae/ http://www.reddit.com/r/serialpodcast/comments/2n7m7n/watchi...

dankohn1 12y ago

Serial has been an immensely satisfying listening experience. I now look forward to Thursday mornings for it to come out.

bnzelener 12y ago
+1 It's a good format. The honesty and genuine voice from This American Life - and the episodes don't give you much resolution at the end. Just feels real.

alanfalcon 12y ago

I'd love some data behind the claim that this is podcasting's first breakout hit, beyond the comparison to This American Life's slower initial growth in the form. Is this a legitimate claim to fame, or sensationalism from the New York Times from a writer who seems to be largely dismissive of podcasting in general?

palidanx 12y ago

In addition to serial, I began listening to http://www.wnyc.org/shows/deathsexmoney/ http://www.wnyc.org/shows/deathsexmoney/ which reminds me of a more poignant Terry Gross.

jwilliams 12y ago

If you're in the mood for a podcast recommendation, check out Welcome to Night Vale http://commonplacebooks.com/ http://commonplacebooks.com/ - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welcome_to_Night_Vale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welcome_to_Night_Vale

researcher88 12y ago

I actively try to avoid 20/20 and Dateline crime mysteries. There are so many of these and they are so engaging, and often without any resolution beyond a "he said, she said". The only conclusion I can draw from them is that crime is often incredibly random and irrational, and everyone has credibility problems, real victims sometimes lie to exaggerate and the justice system is deeply flawed. But I feel that it's disaster porn; gripping us by appealing to the worst of us. I was excited for Serial until I realized what it is. I feel for the wrongly convicted, if that's indeed what happened, but I'm not watching/listening to be an activist against injustice. No, I'm just distracting myself without learning anything by absorbing scintillating details and pondering irrelevant mysteries.

kbenson 12y ago
To be fair, Serial hasn't really taken a side on the matter, at least not yet. It's really been more about figuring out as much as possible, and doing it in an engaging way. Serial feels very much "about the story" to me. As for just distracting yourself without learning anything, I feel you there, but at the same time most of us do it in numerous other ways such as reading fiction, or watching movies, so I don't feel for you too much.
- droopyEyelids 12y ago
  The point of it is, it's legitimate snuff for the masses. Same reason SVU is on its 14th season. Noted psychologist Albert Ellis wrote a book on it in the 50's or 60's, when society's itch was mostly satisfied through gristly pulp detective novels. The reader (or viewer, or listener) gets to indulge in graphic death and horror, but also gets to maintain their view of themselves through a narrative that allows them to think of themselves on the 'good guys' side.
  - potatolicious 12y ago
    I actually think Serial is on the other side of the fence as SVU, Law & Order, and pulp detective novels. Personally I've had a great takeaway from the podcast, not because of the sordid subject that's at the heart of it, but rather the amount of time and care the creators have spent looking at not just the crime, but also at the system and people that surround it. Pop crime fiction teaches us a lot of things that Serial has gone to pains to refute - that eyewitness testimony is at all reliable, that people can recall mundane details of their lives at will, that a clear sequence of events is even possible to reconstruct, that the wrongly accused believe passionately in their own innocence, so on and so forth. Serial has taken the popular notion of interviewing persons of interest, constructing a timeline, and catching people in brazen lies, and turned them upside down to expose the much more complicated behavior of humans underneath, and the fallibility of everything that these detective shows are based around. The picture that Serial paints is markedly different from that of your typical crime drama, and that is an important takeaway. I think characterizing it as simply a gaudy way to "indulge in graphic death and horror" is overly cynical. In any case it certainly doesn't belong in the same sentence as any of the other crime fiction that portrays police work simplistically.

kbenson 12y ago

I think Patreon would work really well for this. I know they can support both monthly an work-released based donation types (with per-month maximums), and being able to pledge a certain amount per episode would make this easy and me very happy that my money was going towards actually producing content.

abdurraheem 12y ago

http://www.reddit.com/r/serialpodcast/comments/2mxkje/hae_min_lee_memorial_tree_photos_and_tour_of/ http://www.reddit.com/r/serialpodcast/comments/2mxkje/hae_mi... I grew up not far from Woodlawn High, attended a neighboring school. After hearing about the trees that were planted in Hae Min's memory, particularly the second tree which was planted behind the school where "Lee liked to flop after an exhausting practice session with the lacrosse or field hockey teams" I recalled doing exactly that every summer after baseball practice (summer league was at woodlawn high) and I was curious to know if the tree giving me shade all those years was the one planted in her memory. So I decided to stop by after work and take some photos with my phone while I was around. Side note I also went to Sunday School with Adnan's brother - or at least saw him around the campus - did not know any of them personally however. My only memory from the trial days is my parents telling me "See what happens when you have a girlfriend!" (grew up in a similarly conservative household, personally very liberal)

username223 12y ago

This seems to be one of a spate of recent articles, e.g. [1]. For a skeptical take, see Marco Arment [2]. Then again, he could just be expressing sour grapes because people with actual skill, money, and time are invading his turf. FWIW, I have listened to a lot of NPR via podcast for many years, and see a podcast-only version of it as a natural step. At this point, the amateur "three nerds and a microphone" stuff is background noise for when I can't sleep. [1] http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/10/whats-behind-the-great-podcast-renaissance.html http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/10/whats-behind-th... [2] http://www.marco.org/2014/11/16/why-podcasts-are-suddenly-back http://www.marco.org/2014/11/16/why-podcasts-are-suddenly-ba...

archagon 12y ago
"Then again, he could just be expressing sour grapes because people with actual skill, money, and time are invading his turf." Uh, what? That's pretty disrespectful. ATP is one of the best produced and most popular tech podcasts out there today.
- username223 12y ago
  As a follower of "Hypercritical," I listened for the Siracusa for awhile, but the meandering chit-chat and interminable sponsor reads eventually soured me on ATP. Maybe I would listen if I had an hour commute to and from work every day, and needed more background noise.
  - archagon 12y ago
    Me, I love the chit chat. The dynamic of ATP is perfect. I haven't found another chat-type podcast that I can stand listening to every week. As for the ads, I'm glad my podcast app maps fast-forward to 45 second skip!
johns 12y ago
If you listen to hearstartup.com you'll find Marco investing in Gimlet Media which is all about creating a lot more podcasts like Serial so he's very much in favor of the format.

hartror 12y ago

This popped up while I am listening to Serial. But I am a bit of a podcasting junkie so not surprising.

Animats 12y ago

We've had "podcasting" for well over a decade, the iPod is dead, and this is the first "breakout hit"?

smackfu 12y ago
I think mainly because the top of the podcast charts is all existing public radio shows, so they don't "count" as podcasts.

wanderingstan 12y ago

A friend and I are exploring some ideas and around next-generation podcasting (and audio entertainment in general). Early prototype stage. There is a lot of room for innovation, and the market is growing--as this article explains. If you're in the SF area and interested in this area, drop me a line.

corobo 12y ago
Unfortunately nowhere near SF (Middle of England, UK!) but am definitely interested in what you're coming up with if you have any further info anywhere?

spacecowboy_lon 12y ago

First breakout hit not so sure I heard nightvale name checked on the bus 3 months ago.

netcan 12y ago

I've heard that when TV started spreading people thought it would never overtake radio. "Who has time to just sit and watch something?" You can listen to audio while you do other things. Podcasting is probably my main "media" for the last 5 or so years. I listen to 15-20 hours per week as I commute, exercise, wash dishes… Right now. As a marginal, unprofitable, poorly understood medium podcasts are amazingly "free." At least some of that stems from podcasting being broken. Anyway, if anyone is looking for some fertile space to innovate, podcasting is it. Discovery is completely and utterly broken. Even just getting a podcast that you know the name of can be borderline impossible for less savvy users. Podcasting apps kind of suck too. Podcasts struggle to get interaction, which is important for discovery.

danschuller 12y ago
Any recommendations? I'm loving Serial, I listened to nearly all of it today. Occasionally I listen to Startups For the Rest of Us (http://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/ http://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/) but it's hit and miss if the content is relevant for me. Hardcore History is excellent. It'd be nice to discover some more.
- adriand 12y ago
  This American Life, the show that created (I think more or less), Serial, is a great show. 99% Invisible is a great show about design. Radio Diaries is interesting. If you're into super thoughtful discussions about religion, science, meditation, and so on, On Being is fantastic. Other ones worth checking out: * Radiolab * Stuff You Should Know * Studio 360 But - Serial is definitely my favourite podcast of all time. I'm not sure there's anything better out there.
  - logn 12y ago
    Here are links that go to MP3 files (versus their webapp players)... This American Life bookmarklet: javascript:var i = prompt("TAL episode number:");window.location=i?"http://audio.thisamericanlife.org/jomamashouse/ismymamashouse/"+i+".mp3":"http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives"; Radiolab: http://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab http://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab

NatW 12y ago

It's worth mentioning that This American Life (TAL) went all out promoting 'Serial' with on-air mentions, airing its first episode and using popups on the TAL website e.g.: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives.

gldnspud 12y ago

I would be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to plug Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak's "No Agenda Show" podcast. http://www.noagendashow.com/ http://www.noagendashow.com/ It's entering the eighth year, reaching its 700th show, and has been entirely funded by producers (active listeners) throughout its history. No ads. No native advertising. In the morning!

petercooper 12y ago

Wasn't the Ricky Gervais Show really podcasting's first breakout hit? It got a Guinness World Record and ended up becoming a TV show in both the UK and US.

schneider_sh 12y ago
I think another early podcasting success was Bill Simmons from ESPN. In my opinion, his podcasting success helped build his brand even further and allowed him to launch Grantland. A more recent podcast to big deals success is Men in Blazers. The two soccer commentators spun their podcast into a 10pm Monday show on NBCSN. I think that sports podcasting in general is quite a mature format. Though, this probably isn't all too surprising as it is basically a more dedicated form of sports radio.
- cmdrfred 12y ago
  What about Adam Carolla? He is the current record holder.

niix 12y ago

I'm absolutely in love with this podcast. I randomly stumbled upon it look for something else to listen to while waiting on new episodes of "Stuff You Should Know". The story is so engaging. Congrats to Sarah and the team on their success!

mrcwinn 12y ago

I loved the original episode this series was born out of: the story of a doctor in North Carolina who takes over the practice of a convicted murderer [http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/492/transcript http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/492/t...]. I have to say, though, I don't enjoy Serial very much. I'm the only person, it seems. :-) Listening to a reporter (not an investigator) guess and gab about a murder just seems like a waste of time. The constant teasers throughout each episode (maybe he did it? but then, maybe he didn't? and maybe this happened, but then maybe it didn't happen?) are infuriating. This is to say nothing Sarah Koenig. She's obviously done fine work in her career and is a big part of This American Life, and I'm happy to see any podcast get some attention. I just don't enjoy the show, personally.

pkulak 12y ago
I think this is less about one single podcast than it is about the entire medium. Whether you or I enjoy Serial, it's a huge hit and it's turning a lot of people on to the format.

thinkr 12y ago

Wanted to add some other ones I did not see suggested: Freakonomics Radio - by the authors of the book of the same name Travel with Rick Steves - podcast by famous travel guide Rick Steves Dinner Part Download - nice way to learn about interesting facts/random trivia/pop-culture regarding all sorts of subjects which can make for interesting conversation at your next social gathering edit: meant to post this as a response to the question asking about other podcasts

pain_perdu 12y ago

Would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this: http://www.crowdmurder.com http://www.crowdmurder.com - Gamifying the investigation of the case from the Serial Podcast. "Use Real Court Evidence to Solve the Murder of Hae Min Lee Access Courtroom Audio, Build Time-lines, Maps & Suspect Bios. Team up with fans of the Serial Podcast from around the world to help solve a murder. Every Court Document and Recording We're Publishing Every Piece of Publicly-Available Evidence from Adnan's Trial and building powerful annotation tools"

cmdrfred 12y ago

If anyone here hasn't listened to The Bugle podcast (I've been a Bugler since the second episode) you are missing out on the world.