Chapter 3. Podcast Genres

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Audioblogs

• Comedy CastsShock Jocks, Skits, Standup...

• Couple Casts

• Educational

• Gaming

• Godcasts: Religious and Spiritual Podcasts

• The Interview Cast

• Music

• News

• Politics

• Radio Dramas

• Q-Podders

• Sci-Fi

• Sex

• Sports

• Tech Podcasts

• The Written Word

• Others Genres

"Do your research. Know what you're talking about. Act professionally. Find your niche."

Paul Tevis, Have Games, Will Travel

Most podcasts don't fit into any pigeonhole. Michael and Evo's Wingin' It fits under science fiction and comedy, while you can consider The Dawn and Drew Show! to be an audioblog, a couple cast, comedy, and sex/adult. Still, when you consider the kinds of podcasts that exist, most podcasts have one dominant category they fall into.

Does your podcast have to fit neatly into one of these categories? Not really. This is not a bookstore where if the publisher can't figure out where to put your book, you're not going to get shelf space. Podcasts that find themselves unclassifiable, and yet still entertaining, will get listeners. In fact, word of mouth by other podcasters continues to be the best way to get listeners.

Still, the categories help out when it comes to placing your show in podcast directories, most of which allow you to put your show in more than one category or subcategory.

In this chapter, we have listed the most popular categories, with some examples of successful podcasts in each, things to think about in each genre, and what makes these particular genres work. If you're thinking of doing a religious podcast, or "Godcast," you'll want to check out the others in the genre to see what they're doing. You'll want inspiration, but you won't want to copy them directly. And you have less chance of copying the popular podcasts accidentally if you hear what they're doing.