The Top 6 Developer Podcasts

We love podcasts. They have quickly become the preferred soundtrack to the life of the modern professional. Tedious daily commutes and repetitive workout sessions are being accompanied by the sounds of music, debates, stories and investigations. With topics ranging from Serial's immersive interpretation of the real-life crime investigation genre all the way to 99% Invisible's storytelling style series that takes its listener on a journey, exploring the architecture and under appreciated design that makes our world what it is today.

Podcasting is an easy way to add great context and value to your life by introducing yourself to new narratives that may deeply resonate with you for years to come. Podcasting is beginning to revolutionize the way we communicate with our mentors. The audience now has the ability to control when, where and how they listen to the information inside the podcast by subscribing directly to the source feed using a podcast directory such as iTunes. This makes podcasts convenient to consume which is a vital feature of an on-demand technology.

Everyone wants to learn and develop themselves, but many people find pdfs and seminars impersonal. Luckily podcasts allow us to get back in control and we can choose to listen to only the episodes and speakers that inspire and appeal to us. With this in mind we’ve created a list of the top six podcasts that we think will be useful resources for software developers.

Top Six Podcasts for Developers

Special mention: CodeNewbie

Let’s start our recommendations with one that didn’tquitemake the list but is a great starting point for the new developers amongst us: CodeNewbie. CodeNewbie is a collection of stories and insights from fellow developers who share advice from the experiences they have had on their coding journeys. This podcast is both inspiring and supportive, offering an engaged online community as well as a weekly live twitter chat where you can immerse into coding conversations with newcomers and veterans alike using the hashtag #CodeNewbie.

6. MS Dev Show

A podcast for Microsoft developers, this entertaining show covers topics such as Azure/cloud, Windows, Windows Phone, .NET, Visual Studio, and more. Hosted by Jason Young and Carl Schweitzer, these guys have had a handful of great guests including Scott Hanselman and Infragistics' own Brian Lagunas.

5. .NET Rocks!

This podcast is in a weekly talk show format with the topics varying from vital information for beginners all the way to obscure geek references. It’s hosted by two veteran developers who between them boast over 30 years of experience as Microsoft Regional Directors. Over the years it has also been given special mentions in publications such as The New York Times as an ‘early pioneer of Podcasting’. What makes this show unique is the strong connection to Microsoft and .Net, as well as the wealth of experience the two main hosts possess. The show also boasts a mobile spin-off called “The Tablet show” which is dedicated to helping people learn how to develop for tablets, phones and mobile web apps.

4. Software Engineering Radio

This podcast is aimed at professional software developers in the working world. The podcast's content is presented as an educational resource instead of the usual newscast format. Each episode is either a tutorial on a specific subject or an interview with an individual from the world of software engineering. It can be difficult to adjust to the strong German accents of the hosts, but once that bridge is crossed you will be given a vast explanation of today's software development environment, ranging from the best practices to even explaining some of the more obscure technology acronyms. SE Radio is also managed and produced by the volunteers of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Software, which is a leading technology magazine aimed at software professionals and published by the IEEE Computer Society.

3. The Changelog Podcast

The Changelog podcast documents the ever-changing landscape of Open Source development. Expect an up-to-date publication covering the intersecting worlds of Open source and Software development. This blog is produced by a member supported community and boasts hundreds of episodes as well as an average of 160,000 listens per month.

2. Microsoft TechNet Radio

This podcast is a good all-rounder for anyone who is passionate about IT. They tend to go deep into the technologies that we live with, and the people that build, deploy and manage them. Each week they offer a critical voice, with a multitude of guests ranging from your peers in IT to more technical roles inside Microsoft and industry experts. Popular topics include C#, Windows 8, ASP.NET, SharePoint and Azure.

1. Developer Tea

Developer Tea is a short 10 minute podcast that you can listen to on the go, which is produced for and hosted by web and software developers. The show will cover a wide variety of topics related to the career of being a developer. The hope is that you'll take the topics from this podcast and continue the conversation, either online or in person with your peers. The show is hosted by Jonathan Cutrell, Director of Technology at Whiteboard and the author of Hacking the Impossible, a developer's guide to working with visionaries.

Go out and get listening!

Listening and subscribing to these podcasts should prepare you to become a better programmer by their format alone. They set you up for a continuous learning experience which is great. The Podcast has given us a fresh new way to consume information as and when we please. They allow us to choose how we develop ourselves by listening to successful people sharing their tips during our spare time. So what are you waiting for, got out and get listening!