Best tech podcasts: Listen and learn | ZDNet

No matter your interest or level of experience, and whether you prefer your hosts serious, silly, or somewhere in between, there’s a tech podcast out there for you. 

Our favorite tech podcasts offer a little bit of everything. Presented in alphabetical order, take a look at the best tech podcasts out there and where you can find them.

1. Accidental Tech Podcast

Apple with some extra features 

Find it: Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, RSS

Three self-described nerds talk about tech, Apple, programming, and related topics. The Accidental Tech Podcast incorporates information about technology and current events alike. Informal and likable, hosts Marco Arment, Casey Liss, and John Siracusa give updates about Apple and Apple products from a fresh and honest perspective. 

Fans of Apple but not fanboys, as one reviewer put it, the hosts of Accidental Tech Podcast criticize and praise features and products. They also offer reviews of Apple TV+ content. Weekly episodes typically last two hours apiece.

Start here: In Episode 476, the hosts did a dive into Mac Studio upgrades and thermals, Studio Display engineering, and the latest rumors and theories about Mac Pro.

2. Black Tech Unplugged

Stories about Black tech excellence

Find it: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Google Play, Stitcher

Hosted by Deena McKay, Black Tech Unplugged came to fruition after McKay found herself alone in the tech world. As she met more Black individuals in technology, she wanted to tell their stories, share their adventures, and cultivate a community where tech meets Black culture.

Black Tech Unplugged welcomes guests once or twice a month to talk about their successes and failures in the tech sector. Episode length ranges between 30 and 50 minutes. Episodes include CEOs, entrepreneurs, and innovators to inspire and empower individuals in the tech industry alongside those aspiring to enter the tech world.

Start here: In Episode 56, McKay talked to the CIO of the White House Office of the United States Trade Representative, Celestine Pressley, about her journey as an IT professional and the first Black person and woman to hold her current position. 

3. How I Built This

Innovation and inspiration

Find it: Wondery, Apple Podcasts, Spotify

Hosted by Guy Raz, NPR’s How I Built This podcast features innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists who talk about the movements they built. Each episode combines narrative content with interviews to offer insight into how well-known companies — including famed tech companies — came to be.

Live episodes and in-studio shows last for about an hour and introduce listeners to the likes of kettle corn moguls Angie and Dan Bastian, fashion designers Telfar Clemens and Babak Radboy, and gamer Jason Citron. Listen to learn how they combined technology and business to find success.

Start here: WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg appeared in Episode 397 to talk about pitching his idea, getting rejected, and making his own way as he formed a billion-dollar company.

4. Offline

Internet pros and cons

Find it: Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Tune In, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, RSS

Offline with Jon Favreau aims to make the internet a less-miserable place. Each week, Favreau talks to a writer, athlete, entertainer, tech reporter, or other figure who influences how others use the internet. They explore how technology shapes politics, cultures, and human interactions.

Not intended to dissuade from the use of tech, Offline seeks to regain control of the role tech plays in our world. Episodes last about one hour and are released on Sundays.

Start here: Prolific vlogger, author, science communicator, and internet producer Hank Green appeared on an episode of Offline in February 2022. Green talked about using technology to spark curiosity and build an environment of communal learning.

5. TED Tech

Tech and society, TED-style

Find it: Apple Podcasts, Spotify

By inviting speakers to talk about how technology intersects with science, design, business, and other aspects of society, TED Tech explores the relationship between technology and humanity. TED Tech attempts to answer questions about the direction of tech, the role it will continue to play in society, and how to troubleshoot existing and emerging challenges. 

You don’t need an information technology degree to enjoy these bite-sized talks. TED Tech comes out on Fridays. Topics include refrigerator sensors and vaccine spoilage, the rise of artificial intelligence, and whether a free and fair internet truly benefits everyone. 

Start here: In an episode from February 2022, Dan Kwartler asked why solar panels aren’t covering the desert to generate electricity. The podcast delved into the possibility and practicality of such a venture.

6. This Week in Tech

The world of tech, one week at a time

Find it: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts Pocket Casts, Spotify RSS, YouTube

This Week in Tech considers itself the first podcast of the week and the last word in tech. Each week, tech pundits gather to discuss trends in the tech industry with host Leo Laporte. 

TWiT’s wide-ranging nature means it covers everything from Apple products to streaming services to gaming platforms. Guests offer opinions and analyses about how technology affects lives alongside speculation about what’s next in tech. Episodes last two or three hours and are released every Sunday.

Start here: Episode 867 featured conversations about Apple updates, Samsung products, SpaceX, and an analysis of the role technology is playing in the war in Ukraine.

7. Women in Tech Podcast

Empowerment in tech

Find it: Apple Podcasts, website

WeAreLaTech’s Espree Devora talks to female engineers, founders, investors, designers, and the like to empower listeners about the possibilities of the tech world. The Women in Tech Podcast celebrates women and their roles in tech alongside their personal achievements, interests, and experiences. 

Women in Tech Podcast’s guests include students, CEOs, founders of podcast platforms, and content creators. Twice-weekly podcasts include a new release that lasts about 45 minutes and a bonus “remix” of recent conversations. 

Start here: One remix episode from March 2022 incorporated juicy tidbits from talks with data scientist Helena Belloff and clinical product head Lauren Kelley-Chew from Levels, a metabolic fitness program that tests blood glucose through a device in your arm in real-time. 

8. ZDNet Security Update

Keeping tech safe

Find it: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Hosted by senior reporter Danny Palmer, ZDNet Security Update focuses on the latest cybersecurity threats alongside trends in keeping technology safe. Episodes feature interviews with experts from the tech industry, academia, and government to provide a comprehensive look at the state of cybersecurity.

Topics discussed include protecting your digital identity, the rise of ransomware, and how to stop bullying and abuse in information security. Episodes last roughly 20 minutes and are released weekly. 

Start here: In February 2022, Palmer talked to Allan Liska about cyber insurance and how protection against ransomware may actually be contributing to attacks.