The Most Popular Podcast Platforms
Podcasts, as a form of free audioblogging, emerged in the year 2000. However, podcasts experienced rapid growth after 2014, marked by the release of a major detective audio series that garnered millions of listeners. Yes, podcasts can overlap in genre with well-known audiobooks, though with distinct features. They can be narrative (the host tells a story) or conversational (the host invites studio guests, asks questions, and discusses various topics).
According to Izone Media, as of the year 2020, there were up to a million different podcasts worldwide during the pre-pandemic era. Since humanity found itself in a situation where all entertainment and education were confined to home, the popularity of podcasts has been steadily increasing. Listening to something between tasks, during a jog or walk, while doing dishes, or on the way to work is an excellent way to not only spend time but also learn something new. If you work in IT or aspire to enter this exciting field, podcasts are a valuable supplementary tool. They help you continuously learn and stay updated, something crucial in a dynamic industry where success is hard to achieve without it.
So, let's see which Ukrainian podcasts will help you stay informed, learn, and feel at home in the world of high technology.
Read also: Top 10 Ukrainian YouTube channels about IT
Top 10 IT Podcasts
Popular podcasts can be roughly divided into thematic and conversational categories (free-flowing discussions about everything related to the profession). In thematic podcasts, you can find something useful for professional growth, while conversational podcasts allow you to immerse yourself in the industry's atmosphere and relax simultaneously, as they usually maintain a light and playful tone. However, it could also be the other way around— a thematically presented podcast, made easy and enjoyable, can facilitate better understanding of information, while a conversational one may be a serious analytical conversation with an industry professional.
But if you're interested in testing or game development life hacks, it's worth looking for targeted podcasts on testing and game development, isn't it?
We won't provide direct links for a straightforward reason: podcasts are typically available on multiple platforms, which we'll briefly discuss at the end of the article. It should be relatively easy to find each podcast by its name and select your most convenient platform.
How We Selected Podcasts for Our Compilation:
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The podcast currently exists and is regularly updated with new episodes.
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It has at least a dozen episodes.
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The podcast is in the Ukrainian language.
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It caught our attention.
1. DOU Podcast
To start, the DOU Podcast is highly valuable, an audio blog of the professional IT community that you should listen to if you want to stay informed about events and trends in the IT field in general, especially in job searching. A new episode is released every three days, and here they discuss everything from education, both paid and free, to labor market trends, blackouts, interviews, and the future of different companies.
2. Anywhere Club
A podcast from a community with the same name, which aims to help people begin working in IT. Here, you'll find discussions about interviews, career choices, volunteering, and your first year in IT. Podcasts are just one of the community's activities. Moreover, you can discuss what you've heard – for example, on the Discord server – or participate in periodic events.
3. Quality Matters
A podcast from the DOU community about testing, the work of testers, real cases, and the challenges of the profession.
4. QAGuild
For those interested in test automation, there is another significant podcast – QAGuild. The author, Sergey Pirogov, doesn't limit himself to testing; for instance, on YouTube, in addition to podcasts, there are also videos on assembling FPV drones. By the way, the podcast was originally in Russian but has transitioned to Ukrainian. Future testers should also check out the Quality Assurance Group podcasts since it's a comprehensive educational resource where you can find many tips, instructions, examples of using various tools, and advice on job searching and interviews.
5. Alexander Khyzhun
The intricacies of Android development can be found on Alexander Khyzhun's channel: a detailed breakdown of applications, functions, and settings. So, if you're learning, this is an excellent resource in a convenient video format.
6. FWDays Tech Talks
Conversations about technologies, architectures, how popular applications work, and everything that interests developers. The guests and hosts are experienced developers with over 10 years in the field.
Read also: TOP-11 interesting Ukrainian sites and blogs about the IT industry
7. Vitalia Gamedev
For those who dream of transitioning from a player to a game developer, the "Vitalia Gamedev" podcast is useful. However, it's not just a podcast; it also includes video content with lessons on various stages of game development, from maps to characters. You probably won't become a developer solely through a YouTube channel, but some things are better understood when you can see them, making the learning process less cumbersome.
8. No Name Podcast
This might interest those who want to learn more about cybersecurity. The author and host is a co-founder of Berezha Security Group, involved in consulting in this field.
9. It's Raining Cats and Dogs
"It's Raining Cats and Dogs" is the podcast of MacPaw Tech, a community of developers, designers, testers, and more. Here, you can immerse yourself in the world of IT, keeping an eye on developments, from stolen MacBooks to the intricacies of Agile. The authors discuss current topics, such as volunteering, career changes, and more.
10. Juniverse
Juniverse is a podcast about the lives of juniors in Ukraine. The videos aren't very frequent, but they're highly informative: you'll find live coding, interview videos, and discussions about which experience is most valuable.
Read also: Fakes and disinformation: learning to recognize false information on the Internet
The Most Popular Podcast Platforms
If you've already tried searching for podcasts by name, you may have noticed that they can exist on multiple platforms simultaneously.
As of now, podcasts are available on all popular platforms where you can find apps, videos, audio, and other content. Special apps have podcast catalogs that you can organize, search, and share with friends and colleagues:
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Google Podcasts – an app designed for listening to podcasts on Android devices. It's convenient and reliable but will cease to exist in 2024, with podcasts moving to YouTube Music.
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Apple Podcasts – as the name suggests, it's a podcast app on the iOS platform. It has both paid and free options, and it's one of the oldest podcast platforms, as Apple was among the early promoters of podcasts.
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Spotify, as a streaming service, includes podcasts in its content, and outside our top list, it has an interesting podcast from "Kunshta" about artificial intelligence and how it's already changing reality. If you listen to something similar, the service will recommend related audio in the future.
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SoundCloud – a popular streaming platform and social network that also includes podcasts among its content. You can create playlists and share your favorite material on social media;
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YouTube – although it's primarily a video platform, there's a way to upload audio files with a static cover image. For audio playback, YouTube Music works well, allowing you to listen in the background and offline. YouTube Music is available for Android and iOS users. It offers a partially paid model, with convenient background and offline listening available in the paid version.
By the way, Cityhost.ua has its own YouTube channel — on it you will find many detailed video instructions and useful tips on hosting, domains and server rental, as well as how to configure the necessary functions and manage services.
Major media outlets, such as NV and "Kunshta," also host podcasts, which may be mirrored on YouTube or Spotify.
On each of the mentioned platforms, you can search for IT podcasts in both Ukrainian and English. There are plenty of podcasts available, so if our selection doesn't suit your preferences, you can easily create your own.
In the end, it's quite straightforward: you don't need to waste an hour in a queue or on a bus; you can spend it productively by listening to an engaging conversation, learning more about technology and the people working with it. Podcasts are a source of knowledge seamlessly integrated into our fast-paced lives, where time and energy are limited, and the to-do list seems endless.
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