Podcasts exist for every niche interest imaginable — but when it comes to discovering the podcasts you want to listen to, things aren't so convenient. Given the sheer quantity of podcasts available today, it can be tough to know where to get started or how to discover something new.
That's why NPR launched earbud.fm, a new site that offers users a hand-picked selection of the best podcasts from around the web.
More than 6,000 NPR listeners recommended podcast episodes from more than 800 podcasts to be featured on earbud.fm. The NPR team then whittled down these suggestions to approximately 200 podcasts to feature on the site.
"Our goal was to create a listening sampler that would help you discover something new," the earbud.fm team explained.
In addition to fielding recommendations from listeners, NPR sought out picks from professional audio storytellers and celebrities, such as Matthew McConaughey and Neil Patrick Harris.
To start exploring, users can browse earbud.fm's categories. The "Tell Me a Story" category, for example, features pieces of narrative storytelling, while the "Hanging Out" tag is for listeners who prefer to listen to more casual conversations.
"Podcasts as a form of mainstream journalism and entertainment have reached a level of influence in our culture that deserves the kind of editorial attention our cultural news department gives to books, movies and music," Michael Oreskes, senior vice president of news and editorial director, said in an NPR statement.
If you want to recommend a podcast episode to earbuds.fm, you can do so by clicking here. There's just one rule — if you're a podcast producer, you're not allowed to recommend your own productions.
Main image CC-licensed by Flickr via Maria Teresa Ambrosi.