Podcasts have become a great way to learn new information at your own convenience, whether you’re on the go or in the middle of something else. If you're looking to learn more about how big data analysis is reshaping our businesses and our lives, the field of data science has a number of podcasts dedicated to the subject.
Data science is a broad and burgeoning field, and there are many more podcasts on related topics than you may think. So how do you find one that might interest you? We’ll give you a hand by covering some things to consider when looking for a good data science podcast and provide suggestions of some of the more popular shows.
Here’s a rundown of the program:
Let’s turn on, tune in, and get going.
When you’re trying to find a podcast on data science – or any kind of podcast or infotainment program, really – that you’ll enjoy, there are plenty of factors you’ll want to consider. Here are some questions to ask when you come across a podcast you might find interesting.
If you don’t know where to start and would just like some suggestions on the best big data podcast to listen to, we’ll give you a hand. We’ve scoured the Internet for recommendations, and found these 20 programs rank among the most popular.
Listen: Apple | Spotify | YouTube | Podbay.fm
Average length: 40-60 minutes
Average frequency: 1 podcast/week
World of DaaS (Data as a Service) is a big data analytics podcast hosted by SafeGraph’s CEO, Auren Hoffman, covering a range of data-related topics like big data analytics, data visualization, data curation, and more. In it, Auren talks to leaders in business and technology to gain insights into what makes big data companies tick: where they get their data from, how they process and store their data, and what breakthroughs they’re planning to use their data to make next.
Best Episode: Jack Dangermond: Building Esri
Auren talks to Jack Dangermond, CEO of Esri, about how he founded the world’s leading geospatial company through a combination of niche software pioneering and innovative management practices.
Listen: Stitcher | Apple | Spotify | Google | TuneIn | Blubrry
Average length: 20-25 minutes
Frequency: 2-3 podcasts/month
This is a big data podcast that, as the name suggests, focuses on geospatial information. Leading geographic information systems (GIS) company Esri talks to leaders in the technology and business industries about how they are using location data to power new “smart” technologies that are changing the digital landscape.
Best episode: How UPS Strengthens Customer Connection with Spatial Analytics
The Esri team talks to Jack Levis, Senior Director of Process Management at UPS, about how the courier service uses geospatial data analysis to streamline its operations and improve customer satisfaction.
Listen: Apple | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Stitcher | Amazon Music
Average length: 15-30 minutes
Frequency: 6-7 podcasts/month
The official podcast for Amazon Web Services (AWS) is for those looking for the latest news and trends in data storage, application security, hardware/software infrastructures, and more. Whether you’re a web developer or other digital technology professional, you’ll find topics of interest on the AWS Podcast, from machine learning to cloud solutions to open source platforms and beyond.
Best episode: Are You Well-Architected?
Philip ‘Fitz’ Fitzimons talks about how AWS’s “Well-Architected” cloud development tool has been made available to the public, and how it can help businesses with the building, monitoring, and collective improvement of cloud-based IT infrastructures.
Listen: Apple | Spotify | Google | Amazon Music
Average length: 15-30 minutes
Average frequency: 2 podcasts/month
Identity Revolution is a data management podcast from Infutor, a leader in consumer identity management. The podcast discusses how big data technology and consumer analytics drive today’s marketing efforts.
Best episode: Exploring the MarTech, AdTech Data Ecosystem with Auren Hoffman of SafeGraph
SafeGraph CEO Auren Hoffman discusses his company, the address data standard it developed (Placekey), and how he predicts data companies will continue to expand their offerings of services and tools – with an emphasis on breadth of data over accuracy – to stay competitive within the industry.
Listen: Podtail | Apple | Spotify | YouTube
Average length: 20-30 minutes
Frequency: 2-3 podcasts/month
Award-winning author and journalist Steve Hamm hosts this data governance podcast, brought to you by cloud data management platform provider Snowflake. Steve talks to figures in leading businesses about how they’ve leveraged big data to take their companies to the next level.
Best episode: Unlocking the Power of AI with Dan Wright, President and COO of DataRobot
Dan Wright talks about his experience in getting more value out of machine learning, neural networks, and artificial intelligence systems to successfully run disruptive technology companies such as People.ai, LogDNA, AppDynamics, and DataRobot.
Listen: Google | Apple | Spotify | Amazon Music | Stitcher | Podcast Addict | Castbox | Podchaser
Average length: 25-40 minutes
Frequency: 1-3 podcast(s)/month
From data and AI platform Databricks comes this machine learning and data engineering podcast. Denny Lee and Brooke Wenig interview leaders in both the corporate and academic worlds about various topics in data science, with each season covering a different theme.
Best episode: BI on Data Lakes: Making It Real for Retail
Denny and Brooke talk to Lara Minor from Columbia Sportswear about how transitioning from data warehouses to data lakes has helped the company better manage purchases, analyze reviews, and forecast consumer demand for their apparel.
Listen: Apple | Spotify | Breaker | Castbox | Google | Pocket Casts | RadioPublic | Anchor.fm | YouTube
Average length: 20-40 minutes
Frequency: 1-2 podcast(s)/month
This podcast on data analytics examines the intersections between big data science, artificial intelligence, and marketing. A unique feature of this podcast is that it often focuses on developments in these fields from Asia, which DeepMacro feels do not get enough attention in the US.
Best episode: Geolocation Data with Auren Hoffman, CEO of SafeGraph
The DeepMacro team talks with Auren Hoffman, CEO of SafeGraph, about mobile device GPS data and how it has been used during the COVID-19 pandemic to monitor the spread of the virus and determine which places are safer to visit than others.
Listen: Apple | Spotify | Google | Castbox | Player.fm | Pocket Casts | Podcast Addict | TuneIn | Amazon Music | Stitcher
Average length: 25-35 minutes
Frequency: 3-5 podcasts/month
The Data Skeptic podcast discusses topics and interviews from experts in statistics, data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and related fields. Data Skeptic podcast host Kyle Polich approaches each conversation from critical and scientific angles, separating fact from fiction and judging what works and what doesn’t.
Best Episode: Quantum Computing
Kyle talks with Scott Aaronson, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, about what a quantum computer is – including its capabilities, potential applications, and limitations.
Listen: Apple | Google | Podtail | Podchaser | Repod.io
Average length: 20-30 minutes
Frequency: 1-4 podcast(s)/month
The Data Crunch podcast focuses on practical applications of new technologies: data science, machine learning, deep learning, artificial intelligence, and more. Its hosts talk to entrepreneurs and tech industry experts about how they work and what they’re working on to make the world a better place – whether it actually works or not. Its accessible and entertaining approach to topics makes this a good data science podcast for beginners.
Best Episode: Getting into Data Science
Ginette and Curtis from Data Crunch talk to three people who recently became data scientists to get their takes on how to get hired as one, from learning the subject matter to navigating the job application process.
Listen: Apple | Spotify
Average length: 45-60 minutes
Frequency: 5 podcasts/week
Jeff Meyerson hosts this software-focused podcast to discuss technical topics with leaders in technology industries. His goal is to immerse his listeners in the technical aspects of how software works so they can get a little bit more knowledgeable each day. That makes it a decent podcast to learn data science from, too.
Best episode: DaaS with Auren Hoffman
Jeff talks with SafeGraph CEO Auren Hoffman about his company and why it’s one of the few successful ‘data as a service’ businesses.
Listen: Apple | Spotify | Podbay.fm | Google
Average length: 50-70 minutes
Frequency: 2-3 podcasts/month
Roger Peng and Hilary Parker host this data analytics podcast that spotlights the latest news in data science from the worlds of academia and business.
Best Episode: This Week in Algorithmic Bias
Hilary and Roger finish their conversations from the previous episode on learning R as a first programming language and licensing open-source software, then talk about how algorithms could be used to discriminate against vulnerable populations in areas such as housing and healthcare.
Listen: Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Podchaser | Podcast Addict | Podbean | Google
Average length: 40-60 minutes
Frequency: 1-2 podcast(s)/month
This is primarily a data visualization and data analysis podcast. Hosted by Enrico Bertini and Moritz Stefaner, it aims to make the ways data is affecting our everyday lives understandable at a non-technical level.
Best Episode: Big Data Skepticism with Kate Crawford
Kate Crawford, Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, joins the Data Stories podcast to discuss if having more data always makes for better and smarter decisions, or gets humanity any closer to objective truth.
Listen: RadioPublic | Apple | Spotify | Player.fm | Podyssey.fm | Repod.io
Average length: 20-30 minutes
Frequency: 2 podcasts/week
This is a data analyst podcast with a focus on software as a service (SaaS). SaaStr brings in leading minds in building, managing, and investing in commercial software to teach listeners their strategies for establishing and growing their companies.
Best episode: SafeGraph CEO Auren Hoffman: How to Build a Unicorn in 8 Simple Steps
The SaaStr team sits down with CEO Auren Hoffman of SafeGraph to discuss how to mimic the strategies of the most successful software companies to build a business model that can skyrocket your company’s growth.
Listen: Apple | Stitcher | Google | Podchaser
Average length: 30-45 minutes
Frequency: 2-3 podcasts/month
The O’Reilly Data Podcast, from education company O’Reilly Media, explores topics such as big data, data science, and AI. It looks at the processes behind these technologies, as well as the opportunities they present for future applications and innovations.
Best Episode: Trends in Data, Machine Learning, and AI
This 2018 year-end holiday edition of the show features O’Reilly managing editor Jenn Webb talking with host Ben Lorica about trends he saw in big data, machine learning, and AI over the previous year, as well as what he expects to be big in these fields during 2019.
Listen: Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google
Average length: 30-45 minutes
Frequency: 1 podcast/week
This is the most popular IBM big data podcast, hosted by IBM’s Vice President of Data & AI Development Al Martin. Al brings in a range of experts to talk about the latest ideas and developments in big data and AI, along with their potential impacts on businesses and people alike.
Best Episode: 100th Episode Special: Uncovering a Mad Scientist with John Cohn, Part 1
For the 100th episode of the Making Data Simple podcast, Al talks to IBM engineer John Cohn about his career at IBM so far, his role on the Discovery Channel TV show The Colony, and what he plans to work on next.
Listen: Podbean | Amazon Music | Apple | Spotify | Audible | Google
Average length: 30-40 minutes
Frequency: 1 podcast/week
This is a data visualization podcast dedicated to cartographers and mapmakers. MapScaping sits down with experts on GIS to discuss the future of collecting, storing, organizing, and presenting geospatial data.
Best episode: Building Geospatial Truth Sets
This episode takes a look inside SafeGraph’s processes as it works to collect and validate location information on every point of interest in the US and Canada.
Listen: Apple | Spotify | Google | Stitcher | Podchaser | The Podcast App | iHeart
Average length: 20-30 minutes
Frequency: 1 podcast/week
Market research entrepreneur and Infinity Squared CEO Sima Vasa hosts the Data Gurus podcast. She discusses how big data is changing our everyday lives, and talks to successful businesspeople and company representatives about how they keep up with such a rapidly-changing industry.
Best Episode: Encore Episode: Unpacking Social Intelligence
A repeat of a December 2019 interview Sima did with Menaka Gopinath, Lead of Social Intelligence and Communities at Ipsos, about how companies are using data from social media and other social channels to inform their business decisions.
Listen: Apple | Spotify | Podtail | Breaker | Google | Podbean | RadioPublic | Anchor.fm
Average length: 45-65 minutes
Frequency: 1 podcast/week
Hosted by Jeremie Harris, the Towards Data Science podcast dissects some of the biggest issues surrounding data science and AI with the help of leading researchers and businesspeople in those fields.
Best Episode: Ben Lorica: Trends in Data Science with O'Reilly Media's Chief Data Scientist
The TDS team sits down with Ben Lorica, Chief Data Scientist at O’Reilly Media (and host of the O’Reilly data science podcast), to talk about recent trends in the evolution of data science, including shifts towards deploying data models and integrating software engineering practices.
Listen: Audacy | Apple | Spotify
Average length: 20-30 minutes
Frequency: 2-4 podcasts/month
In this podcast, entrepreneurial veteran Kent Lindstrom sits down with the biggest players in Silicon Valley. He discusses their insights not only into the inner workings of California’s legendary digital technology hub, but also how innovations coming out of it will shape the Internet and the world beyond.
Best episode: Auren Hoffman: Silicon Valley’s Hyper-Connected Founder, CEO and Investor Shares His Wisdom
This episode spotlights CEO Auren Hoffman of SafeGraph, discussing his journey to becoming one of Silicon Valley’s most well-known entrepreneurs/investors and his sharing of business wisdom (including why it’s often in the form of sketches on napkins).
Listen: Apple | Spotify | Google | Soundcloud | Podbean
Average length: 50-60 minutes
Frequency: 2-3 podcast(s)/month
DataFramed is a podcast brought to you by Datacamp, a data science education company. Host Adel Nehme talks to thought leaders in academia and business about various topics regarding data science: how to create and lead data-oriented teams, why it’s important for more people to become data-literate, and how to increase what data can contribute to an organization.
Best Episode: Getting Your First Data Science Job
In this edition of the Data Framed podcast, former host Hugo Bowne-Anderson talks to Chris Albon of Devoted Health about what the data scientist hiring process is like, and how prospective data scientists should go about getting their first jobs.
Now you’ve got some starting points for finding a podcast that can teach you more about the world of data science. Of course, another great place to learn about data science is here at SafeGraph, because data is the only thing we do. Be sure to check out the rest of our blog for more great informative articles.
