18 Top-Notch Podcasts For Software Developers And Programmers

Podcasts are digital audio files that can be listened to at any time, delivered directly to you at your computer or other listening devices (iPod, iPad, smartphone, etc). It’s the most portable way to consume content and to learn something new. Podcasts have grown in popularity over the years and they now cover a very wide range of subjects.

And yes, there are plenty of great podcasts out there for developers and programmers. They found to be incredibly useful to keep you updated with everything that’s happening with your favorite tools, and help you develop a broader perspective on the ever-changing field that is technology.

But the hard part is finding the good ones, so we’ve assembled the list below to help you find the best podcasts for yourself. Let’s take a look.

Development Podcasts

1. Programming Throwdown

Programming Throwdown offers a general introduction to a wide range of programming-related topics in an interesting and engaging manner. Each episode of Programming. Programming Throwdown attempt to educate Computer Scientists and Software Engineers on a cavalcade of programming and tech topics. Every show will cover a new programming language, so listeners will be able to speak intelligently about any programming language.  Each episode is 60 minutes long.

2. Full Stack Radio

Full Stack Radio is a great podcast for developers interested in building great software products. Each episode features a guest but not exactly in an interview format. Each episode runs for 30 to 60 minutes long.

3. Coding Blocks

Hosted by three professional developers, Coding Blocks is all about introducing all kinds of programming-related topics in a way that can be easily learned while working on some other things. Technical deep dives covering all aspects of software development – best programming practices, understanding tough algorithms and paradigms, Design Patterns, and much more! It’s the best option for all programmers, though there’s a slight lean towards C# and .NET.

4. Arrested DevOps

Arrested DevOps (or development operations) is the podcast that helps you achieve understanding, develop good practices, and operate your team and organization for maximum DevOps awesomeness. Each episode is 60 minutes long.

5. Software Engineering Daily

Software Engineering Daily podcast is about technical software content. It is an interview-based podcast that aims to cover all things under the scope of “software engineering”.  Here’s how the host describes it: “After every episode, you should feel like you are 1% better at understanding how software works.” Each episode is 60 minutes long.

6. Software Engineering Radio

Software Engineering Radio, aimed at professional software developers, is meant to be a more evergreen, educational resource rather than timely newscasting.  Every 10 days, a new episode is published that covers all topics of software engineering. Each show aims to provide a deep dive into a specific topic, and frequently offers interviews with noted experts in the software engineering world. The podcast is designed to be a lasting educational resource for developers on the topics covered, which range from dynamic languages to .NET to cloud services.

7. Hanselminutes

Described as “Fresh Air for Developers,” this weekly podcast features interviews and discussions of the web, culture, education, technology, and more.  Hosted by Scott Hanselman, this long-running weekly show promises fresh ideas and great people. The show offers an overview of a wide range of development technologies and approaches. The series also regularly touches on general interest technology-related topics.

8. This Developer’s Life

Another general podcast focused on bringing a “human slant” to the tech industry. This podcast provides great insights into the life of developers. The show delves into the issues confronting developers in their daily lives.

9. CodeNewbie

CodeNewbie is a great podcast for anyone who is new to coding! It features stories of people and what they struggled through on their coding journeys, and much more. There’s a lot of diversity between the guests that get featured on this podcast, which should also lend a lot of motivation if you feel like you are not good enough to be a programmer. In a word, it’s inspiring. Each episode is 60 minutes long.

10. The Changelog

The changelog podcast mainly covers a wide range of open-source development tools and development-related news. It provides some great insights on various topics in software development. The program has a heavy focus on web development, from Ruby and node.js to JavaScript and CSS, as well as covering a broad array of tools, ranging from Git to npm. Each episode is of 60 to 90 minutes long.

11. Learn to Code with Me

Feel intimidated by other podcasts? Then this one is for you. ‘Learn to Code with Me’ is an interview-oriented podcast that is aimed at coding newbies who have very little practical experience. Each episode is 30 minutes long.

12. The Bike Shed

The Bike Shed is a topical development podcast primarily focused on web development. Every episode, the three hosts invite a guest to talk about their experiences and the challenges they’ve faced while working with JavaScript, Ruby, Rails, etc. Also, every once in a while, they’ll host the episodes on general programming topics, that are more widely applicable. The episodes are 30 to 40 minutes long.

13. AppMasters

This podcast hosted by a successful app developer and marketer can help you with design, development, and even marketing. It’s for developers who know how to make apps but aren’t sure how to sell them or make them desirable to potential customers. The episodes are 30 minutes long.

14. The Debug Log

Game development podcasts are hard to find these days, not so much because they’re rare but because most so-called “gamedev podcasts” are more about game design than the actual development process. And that’s why The Debug Log is such a wonderful find.

This podcast is specifically about creating games using Unity, but the more conceptual episodes can be applied to other game engines. Each episode runs for about 40 to 60 minutes long.

Programming Language Podcasts

15. CppCast

If you love C++, this is a must-listen. CppCast is the only podcast for C++ developers by C++ developers. The host of the CppCast podcast is the same one who wrote Exceptional C++ and C++ Coding Standards, so you can rest assured that he knows what he’s talking about. The content can get a bit advanced at times. The episodes are 30 to 60 minutes long.

16. .NET Rocks!

.NET Rocks is an Internet Audio Talk Show for Microsoft .NET Developers. It is a podcast app targeted to the professional software developers, IT professionals or anyone interested in technology and programming. It is a source of latest news, discussions, insiders’ secrets and tricks for professional self-development in one place and always by a hand on your phone. Each episode is 60 minutes long.

17. JavaScript Jabber

Every serious JavaScript developer should tune into this podcast. It is a weekly podcast discussion about JavaScript on the front and back ends. It also discusses programming practices, coding environments and the communities related to the technology. JavaScript Jabber also delves into subjects such as CSS, TypeScript, IDEs, databases, and much more. Each episode runs for 40 to 60 minutes long.

18. Talk Python to Me

Python is a simple but weird language, making it easy to learn but hard to master. This weekly podcast hosted by Michael Kennedy covers a wide array of Python topics as well as many related topics such as AngularJS, DevOps, MongoDB. Talk Python to Me blows all other Python-related podcasts out of the water. The host is great, the format is great, the guests are great — there’s a lot to love about it, including the actual content, which is immensely useful for Python developers. Episodes are 60 minutes long.