The search can be worthwhile, as there are now many professionally produced podcasts specifically for tradespeople. (Photo: © diego vito cervo/123RF.com)
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June 4, 2019
Craftsmanship 4.0: Podcasts are the perfect way to get an information boost on the go. Many of the free audio programs impart knowledge while also being entertaining. But what technical requirements are needed?
More and more people are discovering podcasts as a source of knowledge and entertainment for every situation: According to a representative study by the Hamburg-based market research institute Splendid Research from 2018, almost one in three Germans uses free audio content from the internet. The average podcast consumption per listener is around 30 minutes per week.
But how do tradespeople find interesting content? And what exactly are podcasts, and how can they be used? Podcasts are free audio or video programs that can be easily accessed via the internet. Unlike radio or television, there are no fixed broadcast times; all programs can be started at any time with the click of a button. Most successful podcasts release new episodes regularly. Typical content includes interviews, lectures, tutorials, and commentaries. Podcasts are always free for listeners because they are financed in various ways: either by the providers themselves, through advertising, or—in the case of public broadcasting formats—through license fees.
Audio podcasts, in particular, offer tradespeople an interesting alternative to music or radio programs – for example, while traveling to clients, on construction sites, or in their workshops. The technical requirements for playing podcasts are minimal: a smartphone or tablet is all that's needed. Individual podcast episodes can then either be streamed directly online or downloaded in advance if internet access is unavailable at the destination.
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There are countless apps, websites, and software products for finding podcast episodes, some of which also allow you to play content directly. Popular sources include iTunes , Spotify , and Google Podcasts . Online portals like Podcast.de , Fyyd.de , and YouTube also offer a vast selection. Anyone who listens to podcasts regularly should try out different apps that make it easy to search for and find desired content—for example, Castbox or Apple Podcasts . A practical feature: users can subscribe to their favorite channels for free with a single click via the app and will then be notified when new episodes are available. Since the podcast offerings on the various platforms differ significantly, it can be worthwhile to use several apps simultaneously.
To find interesting content, we recommend first searching for terms like "crafts," "digitalization," or "marketing" – depending on your interests. The channel's short text introductions and the opinions of other listeners are usually helpful when deciding on a podcast.
The professional or personal benefits tradespeople derive from podcasts depend heavily on the content they choose. Anyone can produce a podcast – from individuals to large corporations. Since neither the expertise nor the entertainment value of the producers is vetted, a critical selection process is usually worthwhile. The effort of searching can pay off, as there are now many professionally produced podcasts specifically for tradespeople: for example, " Handwerks-Impulse ," " Workerscast, " or " Handwerksmensch ." These cover a wide range of topics – from the shortage of skilled workers and employee recruitment to online marketing, warehousing, and digitalization . However, it can also be beneficial to explore beyond trade-specific content for interesting podcasts, such as those on self-motivation, rhetoric, leadership, or sales strategies.
The greatest benefit of podcasts is therefore obvious: With careful content selection, anyone can easily acquire new knowledge in just a few minutes – for example, on the way to work in the morning or during their lunch break. And those who don't want to learn anything from podcasts naturally have the option of simply being entertained: Podcast portals also offer hundreds of comedy and satire series, as well as interesting radio and television programs.
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