The secret to a GOOD "Anything & Everything Podcast"
What I learned from dozens of Anything & Everything podcasts.
If you’ve been in the podcasting space long enough, especially as a professional, I’m certain that you’ve shared an opinion or two about “Anything & Everything Podcasts”. Also known as “buddy podcasts”, “two-bros-and-a-mic" podcasts, and way more.
The criteria for these kinds of podcasts typically includes “a couple of friends”, a fairly unstructured format, and a podcast description that includes any or all of the aforementioned wording from Lauren Passell’s tweet.
I usually call these kinds of shows “witty banter” podcasts, because typically they rely on the notion that the personalities of the hosts are so charismatic that they could get anyone to laugh, regardless of what they’re talking about.
It’s a pretty bold assumption. It’s also the kind of audacity that is typically reserved for male voices and shamed for marginalized communities.
These shows typically give off the kind of feeling that has been perfectly articulated by this one-star review that I found:
Not funny.
These two are full of themselves. They are not nearly as funny as they think they are and it's a great example of two people who don't need a microphone.
Anything & Everything Podcasts don’t often feel like they’re for anyone but the hosts.
Amongst the 4 million+ podcasts globally, Anything & Everything Podcasts are also the most common and that’s because they’re the easiest to create - all you have to do is book your friends, maybe have a couple drinks, and hit record.
They’re also, sadly, the easiest to bail on. Scrolling through countless shows ultimately prompted this tweet of mine:
I also noticed that a lot of Anything & Everything Podcasts started in 2020 and early 2021: prime pandemic isolation time. Clearly, friends were looking for a way to catch up with each other and scheduling a weekly recording session was a way to make sure that happened. A lot of the banter podcasts that ultimately ended, ended around the time that social restrictions in Canada started to lift. Friends could see each other more organically rather than over a Zoom call.
That’s a clear indicator that sometimes a conversation really doesn’t need to be a podcast.
As a podcast producer I’m hyper aware of the fact that in order for most podcasts to really thrive these days, a show should hit a niche, have a purpose, and respect their audience in a way that ultimately shapes their content. The best shows in my opinion leave listeners with a take away that shifts the way they experience the world in some way.
I’m not convinced that the average Anything & Everything Podcast can really hit global notoriety without those key factors and a real “schtick”. The only Anything & Everything Podcasts that can usually thrive without those considerations are often hosted by celebrities, and that’s because that’s the schtick: celebrity status.
But people KEEP making Anything & Everything Podcasts.
Friends KEEP having the same hilarious one-off conversation at the bar and then getting that glimmery look in their eye before screaming “WE SHOULD TOTALLY START A PODCAST”.
Here’s the thing though, over the last little while scrolling through my podcast queue hasn’t been much fun at all. All the shows on my queue have gotten so dang serious.
What’s been missing for me is a podcast with no holds barred, that’s funny and stupid, and feels effortless to listen to. I don’t want to think about the world all the time, and that can only mean one thing: there’s actual value to a good witty banter podcast.
I’ve started to think that maybe I’ve just been jealous about how carefree and fun making these kinds of shows seemed to be. That there’s nothing actually wrong with hoping that there is an audience out there who thinks you’re funny and witty enough to spend an hour a week listening to.
Shouldn’t we just let people have some fun for the love of podcasting and chance at some notoriety?
Have I been an elitist podcaster all this time?
All of this to say, I took some time to shift my podcast queue and stopped taking podcasts so seriously for a while.
Over the last month, I’ve listened to countless Anything & Everything Podcasts (made in Canada) in order to:
a) Find some new favourites and lighten up my queue.
b) Discover the secrets to making a good Anything & Everything Podcast.
Here are 3 Anything & Everything Podcasts that have landed a permanent spot on my queue, and why:
Opinionated Lushes
“We are three best friends that get together once a week to play a drinking game.”
Why I like it: What I love about this show is just how much it reminds me of when my own group of girlfriends gets together, and how vulnerable and unapologetic we are with each other.
At the core of this show is trust, and that’s why these friends create such an engaging listening experience. They trust that they won’t be judged by each other and best of all, their audience.
This podcast might be too dirty for some people (+18!!!!!!!!), but those people aren’t me.
Unfiltered with Sahar
“Sit down with me as I have intimate, unfiltered conversations about anything and everything.”
Why I like it: Like Opinionated Lushes, Unfiltered with Sahar has a lot of trust in it’s listeners. I truly felt like Sahar’s diary and it’s a privilege to be in that position as a listener.
Sahar Golshani is a fantastic storyteller and is extremely charismatic.
Episode 55 is a really fun listen because Sahar tells a really vivid story about their experience going to a sex club in Toronto for the first time and gets pretty blatant about why they liked it and what they got up to (again,+18!!!!!!!!).
In episode 52, Sahar is joined by her friend Raam and together they have a really earnest conversation about how powerful it is to have a podcast where they can talk about the physical and psychological sides of sex, a space to make mistakes and change their minds and how that’s ultimately impacted their lives especially as immigrant kids.
Call Her Aunty
“A podcast from two Ojibwe chicks trying to live their best life in the city.”
Why I like it: While Call Her Aunty is about anything hosts Quazance (Qua) Boissoneau and Grace Francisci feel like talking about, the podcast has a clear lens: how moving to a large city from small Northern Ontario Communities has shaped them.
Call Her Aunty feels very intentional.
Episodes are often short and sweet, with Grace and Qua only hitting record when they have something in their lives that they care deeply about dissecting. This kind of conscientious podcasting shows that the hosts have a certain level of respect for their listeners, which is something that is at the heart of the debate around Anything & Everything Podcasts.
This podcast has integrity, a unique perspective, and is bursting with charm.
6 secrets to a GOOD Anything & Everything Podcast:
Based on my month of listening, here are my main takeaways for anyone who wants to start a podcast to pal around.
1) There is power in vulnerability and solidarity.
Surface-level sucks. Think about what makes an engaging conversation in real life, especially one that would ultimately result in a friendship. Friendships don’t often form from conversations about the weather or whether or not a hot dog is a sandwich. Friendships form from realness, shared embarrassment, and shared values. Conversations that establish trust create a connection with your listener, so be authentic and vulnerable, and don’t try to be someone you’re not.
2) High level production (to the best of your ability).
Sure, most banter-style podcasts aren’t coming out of studios or have the funds to buy top-notch equipment, but there are ways to up production quality that won’t break the bank and still show your audience that you care about their listening experience. Having proper mic placement and recording in quiet spaces is an easy place to start. Microphones are getting more and more affordable, plus the ones on our smartphones are incredible these days. Keep upping your game!
3) Welcoming the listener.
Anything & Everything Podcasts often run the risk of coming off as self-serving and there are ways to avoid that. Pretend your listener is part of the conversation rather than a fly on the wall.
That means avoiding getting too inside baseball. Get rid of the inside jokes between hosts and don’t reference people outside the podcast that listeners won’t know (if you need to, explain who they are. These kinds of things will isolate your listener and honestly, they’re boring. Instant turn off.
This also means playing nice. There’s nothing more awkward than being stuck in a conversation where people are being cruel, and there’s nothing fun about listening to someone being mocked. Unless the person you’re being critical of is a notoriously awful person, there’s no need to put your listener through the anxiety of the Bystander Effect.
4) Creativity.
An Anything & Everything Podcast is the perfect opportunity to get creative because you’ve established practically no expectations. Make a fun opening theme song that listeners can’t help but sing along or groove to. Create some running segments for each show that listeners can look forward to. Some honourable mentions that I came across include “weird-ass news” and themed “would you rather” questions.
5) Keeping it neat.
My favourite thing about these podcasts is the room to just have fun, but keep it tidy okay? Do your best to avoid cross-talk and interrupting each other. Let each other’s thoughts come to fruition before you jump in.
Sure, have some liquid-courage or a hoot or two before you hit record, but don’t take it too far. Second-hand embarrassment doesn’t do your listener any favours, so keep things responsible and respect the fact that you’re still creating content for people first and foremost.
I’m also still an advocate for podcasting with a purpose. Your episode doesn’t have to change the world but it should have some sort of mission, whether it’s to entertain, comfort, educate, or invite curiosity. Have a conversation about what you want your episode to do before you hit record or even after the conversation so you can tighten things up in the edit and put out something you’re proud of.
6) Energy is key.
The podcasts I loved were full of life and had plenty of energy the whole way through. The key to keeping up the energy is to simply love what you’re talking about. It’s a fool's game to assume you’ll have something witty to say about everything because you won’t — no one does.
At the end of the day it’s way more fun listening to someone talk about their special interest or a recent experience than trying to make content out of whatever you can grasp at. Take some time to think about topics that fuel you.
Don't force yourself to make an episode when you don’t want to either. Planning well ahead gives you some wiggle room so that if you're not in the mood or had a bad day, you can record the show at a better time and when the energy is there.
Some final observations
I realize that none of my new Anything & Everything Podcasts are hosted by men, but I promise that I did listen to a wide variety of shows.
To be frank, I had a tough time finding banter podcasts that I liked hosted by men and it’s definitely because of my lived experience as a woman. That doesn’t mean there aren’t good ones out there. They just weren’t for me, probably because the podcasts I enjoyed were pretty raunchy and that just feels safer for me to listen to from women.
I also noticed that a lot of banter podcasts from men were pretty surface level and felt a bit performative. I think there’s something to note there about men feeling comfortable enough to just be real and authentic on a podcast that’s just a plain old conversation. Some of my favourite podcasts hosted by men in general tend to be movie review shows, and I think that’s because movies are beautiful gateway to big conversations - but that’s a write-up for another day.
Overall I’m definitely convinced that there is a place for witty banter podcasts and that they do have value. For me I’ll keep listening to these podcasts because they give me a sense of community and space to quietly commiserate. They let me escape dreary reality and brain fog, and just laugh.
I think we can all be a little more forgiving in letting more podcasts take themselves less seriously, so that we can too.
If you’ve got some favourite Anything & Everything Podcasts, I’d love to hear from you! Drop the link in the comments or send me an email and tell me why you like it!