Research

What does the science actually say about learning from podcasts? We dig into the research.

We dug into the actual neuroscience research on audio learning. The answer is more nuanced than "yes" or "no."

Your brain processes audio and text through similar semantic pathways (UC Berkeley, 2019)
Retention drops significantly when multitasking -but light activity like walking is fine
The format matters less than what you do with the information afterward

Research on when podcasts outperform textbooks for learning, when they don't, and how to use both effectively as a student.

Podcasts match textbooks for narrative/conversational content but lag for technical material (Daniel & Woody, 2010; Rogowsky, 2016)
Textbooks allow re-reading, which accounts for 10-15% of reading eye movements and aids comprehension
Combining podcasts with textbook reading improves retention more than either alone

The science of why you forget 90% of what you hear in podcasts, and research-backed methods to actually retain the good stuff.

Without intervention, you forget 50% of new information within an hour and 90% within a week (Ebbinghaus, 1885)
Active engagement (note-taking, summarizing) can double retention compared to passive listening
Spaced repetition at increasing intervals is the most effective long-term retention strategy

Be Part of Our Research

Download Podshot free on iOS and Android .... because nobody speaks more authentically than you.