Listening to podcasts 50 percent faster is either a convenient way to maximize your pod consumption or an unforgivable insult to the craft, depending on who you ask. As part of its annual list of Podcast power players, THR polled the industry’s top practitioners about accelerated listening. The answers were more mixed than we expected, with just over half of respondents endorsing the practice, most of the rest passionately rejecting it, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus hilariously baffled by what we meant by the question: “Thoughts on 1.5x”?
Theo Von — This Past Weekend with Theo Von
Love it.
Tony Hinchcliffe — Kill Tony
Depends on the show. Some should be played at 10x.
Dax Shepard, Monica Padman — Armchair Expert
You do you.
MrBallen (aka John Allen) — MrBallen Podcast
I totally get listening at 1.5x. People are busy, and it can be a good way to consume content if you’re really on the run! That said, it’s not for me. People watch blockbuster movies on their phones, but it certainly isn’t the same if you’re watching Star Wars on your phone vs in the theater. I want the full effect, the full impact of how the storyteller intended to deliver that story, and I’m sure it’s not with them sounding like a chipmunk.
Matt Rogers, Bowen Yang — Las Culturistas
Very pro, don’t waste any more time on us than you need to.
Sarah van Mosel — senior VP, podcast strategy at SiriusXM
Utterly unhinged!
Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor — Pod Save America, Crooked Media
1.2 is delightful. 1.5 is brisk but doable. When you start pushing 1.75x to 2x, maybe chill out. You’re not cramming for your “murdered ingenue” final at Dateline University. You’re just filling a little time before it’s your turn to say bowl or burrito.
Jessica Cordova Kramer — CEO & co-founder of Lemonada Media
I could not survive without 1.5x. I still listen to every new Lemonada episode each week, and if I didn’t speed some of them up, I’d be unable to return emails or attend meetings.
Rachel Maddow — Ultra
If you’re in that much of a hurry and you really don’t care that much about who made it, and how they made it, maybe podcasting isn’t your thing — just get a transcript and skim it.
Ben Shapiro — The Ben Shapiro Show
1.5x is too slow. 2x might be too slow.
Caroline Edwards — podcast agent at CAA
Don’t do it! You miss any nuance, and it is disrespectful to the creators.
Josh Lindgren — head of podcast department CAA
Not everything needs to be optimized for efficiency.
Chuck Bryant — Stuff You Should Know
I don’t get it. Life moves fast enough already.
Greg Glenday — chief business officer at Acast
I used to believe this was true psychotic behavior, but I’ve come around on it under the right circumstances.
Steve Ackerman — executive VP, head of global podcasts at Sony Music Entertainment
Would you watch a film sped up?
Georgia Hardstark — My Favorite Murder
My brain runs at 1.5x so I love it for listening to podcasts.
Karen Kilgariff — My Favorite Murder
It gives me anxiety, but I understand the need.
Bill Simmons — The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Ringer
It’s for sociopaths.
Sahar Elhabashi — VP, head of content business at Spotify
This is the best way for me to listen to multiple podcasts a week! It’s a genuine gift from the podcast gods! Unless the host is already a fast talker to begin with!
Jordan Newman — head of content partnerships at Spotify
1.5X is very 2010! It’s all about 2X these days given all the great podcasts and not enough hours in the day.
Rachel Ghiazza — chief content officer at Audible
There are only so many hours in a day.
A.J. Leone — audio agent at UTA
Thoughts on .75x speed?
Adam Hoff — co-founder of Campside Media
If I could type how much I hate it 1.5x faster than I am right now, I would.
Ray Chao — SVP & GM of audio & digital video at Vox Media
Only for those with high blood pressure.
Nishat Kurwa — SVP and executive producer at Vox Media Podcast Network
“Attitudes evolve, including mine.” — President Obama
Charlamagne the God — The Brilliant Idiots, The Black Effect Network
I do that all the time, especially with Audible books. If I have to interview an author and I have a few days to read their book, I do that all the time.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus — Wiser Than Me
What the fuck is that?
