How I manage my podcast subscriptions to stay on top of it all

Every morning, before the workday hits with its emails and meetings, I settle in with The World in Brief from The Economist and the FT News Briefing. These short, sharp news podcasts are my go-to sources for catching up on global events and financial headlines. It’s a habit I’ve cultivated over time, a ritual that helps me stay informed without feeling overwhelmed. But behind this routine is a careful system of managing my ever-growing list of podcast subscriptions.

As podcasts are everywhere and new episodes drop daily, I needed an organised way to curate what I listen to, without constantly sifting through endless lists of new episodes. After trying out several podcast apps, around 10 years ago I settled on Pocket Casts—not because it’s flashy or trendy, but initially because it synced with the Chromecast back when it was my gadget of choice for the living room TV, and today, it still offers the level of customisation and control I need to stay on top of things. For my setup, it gets the job done.

Organising with filters

At its core, my system revolves around a few essential filters that organise episodes by context and priority. With hundreds of new episodes across dozens of subscriptions, I use filters like folders, each with a specific purpose that reflects my day-to-day needs.

• New Releases: This is where all the fresh episodes from my favorite podcasts land. It’s like an inbox for podcasts—everything I haven’t listened to yet shows up here, which helps me quickly browse what’s new without getting lost.
• Daily News: My mornings are sacred when it comes to news. This filter holds quick, digestible news podcasts that I can listen to while getting ready or on my way to work, not older than 24 hours. Besides The Economist and FT News Briefing, I’ve added a few other short updates that range from world politics to finance. They’re brief, direct, and ideal for starting my day informed without overloading my brain.
• Work: While in the gym or in the car, I turn to podcasts that keep me focused or inspired. This playlist is mostly filled with industry shows and long-form conversations that are relevant to my professional life, e.g. from HBR, McKinsey, or a few Product Management influencer.
• In Progress: Sometimes, you start a podcast, but life gets in the way. Maybe it’s a longer episode, or maybe you just weren’t in the right mood. This filter is my safety net for episodes I haven’t finished yet. Whether it’s a compelling interview or a deep-dive series, they stay here until I’m ready to pick them back up.

My morning podcast routine

My day always starts with two key podcasts: The World in Brief and FT News Briefing. They give me the perfect combination of global news and financial updates, all in under 15 minutes. I’ve tried longer morning shows, but these two give me the essentials without turning my mornings into a news marathon. It’s the podcast equivalent of skimming the front page of the newspaper, leaving me with enough context to feel informed and ready for the day, without wading into endless analysis.

After that, I might listen to something else from my Daily News filter, or repeat the routine in the Americas morning—my afternoon—with the WSJ Minute Briefing, and The Headlines by The New York Times, but sometimes the two morning podcasts are enough. They get me up to speed without distraction.

Staying on top of podcasts: a few tricks I’ve learned over time

Podcasts can easily pile up, and soon you’re left with a backlog so daunting you’d rather not look at it. Here’s how I keep everything in check and make sure I actually enjoy what I subscribe to.

1. Limit auto-downloads: The temptation is to let your podcast app download every new episode, but that quickly turns into an overwhelming flood. I normally don’t auto-download any podcast but if I did, I would keep a tight leash on what’s auto-downloaded, setting it to save just the latest two unplayed episodes from any show. That way, I wouldn’t find myself drowning in new content.
2. Use downloads strategically: If you know you’re going to be without internet access—like on a long flight, a road trip, or even just a day with spotty signal—batch downloading episodes in advance is a lifesaver. I create a temporary filter with all the episodes I want to catch up on and download them all at once. This way, I have a curated, offline collection ready to go without worrying about streaming or data.
3. Automate up-next: It’s a bit like an extra filter: only three podcasts make the cut here (Economist and FT in the morning, The NYT’s Headlines in the afternoon—all podcasts that don’t release more than once per day). When I go to the Today view of my iPhone, if the Pocket Casts widget turned from just its logo to an interface with the Play button, at least one of those podcasts have released an episode and it’s ready for me to listen—one after the other if there’s more than one.
4. Use custom playback speeds: For news podcasts or anything with a slower pace, I usually bump the playback speed up to at least 1.2x. It’s not about rushing through content—it’s just about shaving off the dead time without distorting the flow of information.
5. Mark played: Sometimes, despite my best intentions, I know I’m not going to listen to every single episode of a show. Instead of leaving my “In Progress” filter piling up, I just mark them as played and move on.
6. Kill notifications: I am extremely selective with what my phone pings me about. Podcasts just don’t make that cut. Even if it’s clear that I have a couple of favourites that that I’m always eager to hear, it’s not worth to turn on notifications for just those. That’s why filters are useful—I can see what’s in the filters when I’m up for listening to something rather than letting my phone tell me when it’s time to listen.

Making it work for me

Managing podcasts isn’t about obsessing over every single episode that drops—it’s about knowing what I want to listen to, when I want to listen to it. By organising my subscriptions into filters I avoid that feeling of being buried under unplayed episodes. Instead, I stay focused, picking the right podcast for the right moment.

In a way, it’s like having a personal podcast playlist that evolves with my day. Whether it’s news to start my morning, industry insights during work, or unfinished episodes waiting for my commute, everything has its place. It’s not about the app itself, but about the system that keeps me connected and in control.