The Best Productive Podcasts

With working from home now the ‘new normal’ for many, a new report^* by PowWowNow reveals the most productive podcasts to listen to in 2021.

To create the list, PowWowNow scored the iTunes podcast library, focusing on categories relating to productivity.

Each podcast was then given a score between 0-3, taking the number of episodes, overall rating, and the number of reviews into account (with each factor equally valued and given a score between 0-1. The overall score is the value of each criterion combined).

Top 20 productive podcasts 2021

Entrepreneurs on Fire takes the crown as the most productive podcast. The business-related podcast is only one of two in the category amongst the overall top 20, with the $100 MBA Show the only other business-focused podcast.

Health and fitness podcasts along with those focusing on mental health both have five podcasts each in the top 20.

Meanwhile, three philosophical podcasts, three around self-improvement, and two focused around spirituality make up the rest of the list.

The full top 20 Podcast rankings can be seen below:

Rank	Podcast name	Category	Number of episodes	* Rating	Number of reviews
1	Entrepreneurs on Fire	business careers	1999	4.8	3500
2	Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth	health and fitness	1480	4.8	6500
3	Optimal Living Daily: Personal Development & Minimalism	mental health	1866	4.7	2700
4	The Art of Manliness	philosophy	679	4.7	10500
5	Sleep With Me	mental health	200	4.6	13200
6	The $100 MBA Show	business careers	1732	4.9	1100
7	Philosophize This!	philosophy	149	4.8	11100
8	The Rich Roll Podcast	self-improvement	573	4.8	8000
9	The Jordan Harbinger Show	self-improvement	459	4.9	7700
10	Vox Conversations	philosophy	401	4.5	9100
11	The Positive Head Podcast	spirituality	1371	4.8	1500
12	Inspire Nation Show with Michael Sandler	spirituality	1553	4.6	636
13	The Minimalists Podcast	mental health	367	4.7	8000
14	The Ross Bolen Podcast	mental health	374	4.9	7300
15	The Chalene Show | Diet, Fitness & Life Balance	health and fitness	652	4.9	5300
16	The Quote of the Day Show | Daily Motivational Talks	self-improvement	1111	4.9	2200
17	Ben Greenfield Fitness	health and fitness	921	4.6	4000
18	London Real	health and fitness	1358	4.6	1100
19	Daily Meditation Podcast	mental health	1520	4	901
20	Barbell Shrugged	health and fitness	910	4.8	2500

Is productivity found in the longest-running shows?

According to the index, quantity often does mean quality, and those with the most episodes are generally deemed to be the most productive overall.

The podcast series with the most episodes, Entrepreneurs on Fire, also scored highest with all three factors considered.

Additionally, 9 of the 10 longest-running series on the index also rank within the top 20 podcasts overall, demonstrating the productive value of a show listeners can really get stuck into.

Does a five-star rating reveal all?

None of the index’s 253 five-star rated shows feature in the top 20 most productive podcasts, suggesting that, while offering initial value, ratings rarely reveal the full story.

Of the 253 to receive top marks, though, five podcasts (Shawn Ryan Show, New Mindset, Who Dis? Know Your Aura with Mystic Michaela, The Connected Life, Wine & Spirits with Monica the Medium) have also each impressively received over 2,000 reviews from listeners.

In fact, the only criteria holding these five shows back is the index score for the length of the series, with each scoring below 0.15/1. So, there is an indication that, with more episodes under their belt, these could be the podcasts to keep an eye on in 2021.

The podcasts sparking conversations

According to the index, the shows deemed most productive are generally those which impassion fans the most, to the point they leave a review. 9 of the 10 most reviewed podcasts across the index also feature in the overall top 20 for productivity.

Interestingly, the exception to this, the Shawn Ryan Show, sits just shy in 21^st position.

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