Best Podcasts For New Web Developers

It's hard finding a good podcast when you're new to coding.

You want something with substance, so you can learn, but you want it to actually feel approachable. No one wants to be battered with jargon for an hour when they're supposed to be relaxing.

So I've compiled a very short list of the very best podcasts I've found while learning webdev. I hope it will be useful for you.

4. AWS Morning Brief

Taking the bottom place on the list is AWS Morning Brief, though not due to lack of quality. I actually love Corey Quinn's podcast; it's funny, snarky, cynical and entertaining. Most episodes are under 10 minutes long.

It fails to get a higher spot for two reasons: First, it's not strictly webdev related; and second, it's very technical.

Anyone trying to get into webdev, especially backend or fullstack development, will at some point have to consider whether or not they'll host their projects on AWS. Most likely they'll need to use some cloud provider. Even so, at the very beginning, you won't want to worry yourself with the complexities of how to specifically build out an app's cloud architecture.

You'll also struggle, because the subject itself is so dense. In fact, if Corey Quinn wasn't so fun and natural in his role as a host, the podcast would probably be unlistenable. Definitely check this out every once in a while for a fun peek into a side of the web that most coders are baffled by.

3. DotNet Rocks!

I'm just happy these guys are still around.

.NET Rocks is a long-running podcast by one current and one former Microsoft developer. And when I say long-running, I mean long-running. I first started listening ten years ago, and the show was already established by then.

This show leans more toward the conversational and chill side of coding, with technical topics being explored but not typically delivered in a tutorial style. If you want something to listen to during a road trip, this one's definitely it!

It doesn't get a higher spot on the list because, while they focus a lot on the .NET stack, their show does often talk more generally about .NET and software development as a whole. They're still well worth listening to though, if not to learn than to get some motivation to be more positive about the future of software development.

2. ShopTalk

If you haven't heard of css-tricks.com, go check it out immediately. It's an incredible resource, especially for beginners. The creator of css-tricks.com is one of the two amazing hosts of the ShopTalk podcast.

ShopTalk, like .NET Rocks, is a more chatty podcast, but unlike .NET Rocks, it's entirely geared toward webdev. You'll hear of concepts you've never heard of, get a peek into the minds of top-tier coders as they're working through their own personal projects, and get to relax and have fun along the way.

It's an excellent experience, and if there's any small flaw in it at all, it's the fact that the hosts are so bleeding edge that you may miss out on discussions of more practical, real-world aspects of webdev.

1. Syntax.fm

The perfect mix of everything.

AWS Morning Brief is fun, but man is it technical. .NET Rocks is easy to get into, but boy does it have a wide range of topics. Shoptalk is webdev-specific, but it just never feels all that instructive.

If only there was a podcast that was technical without being impenetrable, diverse in content without losing track of webdev, and chill without lacking hard educational value.

Oh, hi, Syntax.fm!

Syntax is strictly the best podcast for beginner webdevs. Your first few listens will be hard, but Scott Tolinski and Wes Bos's wonderful personalities will carry you through. Then once you start actually building projects, all the topics they discuss will suddenly make so much sense and feel so relatable. You'll also be learning a ton.

And just when all the learning and technical concepts feel too intense, the podcast still finds a way to slow everything down and feel like a fun conversation between two friends.

Honestly, you don't have to like syntax.fm, and if you dislike it, that's fair enough--but you do have to listen to it right now. It's the best of the best in my opinion.

Check me out on twitter @shaquilhansford
https://twitter.com/shaquilhansford

Thanks for reading!