In the age of digitalization, smartphones and tablets have almost entirely replaced books and magazines. (Even trivia games have gone digital!) Our world is becoming increasingly paperless and people are finding new ways to adapt to this new sphere of entertainment. It started with audiobooks and it’s now come to podcasts!
Podcasts are a wonderful way to learn something, laugh and cry, or maybe just entertain yourself while you’re doing mundane tasks, like folding laundry or buying groceries. It’s like reading a magazine, but the article is actually being read to you. Of course, it’s more interactive than that. And the ability to plug in some earbuds and listen makes it feel more special than just watching an episode of a trivia game show on TV. You probably know what a podcast is… but what is a trivia podcast and why should you listen to it? We’ve got the answer!
Why Listen to Trivia Podcasts?
There are several reasons why you would want to listen to a trivia podcast. For starters, podcasts are fun! They’re perfect for when you’ve grown bored of your music and need something to listen to while you drive, walk, or run errands. And trivia is a fun topic! If you enjoy playing trivia or learning fun facts and are looking for an alternative to music or audiobooks, why not combine the two?
Speaking of that, there are two major types of trivia podcasts. The first one is a podcast in the form of a game show. The host asks questions, gives players or listeners some time to answer, and provides the correct answer. If you enjoy this type of podcast, you probably like to play trivia too. You can listen to a podcast like this with friends and play along. It also works well when you’re alone.
The other type of trivia podcasts is the one where the hosts talk about obscure trivia and fun facts. These are fun because you don’t have to pay attention and answer the questions in your head. You can just listen and tune in whenever the hosts are talking about something that’s interesting to you. This format is more relaxed and requires less participation from your side. Either way, you can choose when to pay attention and when to leave the podcast on as background noise.
What Makes a Good Trivia Podcast?
What makes a good trivia podcast to you is really up to you. Everybody’s looking for different things! Some people really like a straight-forward podcast with no extra information; just questions and answers. Though that’s good for some, others might find this type of format boring and not romantic enough.
The most important thing about a good podcast is, of course, good trivia! If the podcast has good trivia, it doesn’t matter if it blurts it out right away in the form of a question or discusses it for an hour and a half in great detail. It’s important to be able to present the information in an interesting manner, be it in the form of a question or a story. Combine interesting trivia with quality storytelling, and you’ve got yourself a good podcast. The rest is up to the listener!
Ask Me Another
Ask Me Another is a popular trivia podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other widely used platforms and is produced by WNYC and National Public Radio. The podcast has been active since April of 2012 and managed to gather a decent following. Ask Me Another is popular because of its frequent celebrity guests, such as Busy Philipps and HAIM, just to name a few.
The gist of the podcast is that host, Ophira Eisenberg, quizzes celebrity guests on anything and everything. Listeners are invited to join in on the fun from wherever they are and answer the questions with the guests. This is a great way to practice for an upcoming trivia night, refresh your memory, or simply have fun while sitting in traffic, commuting to work, or doing household chores. If you don’t get any of the questions right, well, you don’t lose anything. And if you get everything right, you can laugh at the celebrity players who got the questions wrong!
Trivial Warfare Trivia
Since April of 2015, the hosts of Trivial Warfare Trivia have been partnering with regular players all over the world, who come on the show to battle it out with other players. Trivial Warfare is available on Spotify, Pandora, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms. The podcast gives regular listeners access to first-class pub trivia from the comfort of their home, car, or wherever they happen to be when listening to the podcast.
Every week, the hosts gather with guests like you to compete in a game of trivia. You can follow along and shout out the answers at your convenience, as long as no one is around. Or, turn it around and invite your friends over, so you can shout out the answers together. Don’t forget to follow the game on social media platforms and keep up with the news. Maybe one day you’ll get to go on the show yourself and share your knowledge with the crowd of listeners.
Good Job, Brain!
Good Job, Brain! is a quirky and offbeat podcast game show that was a kickstarter back in 2011. It has come far, and can now be found on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, and more. The show is hosted by four co-hosts, who all form a trivia team and answer questions together.
The co-hosts answer trivia questions from all kinds of categories, and you can play along if you’d like. They also discuss obscure trivia facts and weird histories that you would love to know about. The music challenge featured on the podcast is one of a kind, with songs playing in reverse. You, of course, have to figure out what the song is. If you are nuts about trivia, just like Colin, Dana, Karen, and Chris, you will love Good Job, Brain!
No Such Thing as a Fish
No Such Thing as a Fish is a British comedic podcast that falls under the trivia category. You won’t be able to answer questions, as there are no questions per se. Instead, the hosts discuss fun trivia tidbits that they came across that week. The series is produced by highly intelligent researchers, so you best believe the content they come up with is not only hilarious, but amazing. Even if you’re not familiar with British humor, this podcast will knock you off your feet.
A new episode comes out every Friday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and other platforms. The podcast has been so successful that the group even released several books of interesting facts from the past 12 months. If you prefer your fun facts in written form, you might enjoy one of the yearly “The World’s Weirdest News” books from No Such Thing as a Fish.
Podquiz
Based on the website, Podquiz may seem less established than its aforementioned brothers. However, it’s been a fan favorite for years now. The podcast comes out every week and follows a very straight-forward format. There is no rumbling; the hosts get straight to the point. And the point is to pose trivia questions to all listeners and provide answers in the end.
This is the perfect trivia podcast to listen to if you want to play. You can even play with friends! Note down your answers and see which player or team got the most correct answers in the end, when the answers are revealed. One episode is only 15 minutes long, making for a great quick trivia fix. If you’ve never heard of Podquiz before, then you’re in luck! You can stream all the previous episodes right on the official website.
Triviality Podcast
Triviality was founded by a group of trivia lovers who met playing pub trivia. The four gentlemen continue to spread their enthusiasm and knowledge to the listeners of the podcast through Spotify, Tune In, Google Play, and more. The podcast is led in the form of bar trivia, where you can listen to the hosts and play along on your own or with friends. You can also just tune in to enjoy the banter and gather knowledge for an upcoming trivia night of your own.
Triviality comes out every Tuesday. Each episode follows a hilarious theme that you are guaranteed to enjoy. Find all the episodes on the official website of Triviality Podcast and enjoy your time playing pub trivia in your own home.
Things I Got Wrong at Trivia
Things I Got Wrong at Trivia is a little bit more obscure than the other podcasts on this list. Despite that, you can find the podcast on popular listening platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Overcast. Things I Got Wrong at Trivia doesn’t have a particular focus; most episodes are centered around general knowledge and a little bit of popular culture/the internet.
The trivia team consists of three hosts: Rachel, Ryan, and Stuart. The hosts like to share their recommendations with the audience, which is a special treat from the podcast. You can find all of their recommendations on the website. Those include books, movies, games, experiences, products, and more. We don’t only listen for the recommendations, of course. As for the trivia, you can play along. The questions can only get more interesting. Though the hosts pride themselves on enjoying obscure topics, the majority of the trivia is accessible to most people, which makes the game all the more fun.
Miss Information: A Trivia Podcast
Miss Information is another one of the more obscure and underground podcasts on this list. This one is directed at ladies specifically, though gents are welcome to tune in too! You can listen to the comedic banter on Spotify, Google Play, and other platforms. Each episode focuses on a specific topic. Episode 196, for example, follows the history of the popular band called Fleetwood Mac. Learn more about the band and follow all that newfound knowledge up with a quiz titled “The Chain.”
People listen to this podcast not only for the quiz at the end, but also for the witty banter. Not to mention the trivia! Each episode provides a ton of interesting obscure trivia on one broad or niche topic. If you’ve never heard of the podcast before, you can visit the website and enjoy episodes on episodes of it and even choose the topics you’re most interested in.
Listen Up!
Listening to a podcast is a great way to spend your time. It’s not active entertainment that requires your full attention, like an actual trivia game night. All you have to do is kick back and enjoy the information that is being thrown at you. Tune in and out as you please. Play the podcast in the background when you’re doing something or sit down with a group of friends and battle it out with the questions from the podcast. And if you’re looking for more fun group trivia activities, check out our list of group trivia apps! And if you’re interested in more out-of-the-box trivia ideas, check out this guide on how to create your own free trivia board game!
Whatever you decide, let us know what you think! Which podcast did you listen to? Did you like it? What’s your favorite trivia podcast and why? Let us know about your experiences in the comments!
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