It's safe to say that podcasts are popular. They've exploded over the last several years, and you can now find a podcast that covers pretty much any topic. And, if the recommendations from my friends and colleagues are any indicator, there are a lot of great options out there to choose from.

The last time I was with a colleague, in fact, they had a pair of headphones in and they were focused on whatever they were listening to. I assumed that it was music, and I could tell how much of their attention was on the content, so I figured I'd ask and find out what they were listening to. Any new music recommendations wouldn't be a bad thing, after all.

But they didn't suggest a new band, or even a new album from an artist I recognized. Instead, they told me they were listening to a podcast about a murder mystery, or something to that effect. They said it was called 'Serial' and that I should check it out immediately.

You probably heard about Serial, too. I'd be surprised if you hadn't, because for awhile there it was all over social media. (Have you checked out season 2 yet?)

I never started listening to Serial, and, I've honestly not jumped on the podcast bandwagon at all. I think the last time I listened to a podcast was more than five years ago, and it was someone who was living in Japan at the time talking about their experiences. I probably made it three or four episodes before dropping out.

I listen to a lot of music, and this is basically the reason why I haven't adopted listening to a podcast. I'm in front of my computer all day so I read a lot of content or watch a lot of videos, and if I don't need audio for something else I have music playing.

That is definitely the case when I'm out and about. Spotify is definitely my most used app on my phone by a country mile, and I just haven't found the desire to switch that out with listening to a podcast.

A friend of mine recently told me that the majority of her listening at home, and especially in the car or walking around, is filled with podcasts. She's got her favorites, but she tries to discover new ones on a regular basis. Basically, she listens to podcasts the same way I listen to music.

So I want to hear from you. When you are listening to something, whether at home on a speaker or on your headphones while out and about, is it music or podcasts? What are some of your favorite podcasts that you'd recommend these days? Let me know!