One of the best ways to improve your public speaking is to listen to advice from those who have already mastered this seemingly elusive art. Podcasts are a great way to absorb such insight from leading figures in whatever field interests you.
There are hundreds of podcasts out there that will be able to provide you with advice on how to master the skill of public speaking. From tips and tricks to build your confidence to case studies of great talks upon which you can mold your own style.
Hearing directly from those who practice what they preach is the perfect way to improve your own public speaking ability.
So, here are some of the best podcasts for you to listen to if you want to take your public speaking skills to the next level. Keep in mind that the following recommendations are in no order of priority.
1. The Speaker’s Secrets
Join Edrico Ambrister as he guides you through the many difficult challenges associated with speaking in public. Whether you need easy to apply tricks to calm your nerves, or strategies to keep your audience engaged in what you are saying from start to finish, he will have the information you need.
Until October 2019 there were new episodes each week, with each episode being between 20 and 40 minutes long. Which means that there’s a great backlog of episodes for you to catch up on in order to really get to grips with the amazing content contained within them.
Edrico works as a Human Resources Analyst and is also the President of Toastmaster International – who have another separate public speaking podcast as well!
2. The Speaking Show with David Newman
The Speaking Show with David Newman has won a number of awards and is among the top 50 business podcasts on iTunes. David interviews some of the world’s most successful business and thought leaders from a number of different fields in order to educate listeners about how to grow your speaking driven business.
Although it is intended specifically for businesses who rely on speaking, the information and advice within many of the episodes can be useful for anyone who wants to better their public speaking skills.
David runs Do-It Marketing® and is a member of the NSA Million Dollar Speaker Group. He has years of experience helping entrepreneurs master speaking as the ultimate marketing tool, so he’s a great person to take advice from when it comes to mastering public speaking.
3. Public Speaking Secrets – Podcast
This is a Podcast which helps break down the barriers people perceive are stopping them from being a confident public speaker. This podcast teaches you how to eliminate fear, close more deals, and more easily get in front of people and share your message with a bigger audience.
The weekly episodes take a deep dive into the minds of the world’s leading speakers, trainers, coaches, YouTubers, influencers, TED speakers and more. They even have content to help with speaking in a post-COVD world, where virtual conferences and speaking on video may become more common.
Their motto is, “fast track your success and learn from the best”.
4. Fearless Presentations
Fearless Presentations® offer classes around the world on how to give great presentations and speak confidently in public. You can also access their amazing insight for free via their weekly podcast!
They have episodes on some of the more nuanced complications associated with public speaking; from what to do when you need to speak off-the-cuff, or how to approach delivering a presentation which was created by someone else.
What’s more, with over a hundred episodes, you will definitely be able to find the content specific to your needs, in order to improve your public speaking skills.
5. No Sweat Public Speaking! Podcast
Fred Miller is an entrepreneur, author, coach and – most importantly – a public speaking guru. Fred believes that speaking opportunities are business opportunities, they are career opportunities and they are a chance to develop yourself.
That’s why he has put together this series of podcasts to guide you through all the skills associated with public speaking, in order to maximise your ability to capitalise on the opportunities afforded to you when you are given the chance to speak in public.
His website is also filled with useful information and added bonuses, like free templates and materials which correspond to the content of the podcast.
6. Shortcuts to Public Speaking Success
With more than 75 bite-size podcasts, each filled with great advice covering every aspect of public speaking, this is a brilliant podcast if you want to build your skills but are a bit short on time.
The host, Shola Kaye, has been featured on or on the BBC, Marie Claire, and Forbes. She was the author of the Amazon bestseller, ‘How to be a D.I.V.A. at Public Speaking’ and won the worldwide Jenny Seagrove Speaker Award in 2016.
Shola knows her stuff and has 15 years’ experience of both personal success and working with large organisations to produce engaging, punchy and powerful presentations.
7. The Toastmasters Podcast
Toastmasters is a global network of public speaking educators and students who want to better their presenting skills. With a network spanning almost 150 countries, with more than 350,000 members,
Toastmasters are one of the world’s biggest groups of its kind. Its paid members meet once a week for an hour to learn about and master the art of public speaking.
Their podcast provides listeners with access to some of the key figures in the Toastmasters network – who are able to share their wide-ranging spectrum of knowledge and insight.
From practical tips to discussions about the links between yogic practice and public speaking. If you have any interest at all in bettering your public speaking skills, this is the podcast for you.
8. The Art and Business of Public Speaking with Ken Davis
This podcast was created by motivational speaker and comedian, Ken Davis, who has years of experience getting crowds pumped up and is also a well-regarded author. He’s written 12 books, the latest of which has recently been adapted for film by Netlfix.
What’s more, he is President of Lighten Up ministries which produce inspirational live shows, DVDs, seminars and conferences designed to make a positive difference in the quality of people’s lives.
Ken says the he loves ‘”to awaken in [his] audience the courage to raise above circumstances and the passion to live Fully Alive!”. So, if you want to learn about the methods that he uses in order to achieve this – then this will be a great listen for you.
This podcast is as an extension of all the principals he teaches at his live events across the US, so it is a brilliant means of accessing his insight from afar. The episodes cover a wide range of topics but always centre on the ultimate challenge of mastering the “Art and Business of Public Speaking”.
9. The Art of Charm with AJ and Jordan Harbinger
Although Jordan has now left the show, the backlog of episodes available, as well as the regular new content, make this a great resource if you want to build your confidence when it comes to public speaking and presenting.
They have had a number of very impressive guests on the show, including Charles Duhigg and Eric Weinstein. And while the remit of the podcast extends far beyond simply improving your public speaking, the broad aim of helping you to feel more confident in your own skin, is one which inevitably lends itself to people who are wanting to better their public speaking skills.
Ultimately, their aim is to help you ‘to master human dynamics, relationships, and become your best self’. So, if you’re need help to build up the courage to get up in front of a crowd – no matter how small – and speak, then these are the guys for you.
10. The Speaker Lab with Grant Baldwin
Grant is a really great role model when it comes to learning how to master public speaking. As he has said himself, he had ‘no crazy backstory, no celebrity following’ – just a desire to speak to people and share positive messages to people who need it.
After ten years work, establishing himself as a motivational speaker, Grant started this podcast in order to provide people with the resources that he wished he had had when he first started out.
Therefore, it is designed specifically for people who struggle with the confidence to speak in public; but provides you with everything you need to overcome your fears and anxieties.
There are now more than 300 episodes, with a new episode released each week. They cover everything from the state of the speaking industry in the wake of COVID19, to discussions with leading figures in a variety of industries about the importance of public speaking and how it can be utilized.
11. Speaking your Brand
Carol Cox is the founder of Speaking Your Brand®, which aims to provide coaching, strategic insight, support, and confidence to budding entrepreneurs and professionals.
The outcome of her program is to help you be confident enough to have a signature, go-to speech prepared; in order to share your brand identity, and give value to an audience.
The podcast is an extension of this program and there now are more than 150 episodes for you to dip into. Throughout the podcasts, Carol shares her own experiences as well as speaking to others about theirs.
So, whether you are a leader looking to develop a better relationship with your team through public speaking, or a beginner wanting to grow your confidence and share your story, there will be a number of these podcasts that are suited to your needs.
It’s also worth saying that although this is ostensibly a podcast aimed at a female audience, there is a wealth of content in there that can be taken on board by male listeners.
It is also worth listening to as a male if you want to have a greater understanding of the experiences and challenges faced by women in the workplace – particularly when it comes to public speaking.
12. TED Talks Daily
TED talks are known, around the world, for having provided some of the most influential and powerful examples of public speaking that most people are aware of in popular culture. Their YouTube channel has more than 17 million subscribers and many people model themselves on the style and content they see their favorite TED speakers adopt in their own speeches.
In case you don’t know, TED is an organization that have made it their aim to give a platform spread ideas, usually in the form of short, impactful talks. TED began in 1984 as a conference for people working in the Technology, Entertainment and Design industries to come together. However, the talk’s remit now encompasses almost any and every topic you can imagine — in more than 100 languages.
Thanks to TED Talks Daily, you can get a specially curated series of TED talks right to your chosen streaming platform, each and every weekday. So, whether you are looking for 15 minutes-worth of thought-provoking insight; or you are after some inspiration for how you can present in the future – this is a great podcast to subscribe to.
Some examples of TED talks which have been featured on the daily podcast include: How The Pandemic will Shape the Near Future by Bill Gates; The secrets of learning a new language by Lýdia Machová; and How your brain’s executive function works – and how to improve it by Sabine Doebel.
13. Eat the Lens Podcast
This podcast is now more important than ever! As we spend more time online, often presenting digitally now as much as we do so in person, it’s key that you understand how to present on camera.
Noleen McGrath is the perfect guide when it comes to picking up those important skills. She is an award-winning television news journalist, media trainer and video producer, who knows exactly what it takes to successfully convey your ideas on screen.
In season one of ‘Eat the Lens’, McGrath shares her wealth of knowledge in bite-sized tips – covering topics such as how to present yourself in media interviews, how to give presentations, and how to formulate corporate videos and speeches.
While in season two she has moved on to a longer format podcast called, The Entrée, which covers similar topics but in even greater depth.
14. Presenting, Pitching and Public Speaking
This podcast is hosted by Toni Gargan and it is intended to provide you with the information you need in order to go from being an inexperienced speaker to supremely confident Master of Communication.
Whether you’re simply looking to overcome your fear of public speaking, or to become the recipient of standing ovations – this podcast has all your bases covered.
Toni is a successful entrepreneur in her own right and has developed a passive income through her property portfolio she now devotes her time to helping others to achieve financial freedom and public speaking success.
15. The Rad Presenters Podcast
Hosted by Jon Schwabish and Stephanie Evergreen this series comprises of more than 40 episodes, covering a number of elements of presenting skills. That said, they stopped producing new podcasts back in 2016, so you may have to dig around to find some of their content.
The two hosts are real experts in their fields, with Stephanie, who has published a number of books on the best ways to convey data in your presentations; and Jon, who is also an expert on the subject with a background in economics.
The great thing about the work of the two presenters is that you can buy their books if you wish to learn more about what they discussed on their podcast!
16. What the Speak
‘What the Speak’ brings you the latest discussions and insider tips on the art of public speaking. Whether you are an educator, an entrepreneur and a salesperson, or even a cashier – this podcast will provide you with all the skills you need in order to engage your clients.
Guests have included, Michael Hyatt, Chris Brogan, Nancy Duarte, Dan Pink, Jay Baer, Pat Flynn, and Amy Porterfield – all of whom provide interesting and actionable advice on how to take your public speaking to the next level.
17. The Presentation Podcast
The Presentation Podcast is a great find if you need tips on how to design presentations, both in as a professional deisnger or as someone who is doing it as part of another role or job.
It features conversations with leading experts in the field of presentation design, including Troy Chollar, Nolan Haims, and Sandra Johnson.
They discuss a wide range of presentation-centred topics covering software, design trends tips, tricks and more. What’s more, with each episode lasting longer than an hour, you can really take a deep dive into the world of presentation design.