The holidays are approaching! And that means it’s time to think about gifts.
I dislike hunting for gifts, but I love buying and giving a gift when I know I’ve discovered something that a person will genuinely be delighted to receive. There’s nothing more delicious than identifying the perfect present.
In case you need some ideas, here are some podcast-related possibilities:
1. The Gift of a Podcast! Go to giftofpodcast.com to download the “gift certificate” and the cheat-sheet of instructions. This makes it easy to give a specific podcast to someone you know will love it—and it’s also a way to introduce podcast listening to someone who doesn’t already know how to do it. It’s a gift that’s free; it’s easy; it’s an experience, not a thing; and there’s no limit to the great content in the world of podcasts.
If a gift recipient loves true crime, Dolly Parton, suspenseful stories, The Office, history, science, politics, design, nature, the Nebraska Cornhuskers…there’s a great podcast on that subject. You can give it!
2. A new pair of Air Pods or earphones. We often misplace these items, and it can also be nice to have a backup pair for a suitcase, purse, gym bag, or desk drawer at work.
3. Stickers to personalize Air Pods. If your family is like mine and often gets Air Pod cases confused, give a sheet of stickers that can be used to personalize the recipient’s case. If this person loves dogs, give dog stickers, or maybe gold-star stickers, or whatever is fun. I love to read, so my Air Pod case is marked by a sticker of a book. My sister Elizabeth marks her case with a Sharpie, which is practical but, I think, less fun than a sticker.
4. Desk hook for headphones. I was thrilled to discover that this item existed. I use a big pair of headphones with my desktop, and they were always in my way. Then I got the hook, and problem solved.
5. Fan merch or apparel. Buying a podcast-related t-shirt or tote bag for people who are big fans is a great way to show that you’re tracking their interests. My husband Jamie is a huge fan of everything Bill Simmons, so last Christmas I bought him “The Ringer” t-shirt, and he wears it constantly.
6. Portable battery. For the wide-roaming podcast lover whose phone is always dying.
7. Smart speaker. These come in many versions, such as the Amazon Echo, Google Home, Apple HomePod, or Sonos. This might be especially helpful for someone who does a lot with their hands, such as cooking or cleaning in the kitchen. My daughter Eliza uses a smart speaker to listen to podcasts while she works on the 1000-piece puzzles that she loves.
8. Audible membership or iTunes gift card. Podcast lovers also often love audio books. This is especially true for people, like my sister, who have long commutes so churn through audio material quickly.
9. iTunes or Spotify gift card. Audio people often listen to a lot of music—not true for me, as it happens—but it usually seems to be true.
10. Tickets to a live event with their favorite podcast host(s). I recently went to a Bitch Sesh show. Elizabeth loves their podcast, so when I heard the live show was coming to New York City, I had to go, even though I don’t know anything about the Real Housewives.
Bonus holiday hack: To me, a gift seems more special if it’s presented as a “kit”—e.g., “I know you’ve been wanting to listen to podcasts, here’s your starter pack!” with many items assembled in a tote bag, basket, etc. The unified presentation makes the items feel more substantial than if they were presented separately.
What would you add? What have I overlooked?
