The Best Podcasts for Stand-Up Comedians Learning Comedy
You can learn a lot from the pros. We recommend the following podcasts which are specifically for LEARNING to write comedy. Topics covered are everything from comedy personas to breaking down joke structure and performance skills.
The Comedian’s Comedian Podcast
Stuart Goldsmith (UK) interviews the funniest people from all over the world and asks them in-depth questions about how they write jokes, and how they cope with comedy careers.
https://www.comedianscomedian.com/podcasts/
Our take: More UK comedy-scene based, but full of international comedians, this podcast really digs deep into some of the best comedians’ processes. Stuart Goldsmith is a charming host, and a comedian himself, so he knows the right questions to ask his guests.
Good One: A Podcast About Jokes
Each week, a comedian will play one of their jokes and then break it down with Vulture.com Senior Editor Jesse David Fox.
https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-one-a-podcast-about-jokes
Our take: It’s nice to hear a specific bit broken down, the rationale behind it, the story, and the comedian’s thought process.
How to Write Funny
Scott Dikkers, founder of TheOnion.com and The Onion’s editor-in-chief for most of the last 25 years, interviews celebrities, writers, and other people in the comedy industry about their background, philosophy and process.
https://player.fm/series/how-to-write-funny
Our take: Scott Dikkers is not a stand-up, which you can tell from his flat monotone speaking voice, BUT he has some great tips, especially for the writing process.
The Last Laugh
Every Tuesday, The Daily Beast’s Matt Wilstein interviews some of the biggest names in comedy—as well as the new voices crashing the party—about what it’s like to make people laugh during this current cultural and political moment.
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLmNodGJsLmNvbS90aGVsYXN0bGF1Z2g_cGxhdGZvcm09cnNz
Our take: Matt Wilson is a writer and comedy nerd, but not a standup himself. He does a great job of interviewing top comedians on their process.
Hot Breath! (Learn Comedy from the Pros)
Every Monday listeners get exclusive access to the most influential minds in comedy. Award winning comedian and host Joel Byars captures the inspiring stories and insightful techniques behind your favorite comics with interviews NPR describes as “discovering the desire to be a comedian, their craft and their unifying bond found within the world of stand up comedy.”
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vaG90YnJlYXRoLw
Our take: This podcast has some great interviews with big-name comedians. The focus on the joke writing process.
School Of Laughs
This podcast is full of honest insight and useful information on the journey from the open mic to the sweet paying corporate gig. Shows range in format from “comedy campfires” where we swap out the fire for a mic and get to the key questions from aspiring comics to in-depth interviews with professional comedians, booking agents, managers and club owners. Led by 23 yr comedy veteran Rik Roberts
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9zY2hvb2xvZmxhdWdocy5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw
Our take: Rik Roberts is a clean, Christian comedian. This might not be everybody’s style, but selected episodes can really help new comedians get going and understand the joke-writing process.