If you followed our advice in MacProductive Listening: How to Select Podcasts, you now have a healthy collection of podcasts that you are sampling…and you are probably wondering how you are ever going to catch up. Here are some tips on deciding what to keep, what to abandon, and how to decide if a given podcast is right for you.

Signal-to-Noise Ratio: From a MacProductive standpoint, we prefer shows of any type that deliver a high percentage of on-topic information and go light on the shenanigans and self-involvement. Conversely, if there isn’t at least a little personality involved the podcast can be as dry and boring as the worst high school textbook. Find shows that fit the ratio that suits your personal taste as well as the subject matter. (Obviously, an entertainment-oriented podcast is going to be judged differently than an information podcast.)

The Host(s): You gotta like the host(s). Or at least respect them. Or, if you’re one of those people who enjoy dealing with people you love to hate, hate them. We prefer hosts we both like and respect, and who know how to be hosts: they make the show about their topic or their guests and very seldom themselves. No, there’s nothing wrong with a host providing his or her perspective or opinion, but unless they are the focus of the show, it gets old quick. Hosts who have guests and talk over them and don’t let them answer questions don’t last long on our playlistsl. If you find the hosts annoying, odds are that you will find their show annoying too.

The Three Edition Rule: Each podcast is different. It can take you a little while to get used to the way a given show handles their subject matter, their guests (if they have any) and you, the listener. Unless you are completely turned off by something in the first five minutes, try to listen to three separate editions of a given podcast. By the time you finish the third one you will have given it a fair chance and will know whether it is one you want to keep or delete.

The Subject Matter: Take a hard look at the podcasts you’ve subscribed to. If you’re listening to ten different podcasts about the same thing it may be time to do a little trimming. Odds are that you are getting lots of overlapping information.

Learn to Skip: Even the very best podcasts are not going to catch your interest with every episode. If you start listening to a show that is going to focus on something that doesn’t interest you, hit the Skip button and move on to the next one. Just because you like the podcast enough to subscribe doesn’t mean you have to listen to or watch every single episode. There won’t be a quiz later.

What to Listen to When: Any podcast, especially those with any timely content component, is going to be more interesting if you can listen to it closer to the time it is published. Follow these simple steps to create a playlist that will keep your podcasts ordered by release date.

• Create a Smart Playlist for your podcasts (Simply set the “Genre” as “podcast”). Open the Playlist

• Sort the playlist by “Release Date.” Voila! You can now sync that playlist with your iPod and it will play the oldest shows first, making sure that nothing ends up languishing unlistened to for longer than you would like. (In the event that the release date column is not visibile, in iTunes, pull down the View menu, select “View Options” and be certain that “Release Date” is checked.

Unsubscribe, Then Try Something New: Don’t be bashful about deleting a subscription to a show that is no longer interesting to you. You can always go back and change your mind. That’s one of the beauties of podcasts: most producers keep multiple editions online for extended periods (hint: if you’re looking for an older episode and it isn’t in the iTunes listing, visit the podcast’s web site. It probably is available for direct download or online listening there).

If you do decide to eliminate a show from your subscriptions, consider going out and adding a new one to try. There are always new shows coming out and you might find something you like…or like better.

Follow these tips and in a very short time you will have developed a subscription list that assures you will have audio and/or video content with you at all times that you will not only enjoy, but that will also add to your status as a Weapon of Mac Productivity.