What DIYers Are Listening to While They Work
DESIGN
STORY BY VIRGINIA BESHEARS
Have you ever wondered what other DIYers are listening to while they tackle their latest projects? Team ORC recently got chatting about our own DIY listening habits, and it made us wonder about the ORC community at large.
To find out, we launched an extensive research study (a few polls on our Instagram story). Here are the very fascinating compiled results, plus our personal favorite speakers and headphones, some podcast recommendations, and two ways you can listen to audiobooks for free.
According to our investigation, 49% of respondents listen to music, 26% of respondents listen to podcasts, 17% of respondents listen to audiobooks, and 8% listen to nothing. How interesting!
Music
Music was the top choice for ORC DIYers by a wide margin. We followed up by asking about the type of music ORCers put on while working on DIY, and 58.6% chose upbeat & energetic, 9.1% chose mellow, and 32.3% said they just push shuffle. No surprise there. I’m guessing the reason upbeat music was by far the top choice is that I’m not the only one who feels like they’re in a Rocky style training montage while I DIY, in which case hype music is a no-brainer.
We also asked how ORCers listen to their audio while DIYing, and 64% said they use a speaker, while 36% said they use headphones. I was expecting headphones to be more popular since they tend to muffle general DIY racket, but speaker won by a country mile.
Below are some bluetooth speakers and bluetooth headphones that members of Team ORC personally own and love. All our fave products are low-to-mid price range and chosen more for durability and/or battery life than sound quality since they get used around power tools, paint, sawdust, etc.—you will NOT catch us bringing anything fancy around an active DIY site. None of us use the Airpod-style bluetooth earbuds for similar reasons. I also don’t recommend buying any of these products in black (I have the Anker Soundcore in black and I adore it but it’s hard to spot when you’re looking for it!).
Podcasts
Podcasts were the second most popular choice among ORC DIYers. Podcasts are my audio of choice, specifically podcasts that combine history and comedy—to me there is nothing better than working on a project while learning something new and being entertained.
We got some excellent podcast recommendations on Instagram which I have linked below along with some recs from Team ORC.
Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is NPR’s weekly quiz show that combines current events and comedy, on air since 1997. If I’m doing a DIY project there’s maybe a 90% chance I’m listening to this show.
Stuff You Should Know
Stuff You Should Know is a weekly deep dive into anything from llamas, to plate tectonics, to the Harlem Globetrotters, to how intellectual property law works. Its hosts met while working at the website howstuffworks.com, and the podcast launched in 2008, so it has a huge back catalogue.
You’re Dead to Me
The BBC podcast You're Dead To Me combines humor and expert knowledge to make history accessible and entertaining. This podcast is fascinating and SO much fun. It’s easily one of my favorite ways to learn about the past, I highly recommend it if you enjoy history.
Normal Gossip
Normal Gossip (rec from @happilyhuxford) delves into juicy, humorous, and relatable stories submitted by listeners, aka your “friend of a friend.” It’s an extremely entertaining escape into the drama of other people’s lives.
A Little Bit Culty
A Little Bit Culty (rec from @cathgrace) sheds light on the hidden dynamics of cults via survivor testimony and expert perspectives.
The Moth
The Moth is a long-running open-mic storytelling competition, and The Moth podcast (rec from @theaveryhome) features some of the most loved stories from those events. People from all walks of life share true, personal stories live on stage that range from hilarious to heartbreaking.
Noble Blood
Noble Blood, hosted by author Dana Schwartz, explores the intriguing and often dark stories of royalty and nobility throughout history. It’s well researched and captivatingly retold.
Scamfluencers
Scamfluencers (rec from @happilyhuxford) covers the dramatic and often shocking stories of influencers from various industries who have pulled off outrageous scams, revealing the dark side of fame.
Strict Scrutiny
Strict scrutiny (rec from @tristangarydesigns) provides in-depth analysis and commentary on the U.S. Supreme Court, its justices, and significant legal battles. It’s hosted by three constitutional law professors who do a great job making SCOTUS cases both new and old feel straightforward and digestible.
Audiobooks
Last but certainly not least is audiobooks! While 17% of the votes is nothing to sneeze at, I wonder if more people would choose audiobooks if they knew they could get audiobooks for free. I only just found this out during the discussion that prompted this survey, from an ORC team member who loves to listen to audiobooks during DIY projects.
So, most people know about Audible, Amazon’s audiobook platform, which costs $8 a month plus the cost of any books you want that aren’t in the Audible Plus catalogue.
If you have a library card, though, you can access all the audiobooks in your local library’s catalogue via Libby and Hoopla. The two platforms are both e-catalogues that are free to use with a library card, but they have a few differences, so if you can’t find a particular audiobook on one you should double check the other.
If you have a book you’ve been meaning to read, maybe try listening to the audiobook version during your next project!
Thank you so much to everyone who responded to our polls and sent us podcast recommendations!
Happy, happy listening :)
