Podcasts and Video Nightmare

akwexavante

I'm sure that podcasts and video are the way forward but for those of us that are hard of hearing and or deaf they are an absolute nightmare.

Background music overpowers the speaker, the speaker talks far too fast.

More and more i want more info about this and that to be directed to a podcast and i connot hear the speaker and or keep up.

Hearing aids for me "My Hearing aids" just a few months old are no help at all. too fast, unnessary background music "Noise" too much.

Dump that background noise and slow down or much better still at least give those of us that can't keep up with you and the subtitles where available something to read at a pace we can understand it all.

I'm falling behind, can't keep up and feel as though i'm being pushed out because i'm profoundly deaf and will be completely deaf within the next 5yrs or so!

Woodstok2000

Most podcast apps allow you to alter the playback speed, so if you find they are talking too fast you could set it to e.g. 0.75x

akwexavante

Tried this and it distorts the speakers voice to such an extent that it's just noise.

flaneurs_lobster

I'm not a heavy consumer of podcasts but It does seem that any 'programme' on BBC Sounds that is described as a podcast will be blessed with near-continuous background music, not so with 'normal' programmes.

Is this simply something that is a 'norm' across the podcast medium?

Rather suggests that the speaker/narrative is unable to convey a particular mood using just the spoken word but must 'enhance' the experience with a jocular/serious/suspenseful/melancholy background, much like the use of music in film.

Agree that it is not helpful in making the speech distinct.

Not sure how the OP is consuming this output but would suggest that a decent pair of Bluetooth headphones with their associated app can help to balance the sound to bias towards voice.

oldernonethewiser

Depends.

Some podcasts are very well produced and others I find unlistenable.

Just like radio programmes.

QrizB

I'm sure that podcasts and video are the way forward

They really aren't.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pivot_to_video

Following a scandal in which Facebook revealed it had artificially inflated numbers to its advertisers about how long viewers watched ads, many journalists and industry analysts concluded that the shift to video was based on such misleading or inaccurate metrics, which created a false impression that there was customer demand for additional video content.

akwexavante

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82163279#Comment_82163279

I've had my current car 9yrs from new, i have no idea if the radio has ever worked!!!!!!!!!!

mluton

If you use YouTube for podcast and Video consumption it has new AI feature Voice Boost which significantly helps, click the settings cog to enable.

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82163414#Comment_82163414

Is that on the paid-for version, not seeing it on the freebie? Or just on the app?

elsien

it’s not available on phones, depending on how you listen to your podcasts.

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/14106294?hl=en-GB&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS