Podcasts aren’t new, but according to many Internet gurus, they seem to be making a “comeback.”

I know I’ve really been getting into listening to podcasts lately, especially on my commute to and from my day job.

The beauty of podcasting is that if there’s something that interests you, you’ll be able to find a podcast on that topic. If not, quit reading right now and start a show on that topic!

Personally, I listen to podcasts about Internet marketing, affiliate marketing, WordPress and WordPress plug-ins and website design among others.

Some of may favorites are from Ray Edwards and I just started listening to Michael Hyatt. I also like Dave Jackson’s “School of Podcasting,” “WordPress Plug-ins from A to Z,” “Weekly Web Tools,” “The Audacity to Podcast,” and a daily podcast “Entrepreneur on Fire.”

From the Internet marketing area, I enjoy the “Social Media Marketing” podcast with Michael Stelzner, “Small Business Big Marketing” (from Australia), “Smart Passive Income” with Pat Flynn and while he doesn’t seem to produce on a very regular schedule, I enjoy the “Mason World Late Night Marketing” podcast with Mark Mason.

One of the really nice things about listening to podcast is that while most podcast have regular days that they’re produced, some podcast even have a regular times they are broadcast and are recorded live and listeners can actually get on chat rooms and interact with the host.

The real beauty of a podcast for the listener is that you can take it with you and can listen while you’re at work, or listen on your commute to and from your job or while you’re working out at the gym. You can even take a walk since the podcast is portable.

Podcasts provide lots of entertainment value but also lots of education — tips and tricks that you can pick up to improve your job or life — just by listening to a podcast.

And then you can apply these “lessons learned” to your business.

I use the Stitcher app to listen to my podcasts. It’s a neat system. One thing I don’t like is that when you refresh the most current podcast isn’t at the top, but after you start a show, the most current ones play after that.

With the Stitcher app, you can not only listen to podcasts, but also live radio and talk radio in one app!

Here’s a quick productivity tip about Stitcher or any podcasting program that you play your podcasts on — play the podcasts back at one and a half to two times normal speed.

It’s a great way to maximize your time while still hearing the content — it’s just playing faster so that you’re maximizing that drive time, exercise time or whatever you’re doing.

You can actually listen to more podcasts during the same amount of time if you’ll speed up the player.

So if you’re not into podcasts, I encourage you to find a few shows in topic areas that interest you. It’s a great way to get another perspective on the topic, stay current in that industry and learn some news tips and tricks.

Do you have any favorite podcasts? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section. Who knows… maybe one of your favorites will become one of mine.