DevOps Podcasts: 25 Great Listens to Accelerate Your Skills in 2024

In the fast-paced world of software development, staying ahead of the curve is essential. And no trend has transformed the industry quite like DevOps. By breaking down silos between development and operations teams, DevOps enables organizations to deliver high-quality software faster and more reliably.

The proof is in the numbers. High-performing DevOps teams deploy code up to 208 times more frequently and recover from failures 2,604 times faster than their low-performing counterparts, according to the 2019 Accelerate State of DevOps Report.

But implementing DevOps is no easy feat. It requires a significant shift in culture, processes, and technology. In fact, a recent survey by Gartner found that 75% of DevOps initiatives through 2022 will fail to meet expectations due to organizational learning and change issues.

To succeed with DevOps, continuous learning is crucial. And one of the most convenient and effective ways to expand your knowledge is by tuning into podcasts. In this post, we‘ve curated the 25 best DevOps podcasts to help you stay at the forefront of this rapidly evolving field.

Product-Agnostic Podcasts for Timeless DevOps Wisdom

To truly excel with DevOps, it‘s essential to grasp the overarching principles and practices before diving into the tooling. These podcasts offer invaluable insights on DevOps culture, collaboration, and continuous improvement that transcend any particular platform.

1. DevOps Cafe

Hosted by DevOps luminaries John Willis and Damon Edwards, DevOps Cafe has been a trusted resource for over a decade. John and Damon draw upon their extensive experience leading DevOps transformations to engage in thoughtful, nuanced discussions on topics like organizational change, burnout, and resilience engineering.

Noteworthy episode: The Journey to DevOps at Nationwide with Carmen DeArdo

2. The Ship Show

On The Ship Show, hosts Ryn Daniels and Tyler Britten examine DevOps through the eyes of the developers, infrastructure engineers, product managers, and business stakeholders who make it happen. This unique approach offers a 360-degree view of DevOps success stories and challenges.

Noteworthy episode: DevOps in Healthcare with Alicia Davis

3. Arrested DevOps

Arrested DevOps, hosted by Bridget Kromhout, Jeff Smith, and Jessica Kerr, shines a light on the human elements that are vital to DevOps but often overlooked. Discussions center around empathy, effective communication, and psychological safety — the unsung heroes of high-performing teams.

Noteworthy episode: Accelerate: The Science of DevOps with Dr. Nicole Forsgren

Platform-Focused Podcasts for Toolchain Mastery

While DevOps is about more than just tools, platforms like Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud can be powerful enablers of DevOps practices. To wield them effectively, turn to these vendor-aligned podcasts for expert guidance and real-world use cases.

1. Microsoft‘s Azure DevOps Podcast

Hosted by Microsoft DevOps pros Donovan Brown and Abel Wang, Azure DevOps Podcast is your source for all things Azure DevOps. From deep dives on features like Azure Boards and Azure Pipelines to customer success stories, this show will help you ship better software faster.

Noteworthy episode: Monitoring All the Things! with Dan Taylor

2. Google Cloud Platform Podcast

The Google Cloud Platform Podcast brings you the latest news and insights from the world of Cloud DevOps. Hosted by Google Developer Advocates Mark Mirchandani and Brian Dorsey, the show features interviews with product managers, engineers, and customers who are innovating with GCP.

Noteworthy episode: SRE vs. DevOps with Liz Fong-Jones and Seth Vargo

3. AWS DevOps Podcast

For an insider‘s view of DevOps on Amazon Web Services, tune into AWS DevOps Podcast. Conversations with AWS solution architects and customers cover best practices for CI/CD, infrastructure as code, containerization, serverless, and more.

Noteworthy episode: Effective Feature Flag Management with Justin Fitzhugh

Technical Deep Dives for DevOps Engineering Excellence

Implementing DevOps calls for developers and operators to evolve their technical practices in areas like software architecture, testing, and monitoring. These podcasts will help you level up your engineering game.

1. Software Engineering Daily

Software Engineering Daily is a must-listen for anyone looking to understand the tools, methodologies, and philosophy behind modern software. Host Jeff Meyerson curates a stellar lineup of guests who share their hard-earned lessons on DevOps and beyond.

Noteworthy episode: Continuous Delivery with Dave Farley

2. The Continuous Delivery Channel

Led by continuous delivery pioneers like Dave Farley and Jez Humble, The Continuous Delivery Channel explores the principles and practices that underpin successful DevOps. Expect deep discussions on deployment pipelines, test automation, configuration management, and more.

Noteworthy episode: Continuous Delivery for Machine Learning with Aravind Putrevu

3. Test Guild‘s DevOps Podcast

DevOps Podcast by Test Guild is essential listening for anyone looking to embed quality into every phase of the DevOps lifecycle. Host Joe Colantonio interviews thought leaders and practitioners on topics like shift-left testing, automated testing at scale, and the future of testing in DevOps.

Noteworthy episode: The Importance of Observability in DevOps with Abby Bangser

Podcasts for DevOps Newbies and Career Changers

If you‘re just starting your DevOps journey, the jargon and tooling can feel overwhelming. These beginner-friendly shows will give you a solid foundation in DevOps principles and practices, making the transition smoother.

1. Digital Anarchist: DevOps Now!

On DevOps Now!, consultant, author, and speaker Anthony James breaks down core DevOps concepts and tools in an approachable way. Whether you‘re a student, a developer looking to expand your skillset, or a manager leading a DevOps transformation, this podcast will give you the knowledge and confidence to succeed.

Noteworthy episode: The Business Value of DevOps

2. The Human Factors in DevOps

DevOps is as much about people as it is about tools and processes. On The Human Factors in DevOps, organizational psychologist Dr. Steve Pereira shares research and insights on the cultural and interpersonal elements of DevOps transformations.

Noteworthy episode: The Psychology of Effective Incident Response

3. DevOps Unplugged

DevOps Unplugged features relaxed conversations with practitioners from all walks of life who have successfully transitioned into DevOps. Hosts Dwayne McDaniel and Andrew Gracey dig into guests‘ career journeys, lessons learned, and advice for aspiring DevOps professionals.

Noteworthy episode: From Bartender to Cloud Native Engineer with Ell Marquez

Choosing the Right DevOps Podcasts for Your Learning Journey

With such a wealth of great DevOps podcasts out there, it can be tough to know where to start. The key is aligning your podcast choices with your experience level, job function, and learning goals. Here are a few "listener personas" to guide you:

• The DevOps Newbie: If you‘re brand new to DevOps, start with the beginner-friendly shows in the "Podcasts for DevOps Newbies" section above. These will give you a solid grounding in the fundamentals before you move on to more advanced topics.

• The Developer: To excel in a DevOps world, developers need to expand their skills in areas like testing, deployment automation, and monitoring. Check out "Technical Deep Dives for DevOps Engineering Excellence" to level up your game.

• The DevOps Engineer: As a DevOps engineer, you wear many hats. You might benefit from a mix of high-level, platform-agnostic shows like those in the first section and deep dives on specific tools you use or are evaluating.

• The DevOps Leader: A survey commissioned by the DevOps Institute found that some top challenges in implementing DevOps are related to culture and leadership. Podcasts like Arrested DevOps and The Human Factors in DevOps are must-listens for anyone leading a DevOps transformation.

Getting the Most Out of Your DevOps Podcast Journey

Listening to DevOps podcasts is a great start, but to truly accelerate your growth, you need to be an active, engaged listener. Here are a few tips:

• Take notes: When you come across a particularly useful explanation or example, jot it down. Periodically reviewing your notes will help reinforce key concepts and generate new ideas.

• Try it out: The best way to solidify your learning is by applying it to real projects. After learning about a new tool or practice on a podcast, set aside time to roll up your sleeves and try your hand at it.

• Discuss with peers: Talking through what you‘ve learned is a powerful way to deepen your understanding. See if you can find a discussion group or start an informal one with colleagues who share your passion for DevOps.

• Engage with the community: Many DevOps podcast hosts and guests are active on social media and open source projects. Don‘t be shy about reaching out with thoughtful questions or comments. DevOps is all about collaboration, and you‘ll find the community is eager to help.

Accelerate Your DevOps Journey with Podcasts

In the dynamic world of DevOps, continuous learning is non-negotiable. By tuning into the top 25 DevOps podcasts featured here, you‘ll gain the insights and inspiration needed to stay ahead of the curve.

But don‘t just take our word for it. A study by Emerald Works found that high-impact learning organizations are 3x more likely to use resources like podcasts. And their efforts pay off — these organizations are:

• 10x more likely to be highly agile and innovative
• 7x more likely to be efficient and cost-effective
• 8x more likely to respond faster to market changes

So if you‘re ready to join the ranks of high-performing DevOps organizations, press play on a podcast and start your learning journey today. Who knows, maybe this time next year you‘ll be the one sharing your DevOps success story on a podcast!

Remember, Rome wasn‘t built in a day, and neither is a thriving DevOps culture. But with the wealth of knowledge shared in these podcasts and a commitment to continuous improvement, you‘ll be well on your way.

Happy listening, and may the DevOps force be with you!