March 24, 2025

20 Years of LearnOutLoud.com

Hard to believe it has been 20 years since we officially launched LearnOutLoud.com back in March of 2005! It’s been quite a journey in the world of audio and video learning since then. Back in 2005, I was still popping CDs and cassettes into my car to listen to the latest “books on tape” available. The Apple iPod was in its infancy and I was connecting my iPod up to my laptop to get the audiobooks I downloaded from Audible.com onto my device. It would be another 5 years until I got my first iPhone (3GS I think it was).

When we launched, the term podcast was hardly known, as podcasts didn’t show up in Apple iTunes until June of 2005. We started our very first podcast back in March of 2005 called the Audio Learning Revolution Podcast where we attempted to be audio learning DJs playing samples highlighting various audio books. YouTube had just been launched in February of 2005, so the online video revolution was just getting started.

For many years we sold audio books, first on CD and cassette, and then on MP3 audio download for your iPods and iPhones. When Amazon Purchased Audible for $300 million in 2008, they really escalated the marketing and technology of digital audio books and eliminated most of the audio book retailer competition. After years of declining sales, we decided to stop selling audio book downloads in 2018 and now we just link to Audible on Amazon for about 70,000 Audio Books on Download. Now we stay alive through advertising and affiliate revenue.

In August of 2005, we launched the Internet’s First Directory of Educational and Self-Development Podcasts. It’s been amazing to see podcasting take off over the past two decades, and we now feature over 5,000 of the best podcasts you can learn from in our LearnOutLoud.com Podcast Directory.

And in late 2005, we launched one of the most popular sections of our site which is our LearnOutLoud.com Free Audio & Video Directory. This section features free audio books, courses, documentaries, talks, interviews, speeches, and many other great free audio and video learning resources. Over the course of 20 years, the free directory has grown to over 12,000 titles.

And in 20 years, we’ve certainly learned a lot! Our love for audio & video learning started by listening to audio programs from publishers like The Great Courses, Nightingale-Conant, and Sounds True. While working at LearnOutLoud, we’ve listened to and reviewed thousands of audio books, lectures, podcasts, courses, documentaries, and so much more. We’ve seen great audio & video learning resources come and go as the World Wide Web ebbs and flows.

Over the last 20 years, we’ve seen the Internet change a lot, some for better and some for worse. In the early days, we were scouring the web to look for any new audio books, podcasts, and videos to feature. Now there’s an unbelievable glut of audio and video you can learn from: 4 million podcasts, 14 billion YouTube videos, and 500,000 audio books on Audible. While the technology and sheer amount of educational audio & video has changed significantly, our mission to showcase the best audio & video learning content on the web hasn’t changed much. We’re still searching the web to try to find the best audio & video resources out there that you can learn from.

February 28, 2025

Watch Over 15 Oscar-Winning Short Documentaries for Free Online

It’s Oscar weekend! We’ve previously highlighted on our blog 20 Oscar-Winning Feature Film Documentaries for Free Online, that you can watch both on YouTube and Tubi. Today we’re looking at over 15 of the Oscar-winning short documentaries that you can watch for free online on YouTube from 1941 to the present.

Much like the documentary features, the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film started off by honoring World War II propaganda films like Churchill’s Island (1941) and December 7th (1943). As the years went on the award went to films that highlighted important social issues from Nine from Little Rock (1964) all the way up to last year’s big winner The Last Repair Shop (2023).

We searched all the winners on YouTube and found over 15 there that are legally available to watch for free from providers like the U.S. National Archives, the National Film Board of Canada, and other channels. Here are the short documentaries we found in chronological order with brief summaries to guide you. Watch an Oscar-winning short from the Academy’s 95-year history!

Churchill’s Island (1941) – Produced by the National Film Board of Canada, this World War II documentary covers the Battle of Britain that took place in 1940.

December 7th (1943) – Shot by famed director John Ford and cinematographer Gregg Toland, this World War II documentary covers the events of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. There is both an 82-minute version and a 32-minute version, the latter of which won the Oscar for Documentary Short Subject.

Seeds of Destiny (1946) – Post-World War II film that focuses on the millions of child refugees after the war. This short documentary helped to raise over $200 million to help civilians affected by the war.

First Steps (1947) – Short film from the United Nations covering the physical therapy of disabled children with the focus on helping children to walk.

Glass (1958) – Fast forward to 1959 and this short, poetic documentary made in a glass factory in the Netherlands.

Nine from Little Rock (1964) – A film from renowned documentary filmmaker Charles Guggenheim (he won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short four times). This film covers the Little Rock Nine, who were the first African-American students to attend an all-white Arkansas high school in 1957. One of the students, Jefferson Thomas, narrates this documentary at an important time in the Civil Rights Movement.

A Year Toward Tomorrow (1966) – Documentary about the Volunteers in Service to America that originated from an idea by President John F. Kennedy and came to fruition under President Lyndon Johnson. Actor Paul Newman narrates this doc.

Princeton: A Search for Answers (1973) – This recruiting film from Princeton University portrays the teaching and learning of many subjects and highlights the importance of a college education.

If You Love This Planet (1982) – This short film features a lecture by anti-nuclear activist Dr. Helen Caldicott. The lecture is given along with footage of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Flamenco at 5:15 (1983) – Fun documentary covering a flamenco dance class at the National Ballet School of Canada.

Defending Our Lives (1993) – This documentary highlights the important issue of domestic violence, with personal testimonies from four imprisoned women.

Smile Pinki (2008) – Documentary set in rural India where two children, Pinki and Ghutaru, receive surgery from their cleft lips.

The White Helmets (2016) – This short documentary covers the Syria Civil Defence during Syrian Civil War, as these volunteers seek to save lives in the conflict.

Period. End of Sentence. (2018) – In this film, Indian women seek to lead a menstrual health revolution as they make affordable menstrual pads to help women in the community.

Colette (2020) – In this documentary, 90-year-old French Resistance fighter Colette Marin-Catherine visits the German concentration camp where her brother died.

The Queen of Basketball (2021) – Short film about the basketball player Lusia Harris who was the first and only woman ever to be officially drafted by the NBA.

The Last Repair Shop (2023) – This film covers a Los Angeles repair shop that fixes musical instruments for free for L.A. public school students.

Many interesting short documentaries to watch, all under an hour in length!

January 23, 2025

500 Top Podcasts from the Past Five Years

It’s been a little while since we added podcasts to our LearnOutLoud.com Podcast Directory. So we recently did a deep dive into the major podcast directories of iTunes and Spotify and picked out 500 top podcasts from the past five years to add to our directory.

We’re changing up our strategy somewhat with our podcast directory. In the past, we’ve allowed submissions to our podcast directory and pretty much added anything that was educational. But the sheer amount of podcasts out there is overwhelming with estimates of between 3 and 4 million podcasts to choose from worldwide. So instead of trying to add everything under the sun to our podcast directory, we’ve decided to hone in on the very best podcasts out there. These include podcasts that are highly rated, most-rated, and also many hidden gems we’ve discovered that we thought were worth highlighting. Our focus is always on the best podcasts that you can learn from! We currently feature over 5,000 of the best podcasts available which you can browse here:

Browse Over 5,000 Podcasts in the LearnOutLoud.com Podcast Directory

Sort by Recently Added, and you’ll see the latest podcasts we added. We’ve removed some of the podcasts that have been deleted or podfaded (produced only a few episodes and then disappeared from existence), and we’ve added over 500 more that have risen to prominence in the past five years. In this blog post, we’ll highlight some of the best podcasts we’ve added in each of our main 16 categories. So let’s get into it:

Top Arts & Entertainment Podcasts from the Past Five Years:

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs Podcast

The Plot Thickens Podcast from Turner Classic Movies

The Movies That Made Me Podcast Hosted by Joe Dante and Josh Olson

You’ll Hear It: Jazz Explained Podcast

Aria Code Podcast from The Metropolitan Opera

Classical Breakdown Podcast

The Art Angle Podcast

Top Biography Podcasts from the Past Five Years:

The James Baldwin 100 Podcast

Bruce Lee Podcast Hosted by Daughter Shannon Lee

Celebrity Memoir Book Club Podcast

Dolly Parton’s America Podcast

Catholic Saints Podcast

The Wonder of Stevie Podcast

Founders Podcast

The Hurricane Tapes – BBC Podcast

Real Dictators Podcast

Top Business Podcasts from the Past Five Years:

Business Movers Podcast

Afford Anything Podcast

Invest Like the Best Podcast

Coaching Real Leaders Podcast from the Harvard Business Review

Do This, Not That: Marketing Tips Podcast

The Side Hustle Show Podcast

BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast

Top Education & Professional Podcasts from the Past Five Years:

How to Be Awesome at Your Job Podcast

What It’s Like To Be Career Podcast Hosted by Dan Heath

Exam Study Expert Podcast

Those Who Can’t Teach Anymore Podcast

Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast

Straight A Nursing Podcast

Top History Podcasts from the Past Five Years:

American History Hit Podcast

History That Doesn’t Suck Podcast

NPR: Throughline Podcast

The Ancients Podcast

The Civil War & Reconstruction Podcast

The History of WWII Podcast

The History of England Podcast

The History of China Podcast

The History of the Twentieth Century Podcast

Top Languages Podcasts from the Past Five Years:

ChinesePod – Beginner Podcast

Learning English Grammar – BBC Podcast

Duolingo French Podcast

Learn Italian with Joy of Languages Podcast

LearnCraft Spanish Podcast

Lingthusiasm Podcast

Top Literature Podcasts from the Past Five Years:

Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby Podcast

ABC News: The Book Case Podcast

Shakespeare For All Podcast

National Review’s Great Books Podcast

The History of Literature Podcast

Storytime for Grownups Podcast

Poetry Unbound Podcast

Top Philosophy Podcasts from the Past Five Years:

Practical Stoicism Podcast

Lives Well Lived Podcast Hosted by Peter Singer & Kasia de Lazari Radek

Closer To Truth Podcast

Life Examined Podcast

The Gray Area Podcast

Top Politics Podcasts from the Past Five Years:

Political Theory 101 Podcast

The Foreign Affairs Interview Podcast

The Bulwark Podcast

Fast Politics Podcast

Hoover Institution: Goodfellows Podcast

BBC Newscast Podcast

Top Religion & Spirituality Podcasts from the Past Five Years:

The Way Out Is In Podcast

Jesus Calling Podcast

Wild at Heart Podcast Hosted by John Eldredge

Ask N.T. Wright Anything Podcast

The Stories of Mahabharata Podcast

Unpacking Israeli History Podcast

The C.S. Lewis Podcast Hosted by Alister McGrath

Conspirituality Podcast

Turning to the Mystics Podcast Hosted by James Finley

Through the ESV Bible in a Year Podcast

Top Science Podcasts from the Past Five Years:

NASA’s Curious Universe Podcast

NPR: Short Wave Podcast

The Science of Everything Podcast

Ologies with Alie Ward Podcast

Why This Universe Podcast

A Brief History of Mathematics – BBC Podcast

Into the Impossible Podcast Hosted by Brian Keating

Top Self Development Podcasts from the Past Five Years:

The Daily Motivation Podcast Hosted by Lewis Howes

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Podcast Hosted by Mark Manson

You Can Heal Your Life Podcast Produced by Hay House

We Can Do Hard Things Podcast

ZOE Science & Nutrition Podcast

Feel Better, Live More Podcast Hosted by Rangan Chatterjee

Calm Parenting Podcast

Jed McKenna Nonduality Podcast

Michael Singer Podcast Produced by Sounds True

Top Social Sciences Podcasts from the Past Five Years:

Altered States Podcast

Choiceology Podcast

The Psychology Podcast

Your Brain On: The Neuroscience of Everything Podcast

Therapist Uncensored Podcast

Top Sports & Hobbies Podcasts from the Past Five Years:

The Ringer NBA Show Podcast

Talkin’ Baseball MLB Podcast

Gastropod Podcast

The Athletic Football Show Podcast

The Joe Gardener Show Podcast

Shaped by Dog Podcast

Top Technology Podcasts from the Past Five Years:

AI For Humans Podcast

Endless Thread Podcast

Search Engine Podcast

Your Undivided Attention Podcast

Kim Komando Daily Tech Update Podcast

Better Offline Podcast

Top Travel Podcasts from the Past Five Years:

Join Us in France Travel Podcast

Untold Italy Travel Podcast

The Atlas Obscura Podcast

You Be Trippin Podcast Hosted by Ari Shaffir

So there you have it. Some of the top podcasts you can learn from in many categories from the past five years. We’ll be adding many more to come, so stay tuned!