The best drone podcasts of 2023

Ah, so you’re back commuting to work in your car. You need some entertainment for that commute! And if you’re looking for the best drone podcasts to subscribe to, I’ve got some picks for you.

The last time I put together a drone podcasts guide was way back in 2020. A lot has changed in the drone industry since then. Sadly, some companies that put together podcasts have closed (and some of those closures were for pandemic-related reasons). Maybe the hosts just moved on to something new (running a podcast can be expensive in hosting fees, yet tough to profit from). Alas, many of my 2020 drone podcast recommendations have since gone silent.

Happily though, new podcasts have sprung up — perhaps the pandemic put more time on peoples’ hands to produce podcasts.

This list of the best drone podcasts is bigger than ever, and fairly broad in scope. Besides drone industry-specific podcasts, I’ve also chosen to include ancillary content. In this list of best drone podcasts, you’ll also find podcasts related to public relations (after all, I know many of you read my site because you want to pitch me), the broader tech industry, general robotics (since we know that many drone companies use robots beyond just the flying ones) and more.

So with that, here are the 8 best drone podcasts of 2023:

1. The Air Up There

The Air Up There is the Federal Aviation Administration’s official podcast. The podcast, which typically releases new episodes on a monthly basis, certainly covers drones on many episodes — but naturally covers all aspects of aviation.

It’s good to stay up-to-date on the FAA’s thought process around rule-making and safety. It’s an excellent listen for drone pilots looking to expand their knowledge of aviation (and maybe one day get a manned pilot’s license). That said, the podcast does promise to cover drones, in additional to all other aspects of traditional aviation.

Recent drone-related episodes have included a deep dive into how drones revolutionize wildland firefighting, and how to start a drone business. The podcast also has covered broader topics still of interest, such as women in aviation or sustainability in aviation (and unsurprisingly, drones in many ways bring more environmentally-friendly options to aviation).

Hosts: FAA staff

Where to subscribe: Apple podcasts or the FAA’s website

2. Drone Radio Show

I kicked off The Drone Girl back in 2013, and in these past nine years I’ve seen a lot of drone industry characters come and go. A lot of podcasts launch and never progress past a year’s worth of episodes.

But there’s one drone industry character who came into the spotlight and long time ago and thankfully hasn’t left. That’s Randy Goers.

While I can’t say for sure, I do feel confident stating that the Drone Radio Show is the longest-running drone podcasts out there. Shows date back as far as 2014, which is ancient, in drone years!

The weekly Drone Radio Show discusses emerging opportunities in the drone industry and how you can be a part of it (and make money). A recent episode digs into a way to seriously make money in drones by conducting property inspections. Other episodes look at drone strategies held by major companies including IBM and CNN.

Hosts: Randy Goers, a full-time urban planner with a great side hustle: drone podcaster

Where to subscribe: Apple podcasts, YouTube or Soundcloud

3. Dawn of Drones

The Dawn of Drones podcast is hosted by a major personality in the drone industry, Dawn Zoldi. The podcast is pretty enterprise and business focused, looking at advanced air mobility, drone and autonomous industries.

Each podcast is built around a monthly theme, with themes earlier this year including AAM and vertical flight (May) and dual-use technologies (February). Upcoming themes for later this year are set to include innovation (July), developing industry leaders (August) and market use cases (September).

This podcast stands out from others in that this one is a bit more interactive — and you’ll likely get more value out of listening live. It streams every Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET simultaneously on YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Discord, and LinkedIn, and includes a 45-minute live and interactive discussion on emerging tech, and associated legal and policy issues.

If you do choose to listen later, you can download the audio on Spotify, Apple, and Google platforms.

Hosts: Dawn Zoldi

Where to subscribe: YouTube

4. Full Crew

And if you want even more Dawn, then you’re in luck. She recently launched two more podcasts: Full Crew and Full TILT. Both podcasts are brand new — having launched in June 2020 — and involve not just Zoldi, but also Michael Pehel, who you might remember as the former host of the since-retired Interdrone podcast.

Full Crew is especially designed for drone industry pros, covering drones as well as other related topics like AI, IoT, and robotics. The format involves candid first impressions of the stories shaping the industry to enable viewers to gain key insights into technologies that are reshaping the world, and each episode features one to two guests from various tech industries.

Similar to Zoldi’s “Dawn of Drones” podcast, this one airs live weekly — this one every Monday at 11 a.m. ET (also across YouTube, Twitch, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook). And again, if you can’t listen live, you can download the audio on Spotify, Apple, and Google platforms.

If you do choose to listen later, you can download the audio on Spotify, Apple, and Google platforms.

If you still can’t get enough of Full Crew, there’s also the bi-weekly spin-off called Full TILT, which takes an under-the-hood look at the leadership strategies used to build the products and teams that bring us one step closer to the future. That one runs on alternate Tuesdays at 11 a.m. ET.

Oh and by the way, I’ll be on the Monday, July 11 episode of Full Crew.

Hosts: Dawn Zoldi and Mike Pehel

Where to subscribe: YouTube or directly on the Full Crew website.

5. Rotor Talk Live

If you like the live component, then here’s another podcast for you, Rotor Talk Live. This talk show actually streams on YouTube, and it’s an absolute delight. It mostly appeals to photographers and hobby drone pilots, and is a great source of speculation, news and reviews around the latest DJI drones, as well as camera drones from other companies such as Autel.

The show is hosted by Bill Horosz, who goes by Bill The Drone Reviewer, and is in its fifth season — incredible! His community is so fun too. Consider joining his Facebook group too.

I’ve even appeared on a few seasons, including Season 3 and the original Season 1.

Host: Bill Horosz

Where to subscribe: YouTube

6. The Drone Trainer Podcast

I absolutely love The Drone Trainer podcast for host Chris’s passion and enthusiasm for drones. This uplifting podcast has been running for many years and has about 150 episodes so far, though I will caveat by saying the podcast’s publishing schedule is, shall we say, intermittent (we’ve only got two episodes in 2022, and hoping for more).

The Drone Trainer podcast is great for someone looking to kickstart their own drone business. Among my favorite episodes: learning about flying BVLOS in Belize and the Maldives with Melissa Schiele, and an episode about drone swarm light show with Hitomi Uematsu. Oh, and there is an episode of The Drone Trainer featuring yours truly, where Chris and I discuss our thoughts on all things drone training, such as Part 107 training courses that teach you content needed to pass the required written for commercial drone pilots in the United States.

Hosts: Chris Anderson, CEO of The Drone Trainer (note that’s a different Chris Anderson than another notorious Chris Anderson in the drone industry, CEO of 3D Robotics)

Where to subscribe: Apple podcasts or the Drone Trainer website

7. Media in Minutes

This podcast doesn’t have anything to do with drones at all, but it does have to do with the media. And I know many of you readers are small business owners or communications representatives from mega drone companies. Thus, you might find this podcast of interest.

Media in Minutes is hosted by Angela Tuell and features in-depth interviews with journalists, who share their favorite stories, behind-the-scenes incites and more musings on their worlds. And there is mention of drones on here. That’s because the June 16, 2022 episode of the Media in Minutes podcast episode features yours truly.

Host: Angela Tuell, Principal & CEO of Communications Redefined, a PR agency specializing in media relations, crisis communications, social media, events and content marketing.

Where to subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher.com and TuneIn.

8. Drone to $1K podcast

2022 marks Season 5 of the Drone to $1K podcast. This podcast focuses solely on the business side of drones and is primarily designed to give you a better idea of how to make money in drones.

The first guest of Season 5 of the Drone to $1K podcast is Dusty Jolley, an entrepreneur who quit his boring, miserable insurance job to become a drone pilot. These days he uses his drones for cinematography, mapping and more.

Most podcast guests make $1,000 per month and beyond — appropriate to the name of the podcast — and share how you can do it too.

Hosts: David Young, who is also the founder of Drone Launch Academy, one of our favorite websites for both Part 107 courses and online drone photography courses.

Where to subscribe: Apple podcasts, Spotify, Podbay and the Drone Launch Academy website

Do you have another great drone podcast worth subscribing to? Leave a comment below!