Rephonic
Artwork for Better Offline
Musk Foundation
Elon Musk
Openai
Google
Vision Pro
Apple
Bluetooth Keyboards
Venture Capital
Meta
Technology
Rot Economy
Spacex
Starlink
Flint, Michigan
Texas
Ad Astra School
UNICEF
Bastrop, Texas
St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital
Google Docs

Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society - and interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech’s elite wants to build.

Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes an... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes216Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Technology

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Better Offline

Latest Episodes

In this week's Better Offline monologue, Ed Zitron walks you through why AI isn’t replacing all software companies, and why the hype behind Claude Code is utterly specious.

Save $10 off a year of my premium newsletter: edzitronswheresyoureda... more

Better Offline’s “Hater Season” - an ongoing roundtable with tech’s greatest haters - continues as Ed talks with Kill The Computer’s Juniper and Caleb and Arif Hasan of Wide Left about prediction markets, silicon valley’s billionaire whiners, and how... more

In this week's Better Offline monologue, Ed Zitron walks you through why Matt Shumer’s “Something Big Is Coming” is deceptive misinformation peddled by a guy who previously tried to defraud the AI community, and why everybody who boosted or republish... more

YouTube

Better Offline’s “Hater Season” - an ongoing roundtable with tech’s greatest haters - continues as Ed talks with computer science professor and writer Cal Newport about the ways in which the media fails to report the truth about AI.

Please support m... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

It Could Happen Here
It Could Happen HereCool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts
Weird Little Guys
Weird Little GuysiHeartPodcasts and Cool Zone Media
Behind the Bastards
Behind the BastardsCool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts
Kill The Computer
Kill The Computermail@westernkabuki.com

Recent Guests

Matt Rosoff
Editor-in-Chief of The Register
The Register
Episode: Working In The Dot Com Bubble ft. Matt Rosoff
Karissa Bell
Senior Editor at Engadget
Engadget
Episode: CES 2026: Part Five (Wednesday)
Jared Newman
Writer for Advisorator Newsletter
Advisorator Newsletter
Episode: CES 2026: Part Five (Wednesday)
Chloe Radcliffe
Stand-up comedian and actress
Is This Thing On?
Episode: CES 2026: Part Five (Wednesday)
Adam Conover
Stand-up comedian and host of Factually Podcast
Factually
Episode: CES 2026: Part Five (Wednesday)
Scott Stein
Tech reporter from CNET
CNET
Episode: CES 2026: Part One (Monday)
Lisa Eadicicco
Tech reporter from CNN
CNN
Episode: CES 2026: Part One (Monday)
Steve Burke
Content creator and co-founder of GamersNexus
GamersNexus
Episode: Is Valve Taking On Microsoft? with Steve Burke
Charlie Meyer
Esteemed blogger and CEO of Picode
Picode
Episode: Vibe Coding is BS w/ Charlie Meyer

Host

Ed Zitron
Host of a show that explores technology's societal implications, often combining narrative storytelling with interviews and critical discussions.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 2.5k ratings
  • Go off King

    Cathartic AND informative

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ArmadilloChris
    United States8 days ago
  • Impossible to take seriously with the amount of advertisements on every episode. Unsubscribing after I counted about a total of 8 minutes of ads. Unlistenable. iHeartMedia is a curse.

    Podchaser
    1
    name
    8 days ago
  • Sanity

    Truly love this show and love it even more when he gets angry or fired up. Makes me feel less alone in my anger and disgust.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    GAmethyst
    United States9 days ago
  • Not for the easily offended

    The reviews claiming that Ed is “too angry” and “too ranty” are missing the point of the show entirely. Emotions like anger are valid and necessary to incite action in the face of extreme political upheaval, and playing it calm and cool to increase listenability only works to dilute the message, not amplify it. Listeners who love to ‘both-sides’ it: avoid. There’s softer shows out there for you.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    p.romanski
    Australia20 days ago
  • Perceptive on financial aspects but let down by Zitron's ranting and expletive filled diatribes, his black and white thinking and Cassandra complex. For those who dislike Zitron's style there are *many* more measured commentators who discuss the AI bubble and the need for it to pop or for a stock market "correction", such as Dean Baker without going into angry rants. Although none are as focused on the AI bubble as Zitron is on it.

    Podcast Addict
    3
    ojs99
    a month ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The show is often cited as a necessary counterpoint to the positive hype surrounding emerging technologies, providing a more realistic perspective on their implications.
There are mixed feelings about the host's presentation style, with some praising the engaging narratives while others find a tendency toward self-indulgence.
Overall, the content is appreciated for addressing complex tech issues in a way that resonates with listeners seeking depth and honesty.
Many listeners express frustration with the ad load but recognize the show's valuable content and discussions.
Listeners appreciate the insightful critiques of the tech industry, emphasizing the need for transparency and ethical behavior from major players.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Working In The Dot Com Bubble ft. Matt Rosoff
Q: What was the aftermath like post .com bubble?
The burst had significant effects, with many losing their jobs and retail traders being wiped out.
Working In The Dot Com Bubble ft. Matt Rosoff
Q: Was there any kind of AI dissent?
Yes, there were concerns about fraud and regulation, but not much outright skepticism that the internet would take off.
Working In The Dot Com Bubble ft. Matt Rosoff
Q: What were you doing in the .com Bubble era?
I moved to San Francisco in 1992 and started at a small startup called CNET as an editorial assistant.
CES 2026: Part Three (Tuesday)
Q: How many of these products seem absolutely useless?
Many seem to actually be unnecessary and represent a kind of tech overreach that lacks real utility.
Cory Doctorow and Ed Zitron on Enshittification and the Rot Economy
Q: If you had to guess, what is the timeline we're looking at for the AI bubble to pop?
No later than Q2, 2026.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Better Offline

What is Better Offline about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Focused on the tech industry's pervasive influence on society, the content evaluates how different players within this sector shape the future through a growth-oriented mindset. Episodes navigate through pressing themes such as AI's implications for society, ethical considerations in technology, and critical analyses of industry practices, including transparency issues. A mix of interviews, storytelling, and discussion formats aids in demystifying complex topics and scrutinizing the motivations of influential tech figures, while the host's engaging, often critical style lends a personal touch to overarching narratives.

Where can I find podcast stats for Better Offline?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Better Offline. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Better Offline and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Better Offline get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Better Offline, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Better Offline?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Better Offline, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Better Offline have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Better Offline has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Better Offline?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Better Offline:

1. It Could Happen Here
2. Tech Won't Save Us
3. Weird Little Guys
4. Behind the Bastards
5. Kill The Computer

How many episodes of Better Offline are there?

Better Offline launched 2 years ago and published 216 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Better Offline?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Better Offline?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Better Offline from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Better Offline?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Better Offline. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Better Offline?

Recent guests on Better Offline include:

1. Matt Rosoff
2. Karissa Bell
3. Jared Newman
4. Chloe Radcliffe
5. Adam Conover
6. Scott Stein
7. Lisa Eadicicco
8. Steve Burke

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days