Top 5 Podcasts for .NET/Azure Developers

Podcasts are a great way for developers to keep up with the latest technology and learn from the experience of others. The conversational nature of most podcasts makes their content easier to absorb than many other mediums. Podcasts are also very convenient because they can be listened to while doing something else. There’s a plethora of podcasts devoted to Azure and .NET, so let’s go over the best ones.

1. .NET Rocks

.NET Rocks is the ultimate .NET podcast. The show covers a wide range of topics including .NET, C#, Azure, Entity Framework and Blazor. The hosts Carl Franklin and Richard Campbell are both Microsoft MVPs and have decades of experience in the software industry. They have impressive guests including influential Microsoft employees such as Scott Hunter and David Fowler, as well as renowned experts like Julie Lerman.

One of the unique parts of the podcasts is the “Better know a framework” section, in which the hosts spotlight an interesting technology, library, or framework. They also read out comments from the audience and respond to them effectively. Richard and Carl bring a quirky sense of humor to the show and keep it entertaining as well as informative.

Examples of episodes:

• .NET 5 with Scott Hunter
• Migrating .NET Applications to Azure with Mike Richter
• C# 9 with Mads Torgersen
• ASP.NET Core API Endpoints with Steve Smith
• Azure for Government with Vishwas Lele

2. Adventures in .NET

Adventures in .NET is another great podcast which focuses on .NET and the Microsoft stack. The show is hosted by Shawn Clabough, Caleb Wells, Joel Shaubert and Wai Ho Liu. They have a diverse set of guests, some of which are .NET gurus like Richard Campbell and others experts such as Matthew Groves, developer advocate for Couchbase.

It’s obvious that the hosts are working developers because they pose relevant and insightful questions to their guests. The podcast has a very relaxed vibe and allows for some interesting conversations related to software development. At the end of every episode, each person in the podcast is asked for a “pick” in which they mention something they’ve found interesting recently. Often the “pick” isn’t related to development, and this helps keep the podcast entertaining.

Examples of episodes:

• Microservices Security in Action with Prabath Siriwardena
• Moving .NET Solutions to Kubernetes with Andrew Lock
• Expression Tree in C# with Max Arshinov
• Performant Applications using the Actor Pattern & Akka.NET with Aaron Stannard
• What is Command Query Responsibility Segregation (CQRS) with Derek Comartin

3. The Azure Podcast

The Azure Podcast focuses on Microsoft Azure and has been running since 2013. There are six hosts for the podcast: Cynthia Kreng, Kendall Roden, Cale Teeter, Evan Basalik, Russell Young & Sujit D’Mello. Between them, they possess an incredible amount of expertise in a wide variety of areas including architecture, devops, development and infrastructure. Their guests are often Microsoft insiders who provide quality information on developments in Azure.

With six formidable hosts, one can expect the podcast to have a lot of great content. Their diverse backgrounds allow them to extract the most insight from podcast guests. At the beginning of each show, the hosts give an update on all the new developments in Azure, including new technology, updates to existing technology, upcoming conferences and learning opportunities.

Examples of episodes:

• Identity in the Cloud Era
• NORAD Santa Tracker
• Verifiable Identity with Blockchain
• Sustainability solutions in Azure
• What are CSAs

4. MS Dev Show

The MS Dev Show is a podcast which focuses on Microsoft technologies especially .NET and Azure. It is hosted by two Microsoft employees, Jason Young and Carl Schweitzer, both of which have extensive development experience with Microsoft technologies. Their guests are often Microsoft employees or technology experts from other companies.

The MS Dev show is a bit more eclectic than the other podcasts on this list. They will frequently branch out into subjects which don’t relate to .NET and Azure such as Apple hardware and home office development. One of the nicest features of the podcasts is the detailed show notes which are posted after each episode. They usually include a meticulously organized set of links for the listener to find out more about the episode’s guest and content.

Examples of episodes:

• Identity Platform with Christos Matskas and John Patrick Dandison
• .NET 5 with Scott Hunter
• Octopus Deploy with Michael Levan
• Azure Functions and Keda with Jeff Hollan
• SignalR with Brady Gaster

5. .NET Core Podcast

The .NET Core Podcast concerns itself with Microsoft technologies including .NET and Azure. It’s hosted by veteran .NET developer Jamie Taylor. The podcast guests include many well-known developers in the .NET community such as Steve Smith and Layla Porter.

The .NET Core podcast is the only one on this list which has a single host. However, this works to its advantage because it allows for more in-depth conversations with podcast guests. Jamie Taylor strikes a great balance between providing his own perspective and expertise with eliciting insights from the podcast guests. This podcast doesn’t shy away from bleeding edge technology that is way out there. For example, one recent episode discussed augmented reality bindings for Xamarin.

Examples of episodes:

• TDD and the Terminator With Layla Porter
• Augmented Reality With Lee Englestone
• Azure and Live Conferences With Andy Morrell
• Debugging in Production with Omer Raviv
• API Endpoints With Steve Smith