Making long talks fit a commute

Description and use

The author built a system to keep audio versions of long talks, trimmed to the most useful parts, for listening during commutes.

Problem

Long talks are too long for desk viewing and too short to justify a flight, leading to many saved videos that are never watched.

Outcome

The author now has a manageable set of audio talks that can be listened to during commutes, improving content consumption and reducing wasted time.

Workflow

• Identify talks worth replaying
• Download audio from video sources
• Rename files with a consistent naming pattern
• Transfer audio files to phone
• Listen to each audio at slightly faster speed
• Delete any audio that does not hold up
• Maintain a queue of finished talks

Evidence

I only keep audio, and I only keep the ones I would replay.

Source

First, treating audio as the default. A conversation, a lecture, a recorded interview — if it survives being audio-only, it was worth keeping in the first place.

Source