# Data Stories _Life, data, the universe and all the rest_ Published: 2023-03-08 Live project: https://datastori.es I initiated and co-hosted the self-produced, independent podcast ["Data Stories"](https://datastori.es) together with Enrico Bertini from 2012-2023. With over 2.7 million episode downloads, it has become one of the most popular data visualization podcasts in the world. ## Key visuals - Network diagram clustering Data Stories episodes by topic around the Data Stories wordmark - Live Data Stories recording with two hosts and a mic setup while a guest laughs across the room - Three people recording Data Stories around a table with laptops, a mic and snacks - Data Stories listeners gathered together for a group photo at a live meetup - Smiling selfie of two attendees in colourful light at a Data Stories meetup - Listeners mingling in dim, colourful light at a Data Stories meetup - Listeners chatting over drinks and beers at a Data Stories meetup - Attendee taping a Where do you come from? sign to the wall at a Data Stories meetup Since the launch in 2012, we’ve produced 170 episodes covering a broad spectrum of topics, from cutting-edge visualization tools, data art to the ethics of AI-driven decision-making. ![Network diagram clustering Data Stories episodes by topic — art & design, tools, conferences, journalism and more]() We’ve had the privilege of hosting over 100 esteemed guests, including [Giorgia Lupi and Stefanie Posavec](https://datastori.es/dear-data-with-giorgia-lupi-and-stefanie-posavec-ds64/), [Randall Munroe / xkcd](https://datastori.es/149-xkcd-or-the-art-of-data-storytelling-with-web-cartoons/), [Nadieh Bremer and Shirley Wu](https://datastori.es/98-data-sketches-with-nadieh-bremer-and-shirley-wu/), [Max Roser](https://datastori.es/data-stories-57-human-dev-w-max-roser/), [Scott McCloud](https://datastori.es/102-comics-and-visual-storytelling-with-scott-mccloud/) and many others. Each guest has brought unique perspectives, enriching our understanding of data’s role in shaping the modern world. ![Four-way video call grid of a remote Data Stories recording with Moritz Stefaner and three headphoned guests]() We’ve become known for our candid and approachable format, blending technical deep dives with humor, curiosity, and an emphasis on storytelling. This unique tone sets us apart from more formal or tutorial-based resources in the field. ## Community In many ways, the podcast was about bridging gaps: between research and practice, different continents, philosophies, … Celebrating the creativity behind the charts, questioning the numbers, and bringing a personal touch to what can often feel like an impersonal subject helped open up new ways of thinking about data. ![Apple Podcasts review wall for Data Stories, rated 4.5 out of 5 from 388 ratings with enthusiastic listener reviews]() The most rewarding part was to get to know so many people interested in the same topics, but from a different angle and to learn how many people have been willing to support the podcast through crowdfunding and sponsorship. Meeting our listeners was a special treat — and always great fun! ![Data Stories listeners gathered together for a group photo at a live meetup]() ![Listeners mingling in dim, colourful light at a Data Stories meetup]() ![Listeners chatting over drinks and beers at a Data Stories meetup]() ![Attendee taping a Where do you come from? sign to the wall at a Data Stories meetup]() ## Numbers All Time: **2,768,837** downloads of all Episodes **00:54:31** is the average length of an episode. **6.4 days** is the total playback time of all episodes. **23 days** is the average interval until a new episode is released. ## AI-generated transcriptions As an effort to make our vast archive more accessible, I teamed up with [Miska Knapek](https://knapek.org/) to transcribe all past episodes using [speech-to-text technology](https://assembly.ai). The results allow us to search text across episodes and immediately jump to the relevant section in the audio. We built a custom web interface for this dataset ([https://archive.datastori.es](https://archive.datastori.es)), and also make the [code and transcription results](https://github.com/MoritzStefaner/data-stories-archive) available for download. ![Data Stories Archive web interface with episode list, AI-generated chapters and a searchable transcript]() While the automatic transcription works very well on common English, it sometimes struggles with technical terms, names, or non-native accents. We went through all episodes to correct errors, especially when it comes to names. There might still be errors left, so please let us know (ideally with a [github issue](https://github.com/MoritzStefaner/data-stories-archive/issues/new)) if you spot any! ![Co-hosts Enrico Bertini and Moritz Stefaner laughing together during a video-call recording]() ## Credits In collaboration with the [Enrico Bertini](http://enrico.bertini.io/), [Florian Wöhrl](http://www.florianwoehrl.de/), [Sandra Rendgen](http://www.sandrarendgen.de/) and [Destry Sibley](https://www.destrysibley.com/) --- [View on truth-and-beauty.net](https://truth-and-beauty.net/projects/data-stories)