I listen to a variety of podcasts for different moods, and I also use it like music. Sometimes I'm in a music mood, sometimes I decide I need to hear how terrible Kissinger really was, sometimes I want to hear Dan research and refute all the lies Alex Jones spouts (the last two come often with the benefit of learning the origin of bullshit being spouted by some internet personalities), and sometimes I want to hear 3-5 guys who I find funny discuss movies and/or Wikipedia articles. I also like listening to factual and historical podcasts that have more detailed researching.

Why listen when I could look up and read it? Well I do look up and read specific topics, but that takes my full attention. I have ADHD and my mind can wander without additional input if I'm doing something tedious. So I listen while driving, cooking, cleaning, working, and even gaming. Gaming isn't tedious per say, but sometimes you have bursts of that (farming items, repeatable dailies, etc). I pause when I really need to, but some games I also play for relaxation, and I can relax and listen to a funny podcast at the same time. If it's work or gaming where I need focus, music works better.