Both count, but they are treated differently. Webinars can often be formal or participatory; podcasts almost never are. Here is how to log each properly.
Podcasts and webinars are the two fastest-growing forms of professional learning and the two most commonly under-recorded. Both count. They just do not count the same way.
Webinars
A webinar can be formal, structured or participatory CPD if it has:
- Stated learning objectives or a defined programme
- A live element, or interaction such as Q&A, polls or breakout discussion
- Some form of attendance record, certificate or confirmation email
That combination is what most bodies mean by structured learning. A live webinar with Q&A that you actively took part in is usually claimable as participatory CPD for the NMC, or formal CPD for RICS, or verifiable CPD for ACCA - provided you keep the confirmation.
A recorded webinar watched later is a different thing. It is still CPD, but it is usually self-directed rather than participatory, because there is no interaction. Some bodies allow recorded structured sessions with assessment to count as formal. Check yours before assuming.
Podcasts
Podcasts are self-directed, non-participatory, informal CPD in almost every scheme. That is not a reason to skip them - the NMC's 35 hours, the RICS 20 and the HCPC's expectation of varied activity types all have room for them.
To log a podcast credibly, record:
- Show name, episode title and date
- Duration listened
- Two or three sentences on the point that landed and what you will do with it
The reflection matters more here than anywhere else, because there is no certificate behind it. Your note is the evidence.
When they do not count
- Background listening while doing something else - if you cannot say what you learned, do not claim it
- Content with no professional relevance to your role
- Marketing webinars where the learning content is incidental to the sales pitch
Getting the most out of both
The single best upgrade is to write the reflection before you move on to the next thing. Thirty seconds, one specific change. Over a year that turns a list of titles into a genuine development record, and it makes reflective accounts, appraisal notes and audit responses almost write themselves.
Save the confirmation
For webinars, forward the attendance confirmation into your log entry immediately. It takes ten seconds and it is the single most common piece of missing evidence when someone is audited.
Keep your CPD in one place
A record only helps if it exists before you need it. Our free CPD tracker logs an activity in seconds, tallies your hours automatically, keeps your reflections with the entry, and exports a clean PDF whenever you need evidence. Free for life for individuals - and the record belongs to you, not your employer.
Frequently asked questions
- Do webinars count as CPD?
- Yes. Live webinars with learning objectives and interaction usually count as structured, formal or participatory CPD. Recorded webinars generally count as self-directed CPD unless the scheme says otherwise.
- Do podcasts count as CPD?
- Yes, as informal, self-directed or non-participatory CPD. Record the episode, the time spent and a short reflection, since there is no certificate to rely on.
- Can a recorded webinar count as participatory CPD?
- Usually not, because there is no interaction with others. Some schemes accept recorded structured learning with an assessment - check your own body's definition.
Read this next
- Does professional reading count as CPD?Yes - almost every professional body accepts reading as CPD. The catch is that it usually counts as informal or non-verifiable, and only if you record what you took from it.
- What counts as CPD hours (and what doesn't)A plain list of what you can legitimately claim as CPD, what you cannot, and how to work out the hours when the activity does not come with a certificate.
- Formal vs informal CPD: what the difference actually meansFormal, structured, verifiable, participatory - different bodies use different words for broadly the same split. Here is what each means and why it matters.
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