This page provides a couple of podcasts representing a variety of interests. For example, if you are like Technology and Business, you may be interested in the podcasts discussed. Other places to discover podcasts are discussed on the How To Choose A Podcast page. Take our "What Interests You" poll to see what your peers like or select a link to jump directly to the podcasts you're interested in!
How I Built This is an NPR podcast in which host Guy Raz interviews the founders of businesses. Interviews are about an hour long and seek to tell the story of how people created their business. The end of the episode is spent telling the story of a smaller business, which are listener submitted.
On Freakonomics Radio Stephen J. Dubner examines the stories behind topics people think they know, from how an office works to how to make the perfect burger. It is mostly economics and business focused topics delivered in an understandable matter with interviews from experts in the field. This podcast feels like watching a segment of 60 Minutes. While episodes are uploaded to most podcast providers, the entire archive is available only on Stitcher or the Freakonomics Radio website and a short text version of the episode is posted to the website as well.
Reply All is a podcast about how technology affects people's lives, sometimes in the strangest ways. Hosts PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman investigate technology mysteries through research and interviews with experts. This is a podcast that will make you think about how you interact with technology you may not understand. Reply All has a playlist of some of their favorite episodes, which include episodes about Snapchat hacking, robocalls, and stolen cell phones.
Recommended: Where To Get Started Playlist or 104 The Case of the Phantom Caller.
Jenny Owen Youngs and Kristin Russo rewatch and discuss Buffy the Vampire Slayer one episode at a time. In addition to talking about an episode biweekly, the hosts also write and record an original song about every episode. This podcast is for Buffy fans and those who are curious about the show but have never watched alike. Jenny and Kristen love the show and speak about it with an inviting enthusiasm.
Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas watch terrible movies and talk about them. Many regular episodes feature famous guests and biweekly mini episodes have a phone line where fans can call in to leave comments about each film. While the full archive of past episodes can only be found through a Stitcher Premium subscription, new episodes are widely released for free.
Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas watch terrible movies and talk about them. Many regular episodes feature famous guests and biweekly mini episodes have a phone line where fans can call in to leave comments about each film. While the full archive of past episodes can only be found through a Stitcher Premium subscription, new episodes are widely released for free.
Certified Buckets is a basketball podcast hosted by former NBA player Nick Young, WNBA player Chiney Ogwumike, and actor Sarunas Jackson. The hosts talk about what's going on in the NBA each week and provide an insider's view of the league and basketball culture. This podcast is engaging even if listener's don't have extensive basketball knowledge. Certified Buckets is a weekly podcast available only on Spotify.
Around the NFL is a general NFL football podcast that covers the football season week by week. There are recap episodes for each game and weekly pre and reviews. The hosts change based on the episode and assume you understand football enough to keep up with their discussions of it. Every Thursday they stream the episode to YouTube as they're recording and answer questions from the chat. This podcast sounds and feels like sports radio.
From the makers of the 30 for 30 film series, 30 for 30 Podcasts are audio documentaries about interesting sports stories. Seasons are short, ranging from 4 to 6 episodes at around 50 minutes each. Episodes are well-produced and use interviews and audio commentary from sources like basketball games and news reports.
Recommended: The Spy Who Signed Me - Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird are interviewed about their time with Russian professional basketball and the man who signed them both to contracts, Shabtai Kalmanovich.
Best Friends with Nicole Byer and Sasheer Zamata
Best Friends is a podcast where Nicole Byer and Sasheer Zamata talk about the things going on in their life and give advice about being best friends. Episodes mostly stand alone and are a fun glimpse into the friendship of Nicole and Sasheer. This podcast feels like overhearing a conversation between close friends at a restaurant.
Comedy Bang Bang is a long running improve podcast hosted by Scott Auckerman. Scott hosts a guest for an interview each and a variety of characters pop in, often creating havoc and dramatically changing the direction of the show. New episodes are posted every week and episodes older than 6 months are available through a Stitcher Premium membership.
My Brother, My Brother, and Me
Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy give their best comedic advice to listener submitted and Yahoo questions. This podcast has evolved with the brothers over the years, and early episodes do contain some insensitive language. Current episodes feature segments like Haunted Doll Watch and Munch Squad between questions.
Recommended: Episode 432: Hand Dog and Face Cat - The brothers answer the question: Would you rather have a cat with a human face or a dog with human hands instead of paws?
Today, Explained is a short news podcast hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Each 20 minute episode briefly explains a news event through interviews about American and international topics. Episodes are posted at the end of the work day five days a week with the goal of the podcast being to help listeners understand in issue.
The BBC Minute is a unique podcast on this list. Instead of recording 40 minute episodes about a newsworthy topic, the BBC posts one minute of news highlights every 30 minutes, 24/7. It feels like getting the news blast on the radio between songs and commercials. It is a good place to learn about breaking news, but listeners will have to do more reading or listening on their own to learn more.
The Daily is a New York Times podcast hosted by journalist Michael Barbaro. Episodes are 20 minutes long and posted five days a week about ongoing national news topics. Topics include presidential candidate profiles, government policy, and education. Episodes have transcripts released with them as well as summaries of what is discussed on their individual NYT pages.
Serial reinvigorated the true crime podcast genre. Sarah Koenig investigates the murder of high school student Hae Min Lee and the arrest and sentencing of her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed. Serial is famous for its narrative style as Koenig speaks directly to the listener, expressing her doubts and turning over the facts of the case. This style inspired many other podcasts both fiction and non-fiction.
Two comedians, James Pietragallo and Jimmie Whisman, thoroughly discuss the details of murders that occur in small towns. Everything from the local economy and census information to what was happening in pop culture at the time of the murder is analyzed to better understand why each murder happened. Episodes are over two hours long and if you believe murder should never be discussed with humor, this is not the podcast for you.
My Favorite Murder is another popular comedy true crime podcast. Each week Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark tell each other a murder or true crime story. The discussion of the victims is treated seriously, but Karen and Georgia aren't afraid to laugh at themselves and their fears.
Welcome to Night Vale is one of the most well-known fiction podcasts on the internet. Set in a small town where conspiracy theories are real and everyone is comfortable with that fact, each episode is delivered to you from the voice of the local town host, Cecil. As the podcast progresses, listeners gain familiarity with the citizens of Night Vale and connect the dots of larger stories. Every episode has a weather report, which is actually a song from an independent music artist. There's no need to listen to Welcome to Night Vale in sequential order and the podcast website provides a starter's guide.
Harlem Queen is a historical fiction podcast about the life of Stephanie St. Clair, a "policy banker" who held her own against the mobs in 1920s New York City. Her illegal racketeering business became so successful that she drew the ire of Dutch Schultz, a Jewish mobster. The first season is four episodes, all less than 20 minutes long. It is performed as an audio drama, with little narration leading from one scene to the next, and there is period appropriate language which may be off-putting to some listeners. This podcast is a creative peak into the life of a black woman who had a huge influence on Harlem and who Manhattan called Queen.
Wolf 359 is a science fiction podcast set on a lonely space station orbiting the star Wolf 359 with a skeleton crew searching for signs of alien life. Communications officer Doug Eiffel narrates most of the podcast with appearances from the rest of the crew and the space station AI as they discover their mission might be more complicated than they thought. The podcast ended after 4 seasons and is meant to be listened to in order as the plot and characters develop.
The Magnus Archives is a fictional archive in England which gathers paranormal and weird stories, and critically examines them. Each episode of The Magnus Archives tells a short horror story and, as the podcast progresses, listeners begin to learn how they are connected. The horror stories are well-written and do not rely on threats of sexual assault or other common tropes to deliver fear. The Magnus Archives is an engaging podcast with short episodes ranging from 20 to 30 minutes that will suck listeners into the bigger story and should be listened to at night. Start at episode one and progress linearly.
Binge Mode is a podcast produced by the Ringer and hosted by Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion. In the Game of Thrones episodes, Mallory and Jason watch every episode of the television show and break it down by themes. They have creative segments for each episode and embrace absurdity as they appreciate the pop culture sensation. They've also binged Harry Potter and are currently working through Star Wars. Episodes feel like participating in a pop culture discussion with your passionate friends.
A short podcast, 15 minutes or less, wherein Bill Simmons and his coworkers at the Ringer record their hottest takes and post them several times a week. The hosts argue each idea about pop culture amongst themselves, whether or not they think the idea has merit. Should Indiana Jones be canceled? Is Home Alone really a Christmas movie? Should players call their own fouls in the 4th quarter of basketball games? The Hottest Take gives listeners something fun to argue about with the people in their lives.
This podcast delves deeply into the process of song making. Each episode features an artist or band and one of their songs, then dissects it and examines every step of the process in creating that song. Each step is accompanied by the piece of the song discussed, building the song. At the end of the episode the song is played in full. While there is a host, the podcast is edited so they are almost entirely removed from the interview with the artist, which creates an intimate experience where it feels the artist is speaking specifically to the listeners.