This list focuses on narrative storytelling podcasts — 100 shows picked because they embrace the format and do it well. The Daily, Rotten Mango, and Casefile True Crime set the tone.

  1. The Daily
    The Daily
    This is what the news should sound like. The biggest stories of our time, told by the best journalists in the world. Hosted by Michael Barbaro, Rac...
    Content:
    CultureDemocratic PartyEducationEnglish FluencyEntertainment
    +7
    Audience:
    College StudentsEducatorsFirst Time ParentsGen ZNight Shift Workers
    +6
    Goal:
    Discovering New IdeasGetting Expert InsightsLearning New SkillsStaying Informed
    Style:
    DocumentaryEducationalInterviewInvestigativeMorning News ShowNarrative Storytelling
    +3
    When:
    At The GymAt WorkCommutingDoing ChoresFocused Learning
    +3
  2. Rotten Mango
    Rotten Mango
    Rotten but still a little sweet! Rotten Mango is a true crime + all things spooky podcast. We love doing deep dives into the darkest crimes and we ...
    Content:
    ComedyCultureEntertainmentTrue Crime
    Audience:
    Gen ZTrue Crime Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    At WorkDoing ChoresWeekend Deep Dive
  3. Casefile True Crime
    Casefile True Crime
    Fact is scarier than fiction. Subscribe to Casefile Premium to receive ad-free episodes released one week early, along with access to bonus Q&A’s, ...
    Content:
    Cold Case InvestigationsMissing PersonsMystery PodcastsMystery StorytellingSerial Killers
    +2
    Audience:
    True Crime Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeSolo CommentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Long DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  4. The Rest Is History
    The Rest Is History
    Take a deep dive into History’s biggest moments with Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook. Explore the stories of History’s most brutal rulers, deadly b...
    Content:
    Ancient TextsCultureEducationHistoryHumanity Podcasts
    +1
    Audience:
    History BuffsStudents
    Goal:
    Discovering New IdeasFollowing A StoryLearning New Skills
    Style:
    DocumentaryEducationalSolo CommentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    CommutingDoing ChoresFocused LearningLong DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  5. My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
    My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
    My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling tr...
    Content:
    Bizarre CrimesComedyDark FictionEntertainmentExplicit Content
    +10
    Audience:
    CouplesNight Shift WorkersStudentsTrue Crime FansYoung Adults
    Goal:
    Emotional ResilienceFollowing A StoryUnwinding And Laughing
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
    When:
    At The GymAt WorkBackground NoiseCommutingDoing Chores
    +2
  6. This American Life
    This American Life
    Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal storie...
    Content:
    Ageing WellArtsChristian LivingCultureElder Care
    +17
    Audience:
    College StudentsDog ParentsOlder WorkersParentsRecent Graduates
    +2
    Goal:
    Discovering New IdeasEmotional ResilienceFollowing A StoryMental Health TipsUnwinding And Laughing
    Style:
    DocumentaryEducationalInterviewInvestigativeQ And ANarrative Storytelling
    When:
    At The GymAt WorkBackground NoiseCommutingDoing Chores
    +4
  7. Dr. Death
    Dr. Death
    We’re at our most vulnerable when we go to our doctors. But what happens when we can’t trust them? Dr. Death is the award-winning series hosted by ...
    Content:
    Credentialing ScandalsRoad Trip StoriesSerial KillersSupernatural HorrorTrue Crime
    Audience:
    Healthcare ProfessionalsTrue Crime Fans
    Goal:
    Emotional WellnessFollowing A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    At The GymDoing ChoresLong DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  8. Criminal
    Criminal
    Criminal is the first of its kind. A show about people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle. Hosted by Phoebe ...
    Content:
    Bizarre CrimesCold Case InvestigationsCultureDark FictionElder Care
    +14
    Audience:
    College StudentsNight Shift WorkersOlder WorkersRetireesStudents
    +1
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryIn-Depth InterviewsInterviewInvestigativeSolo CommentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Background NoiseBefore BedCommutingDoing ChoresLong Drive
    +1
  9. Radiolab
    Radiolab
    Radiolab is on a curiosity bender. We ask deep questions and use investigative journalism to get the answers. A given episode might whirl you throu...
    Content:
    BiologyComp Neuro SciCultureEducationLocal Stories
    +9
    Audience:
    College StudentsDoctorsEducatorsNight Shift WorkersStudents
    +1
    Goal:
    Discovering New IdeasFollowing A StoryGetting Expert InsightsLearning New SkillsMarriage Support
    +5
    Style:
    DebateDocumentaryEducationalIn-Depth InterviewsInterviewNarrative Storytelling
    +2
    When:
    At The GymAt WorkBackground NoiseBefore BedCommuting
    +5
  10. 99% Invisible
    99% Invisible
    Design is everywhere in our lives, perhaps most importantly in the places where we've just stopped noticing. 99% Invisible is a weekly exploration ...
    Content:
    African UrbanismArt History StorytellingArtsBuilding Better CitiesConstruction Industry
    +16
    Audience:
    College StudentsCreatorsDesignersEngineersReal Estate Agents
    +4
    Goal:
    Discovering New IdeasFollowing A StoryGetting Expert InsightsLearning New SkillsSleeping Better
    +1
    Style:
    DocumentaryEducationalIn-Depth InterviewsInterviewInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    At WorkBackground NoiseBefore BedCommutingDoing Chores
    +4
  11. The Moth
    The Moth
    On Tuesdays and Fridays The Moth’s podcast feed presents episodes of the Peabody-Award Winning Moth Radio Hour and original episodes of The Moth Po...
    Content:
    ArtsBarroom StoriesComedyCultureEducation
    +19
    Audience:
    FreelancersNight Shift WorkersOlder WorkersRemote WorkersRetirees
    Goal:
    Discovering New IdeasFollowing A StoryImproving Public SpeakingSleeping BetterTo Fall Asleep To
    Style:
    DocumentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    At The GymAt WorkBackground NoiseBefore BedCommuting
    +4
  12. Radio Rental
    Radio Rental
    Discover real-life horror stories, from bizarre crimes to paranormal activity. These true stories are set inside the fictional world of Radio Renta...
    Content:
    Bizarre CrimesGhost StoriesHaunted PlacesParanormal InvestigationsParanormal Lore
    +2
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
    When:
    Background Noise
  13. Small Town Murder
    Small Town Murder
    Two comedians look at a small town, what makes it tick, and a murder that took place there. In depth research, horrible tragedy, and the hosts' com...
    Content:
    ComedySerial KillersTrue Crime
    Audience:
    True Crime Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    CommutingWeekend Deep Dive
  14. Serial
    Serial
    Our newest podcast, “The Last 12 Weeks” is out now. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts. Serial Productions makes narrative podcasts that ...
    Content:
    Cold Case InvestigationsCourtroom DramasMystery PodcastsMystery StorytellingNews
    +11
    Audience:
    LawyersNight Shift WorkersStudentsTrue Crime Fans
    Goal:
    Following A StorySolving Problems
    Style:
    DocumentaryInterviewInvestigativeQ And ANarrative Storytelling
    When:
    CommutingDoing ChoresLong DriveQuick ListenWeekend Deep Dive
  15. Modern Love
    Modern Love
    For more than 20 years, the Modern Love column has given New York Times readers a glimpse into the complicated love lives of real people. Since its...
    Content:
    CultureDating AdviceDating PlatformDating With PurposeEmpowerment Storytelling
    +13
    Audience:
    CouplesNewlyweds
    Goal:
    Following A StoryImproving My MarriageMarriage Support
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
    When:
    Background NoiseCommutingLong DriveQuick Listen
  16. Planet Money
    Planet Money
    Wanna see a trick? Give us any topic and we can tie it back to the economy. At Planet Money, we explore the forces that shape our lives and bring y...
    Content:
    American Industry TransformationBusinessCareer ChangeDebt PayoffDurable Entrepreneurship
    +27
    Audience:
    Ambitious Women CareersAspiring EntrepreneursCareer ChangersCEOsCollege Students
    +11
    Goal:
    Artist Financial LiteracyBuilding A BusinessDiscovering New IdeasFollowing A StoryGetting Expert Insights
    +5
    Style:
    DocumentaryEducationalIn-Depth InterviewsInterviewInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
    +1
    When:
    At The GymAt WorkCommutingDoing ChoresFocused Learning
    +3
  17. The Magnus Archives
    The Magnus Archives
    “Make your statement, face your fear.” The Magnus Archives is a weekly horror fiction audiodrama podcast examining what lurks in the archives of th...
    Content:
    Audio FictionDark FantasyDark FictionFictionGhost Stories
    +8
    Audience:
    Fantasy FansSci-Fi Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Serialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Long DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  18. Revisionist History
    Revisionist History
    Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell's journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood. Every episode re-examines something from the past&m...
    Content:
    American HistoryCultureEducationHistoryHumanity Podcasts
    +7
    Audience:
    College StudentsEducatorsHistory BuffsNeurodiverse MusiciansRetirees
    +1
    Goal:
    Discovering New IdeasFollowing A StoryGetting Expert InsightsLearning New SkillsSolving Problems
    +1
    Style:
    DocumentaryEducationalSolo CommentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    CommutingDoing ChoresFocused LearningLong DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  19. Let's Not Meet: A True Horror Podcast
    Let's Not Meet: A True Horror Podcast
    True horror stories written by those who made it out alive. First-person accounts narrated weekly in an anthology of terror and suspense. To hear y...
    Content:
    Dark FictionEntertainmentGhost StoriesMiracle StoriesParanormal Investigations
    +3
    Audience:
    True Crime Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
    When:
    Background Noise
  20. Darknet Diaries
    Darknet Diaries
    Explore true stories of the dark side of the Internet with host Jack Rhysider as he takes you on a journey through the chilling world of hacking, d...
    Content:
    Blockchain SecurityConsumer TechCrypto & Web3CybersecurityDefense Strategy
    +13
    Audience:
    DevelopersEngineersIt Security ProfessionalsNight Shift WorkersRecent Graduates
    +1
    Goal:
    Discovering New IdeasFollowing A StoryGetting Expert InsightsLearning To CodeSolving Problems
    +1
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    CommutingLong DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  21. In The Dark
    In The Dark
    In the Dark, hosted by Madeleine Baran, is an award-winning investigative-journalism podcast that started in 2016. Its first season looked at the m...
    Content:
    Cold Case InvestigationsCourtroom DramasFemale SleuthsForensic ScienceLaw Enforcement
    +11
    Audience:
    True Crime Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Doing ChoresLong DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  22. Bone Valley
    Bone Valley
    Behind every Bone Valley season is a conviction: the right story, told with purpose, humanity, and craft, can have an enormous impact. Award-winnin...
    Content:
    Cold Case InvestigationsReal-Life StoriesSerial KillersTrue CrimeUnsolved Mysteries
    Audience:
    True Crime Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Long DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  23. Scary Horror Stories by Dr. NoSleep
    Scary Horror Stories by Dr. NoSleep
    Welcome to Dr. NoSleep™, the home of diabolical horror stories, creepypastas, and original scary tales. Each episode features professional human na...
    Content:
    Audio FictionDark FictionFiction
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Serialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
  24. Heavyweight
    Heavyweight
    Maybe you’ve laid awake and imagined how it could have been, how it might yet be, but the moment to act was never right. Well, the moment is ...
    Content:
    Chronic IllnessCultureEmpowerment StorytellingEntertainmentExperience Of Life
    +14
    Audience:
    Audio Content Creators
    Goal:
    Burnout RecoveryDiscovering New IdeasEmotional ResilienceEmotional WellnessFollowing A Story
    +2
    Style:
    DocumentaryVoicemail PodcastNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    At WorkCommutingDoing ChoresLong DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  25. American History Tellers
    American History Tellers
    The Cold War, Prohibition, the Gold Rush, the Space Race. Every part of your life - the words you speak, the ideas you share - can be traced to our...
    Content:
    American HistoryHistoryStorytelling TechniquesVisual StorytellingWartime Stories
    Audience:
    History Buffs
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Background NoiseCommutingLong Drive
  26. You're Dead to Me
    You're Dead to Me
    The comedy podcast that takes history seriously. In each episode of You’re Dead to Me from BBC Radio 4, Greg Jenner is joined by a comedian and an ...
    Content:
    Ancient TextsBizarre HistoryHistory
    Audience:
    History Buffs
    Goal:
    Unwinding And Laughing
    Style:
    Panel DiscussionNarrative Storytelling
  27. Welcome to Night Vale
    Welcome to Night Vale
    Twice-monthly community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, where every conspiracy theory is true. Turn on your radio and hide. Never ...
    Content:
    Audio FictionBizarre HistoryClassic Pulp FictionConspiracy TheoriesDark Fantasy
    +11
    Audience:
    Book LoversFantasy FansGen ZSci-Fi FansWriters
    Goal:
    Following A StoryTo Fall Asleep To
    Style:
    Serialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Background NoiseDoing ChoresLong DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  28. Old Gods of Appalachia
    Old Gods of Appalachia
    In the mountains of central Appalachia, blood runs as deep as these hollers and just as dark. Since before our kind knew these hills, hearts of unk...
    Content:
    Appalachian FolkloreAudio FictionDark FantasyDark FictionFiction
    +7
    Audience:
    Fantasy FansHorror CreatorsSci-Fi Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Serialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Long Drive
  29. Lore
    Lore
    The award-winning podcast (also a TV show & book series) about dark historical tales. Each episode explores the mysterious creatures, tragic events...
    Content:
    Bizarre CrimesBizarre HistoryDark FantasyDark FictionEntertainment
    +21
    Audience:
    Fantasy FansHistory BuffsStudents
    Goal:
    Following A StoryLearning New SkillsRelaxingSleeping BetterTo Fall Asleep To
    Style:
    DocumentarySolo CommentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Background NoiseBefore BedCommutingDoing ChoresLong Drive
    +1
  30. The Adventure Zone
    The Adventure Zone
    Justin, Travis and Griffin McElroy from My Brother, My Brother and Me have recruited their dad Clint for a campaign of high adventure. Join the McE...
    Content:
    Adventure StorytellingAudio FictionDark FantasyFantasy WritingFiction
    +4
    Audience:
    Fantasy FansGamersNight Shift Workers
    Goal:
    Emotional WellnessFollowing A StoryUnwinding And Laughing
    Style:
    Serialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Doing ChoresLong DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  31. Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy
    Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy
    Conversations with the best investors and business leaders in the world. We explore their ideas, methods, and stories to help you better invest you...
    Content:
    BusinessDay TradingInvestingLived ExperienceMarketing
    +13
    Audience:
    Aspiring EntrepreneursCEOsChristian EntrepreneursEntrepreneursFemale Entrepreneurs
    +4
    Goal:
    Building A BusinessDiscovering New IdeasGetting Expert InsightsImproving My MarriageLearning New Skills
    +3
    Style:
    In-Depth InterviewsInterviewQ And ANarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Doing Chores
  32. Spooked
    Spooked
    Spooked features true-life supernatural stories, told firsthand by people who can barely believe it happened themselves. Be afraid. Created in the ...
    Content:
    ArtsDark FictionGhost StoriesHaunted PlacesLived Experience
    +11
    Audience:
    Young Adults
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
    When:
    Doing Chores
  33. Articles of Interest
    Articles of Interest
    Articles of Interest is a show about what we wear.Produced and Hosted by Avery Trufelman
    Content:
    ArtsCollecting CultureCultureFashion IndustryLuxury Lifestyle
    +3
    Audience:
    College StudentsDesignersHistory Buffs
    Goal:
    Discovering New Ideas
    Style:
    DocumentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Commuting
  34. Throughline
    Throughline
    Throughline is a time machine. Each episode, we travel beyond the headlines to answer the question, "How did we get here?" We use sound and stories...
    Content:
    American HistoryCultureEducationHistoryHumanity Podcasts
    +3
    Audience:
    College StudentsHistory BuffsStudents
    Goal:
    Discovering New IdeasFollowing A StoryGetting Expert InsightsLearning New Skills
    Style:
    DocumentaryEducationalNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    At WorkFocused LearningWeekend Deep Dive
  35. Bear Brook
    Bear Brook
    Bear Brook, hosted by Jason Moon, is the critically-acclaimed true crime podcast from New Hampshire Public Radio. Season 1 - Two barrels. Four Bodi...
    Content:
    Cold Case InvestigationsForensic ScienceMissing PersonsMystery PodcastsMystery Storytelling
    +3
    Audience:
    True Crime Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Long DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  36. Snap Judgment
    Snap Judgment
    Snap Judgment mixes real stories with beats to produce cinematic, dramatic audio. Snap’s raw, musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see ...
    Content:
    ArtsBarroom StoriesEntertainmentExperience Of LifeLived Experience
    +7
    Goal:
    Discovering New IdeasFollowing A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    At WorkLong DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  37. Death, Sex & Money
    Death, Sex & Money
    Anna Sale explores the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation.Get more Death, Sex & Money with Slate Plu...
    Content:
    Adulting ChallengesCreative Life MentoringDebt PayoffElite LifestyleEntertainment
    +19
    Audience:
    College StudentsCouplesNewlywedsRecent GraduatesRetirees
    Goal:
    Discovering New IdeasEmotional ResilienceEmotional WellnessFollowing A Story
    Style:
    InterviewQ And ANarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Commuting
  38. S-Town
    S-Town
    S-Town is a podcast hosted by Brian Reed from Serial Productions, a New York Times company. The story follows a man named John who despises his Ala...
    Content:
    Audio FictionCold Case InvestigationsFictionLocal StoriesMystery Podcasts
    +7
    Audience:
    True Crime Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryInterviewInvestigativeSerialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Doing ChoresLong DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  39. Myths and Legends
    Myths and Legends
    Jason Weiser and Carissa Weiser tell stories from myths, legends, and folklore that have shaped cultures throughout history. Some, like the stories...
    Content:
    FictionFolk TalesLegends FolkloreMythologyPoetic Storytelling
    +2
    Audience:
    Fantasy Fans
    Goal:
    Following A StorySleeping BetterTo Fall Asleep To
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
    When:
    At WorkBackground NoiseBefore BedLong Drive
  40. Up and Vanished
    Up and Vanished
    Host Payne Lindsey heads to the edge of the arctic circle to investigate two mysterious disappearances from Nome, Alaska. Up and Vanished investiga...
    Content:
    Bizarre CrimesCold Case InvestigationsMissing PersonsMystery PodcastsMystery Storytelling
    +6
    Audience:
    True Crime Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeSolo CommentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Weekend Deep Dive
  41. Ear Hustle
    Ear Hustle
    Ear Hustle is prison slang for eavesdropping, and that’s what listening to the show feels like: a raw, often funny, and always surprising peek into...
    Content:
    Addiction RecoveryGrit StoriesInside Prison StoriesLaw EducationLaw Enforcement
    +8
    Audience:
    LawyersPeople In RecoveryRetirees
    Goal:
    Learning New Skills
    Style:
    DocumentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Doing ChoresFocused LearningLong Drive
  42. History That Doesn't Suck
    History That Doesn't Suck
    HTDS is a bi-weekly podcast, delivering a legit, seriously researched, hard-hitting survey of American history through entertaining stories. To kee...
    Content:
    American HistoryHistory
    Audience:
    History Buffs
    Style:
    EducationalNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Weekend Deep Dive
  43. The Dropout
    The Dropout
    Money. Romance. Tragedy. Deception. The story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos is an unbelievable tale of ambition and fame gone terribly wrong. Ho...
    Content:
    Credentialing ScandalsMystery StorytellingReal Life StoriesTrue Crime
    Audience:
    True Crime Fans
    Goal:
    Following A StoryGetting Expert InsightsSolving Problems
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    CommutingDoing ChoresLong DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  44. Lives Less Ordinary
    Lives Less Ordinary
    Have you ever locked eyes with a stranger and wondered, "What’s their story?" Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. Extraordinar...
    Content:
    Lived Experience
    Style:
    DocumentaryInterviewNarrative Storytelling
  45. Code Switch
    Code Switch
    What's CODE SWITCH? It's the fearless conversations about race that you've been waiting for. Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles th...
    Content:
    Black Political AnalysisCross-Cultural CommunicationCultureDiversity And InclusionEducation
    +9
    Audience:
    First-Gen Bipoc StudentsTherapists
    Goal:
    Discovering New IdeasEmotional WellnessFollowing A Story
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
    When:
    Long Drive
  46. The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe
    The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe
    What started as a series of short mysteries for the curious mind with a short attention span has evolved into enlightening conversations for the no...
    Content:
    History
    Audience:
    History Buffs
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
    When:
    At WorkLong DriveQuick Listen
  47. The Amelia Project
    The Amelia Project
    The Amelia Project is a secret agency that fakes its clients' deaths, then lets them reappear with a brand new identity! A black comedy full of sec...
    Content:
    Audio FictionDark FictionFictionMature Themes
    Audience:
    Fantasy Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Serialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
  48. You're Wrong About
    You're Wrong About
    Sarah is a journalist obsessed with the past. Every week she reconsiders a person or event that's been miscast in the public imagination.
    Content:
    American HistoryConspiracy TheoriesCultureHistoryNostalgia
    +5
    Audience:
    College StudentsHistory BuffsStudents
    Goal:
    Discovering New IdeasLearning New Skills
    Style:
    EducationalInterviewNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    At WorkBackground NoiseDoing ChoresFocused LearningLong Drive
    +1
  49. The Void
    The Void
    What do you know about the dark? When you look into the shadows, do you feel them watching back? In the town of Milton, the darkness isn't just in ...
    Content:
    Audio FictionDark FantasyDark FictionFictionSmall Town Horror
    +1
    Audience:
    Fantasy Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Serialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
  50. Noble Blood
    Noble Blood
    Author Dana Schwartz explores the stories of some of history’s most fascinating royals: the tyrants and the tragic, the murderers and the mur...
    Content:
    HistoryNostalgiaStrange History
    Audience:
    History Buffs
    Style:
    Solo CommentaryNarrative Storytelling
  51. Worlds Beyond Number
    Worlds Beyond Number
    An epic, improvised storytelling podcast where Brennan Lee Mulligan, Erika Ishii, Aabria Iyengar, and Lou Wilson hang out together, play games, bui...
    Content:
    Fantasy RomanceFictionImprov ComedyTabletop Role-Playing GamesTtrpg Actual Play
    Audience:
    Fantasy FansSci-Fi Fans
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
  52. Normal Gossip
    Normal Gossip
    Normal Gossip delivers juicy, strange, funny, and utterly banal gossip about people you’ll never know and never meet. Host Rachelle Hampton discuss...
    Content:
    Celebrity GossipComedyCultureEmotional And Physical LifestyleEntertainment
    +2
    Audience:
    College StudentsGen ZRecent GraduatesWorking Moms
    Goal:
    Following A StoryUnwinding And Laughing
    Style:
    Panel DiscussionQ And ANarrative Storytelling
    When:
    At The GymAt WorkBackground NoiseCommutingDoing Chores
    +2
  53. Unexplained
    Unexplained
    Unexplained is a haunting and unsettling bi-weekly podcast about strange and mysterious real life events that continue to evade explanation. A stor...
    Content:
    Bizarre HistoryDark FantasyDark FictionGhost StoriesHaunted Places
    +14
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Doing ChoresWeekend Deep Dive
  54. RISK!
    RISK!
    If you like The Moth, This American Life or Snap Judgment, take a walk on the wilder side with RISK! Your colorful host Kevin Allison (of the legen...
    Content:
    Barroom StoriesErotic StorytellingEroticaExperience Of LifeLived Experience
    +10
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
    When:
    At The Gym
  55. The Shrink Next Door
    The Shrink Next Door
    Veteran journalist Joe Nocera’s neighbor in the Hamptons was a therapist named Ike. Ike counted celebrities and Manhattan elites as his patients. H...
    Content:
    Credentialing ScandalsRoad Trip Stories
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Long Drive
  56. Embedded
    Embedded
    NPR's home for audio documentaries brings untold stories to light through deeply reported narrative series. We go to hidden corners of the headline...
    Audience:
    Engineers
    Goal:
    Discovering New IdeasFollowing A StoryGetting Expert Insights
    Style:
    DocumentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Weekend Deep Dive
  57. A Slight Change of Plans
    A Slight Change of Plans
    What happens when life doesn’t go according to plan? In this award-winning podcast, cognitive scientist Dr. Maya Shankar explores how we expe...
    Content:
    Behavioral PsychologyCareer ChangeLife AdviceLife TransitionsPsychology Science
    +5
    Audience:
    Career Changers
    Goal:
    Discovering New IdeasFollowing A StorySolving Problems
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
  58. Slow Burn
    Slow Burn
    Slow Burn illuminates America’s most consequential moments, making sense of the past to better understand the present. Through archival tape and fi...
    Content:
    American HistoryCultureHistoryPolitical AnalysisPolitical Crime
    +2
    Audience:
    History Buffs
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    At The GymLong DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  59. Wolf 359
    Wolf 359
    Life's not easy for Doug Eiffel, the communications officer for the U.S.S. Hephaestus Research Station, currently on Day 448 of its orbit around re...
    Content:
    Alien EncountersAudio FictionDark FictionFictionLiterary Adventure Fiction
    +2
    Audience:
    Sci-Fi Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Serialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
  60. You Must Remember This
    You Must Remember This
    You Must Remember This is a storytelling podcast exploring the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century. It’s the brainchild ...
    Content:
    Celebrity GossipCultureEntertainmentFilm AnalysisHistory
    +5
    Audience:
    History BuffsOlder WorkersRetirees
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentarySolo CommentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Before BedDoing ChoresWeekend Deep Dive
  61. Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York
    Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York
    In 1964, an Italian-American ex-cop and a Dominican musician in New York City opened Fania Records, the “Motown of Salsa.” The artists from Fania t...
    Content:
    CultureMusic
    Style:
    DocumentaryNarrative Storytelling
  62. Wind of Change
    Wind of Change
    It’s 1990. The Berlin Wall just fell. The Soviet Union is on the verge of collapse. And the soundtrack to the revolution is one of the best selling...
    Content:
    Pacific Northwest SailingPolitical Thrillers
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Long DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  63. Sweet Bobby
    Sweet Bobby
    Kirat and Bobby have an unusual relationship. The circumstances of their individual lives mean it’s difficult for them to meet face to face bu...
    Content:
    EntertainmentSerial KillersTrue Crime
    Audience:
    True Crime Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Doing ChoresLong DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  64. Astonishing Legends
    Astonishing Legends
    The world is more mysterious than most people are comfortable imagining. We cross paths with the mystical from time to time and may not even notice...
    Content:
    Alien EncountersCryptid InvestigationsGhost StoriesHaunted PlacesMystery Podcasts
    +8
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
    When:
    Long Drive
  65. Fall of Civilizations Podcast
    Fall of Civilizations Podcast
    A history podcast looking at the collapse of a different civilization each episode. What did they have in common? Why did they fall? And what did i...
    Content:
    Ancient TextsAztec AstronomyHistoryHumanity PodcastsMens Health
    Audience:
    History Buffs
    Goal:
    Learning New Skills
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
    When:
    Background NoiseFocused LearningWeekend Deep Dive
  66. Hello From The Magic Tavern
    Hello From The Magic Tavern
    Arnie Niekamp fell through a dimensional portal behind a Burger King into the fantastical land of Foon. He's still getting a slight wifi signal, so...
    Content:
    Adventure StorytellingAudio FictionBizarre HistoryComedyDark Fantasy
    +8
    Audience:
    Fantasy FansGamers
    Goal:
    Following A StoryUnwinding And Laughing
    Style:
    Serialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
  67. Revolutions
    Revolutions
    Season 12 premiered October 20, 2024 – a nonfictional account of The Martian Revolution of 2247. Mike Duncan is taking everything he's learned from...
    Content:
    American HistoryBizarre HistoryCold War HistoryEducationHistory
    +2
    Audience:
    History BuffsStudents
    Goal:
    Building A BusinessDiscovering New IdeasLearning New Skills
    Style:
    DocumentaryEducationalSolo CommentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Focused LearningLong Drive
  68. We're Alive
    We're Alive
    We're Alive is an award-winning audio drama that follows a group of Survivors in a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles now ruled by the "Infected."It begi...
    Content:
    Adventure StorytellingAudio FictionCrisis Reaction StoriesDark FictionFiction
    +2
    Audience:
    Sci-Fi Fans
    Goal:
    Emergency PreparednessFollowing A Story
    Style:
    Serialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Long Drive
  69. What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.
    What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.
    A storytelling podcast, with first-hand amazing stories presented by Scott Johnson and Meredith Hackwith Edwards. Each storyteller tells their own ...
    Content:
    Real Life Stories
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
  70. The Truth
    The Truth
    The Truth makes short, cinematic stories meant to be listened to closely, like short films for your ears. Each episode is a brand new story with a ...
    Content:
    Audio FictionDark FictionFiction
    Audience:
    Sci-Fi Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    EducationalSerialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    CommutingQuick ListenWeekend Deep Dive
  71. The Retrievals
    The Retrievals
    C-sections are the most frequently performed major surgeries in the world. So why do so many patients feel severe pain during them? Season 2 of the...
    Content:
    Fertility SupportMystery PodcastsSerial KillersTrue CrimeWomen'S Health Advocacy
    +1
    Audience:
    Healthcare ProfessionalsTrue Crime Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeSerialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Doing ChoresLong DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  72. The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker
    The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker
    New Yorker fiction writers read their stories.
    Content:
    Audio FictionBook ClubFictionMusicMusician Interviews
    +3
    Audience:
    Music CreatorsWriters
    Goal:
    Following A StoryWriting A Book
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
  73. Love and Radio: Blood Memory
    Love and Radio: Blood Memory
    Nick van der Kolk's Love and Radio features in-depth, otherworldly-produced interviews with an eclectic range of subjects, from the seedy to the su...
    Content:
    Poetic StorytellingReal-Life StoriesTaboo TopicsWeird And Unusual
    Goal:
    Discovering New Ideas
    Style:
    In-Depth InterviewsInterviewNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    CommutingDoing Chores
  74. Scriptnotes Podcast
    Scriptnotes Podcast
    Screenwriters John August and Craig Mazin discuss screenwriting and related topics in the film and television industry, everything from getting stu...
    Content:
    EntertainmentFilm AnalysisIndie FilmmakingMovie ReviewsStory Analysis
    +3
    Audience:
    CreatorsWriters
    Goal:
    Writing A Book
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
  75. Limetown
    Limetown
    Ten years ago, over three hundred men, women and children disappeared from a small town in Tennessee, never to be heard from again. In this podcast...
    Content:
    Audio FictionDark FictionFamily HorrorFictionGhost Stories
    +8
    Audience:
    Sci-Fi FansStudents
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Serialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    At The GymLong DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  76. Dolly Parton's America
    Dolly Parton's America
    In this intensely divided moment, one of the few things everyone still seems to agree on is Dolly Parton—but why? That simple question leads to a d...
    Content:
    EntertainmentMusicPop Music History
    Style:
    DocumentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Long DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  77. the memory palace
    the memory palace
    the memory palace
    Content:
    ArtsCreative AttentionHistoryNostalgiaPersonal Storytelling
    +3
    Audience:
    CreatorsHistory Buffs
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    EducationalSolo CommentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Quick ListenWeekend Deep Dive
  78. To Live and Die in LA
    To Live and Die in LA
    In Feb 2018, an aspiring actress vanished from her Hollywood apartment. Rolling Stone journalist Neil Strauss was asked to help the family get answ...
    Content:
    Cold Case InvestigationsEnd-Of-Life PlanningEntertainmentMissing PersonsMystery Storytelling
    +2
    Audience:
    True Crime Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Weekend Deep Dive
  79. Escape Pod
    Escape Pod
    The Original Science Fiction Podcast
    Content:
    Dark FictionFictionLiterary Adventure Fiction
    Audience:
    Sci-Fi Fans
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
  80. DUST
    DUST
    New to DUST? Start with Season Three: CHRYSALIS, starring Corey Hawkins, Toni Collette, and more!DUST is the premier destination for immersive scie...
    Content:
    Audio FictionDark FictionFictionLiterary Adventure Fiction
    Audience:
    Sci-Fi Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Serialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
  81. The Longest Shortest Time
    The Longest Shortest Time
    Stories about the surprises and absurdities of raising other humans—and being raised by them. But you don’t need to be a parent to listen. Created ...
    Content:
    Family CommentaryLgbtq ParentingMom HumorMotherhood ReflectionsMotherhood Skills
    +5
    Audience:
    First Time ParentsLgbtq ParentsParent-Child LearningParentsStay At Home Dads
    +1
    Goal:
    Parenting Hacks
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
    When:
    Weekend Deep Dive
  82. Caso 63
    Caso 63
    Toda gran historia, tiene un gran final. Año 2062: inmersos en una realidad apocalíptica debido a las secuelas de Pegaso, un grupo de científicos y...
    Content:
    Audio FictionEntertainmentFiction
    Audience:
    Sci-Fi Fans
    Style:
    Serialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
  83. Film Theory
    Film Theory
    Join Film Theory Host Lee as he breaks down all the hidden LORE, science, and stories from your favorite TV shows and movies!
    Content:
    EntertainmentFilm AnalysisMovie Reviews
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
  84. TANIS
    TANIS
    Tanis is a bi-weekly podcast from the Public Radio Alliance, and is hosted by Nic Silver. Tanis is a serialized docudrama about a fascinating and s...
    Content:
    Audio FictionDark FantasyDark FictionFictionLiterary Adventure Fiction
    +7
    Audience:
    Sci-Fi Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Serialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Weekend Deep Dive
  85. Tales to Terrify
    Tales to Terrify
    The unseen creature whose ravenous fangs dog your every step as your footfalls echo down the midnight alleyway. —A long, icy shadow looming ov...
    Content:
    Dark FictionGhost Stories
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
  86. LeVar Burton Reads
    LeVar Burton Reads
    The best short fiction, handpicked by the best voice in podcasting and presented in 3D immersive audio. In every episode, host LeVar Burton (Roots,...
    Content:
    ArtsBook ClubFictionLiterary Adventure FictionLiterature Adaptation
    Audience:
    Book LoversFantasy FansSci-Fi Fans
    Goal:
    Following A StoryRelaxingSleeping BetterTo Fall Asleep ToUnwinding And Laughing
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
    When:
    Background NoiseBefore BedCommutingLong DriveWeekend Deep Dive
  87. The Opportunist
    The Opportunist
    The Opportunist tells true stories of regular people who turn sinister by embracing opportunity. How does an everyday person turn into a thief, a s...
    Content:
    True Crime
    Style:
    InvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
  88. Reveal
    Reveal
    Reveal’s investigations will inspire, infuriate and inform you. Host Al Letson and an award-winning team of reporters deliver gripping stories abou...
    Content:
    Social JusticeSocietal IssuesStory Analysis
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Weekend Deep Dive
  89. Ghost Story
    Ghost Story
    Host Tristan Redman is a seasoned journalist who doesn’t believe in ghosts. But weird things happened in the bedroom he lived in as a teenager. Whe...
    Content:
    Ghost StoriesHaunted PlacesParanormal Investigations
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Long Drive
  90. Reply All
    Reply All
    "'A podcast about the internet' that is actually an unfailingly original exploration of modern life and how to survive it." - The Guardian. Hosted ...
    Content:
    Consumer TechCultureDigital CultureEntertainmentTech Commentary
    +5
    Audience:
    College StudentsCouplesNight Shift WorkersRemote Workers
    Goal:
    Following A StoryLearning New Skills
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeQ And ANarrative Storytelling
    When:
    At WorkBackground NoiseCommutingFocused LearningLong Drive
    +2
  91. The Heart
    The Heart
    Since 2014 this longstanding podcast favourite has been creating hard-hitting cinematic stories about love, bodies and all of the things between hu...
    Content:
    Erotic StorytellingLove PsychologyMental HealthModern Dating AdviceRelationships & Dating
    +1
    Goal:
    Sexual Confidence
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
  92. Dirty John
    Dirty John
    A true story about seduction, deception, forgiveness, denial, and ultimately, survival. Reported and hosted by Christopher Goffard from the L.A. Ti...
    Content:
    Credentialing ScandalsEntertainmentMystery PodcastsSerial KillersTrue Crime
    Audience:
    RetireesTrue Crime Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Doing ChoresQuick Listen
  93. True Criminals
    True Criminals
    Winner of Outstanding Independent Podcast at this year’s True Crime Awards in London, True Criminals is your weekly deep dive into both historic an...
    Content:
    Cold Case InvestigationsSerial KillersTrue Crime
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
  94. The Bright Sessions
    The Bright Sessions
    The Bright Sessions is a science fiction audio drama that follows a group of therapy patients. But these are not your typical patients - each has a...
    Content:
    Audio FictionDark FictionFiction
    Audience:
    Sci-Fi Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Serialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
  95. Within the Wires
    Within the Wires
    An immersive fiction podcast told through found audio from an alternate universe. Each season is a standalone story set in the same world. Written ...
    Content:
    Audio FictionDark FictionFictionPolitical Sci FiSmall Town Horror
    Audience:
    Sci-Fi Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Serialized FictionNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Commuting
  96. Man In The Window: The Golden State Killer
    Man In The Window: The Golden State Killer
    In Man in the Window, Paige St. John, a Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter has uncovered never before revealed details about the man who...
    Content:
    Serial KillersTrue Crime
    Audience:
    True Crime Fans
    Goal:
    Following A Story
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
  97. Have You Heard George's Podcast?
    Have You Heard George's Podcast?
    The award-winning and critically-acclaimed podcast from George the Poet delivers a fresh take on inner city life through a mix of storytelling, mus...
    Content:
    African DiasporaPoetic StorytellingSpoken Word Poetry
    Style:
    Solo CommentaryNarrative Storytelling
    When:
    Long Drive
  98. The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things
    The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things
    The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things is a weekly documentary-style podcast about strange true stories, true crime, dark history, scand...
    Content:
    Bizarre CrimesCold Case InvestigationsHistoryTrue Crime
    Style:
    DocumentaryInvestigativeNarrative Storytelling
  99. Mythology
    Mythology
    Ancient myths, modern twists. This episodic audio drama brings history’s greatest stories to life, analyzing their origins and giving insight into ...
    Content:
    MythologyWorld Mythology
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
  100. Imaginary Worlds
    Imaginary Worlds
    Imaginary Worlds sounds like what would happen if NPR went to ComicCon and decided that’s all they ever wanted to cover. Host Eric Molinsky spent o...
    Content:
    ArtsCultureEntertainmentFictionNerd Culture
    +2
    Audience:
    Fantasy FansSci-Fi FansWriters
    Goal:
    Discovering New IdeasFollowing A Story
    Style:
    Narrative Storytelling
    When:
    CommutingDoing ChoresQuick ListenWeekend Deep Dive