From long commutes to relaxing weekend breakfasts, the podcast has become an indispensable part of many of our routines. Where previous generations listened to radio, people now prefer content that is more tailored to their own interests. And creators have taken note. Particularly in English, the sheer amount of podcasts out there can be intimidating to wade through. And whether you’re looking for entertainment, a way to improve your English comprehension, or education – we’ve sifted through the noise to bring you the absolute best from the world of podcasting.
Podcasts About Music
This wouldn’t be the Teufel Blog if we didn’t start with our favorite topic. While not quite as big as true crime, the world of music podcasts is also vast and full of variety. So load up your favorite podcast app, and download the most recent episodes of these great programs.
What Had Happened Was
Indie rapper extraordinaire Open Mike Eagle sits down with a different hip-hop luminary every season to discuss their careers. Together, they dive deep into the guests career, addressing the context of classic songs and the stories that surrounded them. With four seasons so far, you can hear from Q-Tip of the Roots, producer and A&R Dante Ross, El-P of Run the Jewels fame, and famed DJ and recording artist Prince Paul .
Song Exploder
Since 2014, Hrishikesh Hirway has been sitting down with famous musicians to explore one song from their catalog piece by piece, discussing how they were made, written and recorded. It’s safe to say that if you’re a fan of music of any genre, there will be episodes here by your favorite musicians about songs you absolutely love.
Podcasts About Movies and TV
Podcasts have become just as a big a part of our daily lives as movies and TV. So, it was only a matter of time until someone put the two together. If you’re the kind of person who needs more than just the basic cinema highlights you see in major publications, you’re in luck – there are tons of movie podcasts that look at the industry from a wide variety of angles.
Blank Check Podcast with Griffin Newman and David Sims
A podcast about filmographies of directors who have massive success early on in their careers and are given a series of blank checks to make whatever crazy passion projects they want. Sometimes those checks clear and sometimes they bounce, baby! Hosted by comedian and voice actor Griffin Newman and Atlantic film columnist David Sims, this podcasts blends free-form riffing with insights from deep research into the production of the films they cover. Recent series include early Spielberg, Kevin Costner, and Martin Brest. If extra long episodes featuring guests ranging from friends of the hosts to Hollywood directors sounds like something you’d be into, look for a recent episode about about a movie you enjoy, and give it a listen!
How Did This Get Made?
The name of this podcast explains its premise pretty thoroughly. Every week, actors and comedians Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas subject themselves to the kinds of movies that make you ask that very question. Luckily for them, there are more than enough bad films out there to keep the format going essentially forever. If you’re fascinated by horrible cinema, but don’t actually want to watch it yourself, this podcast is a great way to get your fix.
The A24 Podcast
If you’re more the type to watch movies because you actually enjoy the experience, we’ve got something for you, too. This podcast has a big twist – no host! Brought to you by the studio behind such modern classics as Everything Everywhere All At Once, Midsommar, and Uncut Gems, each episode is hosted by different stars and directors, and the topics could not possibly be more fascinating.
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Podcasts About Gaming
Can’t get enough gaming? Want to keep up on new releases but never seem to find the time? Looking for fresh takes on retro classics? There are gaming podcasts out there for everyone no matter what kind of games they’re into. Check out our list below to find out about our favorites.
Get Played
Hosts Matt Apodaca, Heather Anne Campbell, and Nick Wiger discuss good games, bad games, and everything in between! If you want to find out about games you may not have been aware of before, this is a great way to find out. The banter between the hosts is also very funny, and the opening skits are always a hoot. They don’t only cover the latest games, either. Episode topics can go in on gaming soundtracks, retro consoles, and much, much more. If you subscribe on Patreon, you can also hear them talk about Anime shows and movies.
Triple Click
This podcast features deep discussions about the video game industry broadly, as well as reviews of new games, and discussions about the merits of games both new and old. Each week, hosts Kirk Hamilton, Maddy Myers, and Jason Schreier take on a gaming hot topic with hot banter and even hotter takes.
Retronauts
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If you’re a big fan of retro games, this is the one for you. Retronauts aims to explore the history of video games, one game at a time. Hosts Jeremy Parish and Bob Mackey team up each week with expert guests to discuss the games that set the stage for today’s biggest hits. From arcade machines, to early consoles, and modern remakes, this podcast covers a wide swath of the world of old school games.
Read this: Teufel’s take on the best game soundtracks of all time.
Chat Podcasts
Offering what some online have termed “parasocial relationships,” this is a kind of podcast where the hosts simply talk to each other and guests about various topics. After a surge during the pandemic when people felt a need for connection and normal talk, even if they couldn’t be a part of it, this genre has grown into quite an interesting if novel form of entertainment. Here is a selection we can vouch for.
SmartLess: Big stars and authentic conversations
At the beginning of each episode of this podcast, one of the hosts reveals to the other two who their guest for the episode is going to be. That means no preparation is done in advance, so the hosts have to improvise with famous guests who they sometimes know very little about. While you’ve surely heard of Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett before, you never imagined they could be this funny or genuine so easily. Highly recommended listening.
Handsome: Advice, stories and laughs.
A weekly podcast from comedians Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, and Mae Martin, which kicks off with a question from a listener, which they attempt to answer. Aided by the vastly different experiences each host bring to the table, they cover any subject you could imagine with personal stories and wacky anecdotes. A cozy and reliable good time.
Critics at Large: A Weekly Culture Podcast From the New Yorker
Every Thursday, New Yorker staff writers Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz lead discussions that combine deep analysis with insider perspectives, helping listeners make sense of our cultural moment and the journeys that brought us here. But to fans, it’s so much more. The interactions between the hosts, who are erudite and yet have a natural and easy way of conversation makes for a comfortable and educational listen. If you’re the curious type who is always learning, this is the conversation podcast for you.
Podcasts about Sports
This is a space that is truly crowded. Not least of all because of how many different types of sports there are and how divided their fanbases can be. Covering everything from the biggest leagues and sports internationally to regional phenomena like curling, the podcast is really the ultimate form of audio content for the sport lover who can’t always be watching or playing. We picked out three of our top listens here.
The Ringer NBA Show
Brought to you by sports and pop culture website The Ringer, this is your ultimate source for reporting and analysis on the NBA. Between Group Chat on Mondays and Thursdays, and Real Ones Tuesdays and Fridays, there is enough here for even the most content-hungry listener. The hosts go everywhere from joking around to in-depth analysis of current past and future seasons, as well as diving dep on the history of the league and culture around the sport of basketball.
Broomgate: Investigating a scandal you never heard about in an ultra-niche sport
You probably don’t think much about curling. Every four years when the Winter Olympics come around, you might put on a match for a couple of minutes between ski races before realizing you have no idea why these people are sweeping so furiously ahead of a 20 kg rock, but that’s probably about it. Hosted by semi-pro curler and podcasting stalwart John Cullen, Broomgate opens with a retelling of the 2015 Tour Challenge featuring Brad Gushue, the LeBron James of the sport. That was the match where Gushue’s team debuted a controversial strategy of having only one sweeper thanks to an even more controversial new type of broom. Want to know more? You’ll have to check it out.
Sport’s Strangest Crimes
Standing squarely at the intersection between our next genre, true crime, arguably what podcasting is best known for, and sports is this podcast from the BBC. An uproarious look at the volatile world of sports, it is now going into its 10th season covering “Bloodgate,” a scandal that rocked the world of rugby to its core. This podcast uncovers shocking new details about crimes in an investigative style with all the reporting muscle of the BBC. The newest season will be hosted by award-winning documentary maker Ross Kemp and rugby union correspondent Chris Jones. Like any podcast with seasons, this would make great road-trip fodder.
Read also: Are you a fan of working out with headphones? Check out Teufel’s article on the best way to approach this problem.
True Crime
Where would podcasting be without true crime? Where would true crime be without the podcast as a medium? There is just something about lesser known mysteries that has captured the imaginations of many. Perhaps, it’s is because they make stories with a beginning and end, while also keeping you glued to your headphones? Whatever the case may be, you all knew it was coming so, without further ado, here are a few that we love.
Casefile
Truly one of the OGs of the genre, Casefile is hosted by an anonymous man from Australia, so if you like accents, this might be one for you. Since starting as a one-man operation in 2016, this show has blossomed into a professionally produced podcast with a whole team of researchers, producers and more behind it. With a range of awards under its belt from Apple Podcasts’ Best Of 2016-2024, an Australian Podcast Award, and Spotify’s Podcasts of the Decade, you can be sure you’re in good hands. Episodes are still going up weekly, and largely cover one crime each, though multi-parters are far from an exception. With well over three hundred episodes and counting, you have plenty of crimes to choose from.
Your Own Backyard
This is a series that began in 2019 covering the disappearance of Kristin Smart, a student at Cal Poly in 1996. While episodes are no longer being released with any regularity, this is a podcast that made a difference, successfully getting the case opened back up and even leading to a conviction in court. But we won’t spoil too much, because this podcast is truly a wild ride. Try to resist the urge to read about this case online until you’re done listening, because it is just too gripping to miss.
Podcasts about Food
Something that may not be such an obvious topic for an audio medium, food podcasts have proven surprisingly durable. Maybe it’s listening to people indulge with things we know we shouldn’t have very often. Or maybe these podcasts are simply downwind of a culture increasingly obsessed with all things gustatory. Whatever the case may be, food podcasts are here to stay, frequently topping the listening charts. While some of the content may be less relevant to us over in Europe, it doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy listening!
Doughboys
A podcast about chain restaurants defined by a few fundamental tensions. For one – they’ve never covered McDonalds despite having nearly 500 episodes. Then there’s the simmering tension between the hosts, who like many friends, have a contentious yet amicable relationship. But don’t let that scare you, the podcast is very funny and always brings in interesting guests. They also regularly have event months, such as the yearly Munch Madness tournament in March. If you grew up eating lots of fast food, but now have a healthier diet, this podcast will bring you back to your childhood. If you just want to know what new slop is being loaded into the collective trough of the American people, you may find this podcast informative. But one thing is for sure – there’s something about this podcast that draws listeners in and keeps them coming back week after week. Perhaps a bit like the kind of food they cover.
The Recipe with Kenji and Deb
Hosted by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt (Serious Eats, NYT Cooking), and Deb Perelman (Smitten Kitchen), this is all about upping your home cooking game. They go all in searching for how to make every recipe the best you possibly can at home. Though the episodes come out weekly, and you can certainly listen to them that way if you are interested in home cooking in general, it can also be very helpful to listen to episodes based on your next cooking project. You won’t believe how much this podcast can improve your cooking!
Read more: Looking for a speaker that can help you listen to all this content out loud? Here’s a great article about outdoor Bluetooth speakers from Teufel.
Learning Podcasts
If you’re the type that likes to spend their time learning new things, a lot of podcasts probably sound pretty boring to you. Luckily, there are also podcasts that aim to teach. And it’s a great medium for that as well. Now, you can keep your brain active and engaged while doing mindless tasks such as washing the dishes or mopping the floor. Finally, no more wasted time!
Secretly Incredibly Fascinating
Jeopardy champion Alex Schmidt joins writer Katie Goldin for weekly deep dives into topics you probably don’t think much about. For those curious about the lesser-considered, this is a true gold-mine. With recent episodes addressing topics as diverse as Esperanto and pangolins, this podcast goes into everything you may have heard of, but don’t read about all that often. The hosts’ infectious wit and humor will keep you coming back week after week. And they have a sizable back catalog for you to explore as well, so enjoy.
Radiolab
Radiolab is one of the world’s favorite podcasts, known for its deep-dive journalism and innovative sound design. Exploring science, philosophy and ethics using innovative composition, this is a platform for journalism about just about anything. This show intends to challenge the way listeners think about the world, provoke them, delight them, and inspire them to see the world around them anew. If you’re from the US, you’ve probably heard this before on NPR. Well, the good news is that now it’s available worldwide wherever you get your podcasts.
Stuff you Should Know
Almost the exact opposite approach of the first podcast in this section, Stuff You Should Know aims to fill gaps in your knowledge while making sure you have a good time along the way. Running weekly since 2008, this show has over 1500 episodes and counting, so it’s safe to say you can learn a lot here. Despite sounding like a couple of friends chatting at the bar, this show will give you surprisingly deep details about everything they cover. Digestible, yet informative. What else could a podcast fan want?
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