Best Podcasts on Spotify

Love him or hate him, Rogan's influence on podcasting is undeniable. Three-hour conversations with everyone from scientists to comedians to fighters to controversial figures, all given the same long-form treatment. The show's greatest strength is also its biggest criticism - nothing is off limits and everyone gets a platform. The comedy episodes with friends are genuinely hilarious. The science episodes are fascinating. The political ones are... polarizing. But there's a reason it's the biggest podcast on Earth. Make your own judgment.

Conan's post-late-night reinvention might be his best era yet. Freed from network constraints, he's looser, weirder, and even funnier than the guy who hosted for decades. Celebrity interviews become actual conversations here - messy, tangential, and full of bits that go gloriously off the rails. His dynamic with Sona and Matt adds another layer entirely. You come for the famous guests but stay for the bizarre detours. One of those rare interview shows where the host is genuinely more entertaining than most of the guests.

NBC's Dateline has been one of America's true crime institutions for decades and the podcast version loses none of that weight. Long-form investigations with real twists, genuine detective work, and production values that reflect a major network budget. Keith Morrison's narration alone is worth the listen - that voice doing that storytelling thing it does. The cases are well-chosen and the reporting is thorough without being exploitative. If you want true crime that feels professional and substantial rather than two people reading Wikipedia articles, Dateline consistently delivers.

Ira Glass has been telling stories about ordinary Americans since 1995 and somehow hasn't run out of extraordinary ones. Each week picks a theme and explores it through multiple acts - some funny, some devastating, often both in ways you don't see coming. The show basically invented modern narrative podcasting. Contributors like David Sedaris got their starts here. After thousands of episodes, the quality remains strangely consistent. If you've somehow never listened, start anywhere. Every episode is someone's favorite.

Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant have been explaining how things work since 2008, covering literally thousands of topics from black holes to the history of chocolate. Their chemistry carries even the driest subjects - you can tell they genuinely enjoy learning together and that energy is infectious. Episodes run long but never feel like homework. The show isn't trying to make you smarter in some performative way. It just... does. One of those podcasts where you accidentally become more interesting at dinner parties.

Karen and Georgia essentially invented the true crime comedy genre and built an empire from it. Their chemistry is the whole show - two friends processing the darkest human behavior with humor, empathy, and the kind of emotional intelligence that keeps things from getting exploitative. They're not experts. They're fans who care. The community they built is massive and passionate. SSDGM became a cultural movement. Some episodes wander, some are tighter, but the core appeal - genuine friendship applied to disturbing material - never gets old. A podcast that changed podcasting.

Radiolab has been doing the sound-design-heavy science storytelling thing since before podcasts were even called podcasts. Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser run things now, and they've kept the show's signature curiosity intact. Episodes bounce between philosophy, neuroscience, morality, and stuff you never thought about but can't stop thinking about after. The production quality is absurd - layers of sound that make you feel like you're inside the story. Sometimes frustratingly ambiguous in its conclusions. That's kind of the point though.

Serial basically invented the podcast boom when Sarah Koenig started digging into Adnan Syed's murder conviction back in 2014. Millions of people suddenly discovered they could care deeply about someone else's legal nightmare during their morning commute. The reporting was meticulous, the storytelling addictive. Later seasons tackled different cases and topics, but that first season changed everything. Love it or criticize it, Serial proved audio journalism could grip a whole country. Nothing in podcasting was quite the same after.

Steven Bartlett sits down with the world's most successful people and somehow gets them to open up about their darkest moments. CEOs, athletes, scientists - they all reveal the failures that shaped them. Bartlett brings a rare authenticity to interviews; he's not afraid to share his own struggles with mental health and business setbacks. The result? Conversations that feel less like PR opportunities and more like therapy sessions. Raw, vulnerable, and surprisingly actionable.

Shankar Vedantam might be the best science communicator working in podcasting today. Each episode explores why people behave the way they do - the unconscious biases, social pressures, cognitive shortcuts, and emotional wiring that drive decisions we think are rational. You'll recognize patterns in yourself that you never noticed before, which is either enlightening or mildly terrifying. The research is always solid, the stories are always human, and the insights are always applicable to your actual life. One of those rare podcasts that genuinely changes how you see the world.

Stephen Dubner made a career out of asking the questions nobody thinks to ask and discovering the hidden economics underneath everything. Why do drug dealers live with their moms? What makes a good parent according to data? The show takes economic thinking and applies it to decidedly non-economic problems, and the results are consistently surprising. Going strong since 2010 and still finding fresh angles. Some episodes are better than others but the best ones genuinely change how you see the world. Curiosity as a methodology, basically. Smart without being smug.

Alex Cooper turned a controversial dating podcast into one of Spotify's biggest exclusive deals. The show evolved from raunchy hookup stories into surprisingly thoughtful interviews with celebrities, athletes, and cultural figures. Cooper asks questions that most interviewers would never dare and her guests seem to respond to that directness. Some episodes are pure entertainment while others go unexpectedly deep into mental health, relationships, and career struggles. Love it or dismiss it - the cultural impact is undeniable and Cooper's interview skills have genuinely improved with every season.

Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat deliver true crime stories with clean production and tight storytelling. Episodes follow a consistent format that works - one case per episode, presented chronologically with enough detail to be compelling without being exploitative. Flowers does thorough research and Brit asks the questions the listener is thinking. The show respects victims in a genre that often forgets to. Episodes run about 45 minutes which hits a sweet spot for commutes. One of the most popular podcasts in the world for good reason.

The New York Times' flagship podcast that basically invented the daily news podcast format. Michael Barbaro's distinctive voice walks you through one major story each morning in about 25 minutes. The reporting is deep enough to understand context without drowning in detail. Some episodes focus on breaking news while others take a step back to explain slow-burning stories that matter. Production quality is consistently excellent. If you only have time for one news source in the morning this is a strong choice.

Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman breaks down science-based tools for improving sleep, focus, motivation, and physical performance. Episodes are long and dense but packed with actionable protocols you can actually try. He explains complex neuroscience in terms regular people can follow which is harder than it sounds. Some episodes feature guests from various scientific fields while others are deep solo dives into specific topics. The show has attracted massive followings in fitness and biohacking communities. Not light listening but genuinely useful if you engage with it.

Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett take turns surprising each other with mystery celebrity guests. The dynamic between the three hosts is the real draw - decades of genuine friendship producing the kind of banter that scripted shows dream about. Guests range from A-list actors to politicians to athletes and the conversations always go sideways in the best way. The hosts are self-deprecating enough to keep things grounded even with massive guests. Feel-good listening that consistently delivers laughs without trying too hard.

Ash and Alaina combine true crime with a comedic sensibility that divides listeners sharply. You either love the casual conversational approach or find it disrespectful - there is not much middle ground. Cases range from well-known to deeply obscure and the research is generally solid. The sisters' chemistry is authentic and the banter between cases provides breathing room from heavy content. Episodes vary in length from thirty minutes to over two hours. One of the most downloaded true crime podcasts on any platform.

Former monk turned motivational speaker Jay Shetty interviews thought leaders about purpose, mindfulness, and personal growth. The conversations tend toward the inspirational end of the spectrum but with enough substance to avoid feeling empty. Shetty asks thoughtful questions and gives guests room to develop their ideas fully. Topics cover relationships, career fulfillment, mental health, and spiritual practices from various traditions. Production is polished and episodes are well-structured. Works best if you are in a reflective headspace and open to self-improvement content.

YouTube star Emma Chamberlain's podcast feels like a stream of consciousness from someone your age who happens to be famous. She talks about whatever is on her mind - social anxiety, coffee obsession, fashion choices, existential thoughts at 3am - with the kind of raw honesty that built her audience in the first place. No guests, no structure, just Emma thinking out loud. Some episodes are hilarious, others are surprisingly introspective. The appeal is entirely personality-driven and if her energy clicks with you nothing else sounds quite like it.

Dax Shepard interviews experts and celebrities with genuine curiosity and zero pretension about his own intelligence. He freely admits what he does not know and asks follow-up questions that other hosts would consider too basic. That vulnerability makes guests relax and share more than they usually would. Monica Padman's fact-checking segments add accountability and humor. The best episodes are the ones with scientists and researchers where Shepard's enthusiasm for learning is contagious. Long-form conversations that reward patience.