swap_horiz Heavyweight Alternatives

1

In the Dark

Hosted by Madeleine Baran, In the Dark approaches true crime through sustained investigative reporting. Its major season...

Long Form True Crime Journalism Social Justice

9.09 Excellent

2

This American Life

A cornerstone of narrative podcasting, This American Life continues to deliver poignant and insightful stories exploring...

Audio Modern Storytelling Narrative

9.07 Excellent

3

How I Built This

Guy Raz interviews founders about the creation and growth of their businesses in How I Built This. The podcast originate...

Inspiration Business Storytelling Narrative

8.96 Great

4

Serial

Serial is a groundbreaking true crime podcast that revolutionized the genre. Created by Sarah Koenig and investigative r...

Storytelling Narrative Complex True Crime

8.78 Great

5

Fresh Air

Produced by WHYY and distributed by NPR, Fresh Air is a radio program and podcast built around extended interviews about...

Culture Interview Arts

8.72 Great

6

Reply All

Internet culture provides the starting point for Reply All, a narrative podcast from Gimlet Media whose regular producti...

Internet Technology Storytelling Culture

8.72 Great

7

Radiolab

Scientific and philosophical questions become reported audio stories in Radiolab, a long-running podcast associated with...

Storytelling Narrative Complex Innovation

8.66 Great

8

NPR's Planet Money

Economics becomes a series of human stories in NPR's Planet Money. The podcast examines how markets and institutions sha...

Business Finance News Educational

8.55 Great

9

S-Town

S-Town begins with an Alabama resident, John B. McLemore, asking reporter Brian Reed to investigate troubling claims abo...

Storytelling Long Form Nonfiction Biography

8.45 Great

10

Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

Dan Carlin's Hardcore History explores historical events through unusually long audio narratives. Carlin's dramatic deli...

Audio Immersive Storytelling Narrative

8.44 Great

11

The Magnus Archives

Produced by Rusty Quill, The Magnus Archives is a British horror audio drama built around recorded statements describing...

Storytelling Fiction Horror Anthology

8.42 Great

12

Homecoming

Homecoming is a scripted psychological-thriller podcast from Gimlet Media, centered on an experimental facility helping...

Immersive Storytelling Mystery Experimental

8.28 Great

13

Slow Burn

Produced by Slate, Slow Burn revisits major episodes in American history through sustained narrative reporting. Its firs...

Storytelling History Political Nonfiction

8.28 Great

14

Dolly Parton's America

Dolly Parton's America uses the singer's life and music as a way into broader questions about American identity. Hosted...

Music Storytelling Culture Nonfiction

8.28 Great

15

Ear Hustle

Launched in 2017 from California's San Quentin State Prison, Ear Hustle tells nonfiction stories about daily life during...

Storytelling Social Justice Nonfiction Prison

8.23 Great

16

Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel

Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel lets listeners hear edited, anonymized conversations in which real people work...

Storytelling Therapy Nonfiction Relationships

8.10 Great

17

Believed

Michigan Radio's Believed investigates how Larry Nassar was able to abuse people while institutions and adults failed to...

Storytelling True Crime Investigative Nonfiction

8.10 Great

18

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie remains a dominant force in the true crime podcasting world, consistently delivering well-researched and en...

Storytelling Narrative Accessible Conversational

7.85 Good

19

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Armchair Expert, hosted by actor Dax Shepard, offers a refreshingly candid and often hilarious exploration of human beha...

Storytelling Conversational Humor Comedy

7.73 Good

20

SmartLess

Hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett, SmartLess delivers consistently hilarious interviews with a wide r...

Modern American Humor Comedy

7.59 Good