The best podcasts to listen to on Spotify — tech, comedy, and more

You may have just snagged a shiny new Spotify subscription, but what should you listen to now? Here are our top picks for the best podcasts on Spotify, from history and true crime to comedy and horror.

You might have heard of some of these podcasts before, while others might be new to you. Either way, these are our picks.

Best Spotify exclusive podcasts

Spotify has some podcast offerings that can’t be found anywhere else. These are our top picks for Spotify-exclusive podcasts.

You Heard Me Write consists of 30 original pieces spanning the genres of music, prose, and sound design. Multiple artists collaborate on the project, but they don’t know who the others are. Only when the project ends do they meet each other and discuss the process and reflect on what happened. This unique podcast is hosted by Kacie Willis, and you can keep up with it on Twitter and Instagram, too.

Hosts Titi and Zakiya are best friends and scientists, and they dive into science topics while tying them into society and culture. They cover many topics, including spaceflight, attachment styles, and forever chemicals. While discussing them, the hosts tie in how they connect to larger societal trends and even relate to pop culture icons. Even if you didn’t like science class, this podcast is sure to make science topics engaging for everyone.

Spotify is the home of The Joe Rogan Experience. This long-running podcast consists of Rogan and guests who discuss a broad array of topics. Some past guests include Dr. Phil, Maynard James Keenan, and Mark Zuckerberg. With episodes that can run over three hours long and a massive back catalog, you have plenty of content to listen to.

Best true crime podcasts on Spotify

True crime is almost synonymous with podcasts these days, and there are plenty of options to choose from on Spotify. Here are our top three picks.

Hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, My Favorite Murder has been running since 2016. Combining a touch of comedy with discussions of the crimes at hand, the podcast also dives deeper and discusses aspects of criminal justice topics. You’ll learn not only about murder but also the ins and outs of the legal system and even some meta-analysis of the true crime genre itself.

Casefile is itself a bit of a mystery, with an anonymous host telling the story of each episode. It’s known for its ambient sound design, which is often like the soundtrack to a suspenseful film. While it’s from Australia, this podcast has worldwide appeal thanks to its engaging host, compelling storylines, and high production values that will keep you hooked for hours on end.

In contrast to some other true crime podcasts, Criminal tackles not only crimes but also people wrongfully convicted or shot by police and people involved in investigating crime, like a mother-daughter team of coroners and a prosecutor who tried to change things, but found she had to quit. Hosted by Phoebe Judge since 2014, you’ve got plenty of backlog to keep you listening for a long time, too.

Best tech podcasts on Spotify

Chances are, if you’re reading this article, you like tech topics. And you know what a podcast is. So why not combine them? Take a listen to our picks for the best tech podcasts on Spotify, and you’ll find they fit right into your life.

Emily Chang from Bloomberg takes on tech topics daily in this podcast. That means up-to-the-minute information about everything from Elon Musk to the Metaverse and more. But just because it’s released daily, that doesn’t mean you don’t get plenty of content, with 30- to 45-minute episodes and guest commenters coming on to give you all the details.

Not all tech topics have to be heavy and hard-hitting. Comedian Adam Blank reminisces with guests on this podcast about retro video games. Take a listen and enjoy some nostalgia about the experiences of childhood gaming sessions, including everything from classics like Metroid and Sonic the Hedgehog to lesser-known titles such as Gun.Smoke. Even if you haven’t played the titles being discussed, you’ll find a lot to enjoy in this podcast.

Nora Young from CBC Radio One tackles technology and how it impacts our life. She looks at topics like the early web of the 1990s, the limitations of AI, home automation, and other issues in a manner that helps them make sense as part of your daily reality. Beyond being informative, some episodes can serve as how-tos on topics like protecting your privacy.

Best self-improvement podcasts on Spotify

If you want life advice and tips on how to get ahead, self-improvement podcasts are a great option. Whether you’re looking for parenting tips or want to get out of a rut, here are our picks for the best self-improvement podcasts on Spotify.

Produced by NPR, the Life Kit podcast covers all sorts of topics, like whether you really need eight glasses of water a day, handling investments, parenting tips, making big life choices, and more. Each episode is short and to the point, too, so you don’t have to sit around all day to find out the answers. Plus, you can sign up for the Life Kit newsletter and get info in your inbox so you never miss a thing.

Based on the popular course at Yale University and hosted by Dr. Laurie Santos, The Happiness Lab may originate in a college class, but it has science-based advice on being happier that anyone can use. And unlike some self-help podcasts, you’ll learn the real science behind topics like why eating hot peppers can be fun, whether the #noregrets philosophy is really a good idea, and much more.

As the name implies, Routines & Ruts by Madeleine Dore explores the rhythms of life, what happens when you get off-track, and why you sometimes feel stuck in a rut. Episodes feature topics including creativity, dealing with shame, and much more. If you like the podcast, you can check out the Extraordinary Routines archive for more and pick up Dore’s book, I Didn’t Do The Thing Today.

Best comedy podcasts on Spotify

Sometimes you just need a laugh; a comedy podcast is a great way to get it. Here are our picks for the best comedy podcast on Spotify.

If you don’t have time (or don’t stay up late enough) for late-night TV, The Daily Show With Trevor Noah: Ears Edition brings you highlights and extended interviews from its namesake show. You can enjoy banter with Jordan Peele, T-Pain, and get comedic insights into politics, Twitter drama, and more all from this light-hearted yet hard-hitting podcast that churns out new episodes daily.

Bloggers Kid Fury and Crissle cover pop culture and hip-hop stars while adjusting to life in New York City and tackling social issues with humor and cutting insights. Episodes come out weekly and can run up to two hours long. If you want a podcast to settle in with, The Read will last you through both your morning and evening commutes. And there’s plenty of associated merch, from candles to shorts and t-shirts, for you to explore.

Hosts Benito Skinner and Mary Beth look at things they’ve been obsessed with throughout their lives. Though there are only fifty episodes, each is a slice of life about topics you may have fallen down the rabbit hole about, too. Topics include everything from sparkling water and Coldplay to sleepovers and Jaden Smith’s existential tweets. While there’s a lot to obsess over, each episode is only about 20 minutes long, so you don’t have to slog through them.

Best business podcasts on Spotify

Whether you run a business or are just curious about how the economy works, business podcasts are a great way to understand the world of money. Below are our picks for the best business podcasts on Spotify.

If you have ever wondered about globalization, crypto and NFTs, and more, then Freakonomics Radio addresses these topics and beyond. Host Stephen J. Dubner, the co-author of the Freakonomics books, takes you through the episodes with guest stars from various fields, including Nobel laureates, subject matter experts, and more. The podcast goes way beyond the book and dives far deeper, too.

Kate Linebaugh and Ryan Knutson host this podcast from the Wall Street Journal. Yes, it’s about business, but it’s also about power, politics, society, and money. With episodes out every few days at most, there’s always something interesting for you to listen to. Topics include the possibility of economic recession, US-Saudi relations, and whatever happened to the Nikola auto company.

NPR’s Planet Money can tie almost any topic back to the economy. And they’ll go the distance to prove it with episodes about starting their own music company to understand the record industry to deep dives about the IMF. Eeach episode is around 15 to 30 minutes long, so you won’t have to sink too much time into this podcast to get the know-how.

Best horror podcasts on Spotify

In the mood for a scare? Take a listen to our top picks for horror podcasts on Spotify.

Sometimes the most nightmarish things turn out to be true stories, and Disturbed: True Horror Stories chronicles all sorts of them. Host Chad takes you through tales of killer clowns and demon children. Unlike true crime podcasts, Disturbed also covers creepy phone calls and stalkers where maybe nobody dies, but things definitely get extremely spooky.

David Cummings hosts this collection of original horror fiction, named after the Reddit community that started it all. This award-winning podcast is sure to keep you up at night, with episodes coming out weekly. But at the end of the day, you can rest assured that the stories aren’t true, even if they do cover strange happenings and disturbing topics. Some stories span multiple episodes, too, to keep you hooked for days.

Horror can verge into all sorts of territories; that’s why we tell ghost stories, after all. In Horror Queers, hosts Joe Lipsett and Tace Thurman look at horror films with LGBTQ+ themes, campy production values, or even both to see what we can learn from the scary stories we enjoy. You’ll get episodes on classics like Tremors, the 1990 film, and modern releases, including They/Them.

Best history podcasts

Even if you slept through history class, the best history podcasts on Spotify will keep you up and listening. Here are our top picks.

Where else to start but the beginning? This history podcast begins with the very origins of humanity. Hosted by Chris Hasler, you can start this playlist and keep listening on a journey through, well, all of human history! Be ready to tackle a big backlog when listening to this podcast. But if you want a nearly endless source of content to enjoy for practically forever, this podcast is it.

Beckett Graham and Susan Vollenweider host this podcast about women in history. You may have heard of some of the people covered, like Queen Elizabeth the First, while others, like Queen Nzinga, may be less familiar. But either way, you’re sure to learn something about the history of 50% of the world’s population. Episodes run for one to two hours, so you can listen for a while and enjoy deep dives into topics.

The history of health and wellness fads can get wild, and Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes take you through the surprising twists and turns. Topics include the reason why everyone seems obsessed with apple cider vinegar to the 1990s low-fat craze behind Snackwell’s cookies. After listening to some episodes, you might be surprised to learn how little research actually goes into famous diet books and learn just who is behind the push for calorie counts on menus.

Best language learning podcasts on Spotify

One of the ways to incorporate language learning into your daily life is by listening to podcasts in the language you want to learn. While you could do that with any podcast, it often helps to have podcasts created explicitly with learning in mind. The speakers in these podcasts often speak slower and discuss culturally relevant topics from the languages you want to learn, making the whole experience much more conducive to acquiring a new tongue.

6 Minute English, as the name implies, features six-minute episodes that discuss various topics, from climate anxiety to Halloween costumes and popular English idioms. Each episode teaches vocabulary while discussing engaging topics so you won’t feel bored. You’ll hear conversations on climate change, Halloween costumes, and even methods that claim they could be used to control the weather.

The big name in language learning, Duolingo, also has its own Spanish podcast on Spotify. There is also a French podcast that follows the same formula. Each episode features real-life stories in Spanish with English narration. Along with vocabulary, you get insights into everyday people, so it won’t feel like you’re slogging through memorization lessons while picking up vocabulary and culture along the way.

Learning French doesn’t have to be about food and fashion, and The Naked French Podcast puts all sorts of stories from French culture on display. Each episode is around 20 to 30 minutes long, but they contain vocabulary and lessons you can use to master French. Topics include the life of a nurse in Paris, building a start-up, and what it’s like being a French rugby player.