
It's not unusual to binge a podcast and then be left wondering what you should hit play on next. And with more than 4 million shows on Spotify, there are a lot of options. Spotify's Podcast Editorial team is constantly tracking new shows, making them the perfect people to recommend great podcasts that will leave you hooked.
As we say goodbye to the first half of 2022, the team put their heads together to determine their picks on the best podcasts of the year . . . so far. A great podcast transports or immerses the listener in its world, explained Timothy Cornwall, a lead on the Podcast Editorial team at Spotify. The best podcasts are thought-provoking, emotionally evocative, and echo in your mind long after you've listened to them.
From fictional action thrillers to talk shows that explore life's big questions, this list provides a variety of picks to appeal to any interest.
This is Dating Network: Magnificent Noise
Genre: Lifestyle/Relationships
Dating is tough. Throw in a pandemic and mixed bag of dating apps, and it's even tougher. Yet This is Dating peels back the curtain and lets listeners follow four modern daters on their first dates-surprising us with raw emotion, connection, and community . . . things we all need and deserve.
Batman Unburied Network: Warner Bros./ Spotify Studios
Genre: Fiction
Welcome to Gotham, where a new serial killer villain has the city absolutely terrified. Brought to life by Winston Duke, Hasan Minhaj, and Gina Rodriguez, Batman Unburied is the perfect chaser to Robert Pattinson s grunge twist on the franchise. You've never seen Bruce Wayne like this before.
BEING Trans Network: Lemonade Media
Genre: Documentary/Reality/Personal Stories
BEING Trans is a deeply layered show about the trans experience. The reality TV audio format is incredibly engaging and breaks down the story of four trans people navigating family, work, and society. It simultaneously normalizes their lives and highlights their day-to-day issues.
Should be Alive Network: VAULT Studios
Genre: True Crime
Should be Alive investigates the 2019 murder of a transgender teenage girl, Niki Kunhausen. Hosted by Ashley Korslien, the show delivers a devastatingly pertinent look at the wave of violence facing the trans community today. It's essential true crime listening that dives beyond the headlines.
Normal Gossip Network: Defector
Genre: Comedy
On Normal Gossip, Kesley McKinney teases out gossip stories with each guest as an entertaining and silly conversation that always seems to get a bit messy. It's a fun romp through someone else's lens and drama where you also can ask yourself, What would you do in this situation?
The Pivot Podcast Network: Indie
Genre: Sports
The Pivot Podcast is hosted by three former NFL players (Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor)-which allows for unique, vulnerable, and candid sports conversations that you won't want to miss.
Dua Lipa: At Your Service Network: iHeartPodcasts
Genre: Arts & Entertainment
It may seem like every entertainer has a podcast these days, but before you are quick to dismiss, give Dua Lipa's At Your Service a listen. Dua is an incredibly thoughtful interviewer with a genuine interest in people, social movements, and the arts. And because of her curiosity, we all benefit.
Authentic: The Story of Tablo Network: VICE
Genre: Music Documentary
Authentic: The Story of Tablo provides a unique take on music meets the internet through a cross-cultural lens. When Korean hip-hop star Tablo was about to break into the Western market, a strange rumor began to circle online about his identity as a Canadian-Korean that quickly turned toxic.
Stuck with Damon Young Network: Gimlet/Crooked Media
Genre: Culture
Award-winning author Damon Young has ventured into the world of podcasting! Joined by the best and the Blackest people he knows, Damon explores an array of topics, from sexuality and religion to internet accountability, and how they ultimately affect human behavior-whether it be hilarious or downright absurd.
Fresh off the Spaceship Network: KEXP
Genre: Music Documentary
Seattle's music and art scenes might seem exclusively white, but they're not. This series explores the city's Black arts scene through the story of the Black Constellation, the innovative collective that includes Shabazz Palaces' Ishmael Butler, Stas THEE Boss, and visual artist Maikoiyo Alley-Barnes.
Seventeen Network: Paradiso Media
Genre: Documentary/Personal Stories
Ever wanted to meet your 17-year-old self? Seventeen s host Laura Leigh Abby uses her own diaries from her senior year of high school as a jumping-off point to examine gender dynamics and sexual assault in Y2K culture, speaking with friends and classmates to explore her own identity, then and now.
Which of these podcasts piqued your interest? If you're having trouble picking just one, check out the playlist below, which includes the first episode of all the podcast shows on our Best of list for 2022 . . . so far.
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
24/02/2026
Life needs music. So does the afterlife. That's why Spotify has partnered wi...
24/02/2026
Last weekend, S o Paulo buzzed with energy as Bad Bunny took the stage for two n...
24/02/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
24/02/2026
Paul C. Brunson: Red Flag to be produced by FirstLookTV and launch in 2026
UKTV...
24/02/2026
This year, we're back at the Media Production and Technology Show (MPTS) in London. As always, we're looking forward to catching up with existing contac...
24/02/2026
We are pleased to announce that Pete Whiteway is joining the dB Technology Group as a Senior Systems Engineer. Pete brings over 20 years of experience in broadc...
24/02/2026
End-to-End Transparency in the Supply Chain You Can Touch
The team at LogiMAT 2025 - from left: Michael Dreimann, Andr Haff, Nicolas Lapp, Bernd Jaschinski-...
24/02/2026
Katharine Wolinska appointed to lead Partnerships
RT Commercial has announced ...
23/02/2026
Prompted Playlist is expanding in beta to Premium listeners in the U.K., Ireland...
23/02/2026
When Spotify launched in Nigeria in February 2021, the very first song a user st...
23/02/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, will present its latest cybersecurity, ...
23/02/2026
X-Rite Pantone Launches Event Series to Modernize Textile Color Workflows
X-Rite Pantone, the global authority in color standards and color science, today a...
23/02/2026
Audience peak of over a million on RT 2 as Ireland beat England in the Six Natio...
20/02/2026
In our latest blog, Tim Pearson explores the impact that increased memory prices are having on the consumer electronics market, and particularly the set-top box...
20/02/2026
Calrec Type R: Shaping the Future of Radio from the Heart of Flirt FM
Love may have filled the airwaves last week for Valentine's Day, and we've just c...
20/02/2026
Other Voices returns to RT this Spring with performances from Dermot Kennedy, A...
19/02/2026
Last November, Spotify hosted an unforgettable night with Robyn, where top fans ...
19/02/2026
What can I watch on UK TV this week?What can I stream on U this week?
This guide highlights new and returning comedy, a critically acclaimed drama series avai...
19/02/2026
Harmonic's cOS Virtualized Broadband Platform Is Simplifying Fiber Rollouts, Lowering Infrastructure Spend, and Delivering Exceptional Broadband Experiences...
19/02/2026
Fox Corporation Announces It Will Match U.S. Government's $1,000 Contributio...
18/02/2026
Following an extraordinary 2025 in which he was named Spotify's Global Top A...
18/02/2026
Despu s de un extraordinario 2025 en el que fue nombrado Top Artista Global de Spotify por cuarta vez, algo sin precedentes (y tras su presentaci n en el halfti...
17/02/2026
AI Is Scaling Faster Than Governance And That's a Risk AI adoption hasn't rolled out through neat transformation programmes. It has spread organically...
17/02/2026
17 Feb 2026
VEON and Hala to Explore Partnership in Ride-Hailing Services Dubai, February 17, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator ( VEON...
17/02/2026
Arvato Systems Once Again Named One of Germany's Best IT Service Providers.
The best IT service providers in 2026
G tersloh - Arvato Systems is once ag...
17/02/2026
Open the report
Our 2025 report brings together results from 155 consumer magazine titles across 42 market sectors, published by 59 media owners. Over the year...
17/02/2026
Celebrating 21 Years of the RT Choice Music Prize
RT Choice Music Prize
In association with IMRO and IRMA
Classic Irish Album
And the winning album is
T...
17/02/2026
RT has today announced that as part of its public-service remit, it will expand...
16/02/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, is increasing capacity and ramping up p...
16/02/2026
In Ep62 of the AMPS Podcast, they share how a 3 mm DPA 6061 Subminiature Mic became part of a custom solution hidden inside the underwater mask capturing breath...
16/02/2026
RT News & Current Affairs has today announced the new appointments of journalis...
13/02/2026
This Wednesday in Los Angeles, Spotify brought together a group of podcast creat...
13/02/2026
Yesterday, Spotify and LoveShackFancy hosted a Galentine's and Gents Lunch a...
13/02/2026
What can I watch on UKTV this week?What can I stream on U this week?
This guide highlights romantic dramas for Valentine's Day, alternative relationship t...
13/02/2026
New RT series tells stranger-than-fiction stories of Irish con artists
Swindlers airs Wednesday 18 February, 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player
Swindlers, a...
12/02/2026
Valentine's Day often comes with a soundtrack. In fact, Spotify data shows that more people used Blend, our shared playlist feature, on February 14, 2025, t...
12/02/2026
Some days you want your music to reflect a specific feeling, memory, or vibe that goes beyond a single artist or genre. You want to do more than listen. You wan...
12/02/2026
The six-part crime drama, created by Claire Oakley and produced by Little Door P...
12/02/2026
Wuppertal February 12, 2026
Riedel Opens Kuala Lumpur Office to Strengthen Glo...
12/02/2026
The Digital Product Passport: A New Era of Transparency and Sustainability
Arvato Systems supports companies in getting started with the digital product passp...
11/02/2026
Video moves fast can your DAM keep up?
Join Blue Lucy in LA for the West Coast's leading Digital Asset Management event as we explore, celebrate, and acc...
11/02/2026
Wednesday 11 February 2026
Sky brings together Netflix, Disney , HBO Max and Ha...
11/02/2026
At the end of January, ICG headed off to the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, for our annual conference.
An early flight gave us plenty of time to start exploring s...
11/02/2026
The intergalactic children's show starring Adam King will premiere on 14 February on RT 2, RT KIDSjr and RT Player
The Late Late Toy Show star Adam King...
10/02/2026
With a new film adaptation of Wuthering Heights arriving just in time for Valent...