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
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
15/09/2025
Global K-Pop sensation aespa is redefining what it means to be rich with the r...
15/09/2025
Every day, millions of people around the world turn to Spotify to enjoy the audi...
15/09/2025
After months of intensive planning and implementation, Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic...
15/09/2025
Unique sports content orchestration platform builds momentum among SES's cus...
15/09/2025
-- Opens door to growth in renewable energy New Delhi, India - 15th September -- Global business and industry leaders from around the world are joining technol...
13/09/2025
Harmonic's Software-Based XOS Advanced Media Processor Provides Unparalleled Efficiency and Unlocks New Business Models SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 13, 2025 -...
12/09/2025
For fans, we know how important it is to stay plugged into music culture and dis...
12/09/2025
Link ping, Sweden and Shipley, United Kingdom, September 12, 2025 - Agama, the expert in video observability and analytics for service quality and customer expe...
12/09/2025
Feature-length retrospective from Studio Crook to air in 2026
Sir David Jason returns to the nation's favourite comedy channel, U&GOLD, for Open All Hours:...
12/09/2025
Friday 12 September 2025
The Boomtown Rats, Nyah Grace, Soweto Kinch, Royal Ballet and Madness also announced to perform at the ceremony on Tuesday
Sky today ...
12/09/2025
Wuppertal September 12, 2025
Riedel Unveils Ultra-Light Bolero Mini Wireless Intercom BeltpackAt IBC2025 in Amsterdam, Riedel Communications unveiled Bolero M...
12/09/2025
Wuppertal September 12, 2025
Riedel Communications Acquires hi human interfaceRiedel Communications today announced the acquisition of hi human interface fro...
12/09/2025
CORE+ virtually removes distortion, setting a new standard for church sound and giving worship teams the clarity and confidence they need.
Read the full artic...
12/09/2025
The Late Late Show is back with a bang after the summer break, and Patrick Kielt...
12/09/2025
The World Athletics Championships, Ireland v France in the Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-final, the Irish Champions Festival, and two Sports Direct Men...
12/09/2025
The Records Show starts Sunday at 6.30pm on RT One and RT Player.
Katie Hanno...
11/09/2025
RADAR, Spotify's program for emerging talent, recently hit a major milestone...
11/09/2025
Link ping, Sweden, September 11, 2025 - Agama, the expert in video observability & analytics for service quality and customer experience, announced today the la...
11/09/2025
Under the USD 89.6 Million award, SES Space & Defense will provide global commer...
11/09/2025
Leading Balkan DTH provider adds capacity to consolidate its m:Sat TV platform at 23.5 degrees East and serve more customers across the region
Luxembourg, 11 S...
11/09/2025
UKTV's free streaming service U launches on Sky Q
Free streaming service U has launched on Sky Q in the UK, UKTV and Sky confirm today, expanding the footp...
11/09/2025
From the discreet 2061 lavaliers to 4099 and 4011 mics, the setup delivered clean, natural sound in one of the most challenging broadcast environments.
Read th...
11/09/2025
From rugged build quality to natural, detailed sound, the verdict is clear: big performance can come in a very small package.
Read the full review here!...
11/09/2025
Tonight on Prime Time
RT One and RT Player at 9:35pm
Tonight RT Prime Time...
11/09/2025
RT Statement: 2026 Eurovision Song Contest
At the General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in July, a number of EBU members raised concerns ...
10/09/2025
Lossless on Spotify Premium is here.
Lossless audio has been one of the most a...
10/09/2025
The Television Will Be Revolutionised Sep 10, 2025
Written by Sunit Kotecha, Director of Delivery and Operations, YouView
2025 marks a century since the f...
10/09/2025
First of Spains F110 frigates get future-ready with Rohde & Schwarz communicatio...
10/09/2025
Harmonic's cOS Platform Supports DOCSIS and Fiber, Enabling Midco to Deliver Reliable Multi-Gigabit Connectivity to Subscribers SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 10,...
10/09/2025
RT brings three days of live radio, live entertainment, live news, live weather, personal appearances, and more
Join RT Radio 1: Morning Ireland, The Oliver ...
09/09/2025
Since 2020, Spotify's RADAR program has been a launchpad for emerging talent...
09/09/2025
In 2020, Spotify launched RADAR with a clear mission: to identify, nurture, and ...
09/09/2025
If you're on BookTok, you know the drill. You scroll, you tap, and suddenly your To Be Read list is overflowing with trending must-reads. Not unlike Spoti...
09/09/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
09/09/2025
Harmonic's VOS360 Ad SaaS Enables Personalized Ad Delivery and Seamless Integration with the Ad Tech Ecosystem SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 9, 2025 - Harmonic ...
09/09/2025
St. Luke's Episcopal Church in New Jersey needed audio that truly connects and they found the answer.
Read the full case study here!...
09/09/2025
From AI-driven sound design to adaptable systems and uncompromising audio quality, the discussion highlights how innovation is shaping the future of performance...
09/09/2025
The conversation covers DPA's natural, uncolored sound, how to choose the right mic for any application and the company's latest innovations including C...
09/09/2025
From the origins of CORE to the latest CORE+ upgrade, the article explores how DPA minimizes distortion, expands dynamic range and ensures clarity at every SPL ...
09/09/2025
September 9 2025, 07:22 (PDT) Dolby Revolutionizes Entertainment on Four Wheels...
09/09/2025
The Autumn Schedule has begun on RT Raidi na Gaeltachta, with a feast of music, entertainment, news and current affairs programmes as well as an interesting s...
08/09/2025
The company continues to focus on its own training programs. Recently, 20 new ap...
08/09/2025
How an MVP-first approach helps you move faster, stay flexible, and deliver smarter.
Too often, media technology projects aim to solve everything at once ma...
08/09/2025
Fox Corporation Announces Resolution of Murdoch Family Trust Matter New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA - September 8, 2025 - Fox Corporation ( FOX or the Comp...
08/09/2025
Fox Corporation Announces Secondary Offering of Class B Common Stock New York, NY, and Los Angeles, CA - September 8, 2025 - Fox Corporation ( FOX or the Co...
08/09/2025
Fox Corporation Announces Pricing of Secondary Offering of Class B Common Stock New York, NY, and Los Angeles, CA, September 8, 2025 Fox Corporation ( FOX ...
08/09/2025
PantoneLIVE Adds New Color Libraries to Meet Growing Demand for Two-Piece Alumin...
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.
