
In a year where people have come to expect the unexpected, comedy podcasts can provide a welcome respite with laughter and lighthearted listening.
Spotify has three new podcasts for those looking for their next dose of humor. Read on for a little about each one, as well as a short Q&A with the creators, guests, and hosts who are responsible for the laughs. Get ready to chuckle.
The Sketch Factor is a scripted sketch comedy podcast produced by Radio Point, and hosted by Fred Armisen, who's known for his work on the television shows Portlandia and Documentary Now! In this series, Armisen plays Xandor Szavost, an inventor, philanthropist, and billionaire who is using his fortune to finance a sketch comedy competition for his own amusement. At three to five minutes each, episodes are short and perfect for a quick comedy hit. For the Record caught up with the show's cast member and comedian, Seaton Smith.
What's the best April Fools' prank you've ever been a part of? Seaton: God, I hate pranks. One time I was late to a show, and my friend and his girl got there early and were bored. So, as a prank, he had his girlfriend call me and tell me that he started a fight with the bouncer and the police were there holding him down, and I had to hurry up and get there. It WAS funny. It just wasn't the easiest thing to laugh at.
What would you say is the main difference between audio-only comedy, like what's in this podcast, and comedy with a visual component? Seaton: Comedy you just listen to is fun because it hits you differently. Visually, I need all of your attention, and if I lose your attention for a second, then the comedy is hurt. But with audio, you can go do other things and still be all into it. It's like we're in your mind as you go about your day.
The podcast Flameout, produced by Treefort Media, brings together comedians to unravel the biggest business success stories gone wrong. The stories feature insider interviews and juicy revelations that include comedic and unfiltered opinions on the business flameouts. We chatted with Michael Ian Black, Baron Vaughn, Atsuko Okatsuka, and Abbi Crutchfield, who all take a turn as show hosts.
Why do you think comedy has been so important over the last year? Abbi: Comedy has been a release valve for all of my pent-up frustration-fear, anger, despair-during the past year. It wasn't easy to adjust to virtual performances, but it was always a relief to do a show and connect with people. I thought it might be the new way for everyone to enjoy comedy (So convenient! No commute! No drunken fights!), but now with the vaccine, it seems more like a dystopian version of comedy. There is no substitute for live performance, as Milli Vanilli will tell you.
What's the best April Fools' prank you've ever been a part of? Michael: I faked my own death for 10 years, April 1, 2003 to April 1, 2013. Joke ended up being on me, though, because my wife remarried and started a new family in my absence. So that was kind of a bummer.
Atsuko: I've never been a part of an April Fools' prank because that would insinuate I had friends. Ha-it's okay I've coped with it. Instead, I've been the subject of an April Fools' prank, where a bunch of rich popular girls from school put shaving cream all over my car and wrapped it up with toilet paper. My car was parked in front of my uncle's house. Because I was living in his garage. As an undocumented kid. Yay America!
What would you say is the main difference between audio-only comedy, like what's in this podcast, and comedy with a visual component? Baron: Listening to someone without seeing the speaker or any other visual component requires an entirely different level of focus. Not relying on visual cues means tuning into things like tone, inflection, and rhythm. You get a different sense of how someone talks. Those are things that are usually natural, but there are ways to play with that with intention. That, however, is for another April Fools'.
Nosy Neighbors is a new podcast featuring comedians Candice Thompson (previously a writer/correspondent on Lights Out with David Spade) and Chinedu Unaka (who will be featured on the upcoming season of Insecure). In each episode, the cohosts highlight the wildest neighbor stories of the week, dissecting and analyzing those involved, settling disputes, unpacking petty posts on local forums, and celebrating good neighborly behavior. The series includes call-ins from fellow comedians who share their own tales of notable neighbors. Both Candice and Chinedu answered a few questions for us.
Why do you think comedy has been so important over the last year? Candice: Man . . . comedy should've made it onto Time Magazine's Most Influential People of the Year list for 2020. We all would have lost our minds without it. Every comedian was an essential worker last year. Putting out online content became something I know I started doing more of to entertain other people, because I know they were looking for literally any reason to laugh, but I also did it for my own sanity. I had always thought of comedy as a career, but last year it felt like it became a charitable donation. I'm going to see if I can write it off on my taxes.
What's the best April Fools' prank you've ever been a part of? Candice: I've never been a huge prank person, but I do recall being on the receiving end of a prank in college when my best friend told me he'd gotten someone pregnant. We were so ride or die I was mentally preparing to drop out of college to help him raise the baby. I was like, I can learn to breastfeed. How hard can it be? That prank was stressful.
Chinedu: Me and my college friend Anthony bought a bunch of bike locks and locked everyone in our dormitory's bikes together early morning
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
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...
15/05/2026
Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, in partnership with RAVE Foundation an...
15/05/2026
Dan Brumm has served as sound designer on Bluey, the Australian children's t...
15/05/2026
The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated are accepting applications for the 6th annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Schola...
15/05/2026
Netflix has announced an expanded NFL schedule for 2026 and beyond under a four-year partnership extension with the NFL through the 2029-30 season. Each season,...
15/05/2026
Ateme is supporting TVRI (Televisi Republik Indonesia) with a contribution and d...
15/05/2026
Concacaf has announced the launch of a new website and mobile app built on Deltatre's FORGE platform. Concacaf.com and the mobile app, available on iOS and ...
15/05/2026
Eutelsat has announced the launch of QBC Business Economic Channel by Qatar Media Corporation, broadcasting in 4K/UHD via Eutelsat's 7/8 West video neighbo...
15/05/2026
Major League Soccer has announced four original content series timed to the 2026...
15/05/2026
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) has announced it will exhibit and present at InfoComm 2026, taking place June 13-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Cente...
15/05/2026
InfoComm 2026 will take place June 13-19 (exhibits June 17-19) at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show will include sessions and exhibits covering broadcas...
15/05/2026
Tracy McGrady's Ones Basketball League (OBL) and FuboTV Inc. have announced ...
15/05/2026
Disguise has partnered with Creative Technology (CT) to deliver visual playback ...
15/05/2026
Sony Electronics has announced two new products for professional imaging: the Alpha 7R VI full-frame mirrorless camera and the FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS super-te...
15/05/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
15/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
15/05/2026
For sports organizations, the most valuable assets are often the most sensitive:...
15/05/2026
The NFL's broadcast partners released their 2026 regular season schedules ye...
15/05/2026
When MMA icons Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano meet inside the Hexagon at Intuit Do...
15/05/2026
Daniel Roher attends the Tuner Premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at Eccles Theatre on January 22, 2026 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Neilson Bar...
15/05/2026
Last night, the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico returned to the country's capital. Now in its second year, the evening honors creators whose voices are hel...
15/05/2026
Rebranded show announced
Ahead of their 2026 return, Music Expo have announced that they have now officially changed their name to the MONO Music Conference...
15/05/2026
Fuzz pedal joins UK companys line-up
UK-based pedal makers Buzzing Bugs Audio Devices have recently unveiled their latest creation, the Bolster. Said to pay...
15/05/2026
Joint Statement: News Bargaining Incentive
28 April, 2026
Media releases
The vibrancy of Australian democracy relies on the robust and open exchange of new...
15/05/2026
Call it Deltavision, Australia's through to the Grand Final of this year'...
15/05/2026
Join Calrec at MPTS 2026 | May 13-14 | Stand A40 | Olympia, London We're looking forward to meeting up with customers and partners at this year's Media ...
15/05/2026
86% of media planners would move more linear TV budget to CTV if they had show-level targeting and reporting - and 65% would also shift dollars from programmati...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Clear-Com will showcase new communications solutions and major platform updates at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7005), June 17-19, in the North and Central Halls of t...
15/05/2026
Following an outstanding inaugural year in 2025, Rise AV is proud to announce the return of its flagship leadership initiative, Elevate. The programme continues...
15/05/2026
Berklee Announces Lineup for Inaugural AI Music Summit The three-day event puts musicians at the center of the future of music creation, ethics, and the indus...
15/05/2026
Lightware returns to InfoComm 2026 with a focused showcase of scalable USB-C connectivity, next-generation AV-over-IP solutions, and technologies that help over...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Delivering a live, arena-scale production of a massively popular band is no small feat. Between expansive in-arena LED walls and a global live stream fed to onl...
15/05/2026
Connection is the heartbeat of any strong community, and with live streaming becoming more accessible in the modern era, it's much easier for faith-based or...
15/05/2026
Powered by GX 3 media servers, optimised IP-VFC workflows and on-site engineering expertise, the production delivers high-performance visuals for one of the wor...
15/05/2026
Back to All News
A Mother, Two Daughters and One Big Scandal: Netflixs Crime-Co...
15/05/2026
Against that backdrop, IAB UK has added retail media to its Gold Standard. Jan Pitt, Commercial Director at ABC, spoke with Liv McCullagh, Retail Media Lead at ...
15/05/2026
Further to RT 's statement released yesterday and in the interest of full transparency, with the full permission of Derek Mooney, we are now publishing the ...
14/05/2026
Sweetwater and Airstream have announced a custom-built Dolby Atmos mobile recording studio inside an Airstream trailer, set to tour music festivals, schools, tr...
14/05/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has announced a new par...
14/05/2026
ESPN has announced plans to transform Santa Monica Beach into a broadcast hub du...
14/05/2026
Amagi has announced a significant update to Amagi CLOUDPORT, its cloud-based broadcast playout platform. The update includes 250-plus features shipped in FY25-2...