Top 10 Audio Podcast Series You Need to Hear

The audience for podcasts in the United States and worldwide has grown rapidly in recent years, with research from 2022 showing that 73% of the US population aged 12 or up reported listening to online audio in the last month. Whether in the car on their way to work or to relax after a long day, an estimated 209 million people in the United States alone — and even more internationally — regularly listen to an audio podcast.

These days, podcasts have become so much more than people sitting down with microphones and talking. Hundreds of audio series use the audio medium to tell compelling, riveting stories like the ones you’d watch in television or movies.

If you’re looking to find your next audio obsession, here are a few fantastic audio series to get started with:

“Insta Millionaire”

“Insta Millionaire” is one of the most popular podcasts on the revolutionary Pocket FM platform. The series follows a man who, after growing up in a life of luxury and excess, gets a taste of the humble life when he is enrolled in a “poverty training program.” After returning to his old life, he struggles to reconcile his wealth with the lessons he learned while living on a shoestring budget. With 1,078 available episodes, “Insta Millionaire” — like the rest of the series on Pocket FM — is designed with “binge listening” in mind and is set to become your next obsession.

“Welcome to Night Vale”

“Welcome to Night Vale” is one of the most popular and enduring fiction radio podcasts, with 225 episodes in its main series since beginning in 2012. The show takes the form of a twice-monthly radio show detailing the strange events happening in the eponymous small town. While each episode offers a standalone narrative, they tie together with common characters, running jokes, and overall story arcs. For those looking to be immersed in the world of their audio storytelling, “Welcome to Night Vale” is a wonderfully reliable choice.

“Dust”

“Dust” is a science fiction anthology podcast with three seasons so far, each offering a different story. The podcast is produced by Gunpowder & Sky, the company behind the popular Dust and Alter media companies. Like the company it is named after, the “Dust” podcast is to provide passionate sci-fi fans around the globe with entertaining, unforgettable content. Audiences won’t soon forget these sci-fi adventures, especially since they star A-list voice acting talent, including Toni Collette (“Hereditary”), Dan Stevens (“Beauty and the Beast”), Haley Joel Osment (“The Sixth Sense”), and more.

“Saving Nora”

The Pocket FM drama series “Saving Nora” follows a woman who, after accidentally getting pregnant, finds herself dumped by her fiancé, cast out from her town, and shunned as the black sheep of her family. However, she later returns successful and beautiful, and everyone has begun to envy her — but it’s time for them to get what they deserve. With hundreds of episodes, “Saving Nora” is a tense, nail-biting melodrama unrivaled in the audio content sphere.

“I Hear Fear”

“I Hear Fear” is a brand-new anthology series narrated by Academy Award-nominated actress Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”), featuring six tales of true horror. The podcast’s goal was to bridge the gap between true crime fans and horror fans, giving both something to satiate their morbid fascinations. With immersive sound design and fantastic voice acting, listeners will absolutely be drawn into the fantastic atmosphere of “I Hear Fear.”

“Underwater”

What stands out about the neo-noir thriller podcast “Underwater” is that it’s not just a podcast — it’s also a self-proclaimed “first-of-its-kind narrative album” featuring original music from megastar musician Jason Derulo. Starring Derulo alongside actress Alexandra Shipp (“Barbie”), the podcast follows a couple at a high-end island resort as their relationship is tested by deep secrets. “Underwater” stands out as a new format in audio storytelling, combining many mediums of audio entertainment into one exciting series.

“The Return”

Pocket FM’s “The Return” tells the story of a woman who is the victim of a scheme where she is drugged and unwittingly sleeps with a stranger on the eve of her wedding, causing her to be exiled by her community and loved ones. Years later, she returns to her hometown, and people begin to wonder if she has started a new life or if the child she has with her is the product of her fateful encounter. With millions of listeners worldwide, people are constantly binging this extraordinary mystery.

“American Hostage”

Amazon’s “American Hostage” is an edge-of-your-seat podcast thriller starring Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”) as a radio reporter who becomes embroiled in a fight for his life when a hostage-taker demands to be interviewed on his program. The show’s listeners praise it for its gripping, engaging storytelling, and, of course, the lead performance by the always-brilliant Hamm. Although “American Hostage” is shorter than many of the other series on this list, it’s one not to miss.

“Ghostwriter”

Described as a “podcast movie experience,” the thriller “Ghostwriter” follows a journalist who takes a job ghostwriting a murder mystery novel for an eccentric billionaire, only for more sinister happenings to arise as the tale unfolds. Starring Kate Mara (“Fantastic Four”) and Adam Scott (“Parks and Recreation”), “Ghostwriter” is incredibly suspenseful, and even though it is only a single 81-minute experience, it’s utterly engrossing.

“Strawberry Spring”

There are few names in the horror genre as iconic as Stephen King, and the horror fiction podcast “Strawberry Spring” is based on one of the legendary author’s short stories. With a star-studded voice cast including Sydney Sweeney (“Euphoria”), Garrett Hedlund (“TRON: Legacy”), and Milo Ventimiglia (“This Is Us”), among others, this serial killer mystery is one of the most exciting podcasts you will find.

If you’re looking for your next great audio adventure, look no further than some of these podcasts. From ghost stories to riveting dramas about millionaires, there’s something for everyone when it comes to these outstanding audio series.

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Tags: drama series, Pocket FM, Podcasts, Saving Nora Podcast

About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.