The 20 Best Podcasts of 2025

Podcasting has suffered a series of blows over the past few years: industry layoffs, the rise of AI-produced slop, and, perhaps most existentially, a growing focus on video platforms. But 2025 countered the narrative that the medium is somehow no longer interested in audio—with a slew of ambitious productions that emphasized podcasting, not just as a vehicle for comedy or the news, but as an art form in itself. These works aren’t the result of people simply talking into a microphone; they reflect deep thinking about how to blend sound design and scripting into a deft aural affair. Among the year’s strongest shows was a travelogue that re-created the intimate sounds of an Antarctic expedition; an exploration of an Afrobeat legend’s life that captured the soulful cadence of his music; and an archivally rich deep dive into old Hollywood. More than anything, they reminded us that the listening experience isn’t going anywhere. (As with every year, The Atlantic ’s podcasts were exempt from consideration.) Fela Kuti: Fear No Man Jad Abumrad is something of a podcasting legend, having created influential shows such as Radiolab , More Perfect , and Dolly Parton’s America . As such, any new program bearing his imprint carries high expectations. Fear No Man , which chronicles the life and legacy of the Afrobeat pioneer and political activist Fela Kuti, easily exceeds them. Across a dozen episodes, the series contextualizes Kuti’s importance in post-colonial Nigeria—and beyond—without slipping into hagiography. Abumrad and his team manage to encompass the full spectrum of Kuti’s music—its blending of sonic traditions and narrative lyricism—through expressive sound design. At a moment when ambitious podcasts are hard to come by, the zealous fluidity of Fear No Man stands out. Start with: “To Hell and Back” Cramped Cramped , about living with debilitating period pain, is funny, educational, and at times enraging. The charming host, Kate Helen Downey, knows the subject intimately: She suffers from crippling dysmenorrhea and endometriosis. The personal connection propels her mission to humanize an experience shared by a large portion (90 percent) of all people who menstruate. She presents hard data and research, and interviews experts alongside guests who experience period pain. But the show’s greatest asset is its levity. Downey mixes things up with lively gags, such as menstruation-themed songs—making for a listen that’s provocative but never dispiriting. Start with: “The ER: Why Isn’t Period Pain Treated Like Other Kinds of Pain?” The Selects Podcast Podcasting as a medium isn’t particularly well set up for posterity: Much like the radio broadcasts that birthed the form, not every show is preserved for future listening. The Selects Podcast , from Radiotopia, is an attempt to build out an archive. Each episode resurfaces at least one segment from a forgotten or overlooked program. Highlights include an abstract documentary of a mother-daughter trip to Taiwan, an examination of war correspondents’ psyches, and a bygone public-radio show meant to promote reading. The overall package, which includes introductions by a producer on the show, Mitra Kaboli,...

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