Learn which podcast genres are surging, what listeners love most, and how creators are breaking boundaries.
It’s a podcaster’s world, and everyone from fans to brands are loving every moment of living in it. Whether you’re new to podcasting or just looking for ways to grow your audience, here’s some insight into the genres that listeners are leaning into and where podcasters are taking them.
Top Podcast Genres with Audiences
Let’s start with where podcast listeners are flocking. For this, we turned to the #1 podcast network to get insight into the genres that are attracting the most fans.
Top 5 genres with listeners:1
- Comedy
- Society & culture
- TV & film
- Politics
- True crime
Don’t worry. If your show doesn’t align with the chart toppers, keep in mind that the average listener tunes into podcasts in 5.8 categories.1 And podcasts are famous for attracting niche audiences, which means many listeners are looking for something off the beaten path and more specific to them.
Genre Growth on Simplecast
Podcasting continues to grow, but we’re seeing some nuance on Simplecast. Though the number of new shows hitting RSS feeds is on the rise—the number of actual episodes produced is growing at nearly 4x the rate.
Most surprisingly—and a bit of a plot twist—the top genres for newly launched shows differ from those for newly released episodes. It's a reminder that growth is happening across the board, making it hard to pinpoint a single "most popular" category when fresh new content is emerging across a wide range of genres.
One thing to note here: The rise of the business podcast. It’s a sign that podcasts have increasingly become a place for education, career advice, and entrepreneurial resources.
Subgenres on the Rise
At first glance, selecting the right podcast genre when uploading your show may seem straight forward, but creators are getting creative. Many podcasters are thinking outside the box. They’re selecting traditional categories (like comedy or news), but they’re also hitting on secondary categories and topics.
Don't worry about making your show fit into a mold. You can create a podcast that fits your passion (and even create your own genre).
Popular Podcasters Are Breaking Out
Standard categories are not only broad, but they can feel limiting. Creators like Laci Mosely both straddle and transcend traditional genres with podcasts like Scam Goddess (sitting between true crime, comedy, and something all its own). Shows like these are ripe for their own subgenres—and podcasters are increasingly creating them.
Check out a few popular shows that are breaking the mold.
- Casuals: A sports podcast that isn’t just for sports fanatics. Men in suits? Yelling? Not on this podcast. Katie Nolan creates a space for all passions and interest levels.
- Rotten Mango: Not quite true crime, and not at all traditional. Stephanie Soo’s unique style and approach have come together to form something new (attracting millions of fans in the process).
- School of Greatness: Health? Sure. Business? That, too. Relationships? Yup, and a whole lot more. Lewis Howes’ transcends categories to help audiences unlock their inner greatness.
- Vibe Check: The biggest news stories meet the hottest gossip in this group chat brought to life. Three award-winning writers and journalists bring news, society and culture, and entertainment to one show.
Takeaways for Podcasters
- Podcasting is still in growth mode. New shows and voices are coming to the podcast space, and many current creators are focusing on expanding their existing shows.
- New audiences are discovering podcasts. As popular as podcasts are, the audience is still growing. For podcasters, that means more opportunities to build a fanbase.
- Podcasters are breaking genre boundaries. Creators are creatively blending categories and carving out new subgenres to better fit their unique content.
"Podcasting is helping me in spreading my knowledge to a wider audience. Somewhere in the world my podcast episode is being listened to, and audiences are benefitting from the knowledge I shared." – Simplecast user
If you’re looking for podcast fans, you can find them with Simplecast. Hit upload, and your shows and episodes go anywhere you want them to be—and everywhere audiences are tuning in.
Sources
1. Podsurvey Podcast User Study, Q1 2025 Base: Podcast Listeners A18+. N=3,702