Top 10 Most Popular Podcasts

Podcasts are booming and the Coronavirus pandemic has made that fact more true than ever. The podcast industry is now a billion-dollar industry and there are absolutely no signs that its popularity growth is stopping anytime soon. Millions of people all around the world are now listening to podcasts on a daily basis.

The popularity of podcasts can be explained by their 21st century-compatible concept. It is basically an on-demand talk radio show, that combines the radio talk show format with the on-demand availability of streaming services.

The podcast boom has led to an explosion of new podcasts show, covering a variety of genres. This isn’t surprising either, considering that practically everyone can start a podcast. You don’t need a big broadcast studio or work for a radio station, just a mic and computer. So while there are lots and lots of podcasters out there these days, there are some that really dominate the podcast market. These biggest podcasts attract millions of listeners per episode. But what are the most popular podcasts?

The following list ranks the most listened to podcasts in the world by global listeners across all platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, etc.). Note that the ranking only counts shows that are actual podcasts (traditional radio shows are hence disregarded here).

The 10 Most Popular Podcasts in the World 2022

1. The Joe Rogan Experience

The Joe Rogan Experience

Hosted by: Joe Rogan

Running since: 2009
Genre: Talk / Interviews
Podcast language: English

Broadcast from: Austin, Texas, USA
Owned/Published by: Spotify Technology SA

Average listeners per episode (estimate): ~ 11.0 million

#1 on Spotify in 2021

2. Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Hosted by: Ashley Flowers & Brit Prawat

Running since: 2017
Genre: True crime
Podcast language: English

Broadcast from: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Owned/Published by: Audio Chuck LLC

Average listeners per episode (estimate): ~ 5.9 million

#1 on Apple Podcasts in 2021
#3 on Spotify in 2021

3. Call Her Daddy

Call Her Daddy

Hosted by: Alexandra Cooper

Running since: 2018
Genre: Comedy & Sex/Relationship advice
Podcast language: English

Broadcast from: New York City, New York, USA
Owned/Published by: Spotify Technology SA

Average listeners per episode (estimate): ~ 3.0 million

#2 on Spotify in 2021

4. My Favorite Murder

My Favorite Murder

Hosted by: Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark

Running since: 2016
Genre: True crime
Podcast language: English

Broadcast from: Los Angeles, California, USA
Owned/Published by: Exactly Right Media, Inc.

Average listeners per episode (estimate): ~ 2.9 million

5. The Ben Shapiro Show

The Ben Shapiro Show

Hosted by: Benjamin Shapiro

Running since: 2015
Genre: Politics
Podcast language: English

Broadcast from: Boca Raton, Florida, USA
Owned/Published by: Bentkey Ventures LLC
(through The Daily Wire)

Average listeners per episode (estimate): ~ 2.6 million

6. The Daily

The Daily

Hosted by: Michael Barbaro

Running since: 2017
Genre: News
Podcast language: English

Broadcast from: New York City, New York, USA
Owned/Published by: The New York Times Company

Average listeners per episode (estimate): ~ 1.8 million

#2 on Apple Podcasts in 2021

7. Office Ladies

Office Ladies

Hosted by: Angela Kinsey & Jenna Fischer

Running since: 2019
Genre: Behind the Scenes commentary on episodes of “The Office” (U.S. version)
Podcast language: English

Broadcast from: Los Angeles, California, USA
Owned/Published by: Liberty Media
(through Sirius XM/Earwolf)

Average listeners per episode (estimate): ~ 1.5 million

8. Pod Save America

Pod Save America

Hosted by: Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett & Thomas Vietor

Running since: 2017
Genre: Politics
Podcast language: English

Broadcast from: Los Angeles, California, USA
Owned/Published by: Crooked Media, Inc.

Average listeners per episode (estimate): ~ 1.4 million

9. Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

Hosted by: Charles Bryant & Josh Clark

Running since: 2008
Genre: Infotainment
Podcast language: English

Broadcast from: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Owned/Published by: iHeartMedia, Inc.

Average listeners per episode (estimate): ~ 1.2 million

10. Morbid: A True Crime Podcast

Morbid: A True Crime Podcast

Hosted by: Ashleigh Kelley & Alaina Urquhart

Running since: 2018
Genre: True crime
Podcast language: English

Broadcast from: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Owned/Published by: Morbid: A True Crime Podcast LLC

Average listeners per episode (estimate): ~ 1.1 million

#3 on Apple Podcasts in 2021

The 10 Most Popular Podcasts 2022

(Last Update: February 2022)

The Top 10 Most Popular Podcasts:
1. THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE Hosted by Joe Rogan
2. CRIME JUNKIE Hosted by Ashley Flowers & Brit Prawat
3. CALL HER DADDY Hosted by Alexandra Cooper
4. MY FAVORITE MURDER Hosted by: Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark
5. THE BEN SHAPIRO SHOW Hosted by Benjamin Shapiro
6. THE DAILY Hosted by Michael Barbaro
7. OFFICE LADIES Hosted by Angela Kinsey & Jenna Fischer
8. POD SAVE AMERICA Hosted by: Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett & Thomas Vietor
9. STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW Hosted by Charles Bryant & Josh Clark
10. MORBID: A TRUE CRIME PODCAST Hosted by: Ashleigh Kelley & Alaina Urquhart

Top 10 most popular podcasts by the estimated average number of listeners per episode across all platforms. Radio shows are not counted as podcasts and therefore not eligible for the ranking.