71 Best Podcasts (2026): True Crime, Culture, Science, Fiction | WIRED
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Podcasts are to radio as streaming services are to television, and we're lucky to be living through a golden age of both. But you need help finding the best podcasts worthy of your ear because, while you can find a podcast about almost anything these days, with great choice comes great mediocrity. Our expertly curated list will entertain and educate you, whether you’re doing the dishes, working out, commuting, or lazing in the bath.
For more advice, check out our guides on how to listen to more podcasts and the best podcasts for kids. If you’re feeling entrepreneurial, read our recommendations on the gear you need to start a podcast.
Updated March 2026: I added several podcasts, including Flesh and Code, The Outlaw Ocean, What We Spend, Midnight Burger, and Fonejacker.
Table of Contents
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- Best Tech Podcasts
- Best Society Podcasts
- Best Culture Podcasts
- Best True-Crime Podcasts
- Best Science Podcasts
- Best Economics Podcasts
- Best Business Podcasts
- Best Celebrity Interview Podcasts
- Best Sports Podcasts
- Best Music Podcasts
- Best Movie Podcasts
- Best TV Podcasts
- Best Fiction Podcasts
- Best History Podcasts
- Best Food Podcasts
- Best Health and Wellness Podcasts
- Best Comedy Podcasts
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Podcast Subscriptions
There's a world of free podcasts, but you can also snag various podcast subscriptions that provide different benefits, including ad-free listening, early episodes, and bonus content. Subscriptions can also get you access to virtual events and discounted merch, and let you support your favorite podcasters.
Audible Plus ($9 a month): With a growing catalog of exclusive podcasts, it's worth considering Audible Plus. If you want to pick an audiobook each month, you need the Premium Plus subscription at $15 a month. This also now includes podcasts that were under the Wondery+ banner.
Tenderfoot TV Plus ($6 a month, $40 a year): This subscription gets you ad-free episodes and bonus content for Tenderfoot shows.
Pushkin Plus ($7 a month, $40 a year): There's a decent selection of podcasts in different genres at Pushkin, and this subscription provides ad-free listening, bonus content, and support for any podcast app.
NPR Plus ($8 a month): This subscription gives you full access to around 25 NPR podcasts, exclusive shows, and shop discounts.
Best Tech Podcasts
Courtesy of Wondery
Flesh and Code
With human and AI relationships on the rise, this podcast tells the stories of people who have fallen in love with AI partners. With a gentle, empathetic approach, hosts Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala (Redhanded) unpick emotional human tales from what is becoming a big business with potentially tragic results.
AppleSpotify
Courtesy of Darknet Diaries
Darknet Diaries
Anyone with an interest in hacking and cybercrime will appreciate this investigative podcast from Jack Rhysider. Densely packed and tightly edited, the show covers topics like Xbox hacking, a Greek wiretapping Vodafone scandal, and the impact of the NotPetya malware. Rhysider skillfully weaves informative narratives to unravel complex issues and keeps things mostly accessible, though it may occasionally get a little too technical for some folks.
AppleSpotify
Courtesy of ABC News
The Dropout
Sneak a peek behind the curtain, as this podcast follows the trials and tribulations of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, the tech startup that promised to disrupt blood testing but disintegrated in the face of whistleblowers, inaccurate results, and fraudulent claims. John Carreyrou’s reporting broke the scandal, and his book Bad Blood also spawned another interesting podcast. But The Dropout is a refreshingly clear recounting of the sordid tale, with season two tackling the trial.
AppleSpotify
Courtesy of Center for Humane Technology
Your Undivided Attention
Ex-Googler Tristan Harris, whom you may recognize from the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, talks with Aza Raskin about the dangers of living your life online. As cofounders of the Center for Humane Technology, they delve into the ethics of Big Tech, unpack the potential pitfalls, and try to imagine ways to harness technology for the good of humanity.
AppleSpotify
Courtesy of Dallas Taylor
Twenty Thousand Hertz
Painstakingly researched, this podcast dives deep into the world of sound to explain everything from those sounds you always hear in movie trailers to car engines, choral music, the Netflix intro, and way beyond. Learn how iconic sounds were created, why certain sounds make us feel the way they do, and how sound enriches our lives in myriad ways.
AppleSpotify
Other Great Tech Podcasts
- WIRED’s Uncanny Valley: If we may be so bold, our flagship