Podcasts seem to cover everything these days, from shows that take you behind the scenes of your favorite sitcoms, to investigations into the weirdest true crime mysteries. However, there are so many options to choose from that it can be difficult to choose the podcast that's right for you. Thankfully, the most popular podcast apps are designed to make finding the perfect show simple and easy—you just need to know how to use them. Whether you need something to listen to on your next road trip or are looking for your weekly dose of pop culture, here's how to choose your podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more.
According to the Podcast Index, as of April 21, there were more than 4 million podcasts listed on the index. Of course, it's nice to have a variety of options, but if you're new to the world of podcasting, the number may seem daunting. How many podcasts do you need to test before you find the one that’s right for you? How do you decide which collections are worthy of the hype and which ones are certified? Rather than leaving you in decision paralysis, these helpful tools on the Apple Podcasts and Spotify apps can help you find the genre you're looking for, so you can spend less time searching and more time listening.
How to choose podcasts on Apple
Finding podcasts on the Apple Podcasts app is easy, and the best part is, you probably already have the app installed on your phone—if you have an iPhone, that is. To find the podcast that best suits your ~vibe~, here's what you need to do. Open the Apple Podcasts app (aka the purple app), which contains an illustration of two circles surrounding a stick figure, and open the Browse tab at the bottom of the page.
From there, you can browse the app's vast selection of shows by section. The "Top Shows" section highlights the most popular podcasts on the app, while "Top Shows" showcases the most popular shows right now. New & Noteworthy is the app curator's current favorite home for all things genre, while The Moment has all the cutting-edge coverage of today's headlines. There's even a "What's New in Podcasts" section to make the selection process smoother with easy-to-navigate subcategories for charts, trends, in-depth interviews, historical favorites, immersive fiction, and more.
When you find a show you like, you can also scroll down to the bottom of the podcast page to see the "You May Also Like" section, in case you're looking for more content to fill out your library. If you're looking for a specific show or interview with a public figure, you can also enter their name in the search bar to find the podcast you're looking for.
Spotify
To start browsing Spotify's curated podcasts, all you need to do is open the Spotify app, tap the Search button at the bottom of the screen, and select the Podcasts option under "Browse All."
From here on, if you're a regular Spotify user, it shouldn't be too difficult to navigate the subcategories within the Podcasts section. Similar to the layout of the platform's playlist options, you can browse Spotify's curated podcasts by genre (sections like Comedy, Education, Music, Sports, Fiction, and History), popularity (via the Podcast Chart), and exclusivity (via Only). on Spotify) and more.
To see a more organized breakdown of your options, you can also click the "See all categories" button at the bottom of the page. Here, the content will be divided into eight categories - Arts & Entertainment, Business & Technology, Education, Gaming, Lifestyle & Wellness, News & Politics, Sports & Entertainment, and True Crime - with a story listed under each category. Series related topics section.
In the Arts & Entertainment section, you can browse content about books, celebrities, comedy, design, movies, TV, pop culture, and more, while the Education section covers content related to government, history, languages, philosophy, and science. This page will make it easier for you to determine your interests, so be sure to check it out if you feel overwhelmed by the options.
When you find a podcast worth subscribing to, don't forget to browse the "More Like This" section on the show page to find similar content.
Other podcast apps
If you want to explore your options further, you can also download podcast apps like the iHeart Radio app, Stitcher, NPR One, and Google Podcasts to listen to your favorite shows and search for similar content.
If you ask 10 people for podcast recommendations, you'll probably get 20 different answers. Thankfully, you don't need the help of 10 people to start your podcasting journey - you already have all the tools you need, although it never hurts to ask the group chat for some advice.
