How to build a profitable podcast.
Dive into 2024: 7 Popular Podcast Ideas and Topics You Can't Miss
By the end of 2024, global podcast listenership is projected to hit 504.9 million.
As a listener, podcasts allow you to keep up with current events, laugh out loud at a comedy sketch, and learn new skills, all while walking the dog. The simplistic format combined with the topical scope and convenience makes podcasts the ultimate platform for media consumption.
The popularity of podcasts means that virtually anyone can make one, whether you’re a business, influencer, or simply a podcast lover. That said, this means there’s significant competition. Choosing interesting and popular podcast ideas is key.
In this article, we’ll provide ideas for your podcast, discuss why certain topics resonate, and give you examples for inspiration.
You don’t have to start a podcast in a popular niche. The truth is, you can develop a popular podcast covering pretty much any topic. If you build it, they will come.
However, there are some advantages to choosing a popular topic.
Firstly, it has a built-in audience. Just because someone listens to another podcast in the space, it doesn’t mean they won’t listen to yours. The average listener consumes seven hours of podcasts per week so there’s no reason you can’t establish a following.
Secondly, podcasting is a growing medium. There’s significant demand for content that covers specific topics. If you can find even a sliver of a demand gap, you’re onto a winner.
Finally, you can take inspiration and ideas from existing podcasts in the niche. Consumers favor familiarity. Whether this means providing video, adding niche segments, or conducting frequent Q&As, you should learn from what others are doing.
Ready to hit record?
Let’s dive into the top 7 popular podcast ideas for 2024.
Comedy is the most popular podcast genre. If you pride yourself in your sense of humor, a comedy pod could be in your wheelhouse.
The space is currently dominated by famous stand-up comedians. However, there is a market for more localized humor, particularly if you pair the podcast with a strong social media strategy. Plenty of successful comedy podcasters don’t have comedic backgrounds.
Your podcast doesn’t have to resemble a live comedy show. You can tell stories, interview guests, perform sketches, or talk about funny events. The goal is to entertain and make people laugh.
The Joe Rogan Experience consistently ranks as the number-one comedy podcast in the world. In fact, it’s the most listened-to podcast in any genre.
While the host, Joe Rogan, is a professional comic, the content isn’t always comedically based.
This just shows the freedom you have with a podcast. You don’t have to strictly stick to one topic. Listeners will also be drawn to your personality and may take an interest in other subjects you discuss naturally.
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Society and culture is another giant category in podcasting. You can generate hundreds of topics from this genre.
For example, there are countless podcasts based on internet culture. These shows cover the latest online news, goings-on with streamers and internet personalities, as well as in-person and digital meetups.
If you want to start a podcast in this area, it’s best to stick to a topic you’re familiar with as it will come across more naturally.
Society and Culture Podcast Example
Interestingly, women consume more podcasts than men. Naturally, you can find a variety of podcasts dedicated to women's interests, like women’s health, women in tech, and successful women in business.
Call Her Daddy is one of the most popular podcasts on the planet. Although its listenership includes plenty of men, the content is female-driven and presented from a woman’s angle. The show covers a range of societal topics but mainly touches on dating and relationships.
This podcast is a clear demonstration of how people want to consume content that focuses on daily life and relationships.
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True Crime is a perfect example of a popular podcast idea that doesn’t require originality. It’s a narration-based subject that requires scriptwriting and storytelling abilities rather than one-liners and hot takes.
The best part about creating a true crime pod is that listeners can’t get enough of them. It consistently ranks in the top five categories year after year. People seem to enjoy hearing grizzly tales about ghost stories and serial killers.
If you plan on starting a crime or narration-based podcast, consider one key caveat. There is considerable competition out there. Several popular shows dominate the space and have already captured the audience.
You’ll likely have to offer something different, whether that’s fictional stories, visuals, or a batch of tales that haven’t been heard before.
Serial is perhaps the most popular True Crime series ever. Hosted by Sarah Koenig, the show was and continues to be a major success.
Whether you start out with Last Podcast on the Left or Crime Junkie, you’ll likely find yourself listening to Serial at some point.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of quality crime podcasts to listen to. Be sure to consume a healthy dose and take notes of what makes each one stand out. Regardless, you’ll likely have to hone your storytelling skills and learn some investigative journalism to give your show an edge.
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As you might expect, sports podcasts are huge worldwide. In the United States, sports podcasts earn the largest share of ad revenue, even though they typically rank behind comedy, crime, and news (in terms of listenership).
The popularity charts are dominated by professionally produced shows, like Barstool podcasts, the Dan Le Batard Show, the Pat MacAfee Show, and others. In reality, you won’t compete with the main players (at least not from the beginning).
Here’s the thing. You could say that sports podcasts operate on a tiered system.
You’ve got professional shows, often featuring ex-pros or established broadcasters. Next, there are pundit and journalist-based podcasts. And, finally, you have your amateur productions.
Many listeners want to hear from like-minded individuals. Similarly, fan channels (podcasts hosted by supporters of a particular team) have big followings.
You can diversify your content by giving listeners something they won’t get elsewhere. For example, you could dig into the archive of famous historical sporting occasions or talk about legendary sports dynasties.
While this is a tricky niche to crack, a sports podcast may be more accessible than you think.
Pardon My Take, from Barstool, is one of the most popular sports podcasts in the United States (and the world). It’s hosted by “Big Cat” (Dan Katz) and covers a range of sporting topics, mainly US-based.
The unique selling point of the show is that it’s personality-driven. It combines humor and sporting analysis. When creating content in entertainment niches, this is important. People tune in to sports shows and podcasts for the personalities just as much as they do for the commentary.
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Many businesses are beginning to realize the power of podcasting and how it can be used to drum up engagement, drive traffic to their website, and generate revenue from multiple sources.
A podcast doesn’t have to be your business. It can act as a supplemental tool that’s mutually beneficial for you and your audience.
For example, a mortgage broker, like EE Mortgages, possesses tremendous knowledge for first-time buyers and homeowners. A weekly or monthly podcast that covers common questions and home loan processes could add value to their target market. In turn, this helps generate leads and convert listeners into customers.
Having a podcast gives your brand personality. It can make you more trustworthy, which plays a major role in customer decision-making.
Another major benefit of making a podcast for your business is that you can repurpose the content for social media. Networks like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are tailor-made for snippets or segments from your podcast. If you record your podcast with video, repurposing content is even easier.
Social Pros podcast is an excellent example of a quality production that adds an extra layer of value to a brand. Produced by Convince and Convert, the podcast is an excellent standalone free resource. However, the company also provides consultation, training, and other services which are behind a paywall.
Not only can Convince and Convert promote their products through the podcast, but they can also add authenticity to the brand. By talking about social media through a long-form medium, they give value to the listener and demonstrate more expertise.
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There are a lot of technology podcasts that comment on future trends or review gadgets.
While it’s not impossible to get into this space, it’s rather saturated. So, if this is your goal, you may need to partner with another company or find resources to get started. This type of podcast requires significant capital to get up and running unless you have sponsors from the get-go.
Alternatively, you could look for a different angle.
Some of the most popular podcasts merge multiple genres. Health and technology is always an interesting space.
If you’re involved in either industry, you could consider producing podcasts on the latest progress in medical technology.
This could involve drug advancements or developments in key medical devices, like oxygen tanks from Main Clinic Supply.
When the market is saturated, it’s important to be innovative and think outside the box.
The medtech industry is full of amazing podcasts so it’s hard to pick just one. Check out our article on the 15 best medical technology podcasts of all time for our standouts.
Podcasts are excellent learning mediums. While they’re not necessarily educational from an academic standpoint, they’re a fantastic resource for learning about history, design, music, science, and other niche topics.
If you’re a teacher or simply a hobbyist with a lot of information on a given topic, you’re the perfect person to create a podcast.
The scope of an educational podcast is what makes things really interesting. There are a variety of ways to approach it.
You could divide a subject into multiple chapters and dedicate a podcast to each one. Another interesting angle is to make the podcast interactive by answering FAQs or queries sent in by listeners.
An educational podcast is also a useful extension to a school or learning resource. For example, Classical Guitar Shed is an online school that teaches classical guitar lessons.
A supplemental podcast talking about classical music, famous musicians, and music theory could be a great way to attract students and extend the reach of the business.
Education Podcast Example
99% Invisible is an interesting educational podcast that discusses features of design and architecture that people might not notice. Creator and host, Roman Mars, covers architecture, city planning, and building designs from around the world, giving listeners diverse topics and contrasting design elements to learn about.
It’s without a doubt one of the most unique and engaging podcasts out there.
Before deciding on podcast topics, it’s important to understand why they matter. After all, there are podcasts about every topic, right?
Here’s the thing, if you want to create a podcast for fun, the topic doesn’t matter. If it’s a pastime, whether or not you have listeners isn’t a big deal. You’re in it for your own enjoyment.
However, when you’re running a business or plan to monetize the podcast, the topics become extremely important.
If you have a target audience, your podcast should be aimed at them. Therefore, the subject matter must be of interest to your chosen demographic.
Although podcasts often sound like free-flowing conversations, they rarely are. The hosts are typically well-prepared and have, at least, a loose structure and list of subjects to discuss.
Finally, the ideas and topics you cover are important to sponsors. If your podcast touches certain themes that align with other businesses and their target audience, you can form lucrative relationships. The more specific you are with your ideas, the easier it becomes to find suitable sponsors.
You can then use tools like email marketing software to send episodes of your podcast to potential sponsors, showing them that your content would be a good fit for their business.
This could be a simple email explaining your podcast in brief, along with a QR code that leads to an episode that you think best represents your niche or audience your podcast is reaching.
So, from a profit and business perspective, topics are extremely important as well.
Once you've decided on a topic or a series of ideas, it’s time to get to work. It’s generally best to put your energy into the content. However, you’ve still got to consider the technical aspects, like hosting, integrations, podcast websites, transcriptions, and other features.
For this, we strongly recommend partnering with professionals. At bCast, we help businesses grow, drive traffic, and generate revenue through podcasts. By taking care of all the technical aspects, as well as growth features, like YouTube publishing, opt-in emails, and affiliate integration, you can focus on providing value to your audience.
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