The podcast industry is booming. According to data shared by Podcast Insights, there are over 2 million active podcasts at the moment. What’s more, nearly 6 out of every 10 American consumers older than 12 listen to podcasts.
Not only do you have a huge audience that you can attract, but there’s also a long list of podcast topic ideas that you can put your own spin on. Whether you’re into art or science or tech, you can turn your passion into a revenue-generating podcast. To help you get started (or unstuck if you’ve run out of ideas), here are 40 podcast ideas that will help you to grow your loyal listener count.
40 Podcast Topic Ideas to Grow Your Podcast in 2024:
- 1. Local news
- 2. Global news and politics
- 3. Product reviews
- 4. Listicles
- 5. True crime
- 6. Music
- 7. Books
- 8. Movies
- 9. Pop culture
- 10. Digital marketing
- 11. Event planning
- 12. Entrepreneurship
- 13. The freelance life
- 14. Stock market
- 15. Tutorials
- 16. Cooking
- 17. Hacks
- 18. 3D printing
- 19. Technology
- 20. Gaming
- 21. Pets
- 22. Sports
- 23. Travel
- 24. Camping
- 25. Alternative housing ideas
- 26. Fashion
- 27. Creative writing
- 28. Science
- 29. How stuff’s made
- 30. Psychology
- 31. Guided meditations
- 32. Inspirational stories
- 33. Fitness
- 34. Parenting advice
- 35. Children’s stories
- 36. Biographies
- 37. History
- 38. Art
- 39. Behind the scenes
- 40. Random facts
40 of the Best Podcast Topic Ideas
1. Local news
Sometimes you don’t need to look further than local news events. Think of it as a type of news roundup. While it’s a pretty straightforward podcast idea, the trick is to keep it balanced. You don’t want to focus too much on issues facing locals at the expense of exciting happenings taking place and vice versa.
2. Global news and politics
If you’re not interested in keeping it local, you can expand your content to international news headlines that have dominated the week. You can also offer political commentary. In fact, one of the top-earning creators on Patreon, Chapo Trap House, is an American political podcast. However, keep in mind that there are already many popular podcasts in this niche so you’ll have to bring something unique to the discussion table.
3. Product reviews
Creating a product review is one of the top ideas for blog posts and can just as easily be turned into a regular segment on your podcast. Listeners love it as it helps them with their purchasing decisions.
What works really well is if it’s about a product that’s only recently been released. You can, for example, focus on how a new product compares to a similar, but older, product. If you also use video from time to time, you can perhaps create an unboxing video for the event that you can share on channels like Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram.
4. Listicles
If you like the idea of product reviews but don’t want to limit yourself to only one or two items at a time, you create Top 10 lists instead. People love listicles. Counting down to number one creates suspense which will help to motivate your subscribers to listen to the very end of each episode. From football goals to destinations to inspirational quotes, there are endless top 10 lists that you can create.
5. True crime
The top Patreon creator is True Crime Obsessed, a podcast that takes a look at true crime documentaries. Considering that true crime events have all the elements for a great story, the appeal behind this genre makes sense. You can, for example, also tune in to Accused and Someone Knows Something for podcast ideas about how you can start your own true crime podcast.
6. Music
Whether you want to zoom in on an individual artist or explore a specific genre, you’ll have more than enough content. If you’re always searching for someone to share your enthusiasm for musicals, this can be the answer. In addition to discussing your new music discoveries, you can also try to interview emerging musicians to jazz things up.
7. Books
Instead of making your focus music, you can follow a similar approach to the one discussed in the previous point and explore books. You can, for instance, share curated reading lists or personal favorite reads. Perhaps you can dedicate your podcast to reviewing a popular book series? There’s a reason why book clubs are so popular – great storytelling has the power to bring together people from all walks of life (even if only for the average length of a podcast episode at a time).
8. Movies
If neither books or music get you excited and you need visuals and special effects to grab and keep your attention, you can explore the latest TV show or movie releases. Just remember to include spoiler alerts otherwise the rate at which your listeners unsubscribe could turn into a horror movie.
For example, the Kinda Funny podcast reviews, ranks, and recaps every movie in the biggest franchises. Instead of going by franchise, you could apply the same style and explore the works of specific directors or actors.
9. Pop culture
Instead of focusing only on books, music, or movies, you can make your main focus pop culture. This way, you can explore a bit of everything. However, this category is competitive and so you’ll need to find ways that you can set yourself apart from similar active podcasts.
10. Digital marketing
From branding to PR, there are many potential topics that you can explore. The secret is to ensure that you share many nuggets of practical tips that your listeners will be able to implement. You can look at the latest news and trends, interview experts, or review tools. It’s virtually impossible to run out of different ideas for your episodes. You can specifically target influencers and business owners by offering to help them with building their brand.
11. Event planning
If you’re an event planner, one way that you can indirectly promote your services is by starting a podcast. You can structure it like a course and over the span of a season you can guide your loyal listeners to the steps involved in planning an event. In addition to sharing tips, you can also include info about do’s and don’ts like how to deal with uninvited guests, how to serve alcohol, etc.
12. Entrepreneurship
If you have some experience with starting a small business or side hustle, you can also create a podcast to share your knowledge and help others. You can, for instance, share stories based on your own personal experience. Though, remember to keep it valuable by including actionable strategies too.
13. The freelance life
The Great Resignation (aka the Big Quit) is currently trending headlines. Yet, switching from full-time employment to freelancing is a big leap (of faith), even more so if you don’t have the faintest idea where to start. To help those interested in exploring this route, why not start a podcast that shares actionable advice? Perhaps invite freelancers who’ve been going solo for some time already to your show?
14. Stock market
If you’re interested in financials, you can help your listeners take stock of the stock market by providing daily updates. You’ll need to keep your finger on the pulse, but it can be very rewarding in more ways than one to you and your subscribers.
15. Tutorials
Are there specific problems that your audience faces? If you have the answer, can you perhaps turn it into a tutorial?
The best tutorials are informative, yet fun. So, be sure to keep it entertaining. You can also invite experts onto your podcast who can help you to find the answers to your listeners’ pain points. If the topic is quite elaborate, you can always turn it into a series of how-to podcasts.
16. Cooking
Most people eat at least three times a day. So, cooking is a hot topic for a reason. In addition to teaching your listeners how to cook, you can also interview local chefs or give your take on dishes at popular restaurants. For this to work, though, you’ll need to be willing to part with some of grandma’s secret recipes.
17. Hacks
Instead of picking a more specific niche like cooking, you can focus on general hacks that your potential listeners can use to navigate everyday life. From buying furniture to saving money to household hacks, there are many handy hacks that you can share. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, simple solutions are just what your audience is after.
18. 3D printing
Emerging technology like 3D printing can make for an interesting show. From product reviews to different techniques to practical uses, there are loads that you can cover. Be sure to keep your pulse on industry news so that you can be one of the first podcasters to reveal important developments. You can also answer questions sent by your subscribers to keep your content relevant and listeners engaged.
19. Technology
While 3D printing is currently a trending topic, you can choose to focus on a broader area like manufacturing or design or simply tech in general. To mix it up, you can cover a bit of everything: the latest tech news updates, gadget reviews, future predictions, etc.
20. Gaming
According to gaming statistics, it’s expected that the industry will reach over $268 billion by 2025. While you won’t be able to livestream your games, you can create a podcast that reviews the most popular games and shares insider tactics.
21. Pets
Most pet owners need help with basic pet care. From one fellow animal lover to another, you can help your listeners to understand their pets’ cues or simply share funny stories about the secret life of pets.
22. Sports
When sports fans aren’t watching the actual game, they’re watching a show about the game. Whether it’s a prematch buildup or postmatch interview, there are hours of content available to keep fans entertained. So, if you want to create a podcast that focuses on sport, you have a captive crowd. In addition to summarizing the highlights of the most recent match, you can also include interviews with coaches and professional sportsmen. You also don’t necessarily need to stick to just one sport.
23. Travel
You only need to look on Instagram to see that travel is a trending topic all-year round. Each episode can be dedicated to a specific town or region. To differentiate your travel podcast from similar shows, you can try to interview locals who can share some of their favorite attractions and activities that will guarantee a real authentic experience. If you regularly travel, you can also share some of your personal adventures.
24. Camping
One of the appeals of camping is the long list of gadgets and gear that you can buy to take your camping experience to the next level or possibly turn it into glamping instead. Needless to say, the packing and prepping is an adventure on its own. So, you have loads of topics that you can cover. The industry is also huge. More than half of millennials are campers.
25. Alternative housing ideas
With the growing concern over global warming, more people are interested in sustainability and reinvestigating their living arrangements. Tiny homes are currently huge! Increasingly more people want to go completely off the grid, but need some help.
Another related topic that’s becoming popular is urban farming. What equipment do you need? What types of vegetables are the easiest to plant? By exploring topics like these, you can help your listeners to live more sustainably when they’re not quite ready to go off the grid.
26. Fashion
If you’re thinking about starting a fashion podcast, make sure that you target a specific age group or style. Will your content appeal more to millennials or stay-at-home moms? There’s a big difference.
27. Creative writing
Starting a podcast can offer you a great platform to grow your online presence. In addition to using the medium to grow your number of followers, you can also use it to create more exposure for your work. For instance, if you’re a writer, you can read your short stories or poems or excerpts from your novel to your audience. Think of it as a type of open mic evening.
If you don’t want to share your own writing with the world, you can simply offer writing tips. Many people feel insecure about their writing skills and would be interested in a show that can help them develop in this area.
28. Science
If you have a background in science, you can create a podcast so that you can explain complex topics in a way that’s easy to understand. Over recent years, there have been many creators (like Mark Rober and the guys at Mythbusters) who have found ways to make science interesting. The benefit of using podcasting as a medium is that you don’t actually have to go blow up stuff.
29. How stuff’s made
It doesn’t have to be anything intricate or overly complex. There are many everyday objects like the modest paperclip that have interesting origins. Ever wondered how they get jelly beans to taste like butter popcorn? You’re probably not the only one.
30. Psychology
There are many psychology-related topics that you can explore without the need to go too deep into the details (or the subconscious for that matter). You can, for example, discuss different life stages and personality types. You can also possibly let your podcast take the form of a self-help course as you help your listeners to create positive changes for their lives.
When going this route, just remember to make it clear that you’re not a licensed therapist and that your podcast shouldn’t be seen as a substitute for professional help.
31. Guided meditations
Whether it’s to inspire or help your listeners prepare for bedtime (in which case it’s probably a good thing if they fall asleep while listening to your voice), there are many types of meditations that you can offer in podcast format. You can, for instance, help your subscribers with negative thinking, mental focus, or stress. Though, be sure to keep it short (most meditations are only 10 minutes long).
32. Inspirational stories
Motivational stories and quotes remain firm favorites and appeal to all age groups. Each week you can cover new inspirational stories from successful people. Positive thinking attracts positive things and positive podcasts are bound to attract subscribers.
33. Fitness
Exercising the body is as important as exercising the mind. Whether it’s running, cycling, or swimming, you can include tips and let trainers weigh in on how to get the best results. Perhaps you can share your own fitness journey on your fitness podcast?
34. Parenting advice
While you become a parent in a second, it takes a lifetime to learn how to be a good one. As the proverb goes, it takes a village to raise a child. Whether it’s a village or a podcast community, there are countless new parents who will be only too grateful for practical tips. It doesn’t necessarily just have to be actionable insight, sharing your own authentic experiences can let other parents know that they’re not alone.
35. Children’s stories
Parents often turn to the TV or iPad to keep their kids entertained. Though, these mediums are visual and can be at the expense of developing their auditive skills. A gap in the market is to read a children’s book that’s in the public domain out loud. Depending on the storyline, you can even involve a bigger cast.
If you prefer to target slightly older kids, you can include other forms of entertainment like puzzles, jokes, or fun facts too. Many people prefer to listen to podcasts while they’re commuting and, after all, adults aren’t the only ones who spend hours on the road. A podcast for kids can be a huge aid during the school run.
36. Biographies
You don’t necessarily have to share the life stories of well-known figures. There are many everyday heroes walking among us who have interesting stories and anecdotes to share.
37. History
History doesn’t need to be boring. You can keep it interesting by focusing on events that haven’t been covered a lot. Another idea is to select a theme, like famous painters, and create a season around that.
38. Art
Whether it’s the history of art or painting techniques, art can make fascinating topics, even if you can’t get practical. Perhaps turn it into a Q&A podcast? This type of format is a great way to get your audience involved and boost listener engagement.
39. Behind the scenes
While behind-the-scenes content works really well if you have a channel on YouTube, you can also dedicate a podcast episode or two to what goes on behind the mic. It might be more challenging to take on this type of project without a camera, but it can be done and it can be quite interesting. You can, for example, invite different guests onto your show and ask them to share what their typical day looks like.
Do they have a specific morning routine? What systems do they have in place to ensure smooth sailing? Is there an office mascot that supervises their work?
Alternatively, you can simply look at a day in the life of someone that your target audience will find interesting (perhaps a few celebrity interviews). What does their typical day look like? If the response is great, you could possibly use this format for your whole podcast and in each episode just take a look at a day in the life of another interesting character.
40. Random facts
One of the secrets to hosting a successful podcast is to keep it interesting. For that, you’ll need interesting content. There’s an infinite list of random facts that will keep your listeners engaged. You don’t need to look far.
