Over the past few years, podcasts have skyrocketed in popularity both among listeners and creators. With podcasts now being monetized and easier to create, many people are considering starting one of their one.

The number one question people have when starting a podcast is: How do I choose a topic for my podcast that is going to do well?

We’ve rounded up the hottest podcast topics that have historically been very successful to help grow your podcast in the new year: Let’s dive right in!

[Unsplash]

How to Choose a Topic for Your Podcast

When choosing a topic for your podcast, it is important to choose something that meets the follow 2 criteria:

1. You must choose a topic that is popular enough that people will want to listen to multiple episodes.
2. You must choose something that you’re genuinely interested in and can talk a lot about.

7 Hottest Podcast Topics Right Now

These podcast topics are super popular among listeners everywhere, so it’s easy to be successful when choosing one of these topics. Also, there is a ton of room to niche down even more within these topics, so you can create a podcast that is unique and specific to your interests.

Without further ado, here are the 7 hottest podcast topics right now (plus, examples of successful podcasts in each topic!)

True Crime

It’s no secret that people love true-crime in the media. Whether it’s books or tv shows or movies, lots of people find true crime binge-worthy, so it’s easy to be successful in this subject. When podcasts started becoming popular, true crime was one of the first most popular topics to talk about. 

Whether you want to talk about one story per episode or make a whole series out of one case, listeners will want to tune into the suspense and details about horrific true crime cases.

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

One of the most popular true crime podcasts is My Favorite Murder hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. In this podcast, these two love to talk about true crime tales, and they even talk about hometown crimes from their fans and listeners.

They started this podcast back in 2016, and since then they’ve grown a loyal following in which they call the “Murderinos.”

[Unsplash]

Chatting Shows

One reason why people love listening to podcasts is to listen to un-edited, realistic conversations about real-life topics. This is why chatting shows have become so popular as a topic for podcasts.

These shows often incorporate a mix of humor and informational topics wrapped into one. When they’re done successfully, they can make listeners feel like they are a part of the conversation.

Like Minded Friends with Tom Allen and Suzi Ruffell

Like Minded Friends is hosted by Tom Allen and Suzi Ruffell, two queer comedians who coincidentally are very good friends. They talk about general life topics including relationships, culture, life changes, and more.

Listeners love their podcast for it’s lighthearted and genuine tone, successfully making people feel like they’re a part of the conversation. 

Advice 

Another popular topic that does really well in podcasts is advice. Whether you have a question about life, relationships, or anything else, there is bound to be a podcast episode out there for you.

People love hearing advice to help them improve different areas of their lives. So if you have profession experience or enough personal experience to give advice, you may want to consider this option as a topic for your podcast.

Am I Normal? With Mona Chalabi

Am I Normal? is a podcast hosted by Mona Chalabi, a data journalist on a quest to answer the questions we’re all wondering about. She talks about everything from relationships to mental health to family to just everyday life.

She consults different studies, experts, and family members to discuss what really is considered “normal.”

Interviews

Interviews are another popular subject matter for podcasts, but you have to know people to interview to be successful in this topic. It doesn’t have to be necessarily well-known people but people who will bring a different perspective or have a certain wealth of knowledge that your listeners will benefit from.

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Dax Shepard hosts a popular podcast called Armchair Expert where he interviews different celebrities and public figures. Some of the most notable celebrities Dax Shepard has had on his podcast include Conan O’Brien, Gwen Stefani, Max Greenfield, Bradley Cooper, and his wife Kristen Bell.

Sports

If you’re a sports fanatic, this can be a great thing to talk about in your podcast. People everywhere love sports, so it can be easy to use this topic to gain listeners and create a more successful podcast.

When talking about sports, you can choose to talk about breaking news in the sports industry, sports updates, game recaps, and personal opinions. Some popular sports podcasts are even able to get interviews from either local or professional sports players.

The Bill Simmons Podcast with Bill Simmons

The Bill Simmons Podcast, as the name suggests, is hosted by Bill Simmons, a sports lover from Marlborough, Massachusetts. He mainly focuses on Football, and he talks about the NFL, the NHL, general sports updates, and his own hot takes.

Additionally, he invites different sports figures and celebrities that are in the public eye to get their perspective on popular events in the sports industry. 

Food

Foodies all over the world are always looking to learn more about different recipes, tutorials, and hacks when it comes to food. 

When the pandemic hit, the podcast industry began to soar and more people started their at-home cooking journey, so it’s a great topic if you’re a foodie yourself. Food podcasts can cover anything from recipes to restaurant reviews to at-home cooking hacks. 

[Unsplash]

The Sporkful with Dan Pashman

The Sporkful is a food podcast hosted by Dan Pashman, a self-proclaimed foodie. This is a weekly podcast where he talks about food in a comedic and relatable tone that listeners love. Additionally, Pashman loves to deep dive into the history of different foods and recipes.

Arts & Entertainment

Lastly, the entertainment industry is something we all love to delve into. So it’s no surprise why people love listening to podcasts about tv, books, movies, and more.

But you don’t have to be in the entertainment industry to talk about it. While there are lots of tv stars and celebrities who start podcasts, there are also tons of podcasts that make recommendations and review different content in the media.

Office Ladies with Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey

The Office stars and best friends Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey host Office Ladies where they deep dive into each episode of The Office. They rewatch every episode, starting from the very first pilot episode, and give their hot takes on how they filmed it and what the behind-the-scenes really looked like.