Best Storytelling podcasts (Updated April 2017; image)
Related podcasts: Stories Digital Story Arts Society Theater Business Conversations True True Crime Personal Live Tech Comedy Education Religion Podcasting Katharine Narrative Stoopstories Storytelling public [super 932165]
Related podcasts: Stories Digital Story Arts Society Theater Business Conversations True True Crime Personal Live Tech Comedy Education Religion Podcasting Katharine Narrative Stoopstories Storytelling public [super 932165]
This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 1.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.
Dramatic tales, killer beats and the edgiest new talent in storytelling come together for a weekly radio hour hosted by Glynn Washington.
Serial is a podcast from the creators of This American Life, hosted by Sarah Koenig. Serial unfolds one story - a true story - over the course of a whole season. The show follows the plot and characters wherever they lead, through many surprising twists and turns. Sarah won't know what happens at the end of the story until she gets there, not long before you get there with her. Each week she'll bring you the latest chapter, so it's important to listen in, starting with Episode 1. New episode ...
Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For informa ...
Criminal is a podcast about crime. Not so much the "if it bleeds, it leads," kind of crime. Something a little more complex. Stories of people who've done wrong, been wronged, and/or gotten caught somewhere in the middle. We are a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more at radiotopia.fm.
A podcast hosted by Anna Sale about the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation. Email the show at [email protected].
Welcome to Revisionist History, a new podcast from Malcolm Gladwell and Panoply Media. Each week, over the course of 10 weeks, Revisionist History will go back and reinterpret something from the past. An event. A person. An idea. Something overlooked. Something misunderstood. Because sometimes the past deserves a second chance.
If you like The Moth, This American Life or Snap Judgment, take a walk on the wilder side with RISK! Your colorful host Kevin Allison (of the legendary comedy group The State) helms this surprisingly uncensored show where people tell jaw-dropping true stories they never thought they'd dare to share in public. RISK! is hilarious, heart-wrenching and remarkably real. Think you've heard it all? Fasten your seatbelt.
The Mortified Podcast is a storytelling series where adults share the embarrassing things they created as kids—diaries, letters, lyrics & beyond—in front of total strangers. PS: It totally likes you. The Mortified Podcast is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Learn more at radiotopia.fm.
Nick van der Kolk’s Love and Radio features in-depth, otherworldly-produced interviews with an eclectic range of subjects, from the seedy to the sublime. Get inside the mind of a rogue taxidermist. Find out what it’s like to experience a stroke firsthand. Or spend time with an artist who gives away her life savings every night. You’ve never heard anything like it before. Love+Radio is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Learn more at radiotopia.fm.
A podcast about mysteries, hosted by Starlee Kine. From Gimlet.
Maybe you’ve laid awake imagining how it could have been, how it might yet be, but the moment to act was never right. Well, the moment is here and the podcast making it happen is Heavyweight. Join Jonathan Goldstein for road trips, thorny reunions, and difficult conversations as he backpedals his way into the past like a therapist with a time machine. From Gimlet Media.
iTunes Best of 2014! “Beautifully edited & rich in sound,” true stories that feel like movies. See with your ears. This is The Lapse. New to the show? Try “His My Arms,” “Where’s Violet,” or “Cool Running.”
1 phone call. 1 hour. No names. No holds barred. That's the premise behind Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People, hosted by comedian Chris Gethard (the Chris Gethard Show, Broad City, This American Life, and one of Time Out's "10 best comedians of 2015"). Every week, Chris opens the phone line to one anonymous caller, and he can't hang up first, no matter what. From shocking confessions and family secrets to philosophical discussions and shameless self-promotion, anything can and will happ ...
Some podcasts cover politics, others pop culture — the StoryCorps podcast covers the human heart. At the center of each episode is a StoryCorps interview, a candid, unscripted conversation between two people about what's really important in life: love, loss, family, friendship. When the world seems out of hand, tune in to StoryCorps and be reminded of the things that matter most. Learn more at StoryCorps.org.
From Lea Thau, Peabody award-winning producer and creator of The Moth Podcast and The Moth Radio Hour, comes her new storytelling baby, Strangers, part of KCRW’s Independent Producer Project. Each episode is an empathy shot in your arm, featuring true stories about the people we meet, the connections we make, the heartbreaks we suffer, the kindnesses we encounter, and those frightful moments when we discover that WE aren’t even who we thought we were. Strangers is a proud member of Radiotopi ...
First-person diaries, sound portraits, and hidden chapters of history from Peabody Award-winning producer Joe Richman and the Radio Diaries team. From teenagers to octogenarians, prisoners to prison guards, bra saleswomen to lighthouse keepers. The extraordinary stories of ordinary life. Radio Diaries is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Learn more at radiotopia.fm
When big news happens, the world tunes in and then moves on. But often the stories we thought were over haven’t really ended; they were the beginning of something else. Undone is a new show from Gimlet Media that digs up the surprising things that happened when we weren’t looking.
The Guardian Long Read - audio versions of our regular long reads published online and in the newspaper Monday through Friday. The long reads are long form articles on a wide variety of topics from global politics to the big cultural debates of our time.For the print version go to - http://www.theguardian.com/news/series/the-long-read
The Kitchen Sisters Present… Stories from the b-side of history. Lost recordings, hidden worlds, people possessed by a sound, a vision, a mission. The episodes tell deeply layered stories, lush with interviews, field recordings and music. From powerhouse producers The Kitchen Sisters (Hidden Kitchens, The Hidden World of Girls, The Sonic Memorial Project, Lost & Found Sound, Fugitive Waves and coming soon… The Keepers). “The Kitchen Sisters have done some of best radio stories ever broadcast ...
Thousands of unique stories are happening on Reddit everyday, propelling people and ideas to an audience of millions. But what happens after those posts go up? What happened leading up to it? Upvoted gives these stories—from the seemingly ordinary to the extraordinary—the creative space to expand, breathe, and grow. Learn more by going beyond the upvote and see what makes Reddit so remarkable.
Spend an hour in someone else's life each weekday. 'Conversations with Richard Fidler' draws you deeper into the life story of someone you may have heard about, but never met.
There's a new place to share secrets. Join Ben Hamm and Dahlia Beta as they explore the stories no one ever tells. Welcome to The Secret Room.
Journalist Anthony Ponce goes from the bright lights of a major news network to behind the wheel of a ride-share car, bringing you the real life stories of his passengers. From businessmen and baristas to strippers and students... hear the unique worldviews of people from all walks of life, as Anthony and his riders navigate the streets of Chicago. (interviews are recorded with full knowledge and consent).
Tell The Bartender is a storytelling podcast hosted by Katharine Heller
Have you ever found a note on the ground, maybe meant for someone else? Help Davy Rothbart solve these mysteries on the FOUND Podcast, where we explore personal stories of love, loss, hope, transformation and aspiration through the lens of lost and found notes --with the power of humor and music. You can see these notes, and more, on the FOUND App on iOS, and help us solve the mysteries behind them as part of a global community art project. New full episodes every other Wednesday, with updat ...
UnFictional is a program of storytellers and documentaries that cover the ground between the sophisticated and the profane. Audiences will hear captivating stories of real life told by writers and performers with a talent for tales that will suck you in. The program also features documentaries created by the most talented producers from around the country. UnFictional is one part of the Independent Producer Project , an initiative to cultivate and support the work of independent radio produc ...
Home of the Brave: new and old stories from "This American Life" contributor Scott Carrier.
A rich selection of documentaries aimed at relentlessly curious minds, introduced by Rhianna Dhillon.
Hilarious Real-life Stories for the Whole Family
A conversation about how random circumstances or coincidences lead people down different paths to better lives through interviews with great people.
Exploring different aspects of history, science, philosophy and the arts.
Behind every working human, there’s a story. Work in Progress is a new show about the meaning and identity we find in work. Each week, hear stories of personal ambition and debilitating insecurities, great successes and abject failures, the plans we make and the luck that…happens. Hosted by Dan Misener, produced by Slack. Follow along @slackstories or slack.com/podcast
First-person diaries, sound portraits, and hidden chapters of history from Peabody Award-winning producer Joe Richman and the Radio Diaries team. From teenagers to octogenarians, prisoners to prison guards, bra saleswomen to lighthouse keepers. The extraordinary stories of ordinary life. Radio Diaries is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Learn more at radiotopia.fm
Stories. Everybody’s got them. Funny, Cuz It’s True hosted by writer/comedian Kevin McGeehan is a bi-monthly storytelling show recorded LIVE at The Second City Hollywood in Los Angeles. People sign up on the night of the show and are randomly selected to come up on stage and tell a five-minute, TRUE story based on the theme of the night. This podcast is a mixed bag of some of the best ones.
The universe has good news for the lost, lonely and heartsick. Dear Sugar is here, and speaking straight into your ears. Hosted by the original Sugars, Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond, the podcast fields all your questions — no matter how deep or dark — and offers radical empathy in return. *New episodes are released weekly.*
Newstalk 106-108 FM features many documentaries from the plight of the Malawi people to video documentaries on Aurora Borealis.
A monthly podcast featuring three stories chosen from live Story Slams in Lancaster, PA. Learn more at LancasterStorySlam.com.
Multi award winning documentaries from Ireland. With over 1,500 documentaries on offer, the Documentary On One has the largest archive of documentaries available globally. These productions are radio stories about real life and contain documentaries dating as far back as 1954, right up to the present day. A wealth of life, ideas and experiences are on offer - but most importantly - stories. Winner of over 150 national and international awards since 2008, why not immerse yourself in a world o ...
An ongoing audio survey of individuals who have experienced transcendence and/or power of the will. No story will be considered too troubled, no atmosphere too strange.Needed: tales from the underground, the underdog, the outlaw, and the outcast. Genuine characters of all kinds welcome.Everything Is Stories explores unconventional narratives of the past and present to preserve the eccentric, the authentic, and the personal.Produced by Garrett Crowe, Mike Martinez, and Tyler Wray.For dialogue ...
WDET's original podcast featuring stories about when, how and why things end, told by the people who have to live with what happens next.
Comedian/Writer/Director Mike Young (My Man Is A Loser, A Stand Up Guy & The Young American Comedy Tour) invites you to hear his Stories That Need To Be Told. This bingeable podcast chronicles the up's and down's of being an entertainer whose life would be perfect if his career and social successes could ever match. Listen to stories about making movies, famous friends, beautiful women, family, writing, pitching televisions shows to networks, single life, traveling the country for comedy, Lo ...
Modern Stories Mix focuses on just one story (and one storyteller) at a time.
Join Paul Dore, Brianne Benness and Stefan Hostetter as they debrief their candid monthly storytelling event. Tune in each week for an authentic story and an exploration of what makes a good workshop, story and event.
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Documentary on One - RTÉ Documentaries
Four people tried to assassinate Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. Only one person ever came close - her name was Violet Gibson and she was Irish. Violet spend the rest of her life in mental institutions, forgotten by society and by history. (2014)
The Colorado Department of Transportation says the 420 mile markers on the state's highways were stolen so often, they had to replace them with 419.99 mile markers. Many people know that "420" represents marijuana - hence the popularity of the mile markers - but very few know why. It's not a police code, it's not the number of chemical compound ...…
An Instagram star bullied for the color of her skin turns the teasing into the fuel behind her fashion modeling career; a professional British rugby player confronts “jock" stereotypes when he comes out to friends, family, and fans as gay. Follow along at slack.com/podcast and @slackstories. Feedback? We'd love to hear it. Let us know what you ...…
Miriam Lancewood pursued a primitive, nomadic life in the South Island of New Zealand
The Rio Grande in Bend Bend Ranch State Park, Texas, just west of Big Bend National Park. The first part of a series about the proposed wall along the border. A visit to Big Bend National Park. Music: Down By the River by Neil Young Donate The Rio Grande near Lajitas, Texas.
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Newstalk Documentaries
Producer Nuala Macklin celebrates the art of Irish traditional musical-instrument making. Season 2 Episode 2.
Recordings from the Secrets Hotline, with original music and production by George Langford. Find more of George’s work at georgelangford.com. You can leave your own secret at +1 (641) 715-3900, extension 55403#.By [email protected] (Love and Radio).
On the next all-NEW Snap..."Boxed In." When you feel the walls coming closer and closer, where do you go? Where do you hide?
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THC The Human Collection Podcast
AUTISM AWARENESS MONTHOur friend Melissa shares the personal struggles and joys of raising her 8 year old autistic son Liam. Her story is both inspiring and informative. Click on the link below to see how you can help Liam get a service dog!https://sdwr.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.personalCampaign&participantID=2421…
Astrophysicist Dr Alan Duffy explains his fascination with the universe and its dark matter (R)
The story of a top Irish jockey who came back from the dead. Declan Murphy suffered a terrible head injury after a fall at the height of his career. It left him in a coma in hospital and British newspapers published his obituary. But Declan pulled through and managed to ride again.Image: Declan Murphy riding for the first time after his near fa ...…
Laura Dern of HBO's "Big Little Lies" on one priest's commitment to a parishioner in limbo.
Infidelity. In-Laws. Friendship. These are just a few of the categories that help keep the Dear Sugar inbox organized. But every once in a while, we get a letter that doesn't fit neatly into any category. This week, the Sugars discuss a handful of those letters in rapid-fire fashion -- from a woman whose mother-in-law might be faking an allergy ...…
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Stories We Don't Tell
Guest host Monica Hamburg talks about finding the funny side of tragedy. Paul and Monica share bits of stories where they turn tragedy into comedy. Find out about the Craigslost Podcast and all things Monica at monicahamburg.com.
We've all had close calls in life, whether it's frantically erasing what would've been a career-ending email seconds before it gets read (happened to Anthony)...or something far more dangerous. In this episode, passengers share their most intense close calls: from grizzly bear encounters to foot-chases with knife-wielding cab drivers.-BACKSEAT ...…
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Death, Sex & Money
I met Rashema Melson in the middle of her sophomore year at Georgetown University. She'd made national headlines the year before when she graduated as valedictorian of her D.C. high school class after spending several years living in a homeless shelter. It was a feat that landed her a scholarship at Georgetown—and saddled her with a lot of pres ...…
How Pekx re-made himself as a champion after losing his sight
Syria is home to some of the world's most significant archaeological sites, but during years of conflict lots of them have been looted or even destroyed. Isber Sabrine is a former tour guide from the country and has set up a network of volunteers to document Syria's lost priceless antiquities.Image: Isber SabrineCredit: Isber Sabrine…
Baseball season has officially begun. This week, we hear four stories from inside and outside the ballpark from people who have baseball in their blood.
The Victorian house that loomed in the suburbs of Clontarf was the Children's Orthopaedic Hospital. With most of the children bedridden, they amused themselves with shadow plays, fairy tales and their books. For some, Sundays were the best days as parents arrived with tales from home, and for others, it was just another day of the week.…
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Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People
It's a story like something out of a surreal American novel, with wealth and poverty intertwined. On the phone while hiking a mountain, this week’s caller tells Chris about his youth, spent experimenting with every drug known to man. Chris was reminded of the famous quote from professional wrestler Dusty Rhodes: “I have wined and dined with kin ...…
Jessica Delfino, Danny Lobell and Doug Smith tell of times they averted fatality.
On the next Snap Special..."Bad Magic." It's intriguing, tempting, and dangerous, but somehow you can't resist... Support Snap Judgment storytelling at SnapJudgment.org.
Louise William's Uncle John was the real-life inspiration behind the film The Great Escape (R)
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Outlook
Outlook is back in Haiti and this time Jo Fidgen meets some of the extraordinary people who worked to save lives during Hurricane Matthew. Ertha Cressido Papillon opened her home to hundreds of people from her village who had lost their homes in the category 4 storm. Ertha's house isn't big, there was standing room only, but people were safe be ...…
Zubeida Malik speaks to serving British Muslims about what it is like to be in the Army today.In the last two campaigns, Muslims in the British army have faced criticism from some members of their own communities, who were opposed to what they saw as taking up arms against fellow Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan. When Lance Corporal Jabron Hashm ...…
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The Moth
In this hour, a chaplain guides a family through death and goodbyes; a man wanders New York City during the blackout of 2003; and a daughter tries to break her father’s silence about the Holocaust. Hosted by The Moth’s founder, George Dawes Green. The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media. Storytellers ...…
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Do Something Beautiful
Lauren Sallarulo is on a journey to lose 100 lbs. and has become an inspiration of faith in her friends and others. Bravely documenting her journey on Instagram (@lsallarulo), Lauren shows that we all are "Strong, Brave and Enough".
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The Strait and Narrows
The closing of beloved music venues and galleries, artists leaving, and declining support for the arts—it seems Metro Vancouver's art scene is disappearing. But, is that actually the case? Three artists share what's really happening. Please take a moment to subscribe, rate, review, and share this podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play; an ...…
Australian physicist Professor Brian J. O'Brien was closely involved in the Apollo moon missions (R)
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Outlook
Jo Fidgen takes Outlook to Haiti to meet some of the extraordinary people who are helping their country recover from natural disasters and political instability. Daniel Tillias grew up in a shanty town in Haiti that had a bad reputation for violence and poverty. Cite Soleil was once described as the most dangerous place in the world, but Daniel ...…
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This American Life
Stories of people who decide that they are the best person for the job, no matter how dangerous. Including a story about a stay-at-home mom with a history of gun running for a guerilla organization, and a surgeon who does surgery...on himself.
On this episode of the A Story Not Forgotten podcast host Liam Rathgeber interviews James Dalton James is a Costumer Prop Fabricator and a member of the 501st LegionJames talks about how he got into creating costumes and props with extensive detail and how kicking your storm trooper helmet down your driveway can help to make it look more realis ...…
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The Lapse Storytelling Podcast
Sarah’s mother might be the world’s greatest slots player. Good luck guessing how this one ends. Please, if you love The Lapse, lend Kyle a hand for as little as $1 at patreon.com/thelapse. A massive thank you to Antonio DaSilva, Lesley Miller, Haley Boros, David Gattey, Bren McDonald, Patrick Freebern, Lorinda Green, Rob Holcomb, Cindy Crijins ...…
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The Mortified Podcast
Remember when you thought you’d stay together forever? This week, tales of teenagers who embark on their first awkward relationships. The Mortified Podcast is part of Radiotopia from PRX. Listen @ getmortified.com/podcast
Episode #181: On the day of the University of North Carolina's Final Four basketball game against the Oregon Ducks, we feature a story about the die-hard love of some teams and the fierce hatred of others. Recorded live on February 4, 2017 at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro, NC.
Do you appreciate many different types of music? Does meeting people from a variety of cultures interest you? Are you inspired or intrigued by the intricate craftsmanship that goes into making musical instruments? Then you are Mariel. Mentioned in this episode: Mariel’s home website - http://www.marielvandersteel.com/ Where to buy her album - h ...…
Perseverance is a funny thing. Some people are addicted to finishing the job, no matter the cost. Running away with an idea, no matter where it takes them. And sometimes, it turns out to be worth it.By [email protected] (KCRW, Bob Carlson).
The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Music We open with Mary Lattimore's Jimmy V. I love Mary Lattimore. We hit Hatian guitarist Frantz Casseus' Lullaby from 1954 a few times. We hear Drifting, by Matthew Robert Cooper. And A Fool Persists by Infinite Body. The two ...…
Clint Hill was assigned as the bodyguard to American First Lady Jackie Kennedy from 1960 to 1964. On the day that President John F Kennedy was shot, Clint was riding in the car immediately behind the President and his wife. He leapt onto the car to try to protect the President from the bullets but was unable to save him. The fact that Clint did ...…
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Radio Diaries
Nelson Mandela famously spent 27 years in prison for fighting against apartheid in South Africa. He was sentenced to life in 1964 for treason, along with 7 others. One of them was Ahmed Kathrada who died this week. He was 87. Mandela, Kathrada and the others served most of their sentences at Robben Island. Kathrada often said that being in pris ...…
When Britain handed over control to China in 1997, Hong Kong was a beacon of freewheeling prosperity – but in recent years Beijing’s grip has tightened. Is there any hope for the city’s radical pro-democracy movement?Written by Howard W French and read by Andrew McGregor
The unexpected Conservative election victory of 2015 transformed British politics. Now an unprecedented Electoral Commission investigation has raised the question of whether it was even a fair fight.Written by Ed Howker and Guy Basnett. Read by Andrew McGregor
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Documentary on One - RTÉ Documentaries
Patrick 'Bob' Gallagher emigrated to the United States from County Mayo in Ireland in 1962. He fought in the Vietnam War and for his bravery was awarded the prestigious Navy Cross medal. Just weeks later, the 23 year old Marine Corporal was killed in combat. A campaign has started to have a US navy ship named in his honour. (2016)…
On the next Snap Special..."Aces Wild". We throw down a four of a kind in front of a full house...LIVE!
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Conversations
Lisa was a reluctant midwife, but now adores the childbirth process (R)
For centuries musicians have defied gender boundaries to create some of the most evocative and provocative art and music.Journalist and culture critic Laura Snapes joins the dots of a fascinating musical history that encompasses musical icons such as Ma Rainey, Little Richard, Lou Reed, the Pet Shop Boys, Grace Jones and Madonna, and looks at h ...…
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THC The Human Collection Podcast
A mother on the front lines of heroin addiction. Janet shares her life as the mother of a recovering heroin addict. Her story is real and true, just like her.
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StoryCorps
As a kid, your grandparents can often seem larger-than-life, and only as adults do we realize what we really learned from them. In this episode, stories about grandmothers, grandfathers and the gifts they've left their families.
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Conversations
Neil Gaiman returns to the source of Nordic mythology.
