Podcast is not a time-old phenomenon, it was birthed only around 2005 and has since acclaimed a steady position as a form of entertainment and message-sharing medium.
People no longer have time to sit binge watch full fledged informative content or a funny debatable topic, it’s an on-the-go world now, and everybody wants to stay entertained at that time.
Do you know that there are over 464 million podcast listeners worldwide, which is projected to reach 504.9 million by 2025? If not make sure to reflect on the statistics before getting inspired by the top 12 popular live podcasts in 2025.
Make up your mind, mark your way, and shine in your terms just like these 12 legends. Let’s see how to get started!
What Is a Podcast?
Simply put, podcasts are audio files containing your content and conversations, organized into episodes or series, accessible to the world at any time and from anywhere.
The podcaster creates, hosts, and publishes episodes online, either for paid or free access. Subscribers can listen to episodes via live stream or download them for offline listening once they are uploaded online.
Benefits Of Live Podcast Streaming
Podcasts don’t come without interesting benefits. While you plan to grow your live podcast you need to diversify your content and add value to your brand to make it “ The best Podcast”.
To enjoy the complete perks of podcasts, read through these 5 major benefits of live podcasts to boost interaction and engagement with your fans.
1. Real-time interaction
While opting for live podcast streaming, you can chat and interact with your audience in real time. This allows you to convey your thoughts and respond to the comments and suggestions of your audience.”
2. Merchandise
You can sell products, digital creations, and merchandise by paving the way to boosting sales during the live podcasting session with your audience.
3. No Equipments
Live streaming podcasting is a breeze, as it doesn’t require any external equipment. All you need is a laptop or any other smart gadget to go live in seconds.
4. Maximum Reach
You have the benefit of extended space to accommodate popular guests and audiences based on the speaker and convert it into a memorable session to maximize your reach.
5. Analyze Audience Pulse
Live streaming lets you understand the performance of your podcasts by analyzing the audience’s response and behavior. This way you can tune the content based on the feedback you receive.
Hope these 5 points ignite your interest in knowing more about the top-rated podcasts of 2025!
The 11 Most Popular Live Podcasts for 2025
As millions of podcast listeners have developed an affectionate liking towards it, there is ample opportunity for you to establish your position among the top podcasters. Why not join their ranks?
1. Joe Rogan Experience
It’s one of the best podcasts hosted by famous American comedian Joe Rogan. It is a conversation-based podcast hosted by him with his friends, and guests that include celebrities and MMA fighters around the world.
This podcast has earned 16.5 million subscribers and has released 2132 episodes since 2009.
2. The Daily Podcast
The Daily podcast is a daily news podcast hosted by Michael Barbaro and Sabrina that promises to stream the biggest stories of the times that are told by the world’s top journalists. This podcast is a unique blend of perspectives from a diverse group of people who stream straightforward news in engaging storytelling, while the other reporters narrate their segments individually.
This podcast has achieved 2 million downloads per episode and has released 1,760 episodes since 2017.
3. Sixteenth Minute of Fame
Sixteenth Minute of Fame is a weekly podcast show hosted by Jamie Loftus that lets the audience take a closer look at the internet’s main character, where one part of the show, reports it, one part interviews the characters and in part it Jamie collapsing her permanently internet-damaged brain. This podcast has achieved 92k subscribers so far.
4. This American Life
This American Life is a public radio program and podcast that tells true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Each week we choose a theme and put together different kinds of stories that have compelling people at the center of them, funny moments, big feelings, surprising plot twists, and interesting ideas.
This American Life has 3.5 million listeners each week, with 2 million downloading the weekly podcast and 1.6 million listening across 500+ public radio stations and having a total of 824 episodes.
5. 60 Songs That Explain the ’90s
It is a fact that 1990s music was a turning point, giving birth to beautiful songs of the 60s that highlight the style and genre, featuring the rapid evolution of sonic artistry. It shaped the future of iconic songs in the following years. This show is hosted by The Ringer’s preeminent critic, Rob Harvilla, who has successfully curated and explored these 60 songs.
60 Songs That Explain the ’90s has so far released 124 episodes.
6. Pod Save America
Pod Save America is the best podcast that deals with conversations based on politics. This show is hosted by the 4 former aides of ex-president Obama Tommy Vietor, Jon Lovett, and others. This podcast lets the audience explore the latest news and help people figure out what matters and how they can help solve it. This show invites journalists, world leaders, and politicians to share ideas and thoughts for more engagement.
So far this show has acquired 1.5 million listeners for each episode since 2017. It is said that this show has been downloaded more than 120 million times.
7. The Ben Shapiro Show
The Ben Shapiro Show connects worldwide listeners with the essential news they need to know, in the most sought-after daily program in America. Shapiro in his podcast covers the lives of America’s most powerful political personalities, brutally breaking down the culture and never compromising on the hard-hitting truth in a comprehensive, conservative, principled fashion.
The Ben Shapiro Show has 15 million downloads each month, and Shapiro’s influence has been skyrocketing since 2015.
8. Call Her Daddy
Is the best and most listened-to podcast that targets women’s audience. Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy has been creating conversation and the episodes have been selling like hotcakes. She sits with the popular personalities of the time and has unfiltered conversations with interests.
This show has 797.0K subscribers on YouTube, with a total number of 254 episodes released since 2018.
9. Office Ladies Podcast
The Office co-stars and best friends, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, host an exclusive podcast based on The Office web series as a re-watch show for you. They revisit each episode, walk you behind the scenes, and make these podcasts fun for The Office series lovers!
This show has a total of 207, 33 Half Episodes released since 2019.
10. Broomgate: A Curling Scandal
Broomgate: A Curling Scandal is a factual podcast that breaks the ice after years. Players have been too afraid to talk about it for years, but now, this podcast has opened the truth about a broom that almost destroyed curling is finally coming out.
This show has a total of 6 episodes and is a part of the CBC Podcasts family, hosted by semi-professional curler and fully professional comedian John Cullen who exposes the unbelievable, never-before-told scandal that rocked the sport of curling in 2025.
11. Minnie Questions with Minnie Driver
In Minnie Questions with Minnie Driver podcasts the actress Minnie questions everything about life. Her expertise as an acclaimed actor and musician is undoubtedly rooted in her enraptured observations of the world around her.
In this show, Minnie sits down with experts and trendsetters across various disciplines and asks them all the same seven mini-questions. This podcast highlights even small questions can uncover larger truths about life, happiness, failure, love, loss, marriage, and belonging.
This show has a total of 68 episodes.
Aren’t you just amazed by the way people can develop their expertise and interests in content creation so quickly?, We would take it as a Yes!
Best Podcasts on Spotify
Wait! The list is not yet over. We are here to give you more examples and inspirations. Here is the list of the most popular podcasts of all time on Spotify
- The Basement Yard
- Armchair Expert
- The Diary Of A CEO
- Crime Junkie
- Ologies
Still, there is some more for you to see!
Best Podcasts on Apple
Are you an Apple user, and waiting to host your podcasts there, here is what you need to know. We have picked the top 5 podcasts for you to get started right away!
- Huberman Lab.
- The Bill Simmons Podcast.
- We Can Do Hard Things.
- The Rest Is History.
- The Ramsey Show.
See what they have got different to share and make your dream come true just like them.
Frequently Asked Question on Live Podcasts
Who is the host of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast?
This podcast is hosted by the most popular American comedian Joe Rogan and ranks top in the world’s best podcast of times.
What are the top 5 podcasts in the world?
There are several most popular podcasts in the world, and some of the top 5 podcasts that you can find interesting and innovative are Joe Rogan Experience, The Daily Podcast, Sixteenth Minute of Fame, This American Life, and 60 Songs That Explain the ’90s.
What’s the Difference Between a Podcast and an Audio File?
An audio file is where you store a segment of sound recording as a separate file. Whereas, Podcasts record episodes and store them as an audio file on their computer or the cloud and publish it over the internet for the viewers to download or listen to streams.
These are the lists of the best podcasts that have been the talk of the town to have stolen the show for a long time. We wish to see you on the list of podcasters earning fortunes. All the best on your live streaming podcast journey!
