Podcast Topic Ideas for 2025
Would it surprise you to learn that podcasts have been around for more than 20 years? The first downloadable audio files recognizable as modern podcasts were released between the summer of 2003, and early 2004.
Over the following decade, the format’s popularity grew from 9% US market penetration in 2004, to over 20% by 2016. Today, podcasts are firmly established in the mainstream, listened to by half a billion people worldwide, and growing.
Projections suggest more than 650 million people will regularly listen to podcasts by 2027. It’s also a worldwide phenomenon, with over 50% of South Koreans subscribing to podcasts, and almost 40% of Spaniards.
In Canada, 71% of people have heard at least one podcast; 29% listen to over five hours per week. Along with the meteoric rise in audience numbers, podcasts have also seen an explosion in the volume of producers.
A Crowded Market
As 2025 begins, there are over 4.19 million registered podcasts across all formats worldwide, with more added each day. These productions cover a wide range of topics from true crime and politics to gossip, sports, and self-help.
The more saturated the market becomes, the more important it is for podcasters to find their unique niche. If you want to stand out and attract listeners, you need to offer something better, or at least something different.
The search for a topic that will catch podcast audiences’ attention is ongoing, with ideas evolving every year. In 2025, what are the topics most likely to see a boom in popularity?
● True Crime
Perfectly suited to the serialized podcast format, true crime is a favourite topic year after year. There’s just something about the darker side of life that the listening public can’t seem to resist.
True crime podcasts come in various shapes from deep investigations by professional journalists to lighter-hearted retellings of famous events. With endless new stories, and old ones to revisit, 2025 looks like another bumper year for true crime podcasts.
● Gaming
As an online listening format offered to online people, podcasts and gamers are a natural fit. From industry gossip and play-through commentaries to ‘how to’ guides, there are dozens of angles a gaming podcast can take.
Capitalizing on the world’s insatiable appetite for casino gaming, 2025 will see a growth in podcasts covering this area. As this sector continues to boom, a podcast from a website that reviews online casinos could be a huge hit.
● Conspiracies and Fact-Checkers
In the post-truth world of unregulated social media and fact-free politics, the proliferation of conspiracy theories is greater than ever. Podcasts discussing, examining, or debunking these alternate realities are becoming increasingly popular, and will likely continue to be in 2025.
Like true crime, conspiracy theory podcasts are adaptable to several different formats and styles. Whether guest debates, evidence-based investigations, or satirical comedy, 2025 is expected to be favourable to almost any podcast handling conspiracies.
● 30-Day Challenges
Whether it’s Couch to 5K, Yoga With Adriene, or a simple commitment to drinking water, 21st-century audiences love a challenge. While social media platforms are great for launching and documenting these programs, podcasts can carry them to the next level.
A format that takes advantage of the permanently available on-demand nature of podcasts, 30-day challenges can enjoy enduring popularity. Once recorded, they can be released in 2025 and continually promoted to new audiences for months, or years to come.
● Travel
If you listen to podcasts during work, or in bad weather, that doesn’t mean they can’t take you somewhere else. Wanderlust is something that unites people all over the world and, when it can’t be satisfied, we look for alternatives.
Travel podcasts can be destination guides, interviews with travellers, anecdote platforms, or even resources for tips and advice. Whether listened to when we can’t travel, or as a companion when we do, travel will be big in 2025.
● Fiction
The way we absorb many traditional media formats has changed in the 21st century, and written fiction is no different. Just as film and music creators have turned to streaming services, writers and storytellers are also adopting the podcast format.
Offering a way to enjoy fiction on the go, podcasts serializing novels or delivering anthologies are increasing in popularity. From new stories to myths from ancient times, the partnership of podcasts and tale-telling is a perfect match for 2025.
Something For Everyone
These are just a few of the podcast topics likely to make a big impact over the following year. Others with a bright future on the horizon include behind-the-scenes exposés, motivational life coaching, and sustainable living guides.
So, whether you’re into gaming, true crime, or stories of far-flung places, there’ll be a podcast for you in 2025. If there isn’t, that means you’ve found a gap in the market—so why not grab a mic and fill it?