Apple: 2024's Most Popular Podcasts

Six days ago, on November 19, 2024, Apple released its comprehensive analysis of the most popular podcasts for 2024, revealing significant trends in digital audio consumption across nearly 100 countries and regions. The data, which spans multiple categories including top shows, new releases, and most-shared content, demonstrates the continued dominance of true crime, news, and interview formats in the podcasting landscape.

According to Apple's announcement, the rankings showcase listener preferences across various categories, with "The Daily" from The New York Times maintaining its position at the top of the overall shows list. The data reveals that true crime content continues to capture significant audience attention, with "Crime Junkie" securing the second position in the overall rankings.

The platform's analysis indicates that news-focused content remains a crucial driver of podcast consumption. Among the top 10 overall shows, three are dedicated news programs: "The Daily," "Up First from NPR," and segments of "This American Life."

The analysis of debut shows in 2024 reveals interesting shifts in content preferences. According to Apple's data, "The Tucker Carlson Show" emerged as the most popular new podcast, demonstrating the strong appeal of political commentary in the audio format. The true crime genre maintained its strong presence among new releases, with shows like "Mortal Sin" and "Drowning Creek" ranking in the top five debut programs.

The sharing metrics provide insight into content that resonates enough for listeners to recommend to others. "Huberman Lab," focusing on scientific and health-related content, leads the most-shared shows category, indicating growing interest in educational content. The data shows that health and wellness content generates significant social sharing, with multiple episodes about health topics appearing in the most-shared episodes list.

Analysis of subscriber shows reveals that premium content continues to attract paying listeners. "Apple News+ Narrated" leads this category, followed by true crime content like "Morbid" and "Dateline NBC." The rankings indicate that subscribers are particularly interested in well-produced narrative content and established media brands.

The channel rankings demonstrate the continued strength of major podcast networks. According to Apple's data, Wondery leads the network category, followed by iHeartPodcasts and The New York Times. The presence of multiple true crime-focused networks in the top 10 reinforces the genre's significant role in the podcast ecosystem.

Genre Analysis

Breaking down the most popular shows by genre reveals several key trends:

True Crime Dominance

The data shows true crime content appearing prominently across multiple ranking categories:

• "Crime Junkie" ranks second in overall shows
• "Serial" leads the top series category
• Multiple true crime series appear in the top new shows list

News and Current Affairs

News-focused content maintains strong performance:

• "The Daily" leads overall shows
• "Up First from NPR" ranks in the top 10
• Current affairs programming appears consistently across categories

Interview and Conversation Shows

The rankings demonstrate the sustained popularity of interview formats:

• "The Joe Rogan Experience" maintains high rankings across multiple categories
• "SmartLess" appears in both top shows and subscriber shows lists
• "New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce" shows strong performance in multiple categories

Market Distribution

Apple's announcement indicates that the rankings have been localized for listeners in nearly 100 countries and regions, with specialized "Shows We Love" curations available in 15 markets. This demonstrates the global reach of podcast content while maintaining local relevance.

The 2024 rankings are accessible through the Browse tab in Apple Podcasts, featuring multiple subcategories:

• Overall top podcasts
• Top new show debuts
• Most followed shows
• Most shared shows and episodes
• Top free and subscriber channels

The timing of this announcement, coming approximately six weeks before year-end, allows for comprehensive analysis of 2024 listening patterns while setting up for Apple's Show of the Year announcement scheduled for December 3, 2024.

Key Statistical Highlights

• 10 distinct categories of rankings provided
• Nearly 100 countries and regions received localized charts
• 15 markets received curated "Shows We Love" collections
• 10 networks recognized in the top channels category
• 40 unique shows appeared across the top 10 rankings in various categories

Primary Facts Summary

• Release Date: November 19, 2024
• Announcement Type: Annual podcast rankings
• Geographic Scope: Nearly 100 countries and regions
• Categories Measured: Overall shows, new shows, series, episodes, shared shows, followed shows, subscriber shows, channels
• Leading Network: Wondery
• Top Overall Show: "The Daily"
• Most Popular New Show: "The Tucker Carlson Show"
• Leading Subscriber Show: "Apple News+ Narrated"
• Most Shared Show: "Huberman Lab"
• Most Followed Show: "The Joe Rogan Experience"