There are millions of podcasts out there, so how do you find the right one for you? At Quill, we went through and compiled a list of the best podcasts on Spotify to give you some inspiration for what you should listen to next. 

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WTF with Marc Maron Podcast

Category: Comedy

Length: 70-90 Minutes

Famous comedian, Marc Maron, sits down with comedians, actors, directors, writers, authors, musicians, and individuals from all walks of life. Marc invites them into his home for a comfortable setting, and then asks guests questions in an interview-style format about their life, journey, and stories. Through WTF, Marc is able to have authentic conversations with his guests, allowing them to express themselves in ways that listeners have never heard before. 

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The Michelle Obama Podcast

Category: Society & Culture

Length: 45-55 Minutes 

We all know and love Michelle Obama, and if you don’t, you’ve been living under a rock. In 2020, the former First Lady launched a podcast that dives into deep and real conversations with friends, family, and colleagues (all names that we can pretty much guarantee you’ll recognize). The conversations circle around relationships and how relationships make us who we are. This is a feel-good podcast at it’s finest. 

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Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend 

Category: Comedy

Length: 50-60 Minutes

We’ll start off by saying that this podcast is hilarious. The gist of the show is that Conan makes the joke that he’s never had long-lasting friendships and that he realized this when he noticed that everyone at his holiday parties were individuals who worked for him. So this podcast is him going on a journey to build strong relationships. In each episode he hangs out with a different individual to spark a friendship and have playful conversations around whatever comes to mind between him and his guest. 

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Stuff You Should Know 

Category: Society & Culture

Length: 45-60 Minutes

Based on the name, it’s pretty obvious what this podcast is about. Stuff You Should Know, hosted by Josh and Chuck, teaches you about, well, stuff you should know. Some of the topics they cover include champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime, Rosa Parks, and the list goes on and on. This show is a must on your podcast playlist. Prepare to become a little smarter after each episode. 

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Why Won’t You Date Me? 

Category: Comedy

Length: 60-70 Minutes

Hosted by comedian and host of the famous Netflix show, Nailed It, Why Won’t You Date Me? follows Nicole Byer’s journey to understand why she’s still single. The show is hilariously relatable or will just make you thankful for your own dating life. Every week, Nicole sits down with a comedian, a friend, or even an ex-fling and together they go through her dating life, the guest’s dating life, and if it was a fling, why it didn’t work out. 

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The Joe Rogan Experience 

Category: Comedy

Length: 175-190 Minutes

If you’re not familiar with this podcast you must be brand new to audio because The Joe Rogan Experience is one of the most known shows out there. The podcast has been around for years and was acquired by Spotify in 2020. In each episode, Joe sits down with comedians, thought leaders, inventors, innovators, and even some voices that may cause a bit of a controversy. The conversations had on this podcast cover everything you could ever think of.  

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My Favorite Murder 

Category: True Crime

Length: 40-60 Minutes 

We all love a good true crime podcast, and that’s exactly what My Favorite Murder is. True crime fanatics, Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, share their favorite true crime stories and also discuss hometown crime stories that they gather from friends and family, just to make it a little more spooky. If you’re looking for your next true crime podcast to binge, My Favorite Murder is a must. 

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Ear Hustle 

Category: Society & Culture

Length: 40-50 Minutes

Ear Hustle dives into the realities of life inside prison… from those who are actually living it or have lived it. The podcast shares stories of people who have been involved in the American prison system as well as those reintegrating into society after having served time. Sometimes difficult, funny, and always honest, Ear Hustle gives listeners a view into our prison system. 

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Call Your Girlfriend

Category: Society & Culture

Length: 40-60 Minutes 

Hosted by best friends, Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow, Call Your Girlfriend is for all of your long-distance best friends out there. Truthfully, long distance or not, this podcast is a must listen for you and your BFF. Especially as we enter our second year of the pandemic, we’ve had to switch to virtual hangouts with those close to use, whether they’re long distance or not. This podcast is here to give you inspiration, some fun ideas, and girl chats that you won’t want to miss. 

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Heavyweight

Category: Society & Culture

Length:  30-45 Minutes

Heavyweight is really about anything and everything, but done in a feel-good fashion. Hosted by Jonathan Goldstein and created by Gimlet, the podcast talks about moments that all or many of us have had. With a therapist-like approach, Jonathan takes listeners on a journey through these tough, exciting, sad, and happy moments. 

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Where Should We Begin? With Esther Perel 

Category: Society & Culture

Length: 50 Minutes

Hosted by famous therapist, Esther Perel, and produced by Gimlet, Where Should We Begin? gives listeners an insight into couples therapy sessions. In each episode, Esther counsels real couples as they reveal their deepest secrets, talk through tough times and mistakes that they’ve made, and discuss the overall complexity of intimate relationships. 

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Death Sex & Money 

Category: Society & Culture

Length: 30 Minutes

Sometimes to be polite, we leave big questions or hard choices out of important conversations. In Death, Sex & Money, host Anna Sale doesn’t hold back. Anna speaks to celebrities you’ve heard of as well as regular people you probably haven’t and focuses on the big stuff. These are the conversations around relationships, money, family, work, and living your life to make it count while you’re on this planet.

Today, Explained 

Category: News

Length: 20-30 Minutes

If you’re looking for a way to gather the latest updates and happenings around the world but are sick and tired of your basic “news” podcast, look no further. Hosted by Sean Rameswaram, Today, Explained is your daily news podcast but with a journalistic and narrative feel. Sean does an incredible job at pulling listeners into the story and guiding them through the different voices that come onto the podcast to share what’s going on in the world. 

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Dr. Death 

Category: True Crime

Length: 40-50 Minutes

You’ll listen to the first episode of this fiction podcast and not be able to stop until you’ve finished the series. Consider our doctors and hospitals -- people and establishments that we put all of our trust into. The story is about one miracle-worker, Dr. Duntsch, who could solve any medical challenge you were experiencing. But eventually, past patients begin experiencing complications. The hospital didn’t protect them… but what did it not protect them from? 

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The Rewatchables 

Category: TV & Film

Length: 80-90 Minutes

Hosted by Bill Simmons (you might recognize his name as the host of The Ringer), The Rewatchables is for all you movie lovers out there. Each episode brings on a roundtable of people to discuss movies that they can’t seem to stop watching. The films cover everything from Predator to Mrs. Doubtfire and everything in between. 

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Code Switch 

Category: News

Length: 30-40 Minutes

Code Switch is fearlessly tackling conversations about race head-on. Hosted by journalists of color, the podcast explores how the subject of race impacts society through politics, pop culture, history, sports, and everything in between. The podcast aims to make all of us a part of the conversation, as well as educate the masses. Since as they say, we’re all part of the story. 

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Office Ladies 

Category: Comedy 

Length: 50-60 Minutes

Hosts Jenna Fischer (Pam) and Angela Kinsey (Angela) from the famous TV series, The Office, are not only co-stars but also best friends. Each week, Office Ladies breaks down a different episode of The Office that we all know and love. They give you behind-the-scenes information, stories, and facts that you never would have known otherwise. Who better to tell you than those who actually lived it? 

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The Habitat 

Category: Science

Length: 30 Minutes

Would you believe me if I told you that Mars was actually on a remote mountain in Hawaii? Okay, probably not. But there is a fake Mars that exists there, where six volunteers have opted to live for a year to imitate astronauts living on Mars. This is basically a trial run for the real thing (when we all blast off to Mars). The podcast is hosted by Lynn Levy who communicates with the volunteers through audio diaries that detail their discoveries, frustrations, and relationships with one another. 

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How I Built This 

Category: Business

Length: 20-40 Minutes

Hosted by Guy Raz, How I Built This explores how entrepreneurs, innovators, and idealists have built their businesses, ideas, movements, and more. Guy narrates the podcast, weaving listeners through the journey of each guest, where you’ll also hear from different voices that had a hand to play in the guest’s story. Learn the behind-the-scenes from some of the world’s best known companies. 

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99% Invisible 

Category: Arts

Length: 40-50 Minutes

Design is everywhere, but sadly, we’ve stopped noticing. 99% Invisible is here to help you notice again. Every week the podcast explores the process and power of design and architecture. Why wouldn’t you want to take a moment to consider the beauty in everything around you? 

The Best Podcasts on Spotify 

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