Living in the era of crimes, mysteries, and thrill lovers, True Crime podcasts have made their way to the top of the podcast universe. The cases were stocked up with investigations, suspects, drama, and fear.
The crime podcast is found to be one of the most addictive podcasts due to its unwinding episodes and seasons. Whether it is a cold case investigation or crime journalism, the podcasts will surely take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
Regardless of whether you are a newbie in the world of crime podcasts or an addictive listener, here are our picks for you.
Top 13 True Crime Podcasts: In A Nutshell (2023)
| Sr. No. | Podcast Name | Rating |
| 1. | Serial | 4.8/5 |
| 2. | My Favourite Murder | 4.8 ½ /5 |
| 3. | Someone knows something | 4.6/5 |
| 4. | Dirty John | 4.4/5 |
| 5. | Suspect | 4.5/5 |
| 6. | Welcome to your fantasy | 4.3/5 |
| 7. | Dr Death | 4.6/5 |
| 8. | Criminal | 4.3/5 |
| 9. | Tom Browns Body | 4.2/4 |
| 10. | Missing and Murder | 4.5/5 |
| 11. | Morbid | 4.3/5 |
| 12. | Last Podcast On The Left | 4.4/5 |
| 13. | Morning Cup Of Murder | 4.2/5 |
1. Serial
The podcast was premiered in 2014 by Serial productions, a New York times company. The podcast is hosted by Sarah Koenig.
Each week a new chapter was introduced on Thursday mornings. The host was unaware of the end and unfurled an interesting aspect in every episode.
Serial unfolds a true story with many twists and turns with new characters being in limelight. In the first season, the podcast starts with the murder of Hae Min Lee. The host questions the conviction of the murderer Adnan Syed, who was serving a life sentence for the murder of his high school girlfriend in 1999.
Sarah Koenig read various articles and listened to interviews, trial testimonies, and police. She discovered that the case was flawed and she hasn’t reported it until the show debuted. She took the listeners on the journey of investigation with her and the feedback from the audience helped her in the process.
The most attention-seeking part of the podcast was Koeing’s calls with Syed. This podcast created records and is still today one of the best crime podcasts.
Platform:
Ratings: 4.8/5
2. My Favorite Murder
Premiered in 2016, My Favorite Murder gained popularity after Serial. The series grabbed its place in the top ranks of the Apple Podcast with cases that keep listeners awake at night.
The podcast is aired twice a week on Monday and Thursday. The hosts are Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. The fans of the series “Murderinos”, have made it one of the most popular true crime series.
Platform:
Ratings: 4.8 ½ /5
3. Someone Knows Something
The series is hosted by CBC’s David Ridgen with investigator Amanda Robb. The series digs into the 1998 murder mystery of Amanda’s Uncle.
Amanda’s Uncle was a doctor in New York, who was killed for performing abortions. This discovery exposed many abortion scandals.
The series presently has 6 seasons with intense stories. The current season is about the case study of Doland Izzet Jr. The story of a mother, Debra searching for his son for 25 years.
Platform:
Ratings: 4.6/5
4. Dirty John
The story in the series is about Debera Norwell, an interior designer and John Meehan, a doctor and her family.
The series is hosted by Christopher Goffard and presented by L.A. Times. The episodes of the series are available for free.
Platform:
Ratings: 4.4/5
5. Suspect
The podcast released in 2021 follows the case of the entangled murder mystery. The case is of 24-year-old Aparna Jinaga. The victim was found strangled in her apartment in 2008.
She hosted a Christmas party with many guests present. The host and journalists Matthew Shaer and Eric Benson take listeners on the journey of unraveling the truth about the trails and mislaid justice.
Platform:
Ratings: 4.5/5
6. Welcome to Your Fantasy
The series talks about the story of the Chippendales dancers. But behind the nonstop party and oiled pecs, the case led to the discovery of a dark horrific story.
Natalia Petrzela exposes the mystery by taking the listeners through the journey of investigation, trials, etc. You can listen to the podcast for free.
Platform:
Ratings: 4.3/5
7. Dr. Death
The series dives deep into medical malpractices. The series follows the story of one of the best neurosurgeons, Christopher Dutch.
The story leads to complications in his patients and the wicked system. The series is hosted by Laura Beil.
You can listen to the podcast and satisfy your excitement about the ending.
Platform:
Ratings: 4.6/5
8. Criminal
Criminal is an award-winning podcast reported by Phoebe Judge. The series is about people who have been caught in criminal acts or have been a part of a criminal act.
The series is aired by Vox Media Podcast Network.
Platform:
Ratings: 4.3/5
9. Tom Browns Body
The puzzling disappearance of a high school senior before thanksgiving in 2016. In the small town of Canadian in Texas, all the residents were suspects including the family, friends, private investigator and sheriff.
After the disappearance of Tom on the night before Thanksgiving, his body was found 2 years later. The writer Skip Hollandsworth dives deep into the mystery that leads to the eight seasons of this true crime series.
Platform:
Ratings: 4.2/4
10. Missing and Murdered
Missing and Murdered is hosted by reporter Connie Walker. The story’s lead character is Cleo, a lost child. The family of the young child believes that she was raped and murdered.
The reporter carries the listeners through the search for Cleo and the investigation that takes place.
Platform:
Ratings: 4.5/5
11. Morbid
A mixture of crime horror and comedy has made Morbid one of the Popular true crime podcast series. The hosts are autopsy technician Alaina and hairstylist Ash.
The Hosts reported the series with a thorough investigation of a haunted house, the killers and the mystery.
Platform:
Ratings: 4.3/5
12. The Last Podcast On The Left
This podcast is all about explaining the horrors of the real and fictional worlds both. It covers everything from serial killers to demons and cults and everything in between. This is the podcast you want to listen to if you are keen to know about true crime.
The podcast lives up to the expectation of a movie called “The Last House On The Left,” both 1972 original and 2009’s adaptation of the original. This podcast is for thrill seekers and anyone who is keen to know about all kinds of horrors of this world. You definitely won’t be disappointed.
They already have over 500 episodes, and they release new episodes at least 2-3 times a week, so there is plenty of content for you to consume.
Platform:
Rating: 4.4/5
13. Morning Cup Of Murder
If you don’t have the time to listen to hours of podcasts to know about true crimes and who the killer is and all, then this podcast is perfect for you. On average, you just need to spend 10 minutes daily listening to this podcast, and you will know the whole story of true crime from start to end.
The best part about this podcast is that they release episodes daily, so you enjoy it with a fresh cup of coffee or tea. They also explain the crime that happened on the same exact date years ago the episode gets released.
So if you’re curious to know about what crime happened on a particular date, you just need to go to this podcast and search according to the date. So keep your eye on the podcast daily to satisfy your murder curiosity.
Platform:
Rating: 4.2/5
Related Read:
Final Verdict: Best True Crime Podcasts (2023)
That’s all with the true crime podcasts. With the increasing number of listeners of the genre, the hype ain’t gonna die soon. So what are you waiting for? Choose one that attracts your interest and set off on the voyage of crime and mystery.
If you are still confused about which one to choose, here are our top picks:
- Serial
- My Favourite Murder
That might have helped you to choose the one for you. Remember to share your top pick and the experience
FAQs
Serial is the #1 true-crime podcast. Since 2014, it had kept listeners hanging. The series will rive all your emotions to the peak with each episode entangling the mystery further deep.
The documentaries like Why did you kill me? The Tinder Swindler and Murder to Mercy are a few of the best ones.
Disney has recently added the True Crime genre with a variety of different films, series, etc.
According to the studies conducted and the surveys, females are mostly the ones more addicted to the true crime genre.
Since the release of Serial in 2014, True crime podcasts have gained ever-increasing popularity.
