Apple Unveils 2025’s Most Popular Podcasts

Apple has unveiled its official 2025 year-end charts for Apple Podcasts, spotlighting the most listened-to shows, breakout newcomers, and the biggest trends in global podcasting.

The Cupertino company has made these charts available through the end of the year in the New tab of the Podcasts app, offering a detailed look at how audiences across nearly 100 countries tuned in during the past 12 months.

The 2025 charts go beyond simple rankings. They include sections for Top Shows by overall listenership, Top New Shows that launched this year, the Most Followed Shows (by new subscribers), the Most Shared Shows (shared via social media or with friends), and a snapshot of the leading Channels.

In over 15 markets, Apple is also featuring a curated “Best Shows of 2025” selection, handpicked by its editorial team. The company’s year-end celebration will culminate in naming its “Show of the Year,” scheduled to be announced on December 4, 2025.

Here is a breakdown of some of the most notable podcast hitmakers from Apple’s U.S. charts:

Top Shows (Overall):

• The Joe Rogan Experience secured the number one spot, reaffirming its enduring popularity.
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• The Daily, The Mel Robbins Podcast, Crime Junkie, and Dateline NBC also made the top five, followed by SmartLess, Call Her Daddy, This American Life, Huberman Lab, and The Ezra Klein Show.

Top New Shows (Launched in 2025):

• The breakout list is led by Good Hang with Amy Poehler, followed by Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce.
• Other entries include Deadly Mirage, Blink | Jake Haendel’s Story, Murder in the Moonlight, Devil in the Desert, What Happened to Holly Bobo?, Cold Blooded: Mystery in Alaska, Unicorn Girl, and The Best People with Nicolle Wallace.

Top Series:

• Serialized storytelling also proved strong this year. Apple’s top series list features The Telepathy Tapes, The Binge Cases, Deadly Mirage, Blink | Jake Haendel’s Story, Dateline Originals, Murder in the Moonlight, Serial, THREE, Devil in the Desert, and CounterClock.

Top Episodes of 2025:

• The most streamed and shared single episodes include The Telepathy Tapes (“Unveiling the Hidden World of Telepathic Communication in a Silenced Community”), Crime Junkie (“MURDERED: The Feeney Family”), New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce (“The Taylor Swift Episode”), The Joe Rogan Experience (“#2223 – Elon Musk”), The Daily (“Trump, Again”), and others.

Apple’s global and localized charts offer listeners everywhere a way to explore what resonated most in 2025, while also celebrating creators who built momentum and connection throughout the year.