Welcome back to this week’s Earworms, the weekly roundup of binge-worthy podcast recommendations from industry experts, here to make sure you have the best listening experience ahead of the weekend. This week’s list features exciting new voices including one from PodPod’s very own podcast producer, who never disappoints with podcast recommendations.
As always, along with the expert voices, we’ve included a list of new podcast shows that have dropped this week, including a true-crime podcast from Podimo which is an English adaptation of its hit Danish podcast, as well as a special bonus episode for That Peter Crouch Podcast.
What’s in the industry’s ears?
Arielle Nissenblatt – Head of community & content, SquadCast.fm
I’ll recommend In The Scenes Behind Plain Sight – it’s a rewatch podcast for a show that aired in the early 2000s that never really existed. What “A Very Fatal Murder” from The Onion was to true crime, ITSBPS is to rewatch podcasts in terms of satire. It is hilarious. Listening to it as a podcast lover will make you laugh out loud. And listening to it as a creator will make you a better podcaster.
Makeda Carayol – Podcast assistant editor, Bauer Media Group
Recently I’ve been deep in the audio fiction realm. Harley Quinn and The Joker: Sound Mind has been a personal favourite. It’s a love letter to dynamic sound design and immersive storytelling that breathes deeply relatable life into the dark, twisted micro-verse of Gotham. I’m looking forward to seeing more audio dramas crop up. Audio fiction like this stimulates meaningful reflections on life, from the mundane to the extraordinary in an unassuming way. And of course, it’s spectacularly entertaining.
Mike Wooller – Head of content partnerships, DAX at Global
If you're a foodie, The Sporkful is a must-listen. Its recent episode on the closure of the renowned restaurant Noma is a case in point. Not only did it provide an in-depth look at this loss to the culinary world, but it also revealed a startling statistic about profitability relying on the high percentage of unpaid interns working in fine dining establishments. The show never fails to deliver thought-provoking content, covering topics ranging from brewers making craft beer in countries where production of alcohol carries the death sentence, through to a commentary on the controversies at Bon Appetit back in 2020.
Kym Treasure – Founder and CEO, Audacia Audio
The Twenty Minute VC (20:VC) – starting your own business can be bloody scary but Harry talks to the best people in the business and they all have something in common. You won't know all the answers at the beginning, and that's ok. My favourite episode that he recorded recently was with the founder of Canva which I'm absolutely obsessed with, not only because the founders are also from little old Perth, Western Australia but because they are making a huge difference to my start-up, Audacia.
Emma Corsham – Freelance podcast producer (PodPod, Pappy’s Flatshare)
My current "immediately listen to this" podcast is Three Bean Salad. Think three comedians taking on HUGE talking points, like "Ice Cream", in the most round the houses, flights of fancy way. Yes, there are jingles dedicated to the host's pets. Yes, there were too many mentions of Avatar: The Way of Water that they had to impose a ban. No, they won't know the five Wednesday months by putting out a fifth episode. And that's final.
Freshly Dropped
Cold Blood: Nordic True Crime
As Podimo continues to expand worldwide, the audio entertainment service has released an English version of the hit Danish podcast Cold Blood: Nordic True Crime. The weekly series explores real-life incidents of murder, kidnap, and fraud across some of “the world’s coldest nations”. The first two episodes debuted on 30 March and will continue to be released every Monday.
Make Me Care About
Award–winning podcast host and New York Times bestselling author Jen Hatmaker is the host of a new podcast series, Make Me Care About, created in partnership between The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The podcast explores stories from people that are solving the world’s biggest problems, including healthcare workers, advocates, scientists and educators. The first of 13 episodes dropped on 29 March and will continue to be released every Wednesday.
Ursa Short Fiction
Season 2 of Ursa Short Fiction, the podcast which interviews writers of short stories, has returned on 29 March after the last season ended in October 2022. The first episode of the weekly series celebrates the 20th anniversary of short-story collection Drinking Coffee Elsewhere and features a conversation between the author of the collection, ZZ Packer and podcast co-hosts Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton.
That Peter Crouch Podcast
A special bonus episode of sports series, That Peter Crouch Podcast, was released on 30 March in partnership between Acast and TV network DAZN. The episode featured Crouch in conversation with sports promoter Eddie Hearn and professional boxer Anthony Jushua ahead of the highly anticipated match between AJ and Jermaine Frankli, premiering on 1 April.
Jack Whitehall's Safe Space
Audible original Safe Space podcast with comedian Jack Whitehall has returned for series 2 featuring the host asking listeners, his best friend and other big-name celebrities to share all their embarrassing stories and public humiliations to make them feel better about themselves. The season debuted on 29 March and is available to purchase as a boxset.
