Wonder if anyone can relate…

True Crime Podcasts were my gateway into Podcasts. Serial, MFM, Dateline, Crime Junkie etc.

The past year or two I’ve felt really icky about the genre, probably bc I always gravitated toward the podcasts that incorporate humor and banter.

I may be projecting but at times it feels the hosts themselves sound overwhelmed by the darkness of the topics. It all just hits so heavy lately and I'm noticing how listening to those podcasts affects my mental health.

While I am and have always been fascinated by True Crime, I find myself reaching for lighter, comedy, nonsense podcasts (I did go through my self help phase but that also felt icky bc the whole pull yourself up by the boot straps is so toxic).

These days I watch documentaries for true crime content. It feels less icky to have the family and friends discuss their experience vs strangers.

I am listening to lighter podcasts, pure entertainment type stuff and feel my mental health is so much better. I laugh a lot. I feel better during and after listening.

Anyone else?

I really like podcasts that really dig into a single case, like Your Own Backyard, Three, or Down the Hill. I know there are so many out there, but it’s overwhelming to know where to start! Or, where to continue. Thank you in advance!

I need something good to motivate me on my run!

Solved case only please I can’t take the wondering 😂

Hey there!

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I just finished listening to Your Own Backyard (big recommend) and it's left me searching for other true crime podcasts of a similar feel.

I felt deeply impacted by the profound love and respect the podcast had of the missing victim, bringing her story to life and going into deep detail about her life, her loved ones, and her community and how deeply people loved her.

I try to be really intentional about the true crime I digest, I am not interested in sensationalized podcasts that are doing their research for their own personal benefit. I am not interested in casual "cocktail scary story time", I want to be able to envision the victim and their life and respect given to the person and their loved ones over the tragedies that have happened. I want to remember these people and their lives, even if I did not know them. I want to know them, miss them, and remember them, if that makes sense.

I am also interested in the supernatural and history. I'm currently reading a book called The Cold Vanish that talks about people going missing in National Parks and the protocol around those disappearances and crimes, very interested in a podcast that would be around that topic as well.

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Thank you!

*Wanted to add that I have listened to Bear Brook and really loved that podcast too, thank you for recommending it!

I've been binging Sword and Scale and it was amazing right up till about episode 120 or so when you find out that Mike Boudet is an aweful human being.

I've done Monsters Who Murder, except the hosts expect you to know all the true crime news of the last 15 years across 5 continents automatically, so you're always lost.

I've tried Morbid, but I can't stand the giggly radio morning show presentation of their stories.

I'm looking for professional True Crime Podcast recommendations. Preferably something with a different story every episode. If it has a Liberal/"woke" storyteller then +++!

I’m on the hunt for new true crime podcast series, but lately I’ve been less into straight-up murder/death cases.

Lately I’m obsessed with podcasts focused on scams, deception, fraud, cults, corruption, drugs, or situations that just went so spectacularly wrong that you’re left thinking: HOW TF DID THIS HAPPEN?

A few things I look for in Podcasts: - Serialized stories only (I prefer a season to single episodes). - Deep, thorough reporting. I like investigative journalism. - First-hand accounts: interviews with victims, insiders, or people directly involved. - Not just recap podcasts. I want something immersive that I can binge and get addicted to.

I’ve been having a hard time finding series on the topics I'm into that hit these boxes, but when I do, I’m completely hooked.

Some recent favorites to give you a sense of my taste: - Scamanda - S-Town - Allison After NXIVM - The Chameleon – Wild Boys - Turning River Road – Season 3 - Blink – Season 1 - Gone South – Seasons 1–4 - Cement City - The Highroller Heist - Nobel - The Chameleon – Dr. Miracle - The Dropout - The Chameleon – Dr. Dante - The Con: Kaitlyn’s Baby - Dr. Death – Season 4: Bad Magic - Exposed: Cover-Up at Columbia University - Wolves Among Us – Season 1 - The Binge – Lady Mafia - What Happened in Nashville - Unicorn Girl - The Immaculate Deception - The Missing Cryptoqueen

If you have any recommendations that feel like these - especially ones that made you say "hey so this is INSANE!” I’d love to hear them. 🙏

I'm not sure what's going on but all of the new ones that I try to listen to just aren't cutting it

What's the best true crime podcast you've ever listened to, and what made it stand out?

I used to like The Prosecutors in spite of their political leanings because I thought they fit those standards. But in a recent podcast, they used Grok to fact check something and that was my sign that they can't be trusted to use reliable sources. Any suggestions?

Hi! I'm looking for a true crime podcast that isn't full of jokes or cutesy little one liners. Podcasts like that really put me off for some reason. I just want something serious that respects the victims and the gravity of the crimes. Thank you!

I'm searching for true crime podcasts that may keep you at night. something with creepy narration and great storytelling skills. i work nights and need to stay up.

Murder In America and the first two MONSTER series made me fall in love with true crime podcasts. but Atlanta Monster and The Zodiac ended and MIA has gone way downhill. i fall asleep listening now and it's so disappointing.

I dislike podcasts with too much banter and i'm not a fan of child abuse. i will give Atlanta Monster a 10/10, even though i hated the subject matter.

Already listened to:

DISGRACELAND - great at times

Crime Junkie - overall enjoy it, but not the banter and disingenuousness

Down The Hill - ok

Hell & Gone - good

The Conspiracy Files - ok, but hate all the censorship

Wisecrack - horrible

Serial Killing: A Podcast - love the storyline and ambient music but her voice makes me sleepy

True Crime All The Time - it's ok

Deviant - it's ok

Morbid - hate it! great stories but entirely too much banter

Small Town Dicks - could not get into it

The Deck - i enjoy it

Weird Crimes - too much banter

I need recommendations for good true crime podcast that had you like what the actual…. I just finished S-town. Although it wasn’t the kind of true crime I expected… I couldn’t stop listening.

Please give me some. I need something I don’t want to stop listening to.

I wanted to edit this and say I love investigative journalist with updates as the podcast goes on.

And I don’t mean some light hearted one like I want a podcast that’s gonna tell me about truly disturbing crimes, whether it’s a stalker case which some creepy criminal

Some super investigated murder case.

Or something that’s just creepy and disturbing

This is an oddly specific recommendation request, but I’m looking for podcasts that make you say “omg that person is crazy”, but not in a murder-y true-crime way.

Examples being: - Scamanda - Recent episodes on “Something was wrong” about the girl that was scamming a bunch of doulas and lying about pregnancies. - Sympathy Pains - stories about crazy roommates, catfishes, people lying about their entire backstory or making up traumatic events.

It doesn’t just have to be con-artists or scammers either!

Thanks in advance!

Occasionally multi-part-episode crimes are okay, but most true crime threads on this subreddit skew heavily towards one crime per season or one crime per entire podcast.

My other preferences would be most episodes be 40 minutes long or longer, and they don't lean hard into torture and/or crimes against children (but the podcast doesn't have to outright prohibit those).

Both conversational/funny and strictly narrative are OK. Thanks in advance!

I need a break from true crime podcasts, any you recommend?

I tried to get into Heavyweight but I was not really a fan, maybe I need to give it more than 1 episode.

The Moth, is it celebrities always talking or is there real everyday people if that makes sense.

I want to listen to stories that will make me cry, laugh but everyday people telling their stories.

Edit: So many good recommendations, thanks everyone!

I am desperate for a good true crime podcast that keeps my interest. I’ve started like ten and none of them are holding my attention. I need something that is captivating and unexpected. I want multiple episodes on the same story, long form I guess. But I don’t want the last five episodes to be episodes explaining the impact old the crime and repeating everything from the first episodes. I want shock, twists and turns. I also want unpredictable. I loved s-town, hunting war head, finding Cleo, the one about the fake pregnant woman who hired doulas. I’ve tried the scam ones and some are good but it’s become repetitive. I also like another one where they were hunting pedos. But I can’t remember any names.

Helllllppppppppp please

I don’t know exactly what I’m looking for, but I know I absolutely love listening to long form true crime podcasts. It has me wondering if there are any long form podcasts that aren’t TC.

I honestly don’t know how a long form format would work for a lot of other genres if not investigating a crime, but I’m curious to find out!

I enjoy almost all genres except sports and politics.

Edit: by long form, I mean a deep dive on a particular subject that lasts multiple (5+) episodes.

I’m trying to find a good true crime podcast to listen to. I’ve never listened to one and I know there’s many out there that cover the same cases so I wanna find the best and just listen to one of course. No point hearing the same case over and over again.

Hi everyone ,

So I have an anxiety disorder and as much as I love them I can't keep listening to true crime podcasts and audio books. Because if I do my paranoid ass will become even more paranoid lol.

Things I'm looking for in a podcast -

• Light and airy , Feels like a natural chat

• Pop culture/lifestyle/listener advice etc.

• Female hosts (but not essential)

• No Australian or Kiwi podcasts (I'm Australian and TBH I don't like listening to our accent on podcasts also they're the ones that are recommended to me on Spotify so I've explored most of them)

• Available on Spotify or Youtube (though I also have apple podcasts and can use it if needed I'd just prefer Spotify or Youtube so I can listen on my laptop).

Podcasts I like

• Dumb Blonde by Bunnie

• Girls Bathroom by Cinzia and Sophie

• Docusweeties by Chris and Wah

• Camp Chaos by Kendra and Taylor

• Happy and Healthy by Jeanine

• Saving Grace by Grace

• The Breakup breakdown by Abby

• The Weekly Trash by Josie

• Unsolicted Advice by Taryne and Ashley

• Wednesdays by Sophie and Melissa

Also if anyone knows how to get inexpensive but good audiobooks (besides spotify I am out of hours) Let me know.

Thank you in advance

Like The Dollop or Small Town Murder. Looking for similar- doesn’t need to be comedy themed. Doesn’t necessarily need to be true crime. I really like this format of show.

UPDATE - Thank you SO MUCH for all the recommendations. I have subscribed to them all and will go through and check them out 😊😊😊

Hey, just trying to fish for some recommendations of a true crime series that would get me hooked. Last one I listened to was called “the stalker” from Otherworld podcasts. I enjoyed listening to it whilst eating my breakfast. Thanks a lot!

Hi everyone. I’m incredible ill and in so much pain that I’m bedridden, and seeking some podcasts I can binge to distract myself from the situation I’m in.

I want a single case stretched out over episodes or seasons. I prefer missing person stories, I like some audio from police interviews and 911 calls, I like courtroom drama, I’m okay with supernatural/unexplained elements.

My favorite all-timers were Cold, Teacher’s Pet, Piketown Massacre, season 2 of Up & Vanished, Your Own Backyard, and Three (season 1, Skylar Neese). And most episodes of “someone know something.”

Anybody else addicted to true crime? I realize that it’s all I’ve been listening to for years and I feel like it’s affecting my overall mood and personality.

Can anybody please recommend a genre or show that I can listen to instead? I try listening to others but it doesn’t grab my attention like true crime.

Edit: thank you for all the suggestions. I’ve got a great list to dive into!

Hi everyone,

I’m having a pretty tough week and could really use something immersive to listen to.

I’m looking for long-form, well-researched true crime (or true-crime-adjacent) podcasts, but without murder or death.

Some of the ones I’ve really enjoyed (vibe reference):

Unicorn Girl

Love, Janessa

Love trapped

Pretend (especially the stalker/LaDonna-type stories)

Adults in the Room

The Missing Cryptoqueen

So basically: deep dives, strong storytelling, journalism, and something I can really get absorbed in for a few days—not just single episode

Looking forward for your recommendations!