22 Standout Podcast Topic Ideas for 2024

Podcasting offers all kinds of monetization potential, and with the market forecast to reach $17.59bn by 2030, it shows no sign of slowing down.  

But how do you stand out in a crowded podcasting market? The first step is to choose the right topic.  

To help you get started, we’ve collated a list of the best podcast ideas. If you want to produce engaging podcasts that keep fans downloading and sharing, helping you to make money online (which is what we’re all about here at Whop 🙌) then these ideas are perfect for you. 

Podcasts: The Basics 

So, what is a podcast? It is a series of audio content episodes on a specific topic, recorded by a content creator at home or in a studio. 

Podcasters typically use a hosting platform to distribute their episodes to places like Apple Podcasts, Podbean or Spotify, where listeners can download or access the content on-demand and – usually – for free.

Many podcasts are launched to promote other offerings, such as existing businesses or professional services. Right now, the most popular podcast is The Joe Rogan Experience, which the comedian has been hosting since 2009 and has amassed a whopping 14.5 million followers. 

Podcast formats include: 

• Editorials: Your take on a specific topic  
• Reviews: Such as books, music and films you like 
• Informative: Guides, instruction or ‘how to’ content 
• Creative: Sharing your stories, short fiction or excerpts of longer work 
• Interviews: Talking to leaders and key figures in your niche 
• Discussion: Panel-style banter on an interesting topic 
• Call-ins: Listeners calling in for advice or chat 

The length of each podcast episode depends on the topic and the format. If you plan on going solo, your episodes can be as short as 15 minutes. However, if you decide on an interview or discussion-style podcast, each episode can run from approximately 45 minutes to a couple of hours or more.  

The great thing about podcasts is that you’re in charge. Just be aware of your audience’s expectations within your topic.  

What Makes a Good Podcasting Topic? 

As you’ll see from our list, there are loads of podcast ideas out there. So, how do you know which has the most potential?  

Just as there are elements that make certain ecommerce and affiliate marketing niches more attractive for people like you who want to make money online, podcasting topics need to have one or more of the following to make them worth considering: 

Content creation  

When choosing a podcast idea, it’s important to think about whether that topic offers the potential to sustain the long-term production of quality content. The idea is to encourage people to engage with your podcast over a long period of time and to help you market it through positive word-of-mouth. This means each episode needs to contain great content, whether you want to educate, entertain or provoke a conversation.

If your topic is too narrow or on-trend, it will likely run out of steam. However, if it’s too broad, it might be hard to define your target market. This makes it harder to monetize. 

Expertise or interest 

The most popular podcasts come from the creator’s expertise or passion. So, if you’re unsure where to start on your podcasting journey, think about your interests or expertise, either lived or professional, and see if anything has the potential for creating compelling content. Maybe you can help people get to grips with tech or get fit. Or maybe your passion for a sports team or league can become a lively weekly discussion. If you have contacts in a certain industry, maybe there’s scope to create an interview-based podcast. 

Monetization potential 

There are lots of ways to monetize a podcast, from direct sponsorship to selling related paid services. Your podcast topic should ideally offer potential across different monetization options to help you build and scale a profitable online business. Long-term monetization means building a large audience base, establishing yourself as a ‘go-to’ expert or information source, and consistent content creation. The best podcast ideas tick these boxes. 

Repurposing  

Content creators who make money from their efforts generally find ways to repurpose their output, saving time, adding value to their audience and getting the most from everything they produce. One of the ways to monetize a podcast is to repurpose the content into a sellable product, such as an eBook or course. Similarly, blog posts, ebooks and social media content can be turned into a podcast series. So, when choosing a podcasting topic, think about the potential for content repurposing. 

The Best Podcast Topics 

Now you know more about podcasting, let’s get into our list of the best ideas and topics. Which one is the right fit for you?  

1. Technology  

The broad topic of technology spans beginners to experts, so you can craft a podcast to appeal to a specific audience.  

This topic is great for a podcast that features product reviews and guides, as well as discussion-style and interview-based episodes that offer listeners interesting comments on the latest innovations, such as 3D printing and artificial intelligence.  

Podcasting on tech topics means staying current and doing your research as listeners will expect you (or your guests) to be experts on the subject. 

Popular technology podcasts: The Vergecast, This Week in Tech, and TED Talks Technology.

2. News & politics  

If you keep up with current affairs, podcasts on news and politics offer the chance to broadcast episodes on issues that matter on a regional, national or global scale.  

Your content choices cover areas like local news, audience call-ins, investigative journalist-style reporting, editorials and expert commentary. News outlets often produce these types of podcasts or have contributions from those ‘in the know’.  

This area has the potential to stir up controversy and provoke debate, especially if you wade into the polarized world of politics. 

Popular news & politics podcasts: Pod Save America, The Daily, and Apple News Today. 

3. Film & TV 

Love the Marvel Universe? Never miss an episode of The Kardashians? Can’t wait to share your opinions of movies and TV shows with your friends, social media followers and anyone else you run into? Turn your passions into a podcast.  

Content ideas on this topic include reviews and recommendations, interviews, and discussion-style podcasts. Popular podcasts in this space often focus on a specific show or fictional world, which attracts a committed audience of like-minded fans.  

But pick something you love as much as your audience does – as they’ll expect you to share their encyclopedic knowledge.

Popular film & TV podcasts: The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon, The Big Picture, and the House of R.

4. Finance 

 This is a wide-ranging topic, which covers things like personal finance planning, playing the stock market, and innovations, such as cryptocurrency.  

When it comes to formats, this topic has lots of podcasting potential. For example, you can interview experts in investing or wealth building. Alternatively, you could craft more personal content around helping your audience with their finances, sharing life hacks which save money, or pointing people towards discounts, free trials or other offers which bring real value.  

This makes it one of the best podcast ideas for students or anyone who has to survive on a tight budget, as well as those with deep pockets. 

Popular finance podcasts: BiggerPockets Money Podcast, Motley Fool Money, and The Ramsey Show. 

5. Celebrity gossip 

Dishing the dirt on the rich and famous is an evergreen topic which will always find fans.  

If you keep up with the Real Housewives, follow what the royals are up to, or love to learn who’s dating and who’s getting dumped in Hollywood, you can build an audience who’ll tune in to find out what their favorite celebs are doing.  

These types of podcasts are personality-driven and work best if you bring a sidekick or two along for the ride, so you can create a ‘friends having fun and dishing over coffee’ vibe – after all, who wants to listen to someone gossiping alone? 

Popular celebrity gossip podcasts: Beyond The Blinds, Gossip Break, and Gossip With Celebitchy. 

6. True crime 

If you’ve seen the Disney+ show Only Murders in the Building starring Selena Gomez, you’ll know that true crime podcasts are a big deal. 

Content here typically takes the form of a single real-life recent or historical crime – usually a murder – which is revealed over a series of episodes, culminating in the culprit being revealed. Other podcasts in this space tackle one or more murders or mysteries per episode. 

When done well, can attract a super committed fan base of people who love to participate by sharing their theories of the crime. 

Popular true crime podcasts: Drowning Creek, Crime Junkie, and The Strange, Dark & Mysterious . 

7. Sports 

People who are into sports and who are devoted to their teams generally love to debate, argue, celebrate and commiserate with each other, which can create a great foundation for a lively and spontaneous podcast series.  

The most popular podcasts on sports topics are often discussion-based or phone-in style format, where the audience is invited to get involved, share their opinions, and provoke a reaction.  

So, if you love sports and really know the world well, you can build a popular podcast around your passion. 

Popular sports podcasts: New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, The Fantasy Footballers – Fantasy Football Podcast, and Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take.

8. Travel 

A podcast in the travel space fits in well with a strong content brand, so unless you’re already a travel blogger, journalist, etc., it can be challenging to build an audience.  

However, there is potential to share tips or focus on a specific market segment (such as digital nomads).  

Popular travel podcasts have also been created by thinking outside the box, such as by getting veteran travelers to share memorable stories from the road, focusing on the history of a place, or giving an offbeat take on a location you know well – the best dive bars in Boise, etc. 

Popular travel podcasts: Zero To Travel Podcast, The Travel Diaries, and Armchair Explorer.

9. Music 

Whether you’re a musician or just a fan, this is a great topic for podcasting. You can build a platform for your recording career or talk about the music you love, whatever artists or genres you’re into.  

There is also potential to place music into a wider context, with some popular podcasts blending music with stories about its roots and social significance to create informative and thought-provoking episodes. 

As with the book topic (see below), copyright is something to think about here. Generally speaking, you can’t – or shouldn’t – blast tunes on a commercial platform without paying royalties, unless you own the rights. 

Popular music podcasts: Million Dollaz Worth Of Game, Every Single Album, and Louder than a Riot. 

10. Marketing 

There’s a lot of podcasting potential in helping people promote their content, business or personal brand.  

Marketing is big business and anyone who has expertise in this area, whether in a professional setting or simply promoting their own offerings, can cash in by sharing the secret of gaining traction in a world filled with so much of…well, everything.  

From marketing strategies to getting into the field to new developments, such as ad-supported streaming and retail media, there is lots to say about marketing that people out there want to hear. 

Popular marketing podcasts: The Marketing Secrets Show, the Social Media Marketing Talk Show, and Marketing Over Coffee. 

11. Social media  

Related to marketing, podcasts can focus on promotion through social media channels.  

However, it is also a broader topic, which can drill down into the various platforms, help people to build a presence online, or focus on influencers and others who make their living from social media.  

As well as marketing, this topic intersects with things like business and entrepreneurship, offering podcasters the chance to develop strong content that gives people insight and advice into leveraging social media to support their success. 

Popular social media podcasts: Social Pros, The Science of Social Media, and Maximize Your Social.

12. Reviews 

We’ve included reviews as a topic by itself as it’s a great way to start podcasting on a whole range of subjects. With so much stuff out there to consume, audiences like to find out what other people are using and watching from a trusted source.  

Reviews are just opinions, so you don’t need to be an expert. But like all the topics on our list, you need to have a passion for your niche and the motivation to keep on top of new products, episodes and releases.  

Podcasts in this space often have two or more hosts to give episodes a conversational vibe. Review podcasts are also great add-on content for websites and can help affiliate marketing strategies. 

Popular review podcasts: The Jacked Up Review Show, AI Product Reviews, and The Gear Patrol Podcast.  

13. Business 

One of the wider topics, business podcast ideas includes things like individual sectors, running a business, or developments that affect certain industries. Interview-based podcasts with business titans are also popular.  

This topic crosses over with areas such as finance, marketing and entrepreneurship, allowing you to focus on a specific audience.  

As someone who has or is planning to start an online business, you can use your experiences to create episodes that promote you and your offering, creating a real-world case study and a marketing tool. 

Popular review podcasts: The Silicon Valley Podcast, The Diary Of A CEO, and Business Movers. 

14. Entrepreneurship  

It’s never been easier to start a business, especially an online business (something we know a little about here at Whop!). So, why not start a podcast that helps people turn their dreams of entrepreneurship into reality?  

There is lots of potential here across many different types of online and physical business sectors and opportunities. Nowadays, many people are also looking for a cool side hustle, which could turn into a fully-fledged business.  

If you have experience in this area or can find people who want to share their entrepreneurial journey with your listeners, you can offer your audience valuable and actionable content. 

Popular entrepreneur podcasts: How I Built This, StartUp Podcast, and Founders. 

15. Fashion 

It might seem like this visual-based niche wouldn’t be a good topic for a podcast. However, there are some really popular fashion podcasts.  

Areas of focus include the business of fashion, discussing specific designers or fashion houses, or helping your audience dress well on a budget. Current hot topics include pre-loved clothing and sustainability in the industry.  

Pair your podcast with a strong social media strategy and you can build a strong presence in the fashion space. 

Popular fashion podcasts: Every Outfit, This Old Thing, and Wardrobe Crisis. 

16. Health  

Another popular podcast topic, this one helps people live and feel better, from nutrition to improving health across different life stages.  

As you research your podcast topic within the health space, you’ll see that lots of them are hosted by medical doctors, PhDs, and journalists.  

So, if you don’t have relevant training or experience, your focus is likely to be on interviewing experts in their field or crafting anecdotal content, where you talk about dealing with a specific health issue without giving medical advice. There is also potential across related topics, such as our next choice, wellness. 

Popular health podcasts: Health Hacks with Mark Hyman, MD, Huberman Lab, and the Feel Good Podcast. 

17. Wellness 

Similar to the health space, wellness has more to do with mindfulness than medicine. The topic covers things like achieving healthy sleep, meditation and lowering stress.  

If you run a blog or website on this topic, a podcast is a great chance to connect with your audience and build authority, which is especially important if you want to establish or grow an affiliate marketing strategy.  

This space is ripe for questionable products and so-called ‘experts’, so make sure any recommendations you make or guests you interview are legitimate. 

Popular wellness podcasts: Ten Percent Happier, I Can't Sleep, and 12 Minute Meditation. 

18. Books 

While a book podcast might conjure thoughts of authors marketing their novels, there is a far wider scope to craft interesting episodes on this topic.  

Aside from promoting your own fiction and non-fiction work, you can discuss favorite books, interview writers, agents and editors, or introduce people to new or lesser-known works.  

In short, if you love to write or read other people’s creative output, this topic offers the opportunity to develop a unique podcast that attracts a loyal audience and has plenty of content creation potential. Again, as with music, be aware of copyright issues. 

Popular book-related podcasts: Borrowed, Overdue, and If Books Could Kill. 

19. Fitness 

This is another topic that may seem strange for audio content. However, there is a market for guided, podcast-based workouts, as well as all kinds of fitness-related content.  

Podcasts on this topic include looking at the science behind a healthy body, as well as providing easy tips for people to improve their fitness and nutrition.  

This topic is often expert-led, so if you don’t have credentials in this space, it’s best to avoid giving advice or providing workout routines, which could do more harm than good – not a great way to build an audience and monetize your content.

Popular fitness podcasts: Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin, 20 Minute Fitness, and Ben Greenfield Fitness. 

20. Paranormal  

Build an audience of people who are obsessed with scary happenings, mysteries and real-life horror with a paranormal-themed podcast.  

This topic often takes the form of storytelling, with the host relaying spooky tales. Like some of the other topics on our list, such as true crime, the bar here is high among people who are committed paranormal junkies.  

Because podcasting is primarily an audio medium, it’s important to create the right atmosphere to enhance your content and immerse your listeners in a world that delivers authentic chills and a satisfying journey into the paranormal. 

Popular paranormal podcasts: The United States of Paranormal, Unexplained, and Radio Rental 

21. Advice 

From dating dilemmas and social etiquette to marriage counseling, podcasting offers a great platform for giving one-to-one advice.  

It is important to build a strong personal brand in this space, so people will want to share their problems. The obvious thing to avoid here is advising on serious topics, like mental health or medical conditions if you're not qualified to do so.  

Unless you have the credentials and experience to provide professional guidance, you can keep things lighthearted by creating a ‘friend giving another friend’ advice tone. 

Popular advice podcasts: Maintenance Phase, Savage Lovecast, and Call Her Daddy 

22. Lifestyle 

The last topic on our list is the broadest to highlight just how much diversity exists in the world of podcasting.  

Lifestyle can cover everything from decluttering to relationships, offering the chance to tailor a podcast that can appeal to a wide audience. If you’re podcasting to complement other content or are looking to build a personal brand, choosing an interesting lifestyle angle can be an easy way to offer additional value.  

Many podcasters in this space offer coaching, books and other related products and services to create a profitable on- and off-line presence. 

Popular lifestyle podcasts: Life Kit, Clutterbug – Organize, Clean and Transform your Home, and The Minimalists Podcast.

How do You Choose a Podcast Idea? 

Okay, you’ve read our list of the best podcast topics but you’re still unsure which is right for you. Here are our top tips for finding your podcast ‘sweet spot’. 

1. Keyword research: Use a tool like Google’s Keyword Planner to drill down into broad topics to find out what people are searching for and in what volume. While it’s best to avoid trending topics, it can give you an idea of the potential of a podcast idea. 

2. Google’s ‘People also ask’/autocomplete feature: The best podcast ideas can come from a simple question. Plug a search query into Google and scroll down to the ‘people also ask’ box or start typing a query and look at what autocomplete suggests.  

For example, ‘New York Travel’ throws up queries related to travel guides, tips, insurance, blogs, apps and more. All of these can be turned into podcast episodes.

3. See what others are doing: Find inspiration by checking out the latest list of the most popular podcasts from one of the top platforms to find out what is engaging audiences. For example, Spotify charts let you list podcasts by country, topic and episode. 

How do You Make Money With Podcasts?  

Another great thing about podcasts is the various routes to monetization. We have loads of great resources on monetization, including this post on making money with a podcast. However, as an overview, here are some typical ways to monetize a podcast: 

1. Advertising: Build a large enough audience and you can sign up for one of the podcast ad networks, which will connect you with some relevant brands. 

2. Sponsorship: Similarly, the most popular podcasts attract sponsorship deals, under which you get paid by a company to promote their stuff during your episodes. 

3. Merchandising: Podcasters who create a strong brand identity can cash in by selling a range of related merchandise, such as branded hats and apparel. 

4. Subscriptions: There are various ways to paywall your content, such as by offering subscriber-only episodes or adding a paid-for newsletter. 

5. Related products: A podcast often forms part of a content creator’s wider monetization efforts, with eBooks, courses and other paid products. 

6. Affiliate marketing: Podcasters can harness the power of affiliate marketing by promoting products during episodes or by adding links to related social media.  

Start Your Podcasting Journey With Whop 

Whether you want to create a standalone podcast business, add another type of content to your repertoire, or monetize a hobby, podcasting can pay off. But like other ways to make money online, getting started is the hardest part. That’s where Whop comes in.  

As well as offering you a wide resource library to launch your journey to podcasting success, we can help you monetize your podcast by giving you a fantastic platform to sell digital products related to your topic. Will your podcast be free for everyone? Or could you add a paid subscription? With Whop, it’s easier than you think!  

Whether you’re new to podcasts or ready to monetize your existing one, check out Whop. From selling digital products to creating a paid community and paywallling content, we have everything you need to make money with your podcast.

Podcasting FAQs 

Do I need high-tech recording or broadcasting equipment? 

No, you don’t. If you have access to a podcasting studio, great. However, anyone can record a podcast with a basic at-home set-up, which should include a microphone, headphones, and some kind of recording device (plus a camera if you want to record a video version of your podcast). As you build your podcasting presence, you can add a higher-spec kit or rent professional studio space. 

How often should I release a podcast? 

Once a week is a good guide. The important thing is to stick to a schedule. Your audience will expect new episodes to be posted at a certain time and if you don’t deliver, they might forget about your podcast and find an alternative. So, don’t commit to an unrealistic schedule but make sure you post regularly. 

Which podcast hosting platforms are good for beginners? 

There are lots of podcast hosting platforms, with some of the more popular ones for beginners including Buzzsprout, Transistor, Podbean and Libsyn. Unless you can catch a free trial, most of the platforms require a subscription. If you want to test the water with podcasting and are looking for a free hosting platform, Spotify for Podcasters is a good place to start.