From cave art to cinemas to everything in between, stories have always been the human way of making sense of the world. Podcasts are simply the latest evolution of that need by bringing deeply personal narratives, investigative journeys, and imaginative soundscapes directly into our ears.
If you’re running (or considering running) a narrative podcast of your own, it might make sense to study the best story-driven podcasts to strengthen your narrative skills. We’ve compiled six shows below that offer masterclasses in developing and telling stories, as well as expert advice on transforming lived experiences into unforgettable listener experiences.
- The Power of Narrative in Podcasting
- Comparing the Best Story Podcasts
- Storytelling Techniques to Use in Any Podcast
- Production Elements That Enhance Stories
- Learning from Story Podcast Masters
- The Bottom Line on the Best Story Podcasts
The Power of Narrative in Podcasting
Stories are the way that people learn, connect, and remember universal truths. In podcasting, narrative is a vital tool in transforming information into something tangible.
There are a few different types of narration styles to consider:
- First-person memoirs that lean on lived experiences.
- Investigative reporting that uses narrative arcs to unpack complex issues.
- Hybrid shows that blend interviews, narration, and sound design.
You can use the principles of narration regardless of your podcast’s topic.
At their best, narratives go beyond facts to tap into universal emotions, like grief, joy, fear, triumph, and more. These are the moments that stick with listeners long after your episode ends.
You just need to give your audience a reason to keep listening, not just to learn, but to feel the impact of that knowledge.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most effective story podcasts, including how you can use their techniques to strengthen your own storytelling.
Comparing the Best Story Podcasts
Below are six of the best story podcasts to consider, broken down into two categories: personal narratives and documentary-style podcasts.
Personal Narrative and Memoir Podcasts
These podcasts take a more first-person approach with one-to-one storytelling, personal interviews, and more.
1. The Moth: Best for First-Person Storytelling Approaches
Alt: The Moth is the best story podcast for first-person storytelling approaches.
The Peabody Award-winning show The Moth has been a cornerstone of audio storytelling since 1997. All episodes (pre-recorded or live) feature everyday individuals, not professional speakers, who share their experiences with friends, loved ones, and themselves and connect them with universal truths.
Notice how the raw, unpolished format of The Moth plays directly into the power of vulnerability and authenticity in first-person narrative. You, as a listener, will come away not just entertained but also with the tools to reflect on universal truths in your own life.
Storytelling Takeaways from The Moth
- Lean into vulnerability: Remember that authentic, raw emotion makes stories more relatable than cold retellings alone.
- Embrace imperfection: Sometimes, a shaky voice or pause can be more powerful than an ultra-polished delivery.
- Connect the personal to the universal: Audiences may feel more engaged when they see themselves reflected in someone else’s lived experience.
Best Storytelling Episodes to Study from The Moth
2. Heavyweight: Best for Studying Vulnerability and Authenticity in Narratives
Alt: Heavyweight is the best story podcast for studying vulnerability and authenticity in narratives.
Jonathan Goldstein’s Heavyweight podcast is about helping guests revisit (and come to terms with) moments in their past. It’s received six podcast honors since its release in 2016, and is today recognized as one of the most popular storytelling podcasts of all time.
Pay particular attention to how Goldstein uses humor to direct guest catharsis from one place to the next. As the New York Times explains, Jonathan “climbs inside the stories that shape people’s lives to see if he can help them create better endings.” This allows guests to come to terms with a pivotal moment in their lives and ultimately express the story that needs to be told.
💡Note: The Heavyweight podcast was initially discontinued in late December 2023. However, the Pushkin podcast team announced it would be publishing new episodes in late 2025 (September 18, to be exact).
Storytelling Takeaways from Heavyweight
- Don’t completely shy away from humor in storytelling: Even serious or painful stories can benefit from fun or lighter moments.
- Lean into discomfort: You don’t necessarily need to edit out all awkward silences or messy emotions. After all, they make the story feel real.
- Focus on the story’s conclusion or resolution (or lack thereof): Closure doesn’t exist in every story, but acknowledging that openly can make your narrative stronger.
Best Storytelling Episodes to Study from Heavyweight
3. Terrible, Thanks for Asking: Best for Connecting Personal Stories to Universal Themes
Alt: Terrible, Thanks for Asking is the best story podcast for connecting personal stories to universal themes.
Nora McInerny’s Terrible, Thanks for Asking tackles grief, loss, and life’s toughest transitions through stories from real-life people. She creates a safe space for people to talk about how they’re really doing, often intertwined with political events, economic downturns, pop culture highlights, and more.
In each episode, watch as Nora frames deeply personal narratives in ways that feel universal and attainable to listeners. You might not hear just one person’s story; you might hear echoes of their own struggles and triumphs reflected.
Storytelling Takeaways from Terrible, Thanks for Asking
- Relate when possible: You might not share the same painful story as others, but you may be able to help them understand where you’re coming from. Nora, for example, has experienced the loss of a spouse.
- Connect the micro to the macro: Remember that a personal anecdote can spark recognition in a wide audience when framed around universal emotions.
- Create community: Making space for honest stories will build trust and resonance with listeners. Consider making a community for others to share their stories, which can help grow your podcast while also creating a safe place for community members.
Best Storytelling Episodes to Study from Terrible, Thanks for Asking
Documentary-Style Story Podcasts
This set of podcasts takes a more documentary-style approach to storytelling, usually by diving deep into research, historical narratives, and existing data.
4. Planet Money: Best for Long-Form Investigative Storytelling
Alt: Planet Money is the best story podcast for long-form investigative storytelling.
Since 2008, NPR’s Planet Money has made economics approachable by telling the human stories behind numbers, markets, and policies. Episodes often span weeks or even months of research, offering listeners a window into how financial and social systems impact everyday people.
As a podcaster, you might want to pay attention to how Planet Money builds narrative arcs out of seemingly abstract topics. Notice how complex economic ideas are broken down into story-driven case studies. This makes listeners feel like they’re uncovering mysteries rather than attending a lecture, which can help to boost retention and interest in your show.
💡Related: Best Finance Podcasts to Listen to in 2025
Storytelling Takeaways from Planet Money
- Humanize the abstract: Even technical topics can resonate with listeners, provided they’re centered around some lived experiences.
- Commit to depth: Longer investigations can uncover nuances that skin-deep reporting might unintentionally miss.
- Structure the arc: Think about treating your investigative reporting like a story, with characters, conflict, and resolution.
Best Storytelling Episodes to Study from Planet Money
- We Set Up an Offshore Company in a Tax Haven
- The Price of Lettuce in Brooklyn
- How Fake Money Saved Brazil
5. Reveal: Best for Studying Research and Fact-Checking Methods
Alt: Reveal is the best story podcast for studying research and fact-checking methods.
Reveal is produced by the Center for Investigative Reporting as a public program for accountability journalism. Each episode is built on rigorous research and deep fact-checking, with stories that uncover hidden injustices, government failures, or systemic issues.
Storytellers may notice how Reveal carefully balances its investigative rigor with narrative flow. Listeners are never bogged down by facts alone; instead, the reporting is woven into compelling arcs that emphasize stakes, characters, and outcomes.
Storytelling Takeaways from Reveal
- Lead with transparency: Show your audience how you found your information to build credibility.
- Balance facts with story: Remember that data and documents should support your narrative, not overwhelm it (thereby distracting your listeners).
- Hold for impact: Sometimes, revealing the most shocking fact later in the story can increase emotional weight and give listeners the payoff they were looking for.
Best Storytelling Episodes to Study from Reveal
6. Radiolab: Best for Balancing Information and Narrative Techniques
Alt: Radiolab is the best story podcast for balancing information and narrative techniques.
Radiolab is the flagship podcast of WNYC Studios, designed to blend science, philosophy, and human experience into sound-rich explorations. The goal is to dive deep into complex topics like genetics, morality, or time, then make them accessible through curiosity-fueled storytelling and creative sound design.
In each episode, pay close attention to how Radiolab never sacrifices story for facts, or facts for story. Instead, it braids the two together so listeners stay both logically informed and emotionally engaged in the story.
Storytelling Takeaways from Radiolab
- Use curiosity as a guide: For example, you might want to frame episodes as investigations sparked by big questions.
- Let sound design work for you: Music, effects, and layered audio can add dimension and keep listeners hooked (more on this later).
- Translate complexity into story: No need to let news reports do all the talking. Instead, you can use characters, dialogue, and narrative pacing to help abstract ideas resonate with your listeners.
Best Storytelling Episodes to Study from Radiolab
Storytelling Techniques to Use in Any Podcast
You don’t need to run a first-person podcast to reap the many benefits of storytelling techniques.
It’s possible to incorporate the following narrative methodologies to add interest, engagement, and refinement to your show.
Incorporate narrative elements
Contrary to what might be popular belief, it’s possible to add storytelling elements to almost any podcast. You just need to understand how it works with your topic and format, then blend your story and approach to the existing show structure.
Here are some fast and easy ways to incorporate narrative elements into your podcast, based on the four most common podcast formats:
- Interview: This could be interviewing yourself, or interviewing someone else (sometimes multiple people at once). You might craft questions that help subjects dive deeper into the topic, which creates a logical storytelling progression throughout the interview process.
- Deep Reporting: A great storytelling technique here is providing information about a subject by sequencing multiple layers of news, including headlines, surprising updates, and other stories showcasing the passage of time. For example, you might start with a hook like, “John Smith was missing for 15 years,” then follow it up with a news article providing more information (like, “although that’s not what the record says”).
- Commentary: By commentary, we mean offering your personal opinion(s) on an existing story, such as a movie, a pop culture event, a real-time livestream, and more. But rather than just reacting to the story, provide an extension by adding a lived experience. For example, if you’re providing commentary on a recent MMA fight, you might recount the details of a similar fight between two contestants, then compare and contrast the outcomes.
- Recaps: Most recaps involve summarizing a story or multiple storylines by boiling down details to their smallest common denominator. But you can also provide recaps using “I” statements instead. For example, you might say: “These are my favorite things we talked about last time, and here’s what I can’t wait to talk about in this episode.”
Think of your podcast (aka brand) as a story
If you operate in a B2B vertical like financial advising or investment advice, storytelling techniques will be even more important to your success. That’s because your brand is a story in and of itself, and if you can present the two as a logical whole, you can keep the listeners’ attention centered around your brand, even if they’re not consciously considering its effect on
The easiest way to do this is by embracing storybranding techniques, which allow you to ‘architype’ your business into one of 12 categories.
Alt: Courtesy of IVIO Agency.
There’s far too much here to explore in detail, and entire books that can help you decide on an approach.
But it’s still a good idea to start thinking about your podcast’s archetype, including the story it wants to tell and what your audience expects from you.
Tell unique stories
Listeners don’t come back for cookie-cutter episodes; they care about fresh perspectives and memorable moments that only you (and your guests) can deliver. So you want your podcast to stand out from the crowd rather than blur into an endless sea of similar-sounding shows.
The easiest way to do this is to lean into stories that only you can tell: client anecdotes, founder journeys, behind-the-scenes experiences, or personal lessons learned. This kind of specificity draws listeners in and makes your content stand apart from the generic “business as usual” format.
Keep in mind there’s no single formula for what counts as a ‘unique’ story, so the best rule of thumb is to build episodes around distinctive experiences and insights.
As you keep layering those stories, you’ll find it easier to stand out in your niche and create a unique show that feels alive, different, and worth coming back to.
Production Elements That Enhance Stories
As a podcaster, you’ll need more than just good narration to bring your story to life. There are a few other technical specs to consider if you want to maximize your impact and audience reach.
This includes:
- Focusing on music and sound design. The right audio cues or podcast theme song can set the tone of your show, signal transitions, and create an emotional anchor that makes episodes more memorable.
- Editing for narrative flow. You should focus on cutting filler words, rearranging sections for clarity, and removing unnecessary pieces or bits of the story to help listeners stay immersed.
- Using silence and pacing effectively. Don’t underestimate the power of a well-placed pause. A well-timed bit of silence can help emphasize a key moment, let the audience reflect, or build anticipation for what’s coming next (more on this later).
Remember: great storytelling isn’t just about what you say. It’s also about how effectively you curate it, meaning the edits, sound queues, and bits of silence you leave to contextualize your show hold a greater weight than you might think.
Learning from Story Podcast Masters
Maybe you’ve already read about storytelling techniques, or maybe you’ve listened to all the podcasts above. If that sounds like you and you’re ready for more, we’ve compiled direct tips from story podcast masters below.
Common Narrative Structures
Tips on how to handle guests according to the unique structure of your show.
For Interviews
“If you record interview-style podcasts, be sure to create a pre-podcast checklist for your guests. Not only will this ensure that you are receiving the best quality audio from them, but it will also make them feel better prepared to be on your show.” — Bishop McCann
For Co-Hosting
“It takes a few recordings to figure out your podcast. Whether you’re flying solo or have a co-host to help you wade the podcasting waters, most people don’t just turn on the mic and magically transform into a podcaster!” — Krystal Proffitt
For Hosting Guests
“Have your guests fill out a very thorough form a few weeks before recording. Not only does this weed out guests who might not be 100% committed, but it also gives you all the info you might need at a later date.” — Lisa Anderson Shaffer
For Solo Shows
“Get comfortable speaking to your audience by recording your story to just one friend on the phone.” — Beth McNamara
Hook and Retention Strategies
Don’t Fly Blind
“Write an outline before you start recording!” — Alban Brooke
Script Your Story’s Starting and Ending Points
“Have your intro and outro speech typed up in an easy place to access, so you have a strong opening and closing and you don’t have to struggle to remember the details.” — Ron
Leave Time and Space for the Hook to Show Itself
“Don’t worry about the length of your podcast. Let your podcast flow naturally. People know they can jump ahead if that is what they want to do.” — Dayna Owen
Building Anticipation and Payoff
Here are some tips on how to naturally build anticipation for your story, including delivering a payoff to listeners.
Introduce the Excitement
“…Give [listeners] quick on-ramps into your longer full-length show by sharing short 30-second to 1-minute highlight clips that have clear topics. Post them where your desired audience hangs out online.” — Jeff Dolan
Follow a Pattern
“Structure matters! There are some podcasts that do not have any structure whatsoever… As a listener, I sometimes stop listening to a podcast when I can’t tell where the episode is going.” — Kaho Koda
Know What Your Audience Wants
“Listen to and connect with your audience (or potential audience) first before launching a podcast. How or where you do that depends on your audience online. There’s no magic answer for this – it’s a process of trial and elimination.” — Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown
Let it Be a Conversation
“Learn the art of conversation…The art of conversation is about being a listener, being curious, and knowing the outcome you want from your guest.” — Ludwina
Be Unique
“Don’t be afraid to be different. Everyone is doing endless interviews, making audiograms, and tweeting their link to “podcast recommendations” posts. Now it’s time to do something that other people aren’t doing.” — Chris
Get Your Guests Involved
“Find guests who have strong social media following so they can help increase your reach!” — Suzanna Keith
The Bottom Line on the Best Story Podcasts
Whether you have a show on finance, education, or pop culture, learning storytelling techniques can help you connect more deeply to your audience. The trick is deciding how to tell your story. We hope the story podcasts in this roundup helped you think more deeply about your approach.
Looking for more support while developing your own podcast?
Contact The Podcast Consultant today to receive personalized suggestions in a free 30-minute consultation.