20 Podcast Topic Ideas For You To Try

As a podcast listener, you probably already know what kind of topics and content you’re interested in hearing. It might depend on your mood or activity, but we’d bet you have a list of your favorite topics to listen to handy.

As a creator, podcasting isn’t as simple. If you’re just starting out, identifying a content niche is hard, and making unique and valuable content requires hours of preparation. Luckily, we have a list of 20 podcast topics for you to choose from to start brainstorming how you’ll turn your great idea into someone’s favorite listening material.

What Is a Podcast?

A podcast is an audio show with a series of episodes. Episodes can last from several minutes to over an hour and focus on subjects like art, politics, and wellness. 

The podcast host, or hosts, choose a topic for each episode that relates to the show’s overall theme. A true-crime podcast, for example, might focus each episode on a different unsolved case, while a literary podcast shares reviews of newly published and popular novels. A show’s topic should be broad enough to include related episodes. 

How To Find the Best Podcast Topic for You

You want to start a podcast that people will subscribe to. While your voice and personality will keep some listeners coming back, you can set yourself up for greater success by implementing the following podcast tips.

Know Your Audience

Before you decide on a podcasting topic, consider who will listen to it. If you’re growing an Instagram following as a fashion influencer, your current audience looks to you for advice on the latest clothing trends. Try to stay focused on this content type with your podcast so you can  deepen your connection with your followers instead of confusing them with unrelated episodes.

Stay on Top of Podcast Trends

One of the best ways to stay relevant is by staying on top of current trends. Try to pay attention to what others are creating by listening to trending podcasts as part of your weekly research. This way, you can ensure you’re creating content your followers want to hear.  

If everyone is sharing lists of their all-time favorite novels, consider sharing your favorites of the season to match the theme, but stay fresh by putting your own spin on it. That might mean sharing books that are set in the season you’re discussing or that you add a sub-theme, like all female authors. You could also do a series of episodes with different types of favorites — of the month, of the year, of all-time — to make the most of the trend. 

Find Your Niche

Once you have a general podcast category idea, determine a niche — a unique angle that helps your show stand out. Your niche may relate to the information you deliver (like offering only sustainable fashion advice) or how you deliver that information (like doing Q&As with listeners or interviewing environmentally conscious designers).     

Plan Your Podcast

Podcast planning can help you vet your idea. Brainstorm a handful of episode themes before you start creating, and if you find yourself short on ideas, your podcast’s topic may be too specific. If the episode ideas seem unlimited, your niche likely isn’t specific enough. 

To make sure your niche is clear, think of how you’d promote your podcast. If you can’t figure out how to explain the podcast’s topic to your followers, it’s likely not a clear enough idea. Work to refine your podcast’s elevator pitch to be clear and catchy before you start recording. 

20 Podcast Ideas, Trends, and Topics To Explore

If you have a defined personal brand, you probably already know what content you’re passionate about making. But if podcasting is your first step into content creation, finding a starting point can feel overwhelming. Start by thinking about what topics you connect with. Explore the following list of podcast ideas for beginners to see what feels authentic and on-brand for you. 

1. Wellness 

Help your followers live fuller lives by exploring aspects of wellness like physical and mental health, meditation, or financial stability. Invite subject matter experts, like psychologists or nutritionists, to share their professional knowledge in different wellness areas.  

2. Pop-culture 

Share in the pop-culture hype — whether commenting on red-carpet looks, celebrity gossip, or news on forthcoming movies and shows. Make your podcast interactive, like hosting polls or ratings after episodes, so listeners can add their thoughts to the mix. 

3. Relationships

Finding love and keeping it, maintaining friendships, and fostering healthier perceptions of oneself are all popular podcast topics. Take part in the conversation by sharing personal experiences and researched tips or by interviewing industry professionals, like relationship therapists.  

4. Travel 

Get your following excited about travel by sharing your experiences, making recommendations, and providing tips for enjoying trips to the fullest. Invite guests on the podcast to discuss their favorite destinations and insider must-sees. 

5. History 

Educate your audience on an aspect of history you’ve studied deeply, like the Civil Rights Movement or an ancient civilization. Listeners enjoy getting a daily or weekly dose of knowledge, and you can enrich their learning by inviting in other educators or guest interviewees with first-hand experience.

6. Business

Share your business knowledge with listeners, helping them launch their first business, make wise investments, or sharpen their interpersonal skills. Choose a business niche you’re well-versed in, like investing for beginners, to share real-life anecdotes.

If you have a broad topic, like “Marketing,” you could invite experts in different areas of marketing to share their expertise.

7. Solo Podcast

Perhaps you’re the most unique possible topic for a podcast. Host a one-person show and tell stories about your life experiences, dreams, and ideas. 

8. Behind the Scenes

Give listeners a sneak peek into your industry or daily life. Foodie listeners could enjoy going behind the scenes of a restaurant kitchen, and makeup enthusiasts might like to hear about industry drama from a knowledgeable podcaster.  

9. Others’ Stories

Learn along with your audience by interviewing people with inspiring life stories or specialized knowledge. Many podcasts thrive off this model, bringing in a diverse range of guest speakers to talk about difficult times they’ve overcome or things they’ve learned over the years.

10. Reviews

Review anything you’re passionate about — from books to movies to gardening products. This podcast topic idea provides nearly endless episode options. Simply pick a new item to review each time. 

11. Deep Dives

Are you really into a particular show, conspiracy theory, or true-crime story? Share your passion with others who are similarly obsessed with a deep-dive-style show. Squeeze out every detail of the topic with thorough research and fact-checking.

12. How-tos

Provide tutorials on an activity you excel at. A writer might give weekly workshops with tips on writing stronger content, or a dietitian could educate listeners about different essential nutrients and how to incorporate them into diets. 

13. Local Updates

Gather a local following by becoming a go-to resource for happenings around town. Create a news podcast where you can share information on upcoming events, promote nearby businesses, and interview influential people in your community.  

14. Food 

Help listeners become better home chefs by sharing your culinary expertise or get them excited about a cuisine by reviewing top restaurants. Food is a wide-spanning podcast topic that will allow you to find a unique lane — from giving knifework tips to exploring the art of fermentation.

15. Inspiration

Motivate others through an inspirational podcast in which you give tips for affirming oneself and navigating difficult situations. Run daily podcasts that pump up listeners every morning or share inspiring stories in long-format episodes.

16. Life Hacks

Turn audience members into DIY experts, tech whizzes, and home-improvement pros by sharing life hacks for social media, decorating, and beyond. Frame each episode around a different tip and how it will level up listeners’ daily lives.   

17. Music

Gather audiophiles with a podcast that rates new albums, invites artists to share their creative process, or explores an influential historical moment in music. Thanks to the many niches in the music industry, you’ll be able to find one to focus your content on, too. 

18. Event Planning

People planning a wedding or other major event need support. Share industry tips on decor, making guests comfortable, and avoiding last-minute slip-ups with proper planning. Inviting guests to tell everyone about horror stories and how they resolved the nightmare is another great way to share some drama and insights with your audience. 

19. The Great Outdoors

Use your podcast to provide tips to hikers, campers, climbers, and other lovers of the great outdoors. Review products, share must-see natural landmarks, or offer advice for popular trips. You might focus on one destination, like the Pacific Crest Trail, or one activity, like outdoor rock climbing.   

20. Sports

Start a passionate conversation about sports with a podcast focusing on a specific team or event. Invite listeners to contribute in real-time to the conversation and feature guests, like coaches, with insider knowledge about how a team operates or why a player might be tanking this season. 

Enhance Your Podcast With Captions

You don’t need to be a professional audio technician to start podcasting. Once you have a winning topic idea, you’re ready to write a script and hit record. 

Captions helps podcasters generate high-quality audio recordings with the AI Denoise feature, which removes any background noise generated while recording. Plus, if you’re recording videos to help promote your podcast across social media platforms, Captions can generate subtitles to make those video clips more accessible to viewers and even dub your content in different languages for fans listening in from other countries.  

Let Captions take some of the editing off your hands so you can focus on brainstorming high-quality episodes that keep listeners coming back for more.