Best True Crime Podcasts for Beginners
New to true crime podcasts? Start with these highly-rated, accessible shows recommended for first-time listeners.
If you're new to true crime podcasts, it can be hard to know where to start. The best beginner podcasts are accessible, well-produced, and don't assume prior knowledge of the case. These episodic shows let you dip in anywhere — perfect for building your true crime habit.
24 podcasts — ranked by binge factor
Casefile True Crime
Listeners who prefer documentary-style narration with high production standards and zero filler; purists who want the facts and nothing else.
Crime Junkie
True crime fans who want concise, well-researched episodes without excessive banter or filler; great for commuters.
True Crime Obsessed
True crime fans who love documentary recaps and want an entertaining, funny companion to the most talked-about true crime films and series.
Scam Goddess
True crime fans who want to laugh as much as they're appalled; people interested in fraud and financial crimes without all the violence.
Once Upon a Crime
True crime fans who appreciate beautifully told stories over rapid-fire case summaries; listeners who want to encounter cases they haven't already heard about.
Swindled
True crime fans bored of murder who want to be outraged by institutional and corporate evil; anyone who appreciates deadpan humor and business crime.
My Favorite Murder
True crime fans who enjoy comedy and warm friendship chemistry alongside the darkness; especially popular with women; great for those who find straight true crime too heavy.
Last Podcast on the Left
True crime fans who want depth alongside comedy; people who find straight true crime too grim; audiences who enjoy dark humour used purposefully rather than carelessly.
Small Town Dicks
True crime fans who want law enforcement perspective from actual detectives who worked the cases rather than outside commentators; fans of Yeardley Smith and celebrity-guest podcast formats.
They Walk Among Us
UK listeners who want their own true crime podcast tradition rather than American-focused shows; international fans who want well-crafted British perspective on crime.
And That's Why We Drink
True crime fans who also love ghost stories and paranormal content; listeners who want a genuinely fun, friendship-chemistry-driven podcast; great for those who find straight true crime too heavy.
RedHanded
True crime fans who want their listening to come with critical analysis of gender and power; UK and Ireland listeners; anyone who feels the mainstream genre ignores social context.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
True crime fans who love variety and unexplained mysteries; popular with fans of 'unexplained' content alongside traditional true crime.
Morbid
True crime fans who enjoy real forensic expertise delivered with warmth and humour; those who want both depth and a sense of fun.
You're Wrong About
True crime fans who want rehabilitation of misrepresented stories; listeners interested in media criticism and the gap between how crimes were reported and what the evidence actually showed.
All Killa No Filla
True crime fans who appreciate British humour; listeners who want a fun but not flippant take on serial killers from two professional comedians who clearly care about their subject.
Serial Killers (Parcast)
True crime fans who want comprehensive psychological portraits of killers rather than just crime scene summaries; listeners who want to understand 'why' alongside 'what happened.'
Cults (Parcast)
True crime fans interested in psychology, religion, and how destructive movements are built; people who want to understand cult mechanics from the inside out.
Trace Evidence
True crime fans who prioritise research quality above all else; listeners frustrated by inaccuracies in mainstream true crime; those who want depth over speed.
Bloodline Detectives
True crime fans who want law enforcement perspective on cold cases; listeners interested in how policing and forensic science have changed over time and what that means for older unsolved cases.
Criminal
Listeners who appreciate literary storytelling and want true crime that feels more like Radio 4 documentary than sensational thriller; people who hate the mainstream true crime format.
The Vanished
True crime fans who want to actively counter 'missing white woman syndrome'; advocates for marginalised communities; listeners who care about representation in crime media.
Wrongful Conviction
Criminal justice reform advocates; true crime fans troubled by prosecutorial misconduct and the fallibility of the justice system.
Unsolved Murders: True Crime Stories (Parcast)
True crime fans who enjoy dramatised presentation alongside factual content; those who are specifically fascinated by the genre's most enduring mysteries.
More best-of lists
Newsletter
Get weekly picks
New reviews, hidden gems, and community favourites — straight to your inbox.