Best True Crime Podcasts on Spotify (2026)
Spotify has become one of the most important platforms for true crime podcast listeners, hosting both free and premium content from the world's leading producers. With exclusive deals, high-quality audio, and a recommendation algorithm that knows what you like, Spotify has transformed how people discover crime podcasts.
Many of the best-reviewed shows on ListenTrueCrime are available on Spotify, including both Spotify-exclusive productions and shows available across all platforms. Our community's highest-rated Spotify true crime podcasts are listed below.
316 podcasts available on Spotify
Top True Crime Podcasts on Spotify
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Crime Next Door: The Beast of Birkenhead
BBC’s Olivia Graham revisits the 1986 Diane Sindall murder and the 2025 quashing of Peter Sullivan’s conviction. Sullivan quashed 13 May 2025; killer unknown.
In the Dark
Listeners who want journalism-grade investigation into wrongful convictions, systemic racism, and institutional failures — more 60 Minutes than true crime thriller.
Serial
Anyone interested in journalism, legal procedure, and deep investigative dives into morally ambiguous cases with no easy answers.
The Missing Cryptoqueen
BBC journalist Jamie Bartlett tracks down Dr Ruja Ignatova, who persuaded millions to invest in OneCoin before vanishing without a trace.
Hunting Warhead
CBC/Vice's award-winning investigation into the international hunt for a dark web child abuse network.
Pipeline
The Crime Desk's investigation into four professional divers sucked hundreds of feet into a Caribbean oil pipeline in 2022 — and the failing safety standards that put them there.
Missing and Murdered: Finding Cleo
CBC's Connie Walker investigates the Sixties Scoop through the disappearance of Cleo Semaganis Nicotine.
You Didn't See Nothin
Pulitzer Prize and Peabody Award-winning series in which Yohance Lacour revisits a violent Chicago incident from 25 years earlier that shaped his path into journalism.
Unsolved Murders: True Crime Stories
Character-driven narrative drama covering historical unsolved murders in accessible storytelling.
Sweet Bobby
Tortoise Media's definitive account of a years-long catfishing scheme — one of the most-discussed UK true crime podcasts of the decade.
Believed
Listeners who want to understand systemic institutional failure, survivor stories, and how Nassar's abuse was enabled so long; essential for anyone working in safeguarding or sports.
Spotlight: Snitch City
The Boston Globe Spotlight Team exposes one police department's rampant abuse of confidential informants — a top critical pick of 2025.
CounterClock
Audiochuck's serialised investigative podcast working with law enforcement to bring cold cases to justice.
The Retrievals
True crime fans interested in medical crime, systemic bias, and the treatment of women in healthcare; essential for anyone who has ever been dismissed by a doctor.
S-Town
From Serial Productions: a man convinced his Alabama town is covering up a murder pulls host Brian Reed into a story that becomes something else entirely.
The Trial of Erin Patterson
The Crime Desk's courtroom coverage of the Erin Patterson 'mushroom murders' trial — one of the biggest cases of the decade.
Your Own Backyard
Listeners who want investigative true crime with real-world consequence and single-minded, passionate focus from a creator who refused to let a case die.
Bone Valley
True crime fans who care deeply about wrongful conviction, prosecutorial failure, and the fight to free innocent people; fans of In the Dark will find this essential.
The Teacher's Pet
True crime fans who like journalism-driven investigations with massive real-world impact; anyone fascinated by domestic crime and institutional failure.
Murdaugh Murders Podcast
Journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell broke the Murdaugh family saga before it became a national story, and kept reporting it deeper than anyone else.
Lore
Award-winning dark history podcast exploring terrifying historical truths that inspired folklore and legend.
Bear Brook
True crime fans fascinated by forensic science, DNA technology, and cold cases with a genuine scientific payoff.
The Deck Investigates
Audiochuck's deep investigation of cold case homicide victims featured on playing card decks distributed to prison inmates.
West Cork
True crime fans who love atmospheric investigative journalism, Anglo-Irish tensions, and cases that remain unresolved and fiercely contested decades later.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are the best true crime podcasts available on Spotify?
Most major true crime podcasts are available on Spotify, including Serial, Crime Junkie, Casefile, My Favorite Murder, and hundreds more. Spotify has also signed exclusive deals with some producers, making certain shows only available on the platform.
Does Spotify have exclusive true crime podcasts?
Yes — Spotify has signed exclusive deals with several podcast producers and studios. Some true crime content is available only on Spotify, either permanently or for a limited window. Check the platform section on each podcast's page on ListenTrueCrime to see where it's available.
Is Spotify free for true crime podcasts?
Most podcast content on Spotify is free, including major shows like Serial, Crime Junkie, and Casefile. Some premium or exclusive content requires a Spotify Premium subscription. Audiobook content and certain exclusive shows are behind the paywall.
How does Spotify recommend true crime podcasts?
Spotify uses listening history, followed shows, and similar listener behaviour to recommend new podcasts. If you follow and listen to true crime shows, Spotify's algorithm will surface similar content in your daily recommendations and the podcast discovery section.
Can I download true crime podcasts on Spotify for offline listening?
Yes — with Spotify Premium, you can download episodes for offline listening. Some content is also available for offline use on the free tier. This is particularly useful for long commutes or travel where connectivity is unreliable.