48 Hours
CBS News's long-running true crime franchise, adapted for podcast — award-winning correspondents examine crime and justice cases with real depth.
Podcasts Like 48 Hours
If you loved 48 Hours, here are the best podcasts to try next. Matched by case type, storytelling style, and community ratings from our database of Murder, Investigative, Courtroom shows.
Why listeners love 48 Hours
Decades of network-television investigative pedigree, now in podcast form. With a binge factor of 8/10, it sits among the most compulsively listenable shows in the genre.
Binge Factor
8/10
Community-rated compulsive listenability
Format
Episodic
New case with every episode
Style
Journalistic, thoughtful, thorough
Presentation approach
Episode Length
40-60 min
Typical episode duration
Host Style
Interview with guests
Presentation format
Verdict
Good if you want network-television-grade investigative journalism in audio form
Our editorial rating
Recommendations
12 podcasts like 48 Hours
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.
Spotlight: Snitch City
The Boston Globe Spotlight Team exposes one police department's rampant abuse of confidential informants — a top critical pick of 2025.
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.
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.
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.
Bear Brook
True crime fans fascinated by forensic science, DNA technology, and cold cases with a genuine scientific payoff.
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.
West Cork
True crime fans who love atmospheric investigative journalism, Anglo-Irish tensions, and cases that remain unresolved and fiercely contested decades later.
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.
The Missing Cryptoqueen
BBC journalist Jamie Bartlett tracks down Dr Ruja Ignatova, who persuaded millions to invest in OneCoin before vanishing without a trace.
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.
How they compare
| Podcast | Format | Country | Binge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 Hours (original) | Episodic | United States | 8/10 |
| In the Dark | Serialized | United States | 10/10 |
| Serial | Serialized | United States | 10/10 |
| Spotlight: Snitch City | Serialized | United States | 9/10 |
| The Teacher's Pet | Serialized | Australia | 9/10 |
| Your Own Backyard | Serialized | United States | 9/10 |
| You Didn't See Nothin | Serialized | United States | 9/10 |
| Bear Brook | Serialized | United States | 9/10 |
| Believed | Serialized | United States | 9/10 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What podcasts are similar to 48 Hours?
The best alternatives to 48 Hours are podcasts that share its Murder, Investigative, Courtroom focus and episodic format. We've matched alternatives based on case types, storytelling format, and community ratings from our database.
Why do people love 48 Hours?
48 Hours is known for its journalistic, thoughtful, thorough approach to Murder and Investigative. It scores 8/10 on our binge factor rating, reflecting how compulsively listenable listeners find it.
How long are episodes of 48 Hours?
Episodes of 48 Hours are typically 40-60 min long. It follows an episodic format, with each episode covering a different case.
Where can I listen to 48 Hours?
48 Hours is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, CBS. You can find it by searching the show name on any of those platforms.
What is the best episode of 48 Hours to start with?
New listeners are recommended to start with Episode 1. Episodes can generally be listened to in any order.