Apple Podcasts spotlights narrative series

Today, Apple Podcasts is elevating series — narrative shows with episodes intended to be listened to in order — that captivate listeners across multiple genres. Apple Podcasts is launching a new Top Series chart that will be updated continuously and features the top 100 series, making it the first chart for series shows ever created. Additionally, a brand-new Series category will help listeners explore and discover shows they will love. Lastly, Apple Podcasts editors will introduce Series Essentials, recognizing and celebrating one series each month that best defines the category, beginning with Ghost Story, an original limited series from Wondery and Audacy’s Pineapple Street Studios.

“Serialized podcasts are some of the most impactful shows in podcasting, featuring captivating voice talent and best-in-class writing and sound design. They are the stories we can’t stop thinking about and are talking about even years later,” said Ben Cave, Apple’s global head of Podcasts. “We are thrilled to celebrate this incredible catalog with a new Top Series chart, Series category, and Series Essentials on Apple Podcasts, making it easier for listeners to discover their next favorite show.”

“I live for stories in any form — books, TV segments, documentaries, movies, graphic novels... any story, any form. But I am never more dialed into a story than when I am hooked on a podcast series,” said Rachel Maddow, host of MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Presents: Bag Man and Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra. “There’s just something about a single story — one voice, a sustained narrative that builds from episode to episode and then to an ending. We’re wired to not just learn things this way, but to feel them, too. For my series Ultra and Bag Man, I’ve heard from so many people that these big historical and political tales became for them not just relatable, but emotional. I really think that most of the best stories take longer than one sitting to tell — and that the best stories in the world right now are being told in podcast series.”

“Making a short series requires such a monumental amount of work and dedication that I must bow to the audio producers of the world who still do it,” said Jad Abumrad, creator of Radiolab, More Perfect, and Dolly Parton’s America. “I’m glad to hear that Apple Podcasts is supporting these critical shows and the producers who make them. I can’t wait to explore their selections and find inspiration.”

Apple Podcasts is introducing a Top Series chart, making it the first chart for serialized shows in the industry. This new chart offers listeners a dedicated space to discover their next favorite series show, while celebrating the creators who have developed some of the most popular and trending shows on Apple Podcasts. Series shows make up the majority of the most-shared and top new shows each year. As with all other charts on Apple Podcasts, Top Series will be updated continuously.

Series Essentials

Series Essentials will spotlight the pinnacle of podcasting, celebrating the finest storytelling and the medium’s greatest achievements. Each month, Apple Podcasts’ editors will recognize one show that captivates listeners and demonstrates masterful storytelling, artistic excellence, a distinct creator’s voice and vision, and exceptional craft. In its featured month, each Series Essentials selection will be presented completely ad-free in its entirety on Apple Podcasts.

Ghost Story, hosted by seasoned journalist Tristan Redman, was chosen as the first Series Essential selection for its compelling and timeless story, which intertwines Redman’s personal family history with his own desire for truth. The show spans multiple genres — including true crime, personal narrative, and historical tale — captivating a broad range of audiences.

“We are thrilled that Apple Podcasts has chosen Ghost Story to be the first Series Essential,” said Redman. “After just a year, to be considered for this collection is special. We’re all after stories that pull us in. Long-form series podcasts do that; they deserve to be celebrated.”

This gripping tale begins with a childhood bedroom haunting, becomes an investigation into a 1930s murder, and concludes with a meditation about the risks and rewards of unearthing family history. The story features homicide detectives, ghost hunters, and even psychic mediums, as well as the people closest to the investigation — members of the Dancy family, including Tristan’s brother-in-law, the actor Hugh Dancy — speaking for the first time about the murders.