t’s almost that time of year again when the trees turn into the beautiful oranges, reds, and yellows of the fall season and the Halloween decorations go up. The moment school supplies are on display at all the stores, the fall decorations are soon breaking out beside them, and you know spooky szn is about to be upon us.
Can’t wait for the real haunted houses and scary ghost tours? Us either! Luckily, there are several creepy and genuinely scary podcasts in production year-round that are sure to give you the spooky vibes and scary thrills you are craving and anxiously awaiting!
Listen on your phone, on your smart speakers, your laptop, and even your car as some background noise for your daily commute. What better way to hype yourself up for the long 9-5 days than a super scary story that might even make you warn your friends about leaving their house, like, at all?
The beauty of Spooky Szn is that it isn’t just limited to ghost stories and touring haunted mansions with your easily scared friends come October. Murder mysteries, paranormal encounters, and unsolved cold cases encompass the scary vibes we’re all craving as Halloween inches closer and closer each day, so why not start the creepy stories now?
There is no shortage of creepy podcasts, and they can be tailored to your lifestyle so you don’t have to sacrifice productivity to get your true crime content in. You could even sneak some time in with shorter podcasts outlined in this article while you sit at your desk, very much in tune with the daily meeting in one ear and a riveting story about the missing girl next door in the other. Don’t worry, we won’t tell! ;)
Like spooky szn decorations, creepy podcasts come in all shapes and sizes, meaning that you can listen on the go, during a short break, or when you need some entertainment for the long haul. No matter your podcast need, there are lots of options, and we even broke it down by spooky category and episode length. Listen on, and maybe pre-warn your pet at home that you’ll be needing extra nighttime cuddles.
In this article, you can find podcasts about:
- Unsolved murders and cold cases
- True crime stories
- Ghost and paranormal encounters
Podcasts About Unsolved Murders and Cold Cases
There’s not much out there that feels more unsettling than the scary unsolved murders still open today, with no answers in sight.
Some of the best creepy podcasts out there are based in reality. What could be scarier than something that actually happened?! Tune into these creepy podcasts about unsolved murders, mysteries, and cold cases... but remember to not listen to these alone at night!
Unsolved Murders: True Crime Stories
A truly immersive and interactive podcast, Unsolved Murders: True Crime Stories follows the stories of unsolved murders in history that remain open and unsolved to this day, even in cases where both the murderer and witnesses are very likely dead. Set up like an old radio show, the podcast features an ensemble of radio actors that immerse listeners right into the crime scenes, depicting and describing details such as the evidence present at the scene, the witnesses' tales, and the condition of the victim’s body. At times disturbing, but all the more engaging and powerful, Unsolved Murders promises sparks of fear and astonishment, as well as some uneasiness over the lack of closure in the case.
Available to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Length of Episodes: 30-40 minutes
Up and Vanished
One of the most well known and at times controversial true crime podcasts is Up and Vanished. When the creator was googling a random cold case, he came across the unsolved and eerie case centered on Georgia-based beauty queen Tara Grinstead’s disappearance. The podcast follows investigators, the creator himself, and several others involved in production as they unearth the cases’ buried past in an effort to get more answers and come closer to a solution.
Because of the heavy involvement and shaking up the past, the field of journalism and podcast listeners alike have called this kind of journalism up for debate, questioning the ethics or worthiness of creating such a podcast. Regardless, the podcast has received quite the response, including the killer himself. Following the podcast’s release and first run, Ryan Alexander Duke confessed to the previously unsolved crime. Talk about a spooky thrill!
Available to Listen: Podcast’s Website, Apple Podcasts
Length of Episodes: 30-60 minutes
Podcasts About True Crime
Sometimes the unsolved crimes can be a bit overwhelming, but don’t call it a loss! True crime podcasts are all the rave year-round.
Cue the suspenseful and dramatic music -- we're talking about unsolved crimes. These are real life mysteries, so get out your sleuthing gear and follow along as these podcasters walk you through what we know so far.
Serial
The podcast series that shaped this newfound form of journalistic podcasting, Serial has become a hit success for several seasons running. It has received several rewards and is now owned by The New York Times, if that is any indication of how popular it is! The podcast focuses on a different true crime case in each season, following the story of the crime and the legal battles following, including the infamous case of Adnan Syed in season 1, which begs the question of how many people are imprisoned for crimes they did commit.
With a storybook-like style, Serial encompasses interviews from the criminals themselves in addition to unfolding the events of the crime episode by episode, similar to reading a book with a plot and developed characters. The podcast possesses a powerful ability to keep you in suspense and wanting to listen to the next episode even if there is no time in your day!
Available to Listen: Serial’s website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts
Length of Episodes: 30-60 minutes
My Favorite Murder
Much like the title insinuates, My Favorite Murder is a different kind of true crime podcast in that it combines true crime and comedy into one short but memorable podcast series. It’s perfect for those of us who love spooky szn but still have some of that childhood fear instilled in us that makes the more ~adult~ true crime podcasts a bit too much sometimes.
Dialogue-based, the podcast summarizes and recounts the story of past true crime cases while one host reacts to the other host’s retelling. Both formerly known in the field of stand-up and comedy, the hosts’ humorous twists and comments to the true crime cases make the podcast a bit more lighthearted and only a tad scary, which is ideal for the faint of heart when it comes to true crime thrills. The episodes also feature longer, movie-length episodes in addition to shorter, “minisodes” that are only 20-30 minutes long.
Available to Listen: My Favorite Murder’s website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts
Length of Episodes: 20-90 minutes
Podcasts Featuring Ghost Stories and Paranormal Encounters
Everyone loves a good ghost story during Spooky Szn.
It wouldn’t be Halloween without someone telling you their favorite ghost story. Imagine that you're crowded in around a campfire with your friends and a bag of marshmallows as you listen to these creepy, paranormal tales.
Monsters Among Us
It doesn’t get more interactive in podcasting than the paranormal centered podcast Monsters Among Us. The podcast features people calling in the show to share their real and personal stories of encounters with anything and everything paranormal, including ghosts, UFO’s, and cryptids, among other things. Using their own voicemails or calls, the podcast has an authenticity to the encounter stories that other ghost podcasts lack. The raw recounting of their stories also offers some with the storyteller shivering to their own memories, making non-believers quake in their innocence. It’s truly spooky.
Available to Listen: Monsters Among Us website, Spotify
Length of Episodes: 50-100 minutes
Lore
Boasting an impressive 159 episode run, Lore has a similar concept like Monsters Among Us. Set up the way you would share paranormal and ghost stories around your middle school scout’s campfire, the hosts share true stories shared by other people who experienced them firsthand. That’s really where these ghost stories send a chill down your spine, with the preemptive “based on a true story” tagline.
They also go down the rabbit hole of paranormal history, recounting historial nonfiction paranormal tales in addition the real life tales they also share. It’s gripping and hard to stop listening to, but it is also nice in that you don’t have to listen to the episodes in sequential order and can jump around from episode to episode. They are also relatively short, so they’re the perfect addition to your nighttime chores or morning commute!
Available to Listen: Lore’s website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Length of Episodes: 17-45 minutes
No matter what your style or preference is for creepy podcasts, there’s no doubt that one is out there to fit your style! Something short, something long, something terrifying, or even something spooky and funny, podcasts about true crime and the paranormal are the best answer to getting yourself ready for the upcoming spooky szn festivities! Just don’t scare yourself too much!
