Apple celebrated 20 years of Apple podcasts on Thursday by unveiling a curated collection of 20 shows that it said helped shape the medium into what it is today. The first podcasts in iTunes debuted back in 2005, before the name “Apple Podcasts” became a thing. This new list is like a roadmap to quality content that goes back in time.
“This list is a love letter to the podcasts that left a lasting impact on us and the ones we continue to recommend again and again,” the streamer wrote. “They are shows with hosts that feel like friends, and shows that make us press play immediately on the latest episode to hear what happens next. These shows have measurably improved our lives and helped define this medium we know and love.”
Celebrating 20 years of Apple podcasts with 20 favorite shows
The Apple Podcasts milestone celebration honors a maturing medium. Podcasts emerged a few years before iTunes support came along. The word “podcast” credited to journalist Ben Hammersley. He referred to “podcasting” in a 2004 article in The Guardian. The term is a portmanteau of “iPod” and “broadcast,” highlighting Apple’s instrumental role in bringing podcasting to mainstream audiences. This new list of 20 favorites, is simply the latest of its kind from the iPhone giant. Apple’s editorial teams for services are no strangers to making lists of favorites from over the years, with Apple Music picking its top 100 albums of all time last year.
A love letter to podcasting’s evolution
This human-curated approach contrasts with purely data-driven recommendations. Apple’s team specifically chose shows that “best exemplify how far podcasting has come — and where it can go in the next two decades.”
Each of the 20 shows includes its own editorial note on Apple’s dedicated anniversary website. The note explains why the show got selected and what makes it significant to the medium’s development. This contextual information helps users understand not just what to listen to, but why these particular shows matter in podcasting history.
Apple’s editorial team said the collection showcases shows spanning from the early days of the medium through 2025. The list demonstrates how podcasting has evolved from experimental audio projects to mainstream entertainment.
As per the quote above, the company emphasized how a personal connection between hosts and listeners has become a defining characteristic of successful podcasts across the two-decade span.
From experimental audio to cultural phenomenon
Photo: Apple
The anniversary collection reflects podcasting’s transformation from Nick van der Kolk’s early audio experiments in Love and Radio to today’s celebrity-hosted shows and deep-dive investigative series like. This evolution mirrors the medium’s journey from niche hobbyist content to a multi-billion dollar industry that influences news, entertainment and cultural conversations.
The shows range from “dedicated fans in the truest form” like Las Culturistas hosts Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, who “began the show as burgeoning comedians and, with the show, have ballooned into massive stars,” to established journalism formats that have shaped how millions consume daily news.
Apple’s celebration acknowledges both the intimacy that makes podcasting unique and its growing influence on broader media landscapes. The company notes that shows like The Daily have become “part of the everyday routine for millions of people seeking to make sense of the world — and their place within it.”
Diverse shows across five-year periods
The 20 selected podcasts are organized chronologically into four distinct eras, each representing a different phase in podcasting’s development.
- 2005-2010 era features pioneering shows like Love and Radio, This American Life and 99% Invisible. They represent the medium’s experimental roots and early narrative storytelling.
- 2011-2015 period includes breakthrough series like Serial. It brought true-crime podcasting to the mainstream, alongside shows like Song Exploder, The Truth and Mystery Show. They also pushed creative boundaries.
- 2016-2020 selections highlight the medium’s expansion into daily news formats with The Daily, comedy with Las Culturistas and conversational formats like Call Her Daddy. They show podcasting’s growing cultural influence.
- 2021-2025 contemporary picks feature recent hits like Huberman Lab, with its science-focused content, plus investigative series like Sweet Bobby and personality-driven shows such as Baby, This is Keke Palmer and Therapuss with Jake Shane.
The complete anniversary collection is available on Apple’s dedicated website and within the Apple Podcasts app.
