“2024’s Audio Revolution: BBC Sounds Unveils the Year’s Most Popular Podcasts with a Jaw-Dropping 2.3 Billion Plays!”

BBC Sounds today unveils its most favored podcasts of 2024, highlighting a diverse selection of leading titles that have captivated millions of listeners across the UK throughout the year.

With over 2.3 billion plays of radio, music, and podcasts in 2024 (from January to November), and a 12% rise in on-demand speech content, BBC Sounds remains the premier destination for high-quality audio, free of ads and available on demand. Covering news and current events to history, sports, comedy, and star-studded dramas, BBC Sounds is your go-to for content that entertains, enlightens, and accompanies you wherever you might be.

Therefore, if you’re in search of your next audio experience, look no further! We’ve compiled the leading titles across a spectrum of genres below, so you don’t miss anything, and you can explore our Best of 2024 collection on BBC Sounds right now.

Premier BBC Sounds podcasts for 2024

The ten most popular BBC Sounds podcasts of 2024 in the UK:

(Based on BBC Sounds plays between January and November 2024)

1. Newscast: The BBC’s daily news podcast
2. Limelight: Fiction and drama serials you won’t want to overlook, including Central Intelligence
3. Americast: The latest insights and analyses from the US
4. Uncanny: Danny Robins explores real-life stories of supernatural encounters
5. Just One Thing – with Michael Mosley: Scientifically validated tips to transform your life
6. You’re Dead to Me: Greg Jenner and guests learn and laugh about history
7. Sliced Bread: Greg Foot examines fantastic products with bold claims
8. Intrigue: Captivating true stories revealing the reality of the world, including Worse Than Murder and To Catch a Scorpion
9. Mark Steel’s in Town: Stand-up comedy customized for towns across the UK
10. Lady Killers / Swindlers with Lucy Worsley: Lucy Worsley investigates the crimes of Victorian women from a contemporary, feminist viewpoint

Jonathan Wall, Director of BBC Sounds, states: “2024 has been an extraordinary year for BBC Sounds. We offered continuous coverage of the most important national events including the elections at home and in the US, an exciting summer of sports, and a record-breaking BBC Proms season. We introduced bold new podcasts with prominent figures, including Miss Me? with best friends Lily and Miquita, Off the Telly with Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page, and Joanne McNally Investigates where the comedian took on the role of an investigative journalist.

“Regarding the broader audio landscape, we acquired well-loved titles from podcast partners throughout the nation, such as Tortoise Media, Noiser, and Goalhanger, as well as from independent creators, bolstering our colleagues across the industry and ensuring that there’s always something novel and thrilling for our audience to discover on the platform.

“Moreover, we simplified the process of finding the content that matters most to you. In the BBC Sounds app, we organized material into ‘Collections’, created a ‘Latest News Playlist’, and launched a new 24/7 ‘Live News’ stream, making it easier to explore a variety of live and on-demand titles. In 2025, we will persist in delivering what listeners desire, where they want, and how they prefer, and we’re already preparing our next series of on-demand commissions.”

Mohit Bakaya, BBC Director of Speech, remarks: “I’m thrilled to see such a broad spectrum of genres making the BBC Sounds top ten list, showcasing the remarkable speech offerings we have for listeners. There genuinely is something for everyone, from news and investigative journalism to comedy, drama, and history. It’s been another vigorous year for audio, with our teams securing 29 awards at the British Podcast Awards and launching significant new series like Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion and CIA drama Central Intelligence featuring Kim Cattrall and Ed Harris. We’ve enhanced plays of on-demand speech content by 12% on BBC Sounds over the past year, and we will continue to provide listeners with the very finest engaging, entertaining, and inventive podcasts.”

Top five titles on BBC Sounds categorized by genre

(Including podcasts and on-demand radio programs)

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 kept audiences amused all year with a delightful assortment of shows that humorously critiqued the week’s occurrences. Other side-splitting top titles included Mark Steel’s in Town, where the comedian provided customized stand-up routines to towns across the UK; Just a Minute, where contestants spoke for one minute on a specified topic without deviation; It’s a Fair Cop, where former police officer turned stand-up comedian Alfie Moore enabled the audience to make policing decisions; and The Unbelievable Truth, in which comedians attempted to sneak nuggets of truth past their competitors in David Mitchell’s comedy panel game. Additionally, those in search of a comforting dose of heartwarming comedy-drama tuned into Conversations from a Long Marriage, featuring Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam as a long-married couple whimsically exploring the ups and downs of their life together.

The Archers remained the most favored audio drama for listeners this year, frequently topping the charts of the most-listened-to on-demand programs for all age groups,including those under 35. One of the year’s most captivating narratives featured George Grundy being imprisoned, while fans also enjoyed an additional dose of Ambridge life in the freshly launched companion podcast, The Archers Podcast. This year also represented a noteworthy chapter in The Archers’ history as the BBC honored the show’s longest-serving member, June Spencer, who passed away in November at the distinguished age of 105 after portraying Peggy Woolley since the show’s debut over 70 years ago. Other standout audio dramas embraced the Limelight series of unmissable serials, which included the prominent new CIA drama Central Intelligence starring Kim Cattrall and Ed Harris, as well as The Lovecraft Investigations, focusing on witchcraft and the supernatural. In the audiobooks arena, listeners were captivated by Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and You Are Here by David Nicholls, keeping them engrossed in the virtual pages.

Desert Island Discs emerged as the leading entertainment title on BBC Sounds this year, with castaways Cillian Murphy and Greg Davies generating the most-played interviews of the year. Fans relished the fresh new format of the podcast hosted by award-winning presenters Elis James and John Robins, who provided listeners with two weekly episodes of their namesake show. Another favored duo was Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver, who engaged in transatlantic conversations in the new series Miss Me? and also included a special guest appearance by singer Billie Eilish. Arts aficionados found joy in This Cultural Life, which connected audiences with prominent figures in arts, theatre, music, dance, film, and beyond. Meanwhile, broadcasting icon Kirsty Young interviewed intriguing personalities in Young Again, asking them what advice they would offer their younger selves, featuring talents like Miranda Hart and Nigel Slater.

While listeners may anticipate the new year, those with a penchant for reflection were granted a premier ticket to the past. In Our Time led the history podcasts, with Melvyn Bragg and his guests delving into the evolution of ideas. In You’re Dead to Me, Greg Jenner both learned and laughed about the lives of historical figures, with Mozart and Catherine the Great being the most-played subjects. The show also marked its centennial episode by recounting the narrative of the Bloomsbury Group, a collective of artists and intellectuals from 1920s London. Lady Killers / Swindlers with Lucy Worsley returned with a novel twist, exchanging corpses for capers while exploring the histories of female fraudsters who swindled, deceived, and tricked their way into the annals of history. Noiser’s The History Podcast returned with new series, offering a riveting re-examination of the enigmatic disappearance of Lord Lucan, alongside a recent inquiry into the 1984 Brighton bombing, which aligned with the 40th anniversary of the incident. Additionally, acquired from Noiser, Short History Of… highlighted history’s most astonishing moments and exceptional individuals.

This year has been abundant with thrilling tales and gripping journalism on BBC Sounds, with Intrigue leading the investigative journalism sector. The series unveiled groundbreaking inquiries, including Worse Than Murder, revisiting the tragic vanishing of Muriel McKay coinciding with a renewed police search, and To Catch a Scorpion, chronicling Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie’s dramatic quest for one of Europe’s most sought-after human traffickers. Things Fell Apart joined Jon Ronson as he uncovered bizarre and unforeseen narratives from the culture wars, while The Coming Storm followed Gabriel Gatehouse as he probed deeper into the disturbing realm of American conspiracy theories. World of Secrets presented several new series scrutinizing the dangers associated with power in inappropriate hands, featuring Al Fayed: Predator and Harrods, Finding Mr Fox, and recently released The Bad Guru. Additionally, we partnered with Tortoise Media to unveil a new Tortoise Investigates feed, encompassing not one, not two but three acquired titles: Hoaxed, Sweet Bobby, and Pig Iron.

As the 2025 Oasis reunion news broke, music enthusiasts tuned into The Rise and Fall of… where Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq examined the intricate bond between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher. Sidetracked provided a genuine and amusing perspective on the week in music with Annie Macmanus and Nick Grimshaw. Eras navigated the transformations of music legends like ABBA and Sting, delving into the BBC archive and engaging with those who experienced it firsthand. Music Uncovered whisked listeners back to the 90s and 00s when Garage music dominated the UK scene. Meanwhile, in Pop Top 10, Scott Mills and Rylan collaborated to unofficially rank memorable music and pop culture occurrences.

With melodies catering to every event, BBC Sounds experienced a total of 52.3 million plays across all music mixes. Those in search of a calming conclusion to the day drifted off to the Sleeping Forecast, which featured guest appearances from Gabby Logan, Chris Packham, and Charlotte Church. For individuals aiming for tranquility, the Mindful Mix stood out as a preferred choice, while those preparing to energize their workouts opted for Pace Setter, including a special mix from Paddy McGuinness as he tackled his ultra-endurance chopper challenge for Children in Need. Other favored mixes encompassed Piano Focus and Essential Classics Mix, guaranteeing a fitting soundtrack for every occasion.

Newscast and Americast took the lead in the news and current affairs category on BBC Sounds this year, providing listeners with in-depth commentary and expert analysis during a year filled with intense election discussions in the UK and the US. This year also marked the debut of The Today Podcast, featuring Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson offering exclusive behind-the-scenes insights into the UK’s most significant radio news program. Concurrently, The World Tonight and Radio 4’s Six O’Clock News reported on all major breaking stories at home and worldwide.

This year, we honored the contributions of the cherished broadcaster and colleague, Michael Mosley. As a tribute, the BBC organized Just One Thing Day in July, during which Michael was also recognized with the British Podcast Awards’ Hall of Fame Award. Just One Thing has been adored by listeners, leading this category and firmly securing a position within the top ten most-listened-to podcasts this year. This underscores the significant impact Michael had on people’s lives and the admiration he earned from audiences.