Best Podcasts for Teenagers (2026)
Most teens spend hours a day with earbuds in. The question is whether they're listening to something that actually makes those hours worthwhile. These ten podcasts are entertaining enough that teenagers will choose them over TikTok — and smart enough that they'll learn something without realising it.
Waking up with a podcast on iOS
Podcast Alarm is a fully featured podcast player and alarm. You can set up queues of your favourite episodes and listen to them whenever you like. Why not subscribe to your favourite podcast and have the latest episode wake you up every weekday morning. There are lots of screenshots and videos in our "How to set a podcast as an alarm on iphone?" blog post.
1. Stuff You Should Know
Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant have been explaining how the world works since 2008, and their back catalogue alone could keep you busy for years. Episodes cover everything from the Kowloon Walled City to how Fyre Festival collapsed, all in a conversational tone that feels like two mates figuring things out together. Perfect for curious minds who want to know a bit about a lot.
2. Radiolab
Hosted by Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser, Radiolab takes a single question and chases it through science, philosophy and storytelling until you see the world differently. The sound design is incredible — episodes feel more like short films for your ears than lectures. If school made science feel dull, this will fix that.
3. Ologies with Alie Ward
Every episode, Alie Ward interviews an expert in a different "-ology" — from volcanology to lepidopterology to medieval codicology. She asks the questions you'd actually want answered, keeps things genuinely funny, and makes obscure science feel relevant. Named one of Time's 100 best podcasts of all time for a reason.
4. Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain
Emma Chamberlain talks through whatever's on her mind — relationships, social media, fashion, growing up — with the kind of honesty that made her one of the biggest creators on the internet. Episodes drop every Thursday, and the format is intentionally unstructured, like a voice note from a friend who happens to think out loud really well.
5. Science Vs
Hosted by Wendy Zukerman, Science Vs takes trending claims — fasting diets, AI in schools, vaccine debates — and digs into the actual research behind them. Every episode is packed with studies and expert interviews, but delivered with enough humour that it never feels like homework. Essential listening for anyone tired of misinformation.
6. The Mortified Podcast
Adults get on stage and read the journals, love letters and song lyrics they wrote as teenagers — in front of a live audience. It's painfully funny and deeply reassuring: every cringeworthy thing you've ever written, someone else wrote something worse. Over 20 years of live shows and still going strong.
7. The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett
Steven Bartlett interviews entrepreneurs, scientists, psychologists and athletes about what they've actually learned — not the polished version. He built a business worth hundreds of millions before turning 30, and his questions reflect someone genuinely trying to understand how people succeed and fail. One of the biggest podcasts in the world, and the long-form conversations reward your attention.
8. StarTalk Radio
Neil deGrasse Tyson blends astrophysics with pop culture and comedy, making space science genuinely accessible. He brings on comedians as co-hosts and scientists as guests, and somehow makes quantum tunnelling and superconductivity interesting to people who'd never pick up a physics textbook. New episodes every Tuesday.
9. Smosh Mouth
Shayne Topp and Amanda Lehan-Canto from the Smosh universe talk about whatever they've found on the internet that week, bring in rotating Smosh cast members, and generally mess around for an hour. If you already watch Smosh on YouTube, this is the audio extension. If you don't, it's a solid entry point into one of the longest-running comedy brands online.
10. Life Kit
NPR's Life Kit, hosted by Marielle Segarra, covers the practical stuff nobody teaches you — how to budget, how to sleep better, how to deal with stress, how to do your taxes. Episodes are short, expert-backed and genuinely useful. Think of it as a cheat sheet for adult life, delivered before you actually need it.
Better than doomscrolling
Swap the morning phone scroll for something worth listening to. Set a podcast as your alarm and start the day learning something cool. Download Podcast Alarm and try it for a week.
Waking up with a podcast on iOS
Podcast Alarm is a fully featured podcast player and alarm. You can set up queues of your favourite episodes and listen to them whenever you like. Why not subscribe to your favourite podcast and have the latest episode wake you up every weekday morning. There are lots of screenshots and videos in our "How to set a podcast as an alarm on iphone?" blog post.
