Our top 10 morning podcasts to wake up to

It’s a brand new day and you want to start it off with energy. Waking up listening to stories about inspirational people who are overcoming challenges, hitting goals, or are creating something new can really motivate you for the day ahead. Or maybe you prefer to start the day with the latest news, local weather and key insights in your industry.

Podcast Alarm helps hundreds of users find their favourite morning podcasts and we have created this list of the most popular options selected by our users.

1) What Next | Daily News and Analysis

What Next’s goal is to condense the news into a manageable single source of information to save you time while also keeping you informed. Mary Harris does a great job of explaining what’s going on in a calming manner, its backed by Slate Podcasts so has great production value and is recorded with nice soothing tones perfect for first thing in the morning. It is released every weekday and well worth a listen, our users certainly enjoy it.

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2) TED Talks Daily

Daily podcast highlighting the greatest and best minds, talking about a huge selection of topics. There will always be an episode that is of specific interest to any listener. They are quite short format episodes and are usually 15 minutes long and recorded from a live presentation. Very good choice if you want to start the day learning something new.


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3) Sky News Daily

British focused daily news podcast, that comes with radio like episodes. They cover the leading articles for the day and provide detailed insights into topics, by bringing in experts and speakers to help you get a better understanding of the information. Great production value as you might expect from a very big player in the media industry. Perfect for anyone that wants the news as they are used to hearing it.


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4) Wake Me Up

A new show that focuses on the morning routine, following a meditation like approach to gently bring you into the world with focus and inspiration. Raising questions and thoughts to help you focus on making your day a better one than the last. Perfect for the person that enjoys a gentle thought provoking wake up.


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5) The Daily

The New York Times daily podcast, hosted by Michael Barbaro. This podcast is a mix between a news and a drama themed podcast. You will hear stories related to recent news and events but it is curated into a compelling story with the use of structured storytelling, audio inserts, and transitions which create suspense and intrigue. Very easy listening and a perfect partner for waking up with a thought provoking topic.

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6) Up First

NPR produced daily news show focused on USA events, economy and politics. Follows a format that is familiar with podcast listeners. Presenter follows a topic and interviews relevant experts and people of interest. Clear audio, structured content, and relevant interesting topics makes Up First a great candidate for a morning alarm, especially for the listeners in America.

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7) Daily Boost | Daily Coaching and Motivation

Short format podcast focusing on motivating you for the day ahead. What is great about the show is Scott Smith’s energy, he will keep you on your path and make sure you eliminate distractions, stop procrastinating, and find more happiness. Perfect for a morning hit of inspiration if that’s what you need to be your best self. Ten minute episodes with great production value and straight taking host well worth a try.

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8) Wake Up to Level Up



The host, Kelly Callaghan is a beauty business entrepreneur, and this podcast is inspiration for anyone in the beauty industry or even just interested in entrepreneurship in general. She speaks about the ups and downs of her life and how she has been able to create a successful business. Great for some motivation when you are beginning your own business.

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9) Before Breakfast




Bite sized episodes of about ten minutes which aim to teach you to better manage what you do with your time. Their self stated mission is to give listeners practical tools to feel less busy and get more done. Perfect listening for anyone who is feeling they are overwhelmed with commitments in their day and want a new tactic to sort things out.

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10) Business Daily





Daily podcast produced by BBC that covers world events and news relating to business and money. Great topics that will be interesting to business leaders and anyone working in the industry. Perfect for staying relevant in a fast changing environment. Bring the latest insight to the office every morning with little effort.

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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.