October Podcast Roundup

It’s officially spooky season, which means tricks, treats, and lots of horror and true crime podcast listening! Of course, SXM Media houses some of the biggest titles of the genre. And this month, we’re walking you through a few of our most blood-chilling shows. So grab your headphones, lock your doors, and read on for more.

Dateline

Praised by The New Yorker as the “True Crime King,” there’s a reason Dateline has been around for 30 seasons. Borrowing audio from the TV series, the chart-topping Dateline podcast highlights current and classic episodes featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries, and in-depth investigations. Each case is thoroughly examined and expertly reported, which may be why the show has attracted a certain audience: highly educated females who skew slightly older than the average true crime listener, and over-index for being parents and spending on investment products.

My Favorite Murder

Since its inception in early 2016, My Favorite Murder has been a pillar of the true crime category, breaking download records and consistently ranking within the top 10 biggest podcasts (according to the Triton podcast report). The show has even forged an enthusiastic fan base of “Murderinos,” who hang onto every word exchanged between hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, as they share tales of the most mystifying murders and hometown crimes. It’s safe to say this podcast is all the rage—it’s been featured in Entertainment Weekly, The Atlantic, Nylon and Rolling Stone magazine.

True Crime Garage

Hosted by Nic and Pat Edwards, True Crime Garage is another chart-topping crime show, which covers a new case every week. Discussions range from serial killers (like Ted Bundy and Jeffery Dahmer) to cold cases (like Jonbenet Ramsy and the Zodiac), plus disappearances, missing persons, unsolved mysteries, and more. Despite the morbid subject matter, Nic and Pat keep things light with humor and weekly craft beer pairings. It’s no surprise then that this show’s audience is highly devoted, with 62% saying they listen to every single episode.

That’s Messed Up: An SVU Podcast

If you’ve aged out of trick-or-treating, the month of October is less about candy and more about getting cozy with a candle and a classic crime drama. For most of us, the first show that comes to mind is Law & Order: SVU, where detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler investigate vicious felonies in an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. Liza Treyger and Kara Klenk are no exception. The two are such big fans of the Dick Wolf series that it’s the central topic of their Exactly Right network show, That’s Messed Up: An SVU Podcast. Each week, they break down episodes of Law & Order: SVU, dive deep into the true crimes they're based on, and interview on-screen talent. Their prime audience? Affluent women who over-index for being pet owners. 

Buffering The Vampire Slayer

For fans of monstrous myths and the paranormal, there is no greater TV series than Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With every heart that Buffy punctured, the hit show further captured the hearts of viewers everywhere—including Jenny Owen Youngs and Kristin Russo, hosts of the popular podcast Buffering the Vampire Slayer. On their show, they walk through every episode of the TV series, one by one, composing original songs to recap each week’s events! It’s a lighthearted way to celebrate one of the spookiest series ever made.

Unspooled 

Craving a wider range of frightening fiction? Unspooled’s October programming might be the answer to your satanic prayers. We all know Paul Scheer as one-third of the How Did This Get Made? Podcast crew, which tears apart bad movies in clinical detail. But on Unspooled, he and film critic Amy Nicholson have turned the focus to good movies to build their own list of all-time greatest hits. And this Halloween season, they are zooming in on all of the scariest cult-favorites for their audience of highly-educated, millennial men.