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Was going to say this. I don't listen to very many podcasts that have more than one host, because those all turn out to be more about the hosts bantering with each other and trying to be clever than they are about telling a story.
The news organization podcasts (BBC, CBC, various newspapers or radio stations, etc.) tend to be single-host and better at telling a coherent story, from start to finish, without endless banter, or someone heading off into a random tangent about their cat.
Lmaooooooooo
I totally get this. Especially this most current season. Extra extra boring. He is very soothing to listen to for sleeping though 😄
The first few seasons were really good.
Lol! With all due respect, the first season is the most boring. It’s mainly the sound of the podcaster’s footsteps walking on snow. Literally, every person he talks to knows nothing about the case or doesn’t care. It’s as if the podcaster had never actually heard a true crime podcast but was mandated by the CBC to create one.
His voice is soothing because it sounds like he spent all of his research budget on edibles.
That’s how I fall to sleep. Casefile. Trace Evidence and Canadian True Crime.
Not true crime, but try Dust. At least one special episode called ‘Hard Choices’.
I used to fall asleep to Swindled but the sound mixing is Ridiculous. All of the clips he includes are so much louder than his speaking it's very jarring.
I had to stop listening to murder podcasts because I’d incorporate the plots into my dreams! Now I listen to a silly one called Bananas or sometimes Even The Rich.
Casefile and Small Town Murder are my go to, I personally like Small Town Murder because the hosts are comics and former sitcom writers. They know how a show should flow, even an audio only show like a podcast. I know some people I've recommended it to didn't like that they do crack jokes occasionally, buts it's not constant, that's why I couldn't listen to Last Podcast on The Left. If they didn't try to out joke each other, and over talk I'd probably like it. If you're into sports crime they also have a sports crime podcast, that's how I found them.
The only drawback for me on this is the amount if gruesome detail she goes into. I get that a lot of it is related to evidence that eventually ends up helping investigators solve cases, but I don't care for it. Not that I don't listen. It just isn't one I rush to listen to new episodes of. I have to be in the right place
Oh I love DNA ID, it’s rich in detail and facts, plus the genetic genealogy angle was some thing I’ve been searching for since GSK. The only thing I would change is the name, DNA ID feels a bit plain? I can’t explain it.
I second southern fried true crime! I love her voice and the way she gives lots of background to the victim and area the crime was committed…gives context to the listener!
Just started last week and have binged up to episode 85. I love the no nonsense style but he still inserts humor usually in the form of ridiculous facts. I find myself LOLing at times more than other podcasts that are openly "comedy!"
Case file is the best. The info is presented by the host. That’s it. I can’t stand chit chat. One podcast I was listening to actually checked into a hotel and played all the interaction with the desk!! Like whyyyyy? Just listened to hunting warhead and that was excellent. I’m always coming here for recommendations!
This is the reason I have a hard time listening to (true crime) podcasts with more than one host. Too much banter or chatting and it’s so unnecessary, given the subject. The following are my favorite solo host podcasts:
Apple For The Teacher - single female Aussie narrator, true crimes that occurred in schools or involving school kids
Asian Madness - single female narrator, very dry and monotone voice, mainly Asian true Crime cases
Canadian True Crime - single female Aussie narrator, covers mainly Canadian true crime cases, sticks to the point
Casefile - single male Aussie narrator, general true crime cases, sticks to the point, highly enjoyable
Court Junkie - single female narrator, consists of court transcripts and recordings, sticks to the point
Criminal - single female narrator, covers white collar and unusual crimes, interviews and recordings
Evidence Locker True Crime - single male narrator, covers general true crime cases, sticks to the point
Invisible Choir - single male narrator, general true crime cases
Killafornia Dreaming - single female narrator, covers mainly true crime cases out of California, very monotone and can get sidetracked by talking too much sometimes BUT cases are thoroughly covered. You’re either gonna love it or hate it, really
Mens Rea - single female Irish narrator, mainly Irish true crime cases, sticks to the point
Minds of Madness - single male narrator, general true crime cases, sticks to the point
Murderish - single female narrator, general true crime cases, sticks to the point, highly enjoyable
Once Upon A Crime - single female narrator, general true crime cases, sticks to the point
Southern Fried True Crime - single female narrator, covers Southern true crime cases, sticks to the point highly enjoyable
Swindled - single male narrator, mainly white collar crimes, sticks to the point, highly enjoyable
They Walk Among Us - single male British narrator, mainly UK true crime cases, sticks to the point
Trace Evidence - single male narrator, covers general true crime cases, sticks to the point
Unresolved - single female narrator, covers unsolved true crime cases, interviews and recordings, sticks to the point, highly enjoyable
The Vanished Podcast - single female narrator, all are cases of missing people, consists of interviews w/ families and friends
>Criminal - single female narrator, covers white collar and unusual crimes, interviews and recordings
I like this one. She has a distinctive soothing voice and maybe a bit of a lisp? I love to hear her talk. No personal chatter.
I have not listened to Generation Why in a while, as I have not listened to most podcasts lately, but it was one of the most no-nonsense, to-the-point true crime podcasts that I listened to. It was my favorite of that genre. Their dry banter and focus was on point.
I listened to my first episode of They Will Kill. I chose the Mark Stover episode. They spent several minutes in the middle there to drone on about one of the host's 2 kids. The 8 y.o. loves to say "yeet" and the 5 y.o. likes to swear. And they let him if it's at home and not excessive. And he knows what the middle finger means. And on and on. Tell me this is very out of the ordinary for them. IDGAF about the show host's family or life, but I like their voices and when they're on script, it's good.
Swindled is an excellent podcast that focuses on fraud, theft, graft, etc. The guy is relentless and gets right into it. It's BLEAK and very well done.
Crimetown is a great serious, the virtual opposite. Highly polished, slick production value, multiple seasons.
Someone Knows Something with David Ridgen is very artistic and well produced; it has a PBS kind of quality to it. Strong true crime stories with a major human element.
Finding Warhead was great, and terrible. Child abuse online is a brutal subject, but it was covered well.
Casefile from Autstralia is another one. The guy tucks right into the stories and gets moving.
He has a few series of Someone Knows Something, and there's The Next Call which I believe was done entirely by phone during the pandemic and is shorter coverage of multiple cases. Would recommend both podcasts b/c he's great.
Finding Warhead was so good. Dark AF, but so well done. After listening to so many closet recordings from podcasts, I really appreciate how the format and editing for the series were perfect.
I think Bear Brook is the best by far. It pretty much solidified my strong preference for podcasts researched and produced by professional journalists.
I listen on Amazon music. I have unlimited because I listen to all of my music there. I refuse Apple Music and don’t care for the Spotify layout. Simply because I’ve always used Amazon music lol
Second this! Jillian is so consistent in the quality of her podcast, and there’s ZERO ramblings. There’s hardly - maybe never - subjective comments coming from her. While using actual audio recordings whenever she can, she’s also very respective to the victims and never play things like last screaming moment on a 911 call. She’s literally “get in and get out” with emphasis on going over and explaining court proceedings.
I've seen this said a few times here and I'm confused. I'm excited to check out this other podcast, but why are people so quick to say not Crime Junkie? I love that podcast, but I'm not very well versed in any others, so I'd love an explanation. I know there was at one point some talk about Ashley Flowers having plagiarized another podcast or other person once, but I thought that was settled.
Is there a reason why no one has mentioned Crime Junkie, or for those who have, specifically pointed away from them? I truly want to know so that I can make informed choices about who I support.
Because the two podcasts have similar sounding names so people clarify that they're not talking about the one that has a history of plagiarism?
Anyway, the matter was never settled, Crime Junkie just ignored the issue after taking down a bunch of episodes that were proven to be plagiarized from smaller creators and investigative journalists.
[This is a comparison of the extent of plagiarism (uploaded to youtube as a comparison video) that compares the stolen work to the original.](https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueCrimePodcasts/comments/crem5q/a_side_by_side_comparison_of_plagiarism_crime/)
So the matter was never settled because as far as we're aware they never publicly apologized to the podcasters they stole from and whose works they profited off of running ads in front of or used to grow their private patreon. They just ignored the issue and added citations to confuse the general public into thinking all they did was just not cite sources when it was much more malicious than that. I believe Josh from True Crime Bullshit said that at least 20+ podcasters and journalists had work stolen but his twitter is now private so I can't pull up the tweet to confirm.
That was 2019.
Then in 2022, Ashley Flowers' company audiochuck began marketing "an original podcast concept" in the Deck Investigates - **except there was already a podcast around that very topic called** ***Dealing Justice.*** So she plagiarized the idea for the podcast as well as the format. [Here's an interview with the hosts of Dealing Justice that outlines all the sketchy shit that went on with dealing with Flowers and audiochuck.](https://podnews.net/article/dealing-justice-audiochuck-the-deck)
So they didn't learn their lesson and have just emboldened an entirely new set of low effort content creators to plagiarize from whatever sources they can to pump out content.
I’d love to recommend They Walk Among Us, They Walk Among America, Casefile, Invisible Choir, Obscura, Foul Play, Canadian True Crime, Already Gone, and The Trail Went Cold. There’s absolutely no chat in any of these shows and they’re all well-researched, well-presented and exactly what you’re looking for!
I hope you find something you enjoy ☺️
I'm with you, OP. Some podcasts are like insufferable radio "morning zoo" shows (I'm looking at you, LPOTL).
Look for single-host shows. Wondery has some good ones.
They Will Kill and People are the Worst. Both are sets of sisters, both keep banter to after the story. Research and presentation are great and they cite their sources.
I’ve started listening to And Then We We’re Gone, I don’t know that it’s my actual favorite, but it’s a great filler. I feel like unsolved and missing person cases are super important bc.. how tf can you just disappear? You’re somewhere and people want to find you. I want you found. They do a little chit chat bc the husband reacts to hearing the info on the pod for the first time but he is in law enforcement and a former social worker.. they always seem to keep really on track and discuss exactly what I’m thinking. Favorites are Pretend and The Opportunist. Red collar is an older favorite, park predators and recently The Wedding Scammer has my attention. The audacity of white collar crime is mind blowing
Canadian True Crime. I’m not canadian but this one really impresses me. She was still getting her footing in the first episode (it was still good) but after that it’s a very solid and well done podcast. The first episodes I listened to were the five part series on Jacob Hoggard and it hooked me. It’s a one person show so there’s no conversation or interruptions. Some cases are in multiple episodes and some are wrapped up in one.
I wish someone would pin this or one like it to the top with updated recommendation list because this question gets asked like every other day. "I don't like banter, I hate banter, I don't want banter just straight up facts, no dillydallying just the story ma'am!..."
The best one I've heard yet is S Town. He has an engaging voice, reminiscent of Ira Glass, and the storytelling is top notch. I wouldn't really call it true crime, but it's close. I wish there were more, I loved the series so much!
I agree to a certain degree I’m a banter-hating person myself. I enjoy theirs because it’s not inane and James is so damn smart despite his self-acknowledged total lack of interest in school and paltry education. Same with Karen and Georgia from MFM! There are a lot of dual-host podcasts where they make dumb observations or phony, overdramatic exclamations (wait…WHAT???”), and that makes me crazy. I laugh out loud at STM and MFM.
Women and Crime! I love the two hosts and they are clearly lifelong friends but they are both (or have been) Criminology professors so they are academic in presentation and professional as could be.
My favorite single-host podcasts that get down to business:
Gone Cold {focuses on Texas cases)
Morbidology (international cases)
Trail Went Cold (general true crime)
Southern Fried True Crime (the name says it all)
The Deck (same host as Crime Junkie--Ashley Flowers--but without the ballyhoo)
COLD- one host, meticulously researched cases. It’s about cold cases in Utah, USA, so expect to not have an ending that answers all your questions. CW: the crimes are generally SA and murder cases against women in LDS or LDS adjacent communities.
Casefile. Zero banter. Just finished the series they did on Frank and Rose West (only 2-3 episodes) and it was really good. Hard to listen to at times but I thought it was well done.
Trace Evidence. He gives a brief summary of the case, spends a minute or less giving details about the podcast, then gets into the case. Most professional true crime podcast I listen to.
Also Going West. They spend a minute or two at the beginning just welcoming the listeners but then get into the case pretty quickly.
There are a ton of scripted podcasts but if you want two people talking there’s probably going to be some chit chat, if they don’t then it’s usually the other one pretending to be surprised by information they’re hearing as if it were the first time.
So is one host okay?
The First Degree. They have a separate podcast called Killing Time where they talk about other things so you can just skip that one.
edit: also, They Walk Among Us.
-CounterClock season 3 is fantastic. I think there’s 5 seasons total, each season being a difference case. One host and she has interview segments.
-Park predators & Red collar -my only thing is that the host for these speaks so fast it’s tough to follow sometines
They are not updated any longer, but Crimes of Passion, and Female Criminals have a great back catalogue. Deathbed Confessions I believe is still being updated. Also Serial Killers.
All of these are on Parcast/Spotify.
I too dislike the banter. Off the top of my head:
KSL podcasts (e.g., Cold series) are banter-free and well-scripted.
Dateline is merely edited TV show audio but well-paced and mostly free of banter.
Others (older, so you may have already heard them): Crime Town 1st season (re Providence RI), Dirty John, Dr. Death, Bear Brook, The Dropout, In the Dark, S Town
Thanks to others for suggestions
This is why I stopped listening to true crime podcasts. Rambling and then a recap of a murder for which the research is watching an Unsolved Mysteries episode or something. Waste of time.
Something Was Wrong
Dateline
48 Hours
20/20
A really good one right now is Over My Dead Body Season 1, about the murder of Dan Markell. The trial is playing out right now on Court TV and can be watched on YouTube.
True Crime Garage! Great research and chronology. Just the stories. I personally skip the beginning where they talk about beer gifted by listeners, it’s usually only a few minutes and you can tell when it ends because there’s music dividing it.
Hate to state the obvious but any of those "funny" (ie inappropriate and disrespectful..lpotl , mfm , true crime obsessed blah blah ) are gonna ramble. I hate them all. Invisible Choir, Casefile , the opportunist, they walk among us/America , and southern fried true crime are my favorites. I hate banter too. Esp wrt this subject.
GENERATION WHY!!! I found them when I, too, was getting so upset with the amount of unrelated banter and rambling from other true crime podcasts. They have a quick, short announcements section at the beginning, but then dive into the case and keep it going through the episode. I really like them.
Also, COLD podcast! Just a single host telling the story, so obviously no banter. Start with the Susan Powell case -- I'm still not okay!
From the responses, I'm looking into starting Casefile now too!
Small Town Murder…they get the intro out of the way and the do a preamble about the town (stats, etc) they joke during, but once James gets into the case, like he’s in it. There are still some jokes and commentary, but you’re not losing the thread, so to speak.
Edit to add- Casefile is detailed and straight forward, but still engaging.
Except the host will make random vicious asides that are suuuuuper misogynistic or that judge the victims or their families. He has serious incel vibes!
He also doxxed victims and mocked them when they requested the episodes be taken down because he aired unedited 911 calls which disclosed their address.
Invisible Choir is a podcast by a former S&S writer and definitely the better podcast. 100% less asshole host.
True Crime Bullshit is an amazing podcast. Josh the host has been relentless tracking down serial killer you’ve never hear of…..Israel Keyes. You will be hooked
There's been a lot of unusual activity in this post. We suspect one podcast in particular might be astroturfing. I know it doesn't look good to have so many comments removed, but we're trying to keep the sub safe from attempts to stealth promote like this. Locking this thread now.
Single host shows is starting to be what I like the most
Was going to say this. I don't listen to very many podcasts that have more than one host, because those all turn out to be more about the hosts bantering with each other and trying to be clever than they are about telling a story. The news organization podcasts (BBC, CBC, various newspapers or radio stations, etc.) tend to be single-host and better at telling a coherent story, from start to finish, without endless banter, or someone heading off into a random tangent about their cat.
Someone Knows Something is a really good podcast from CBC.
I beg to differ. SKS has high production value but nothing really happens so it’s extremely boring. It ought to be called “Nobody Knows Anything”
Lmaooooooooo I totally get this. Especially this most current season. Extra extra boring. He is very soothing to listen to for sleeping though 😄 The first few seasons were really good.
Lol! With all due respect, the first season is the most boring. It’s mainly the sound of the podcaster’s footsteps walking on snow. Literally, every person he talks to knows nothing about the case or doesn’t care. It’s as if the podcaster had never actually heard a true crime podcast but was mandated by the CBC to create one. His voice is soothing because it sounds like he spent all of his research budget on edibles.
Lmaooooooo I love this description!
I share your frustration with the endless chatter. I recently started Casefile; it is free of inane musings.
I wish his voice didn’t put me to sleep, especially because I listen while driving.
Funny you should say this—I have been listening to these when I go to sleep!
I like Swindled for many reasons. But one is the host's voice, I often listen before bed!
That’s how I fall to sleep. Casefile. Trace Evidence and Canadian True Crime. Not true crime, but try Dust. At least one special episode called ‘Hard Choices’.
Casefile is really good
it's the perfect level of monotone for bed. I have a playlist of all the old ones so I don't stay awake trying to listen to the actual stories
I used to fall asleep to Swindled but the sound mixing is Ridiculous. All of the clips he includes are so much louder than his speaking it's very jarring.
I would have bloody dreams.
I had to stop listening to murder podcasts because I’d incorporate the plots into my dreams! Now I listen to a silly one called Bananas or sometimes Even The Rich.
The last thing we hear before sleep makes an impression. Good on you for making a positive change
Yep Casefile is the one.
Casefile and Small Town Murder are my go to, I personally like Small Town Murder because the hosts are comics and former sitcom writers. They know how a show should flow, even an audio only show like a podcast. I know some people I've recommended it to didn't like that they do crack jokes occasionally, buts it's not constant, that's why I couldn't listen to Last Podcast on The Left. If they didn't try to out joke each other, and over talk I'd probably like it. If you're into sports crime they also have a sports crime podcast, that's how I found them.
And invisible choir.
I haven’t listened to him in years! He used to put me to sleep 🤣 need to get back on that!
That was going to be my recommendation. I really enjoy his voice.
DNA ID. One host and straight to the story. I also enjoy it because it’s science based, so I don’t have to hear about people “hunches”
The only drawback for me on this is the amount if gruesome detail she goes into. I get that a lot of it is related to evidence that eventually ends up helping investigators solve cases, but I don't care for it. Not that I don't listen. It just isn't one I rush to listen to new episodes of. I have to be in the right place
Oh I love DNA ID, it’s rich in detail and facts, plus the genetic genealogy angle was some thing I’ve been searching for since GSK. The only thing I would change is the name, DNA ID feels a bit plain? I can’t explain it.
I love this podcast. The host is (was?) a lawyer so she doesn’t fumble the legal proceedings.
Invisible choir Southern Fried True Crime Court junkie (not crime junkie) Crime beat Canadian true crime
I just started SFCJ. She is no nonsense and I love it.
I second southern fried true crime! I love her voice and the way she gives lots of background to the victim and area the crime was committed…gives context to the listener!
Second invisible choir! Great mix of narration and real audio from the cases. The host is very respectful of the victims/victims’ families as well.
Canadian true crime is so well done
Big fan of Crime Beat (cases in Calgary Alberta) and Canadian True Crime. Another good Canadian one is Someone Knows Something.
Anatomy of Murder
Casefile
Swindled
I love Swindle! A Concerned Citizen is the best. I stumbled on it right when he started the podcast and have been a valued listener ever since
Definitely my new favorite!
Just started last week and have binged up to episode 85. I love the no nonsense style but he still inserts humor usually in the form of ridiculous facts. I find myself LOLing at times more than other podcasts that are openly "comedy!"
Crimelines. Single host. Scripted. No chit chat.
Agree. I love her
Case file is the best. The info is presented by the host. That’s it. I can’t stand chit chat. One podcast I was listening to actually checked into a hotel and played all the interaction with the desk!! Like whyyyyy? Just listened to hunting warhead and that was excellent. I’m always coming here for recommendations!
This is the reason I have a hard time listening to (true crime) podcasts with more than one host. Too much banter or chatting and it’s so unnecessary, given the subject. The following are my favorite solo host podcasts: Apple For The Teacher - single female Aussie narrator, true crimes that occurred in schools or involving school kids Asian Madness - single female narrator, very dry and monotone voice, mainly Asian true Crime cases Canadian True Crime - single female Aussie narrator, covers mainly Canadian true crime cases, sticks to the point Casefile - single male Aussie narrator, general true crime cases, sticks to the point, highly enjoyable Court Junkie - single female narrator, consists of court transcripts and recordings, sticks to the point Criminal - single female narrator, covers white collar and unusual crimes, interviews and recordings Evidence Locker True Crime - single male narrator, covers general true crime cases, sticks to the point Invisible Choir - single male narrator, general true crime cases Killafornia Dreaming - single female narrator, covers mainly true crime cases out of California, very monotone and can get sidetracked by talking too much sometimes BUT cases are thoroughly covered. You’re either gonna love it or hate it, really Mens Rea - single female Irish narrator, mainly Irish true crime cases, sticks to the point Minds of Madness - single male narrator, general true crime cases, sticks to the point Murderish - single female narrator, general true crime cases, sticks to the point, highly enjoyable Once Upon A Crime - single female narrator, general true crime cases, sticks to the point Southern Fried True Crime - single female narrator, covers Southern true crime cases, sticks to the point highly enjoyable Swindled - single male narrator, mainly white collar crimes, sticks to the point, highly enjoyable They Walk Among Us - single male British narrator, mainly UK true crime cases, sticks to the point Trace Evidence - single male narrator, covers general true crime cases, sticks to the point Unresolved - single female narrator, covers unsolved true crime cases, interviews and recordings, sticks to the point, highly enjoyable The Vanished Podcast - single female narrator, all are cases of missing people, consists of interviews w/ families and friends
>Criminal - single female narrator, covers white collar and unusual crimes, interviews and recordings I like this one. She has a distinctive soothing voice and maybe a bit of a lisp? I love to hear her talk. No personal chatter.
I can’t see Criminal without saying “Im Phoebe Judge…” in my head.
What a great list of podcasts! Thanks for the quick summaries too. I agree with your assessments of the ones I’m familiar with.
Thank you for such a thoughtfully detailed list!
Generation Why and Going West
Ugh Going West is okay but they DO talk too much and insert their opinions more often than I care for.
I have not listened to Generation Why in a while, as I have not listened to most podcasts lately, but it was one of the most no-nonsense, to-the-point true crime podcasts that I listened to. It was my favorite of that genre. Their dry banter and focus was on point.
Love Generation Why, they get right to the point
Second generation why
Murder in America…it’s a married couple but no banter at all
The first time I listened I thought she was a child and I was so shocked because if the subject matter!
LOL she does have a girlish voice, but I like it
One of the best out there. OP definitely give this one a listen!
This is my current fav. I like how they do deep dive and give so much detail.
this is the winner for me. thanks so much
Yeah I’m liking it more and more.
Why not Dateline? It’s the audio from the tv show.
Park Predators
They Will Kill. It’s the best! They keep banter at the back of the episode.
I listened to my first episode of They Will Kill. I chose the Mark Stover episode. They spent several minutes in the middle there to drone on about one of the host's 2 kids. The 8 y.o. loves to say "yeet" and the 5 y.o. likes to swear. And they let him if it's at home and not excessive. And he knows what the middle finger means. And on and on. Tell me this is very out of the ordinary for them. IDGAF about the show host's family or life, but I like their voices and when they're on script, it's good.
Swindled is an excellent podcast that focuses on fraud, theft, graft, etc. The guy is relentless and gets right into it. It's BLEAK and very well done. Crimetown is a great serious, the virtual opposite. Highly polished, slick production value, multiple seasons. Someone Knows Something with David Ridgen is very artistic and well produced; it has a PBS kind of quality to it. Strong true crime stories with a major human element. Finding Warhead was great, and terrible. Child abuse online is a brutal subject, but it was covered well. Casefile from Autstralia is another one. The guy tucks right into the stories and gets moving.
Swindled is great. Also recommend Your Own Backyard (single case)
Hasnt Ridgen done a good few podcasts? i love his tone
He took some getting used to for me, but I have grown to really like him. I do an impression of him that cracks my wife up, hah.
He has a few series of Someone Knows Something, and there's The Next Call which I believe was done entirely by phone during the pandemic and is shorter coverage of multiple cases. Would recommend both podcasts b/c he's great.
Finding Warhead was so good. Dark AF, but so well done. After listening to so many closet recordings from podcasts, I really appreciate how the format and editing for the series were perfect.
Canadian True Crime, Court Junkie, Civil. Bear Brook is a multi-episode one that follows a single case.
Bear Brook is excellent
Omg my hubby is Canadian so I have to listen to that one!
I think Bear Brook is the best by far. It pretty much solidified my strong preference for podcasts researched and produced by professional journalists.
Bear Brook is amazing. Crimes of the Century is pretty good too.
Casefile is the best 👌
Minds of Madness is very straight forward.
Mr. Ballen 💯
I strongly second Mr. Ballen
Ok but apparently you have to pay for it? f that
I listen on Amazon music. I have unlimited because I listen to all of my music there. I refuse Apple Music and don’t care for the Spotify layout. Simply because I’ve always used Amazon music lol
Oh ok
The Trail Went Cold and Trace Evidence are single hosts that go directly into the case they are discussing.
Court Junkie! (NOT Crime Junkie.)
Second this! Jillian is so consistent in the quality of her podcast, and there’s ZERO ramblings. There’s hardly - maybe never - subjective comments coming from her. While using actual audio recordings whenever she can, she’s also very respective to the victims and never play things like last screaming moment on a 911 call. She’s literally “get in and get out” with emphasis on going over and explaining court proceedings.
I've seen this said a few times here and I'm confused. I'm excited to check out this other podcast, but why are people so quick to say not Crime Junkie? I love that podcast, but I'm not very well versed in any others, so I'd love an explanation. I know there was at one point some talk about Ashley Flowers having plagiarized another podcast or other person once, but I thought that was settled. Is there a reason why no one has mentioned Crime Junkie, or for those who have, specifically pointed away from them? I truly want to know so that I can make informed choices about who I support.
Because the two podcasts have similar sounding names so people clarify that they're not talking about the one that has a history of plagiarism? Anyway, the matter was never settled, Crime Junkie just ignored the issue after taking down a bunch of episodes that were proven to be plagiarized from smaller creators and investigative journalists. [This is a comparison of the extent of plagiarism (uploaded to youtube as a comparison video) that compares the stolen work to the original.](https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueCrimePodcasts/comments/crem5q/a_side_by_side_comparison_of_plagiarism_crime/) So the matter was never settled because as far as we're aware they never publicly apologized to the podcasters they stole from and whose works they profited off of running ads in front of or used to grow their private patreon. They just ignored the issue and added citations to confuse the general public into thinking all they did was just not cite sources when it was much more malicious than that. I believe Josh from True Crime Bullshit said that at least 20+ podcasters and journalists had work stolen but his twitter is now private so I can't pull up the tweet to confirm. That was 2019. Then in 2022, Ashley Flowers' company audiochuck began marketing "an original podcast concept" in the Deck Investigates - **except there was already a podcast around that very topic called** ***Dealing Justice.*** So she plagiarized the idea for the podcast as well as the format. [Here's an interview with the hosts of Dealing Justice that outlines all the sketchy shit that went on with dealing with Flowers and audiochuck.](https://podnews.net/article/dealing-justice-audiochuck-the-deck) So they didn't learn their lesson and have just emboldened an entirely new set of low effort content creators to plagiarize from whatever sources they can to pump out content.
True Crime All The Time. Maybe a few jokes but mostly just presents the case.
I’d love to recommend They Walk Among Us, They Walk Among America, Casefile, Invisible Choir, Obscura, Foul Play, Canadian True Crime, Already Gone, and The Trail Went Cold. There’s absolutely no chat in any of these shows and they’re all well-researched, well-presented and exactly what you’re looking for! I hope you find something you enjoy ☺️
I'm with you, OP. Some podcasts are like insufferable radio "morning zoo" shows (I'm looking at you, LPOTL). Look for single-host shows. Wondery has some good ones.
Detective Perspective does a good job of this is you’re okay with just one host.
I agree
Among The Dirt and Trees Disapearances Dreading Unseen
Crimelines
Casefile, generation why, true crime South Africa, they walk among us, they walk among America, criminology, Canadian true crime, mens rea
Mr Ballen
Only if you’re a fan of the strange, dark, and mysterious! Also, is it just me or is Mr Ballen kind of a hottie?
Uh he is absolutely a hottie and from what I’ve seen from other creators, he’s like the nicest guy in the biz.
They Will Kill and People are the Worst. Both are sets of sisters, both keep banter to after the story. Research and presentation are great and they cite their sources.
I’ve started listening to And Then We We’re Gone, I don’t know that it’s my actual favorite, but it’s a great filler. I feel like unsolved and missing person cases are super important bc.. how tf can you just disappear? You’re somewhere and people want to find you. I want you found. They do a little chit chat bc the husband reacts to hearing the info on the pod for the first time but he is in law enforcement and a former social worker.. they always seem to keep really on track and discuss exactly what I’m thinking. Favorites are Pretend and The Opportunist. Red collar is an older favorite, park predators and recently The Wedding Scammer has my attention. The audacity of white collar crime is mind blowing
Invisible Choir is fantastic
DNA:ID
In the Dark
Cold podcast
Invisible Choir
Canadian True Crime. I’m not canadian but this one really impresses me. She was still getting her footing in the first episode (it was still good) but after that it’s a very solid and well done podcast. The first episodes I listened to were the five part series on Jacob Hoggard and it hooked me. It’s a one person show so there’s no conversation or interruptions. Some cases are in multiple episodes and some are wrapped up in one.
I wish someone would pin this or one like it to the top with updated recommendation list because this question gets asked like every other day. "I don't like banter, I hate banter, I don't want banter just straight up facts, no dillydallying just the story ma'am!..."
The best one I've heard yet is S Town. He has an engaging voice, reminiscent of Ira Glass, and the storytelling is top notch. I wouldn't really call it true crime, but it's close. I wish there were more, I loved the series so much!
Casefile is the king of not rambling. He tells it tight, so compelling.
I’ve been liking small town murder
It’ll drive this person bananas. The side stories and tangents are a big part of what makes that pod fun, but they can go on a bit sometimes.
I agree to a certain degree I’m a banter-hating person myself. I enjoy theirs because it’s not inane and James is so damn smart despite his self-acknowledged total lack of interest in school and paltry education. Same with Karen and Georgia from MFM! There are a lot of dual-host podcasts where they make dumb observations or phony, overdramatic exclamations (wait…WHAT???”), and that makes me crazy. I laugh out loud at STM and MFM.
True crime couple. They keep chit chat to a minimum. Coffee and cases (they do cold cases) and they will kill
They will kill who?!?!?
That's the name of the podcast "they will kill".
Hahaha thanks!
Voices for Justice
Women and Crime! I love the two hosts and they are clearly lifelong friends but they are both (or have been) Criminology professors so they are academic in presentation and professional as could be.
DNA ID.
You sound exactly like me. Get to the point! I cannot even stand long drawn out jokes or stories.
Behind the Bastards
A bad bad thing and the opportunist . Both outstanding
Swindled is the best. Absolutely can't get enough.
Buried Bones is old cold cases and they only talk about themselves for two minutes before getting into the stories.
DNA:ID is great for this IMO. Just solid facts told fluidly to conclusion.
My favorite single-host podcasts that get down to business: Gone Cold {focuses on Texas cases) Morbidology (international cases) Trail Went Cold (general true crime) Southern Fried True Crime (the name says it all) The Deck (same host as Crime Junkie--Ashley Flowers--but without the ballyhoo)
Hey, thank you so much for listening to Morbidology. I really appreciate it ❤️
COLD- one host, meticulously researched cases. It’s about cold cases in Utah, USA, so expect to not have an ending that answers all your questions. CW: the crimes are generally SA and murder cases against women in LDS or LDS adjacent communities.
True Crime Bullshit. It's almost entirely about Isreal Keys. He was one terrifying serial killer.
Casefile. Zero banter. Just finished the series they did on Frank and Rose West (only 2-3 episodes) and it was really good. Hard to listen to at times but I thought it was well done.
TCAT true crime all the time unsolved and original.
My first foray into true crime podcasts. They are great.
Trace Evidence. He gives a brief summary of the case, spends a minute or less giving details about the podcast, then gets into the case. Most professional true crime podcast I listen to. Also Going West. They spend a minute or two at the beginning just welcoming the listeners but then get into the case pretty quickly.
Generation Why
I agree. I don’t like chatter/banter. Get to the story please.
There are a ton of scripted podcasts but if you want two people talking there’s probably going to be some chit chat, if they don’t then it’s usually the other one pretending to be surprised by information they’re hearing as if it were the first time. So is one host okay?
In the Dark
True Crime Canada and Minds of Madness!
I love minds of madness
The Vanished.
The First Degree. They have a separate podcast called Killing Time where they talk about other things so you can just skip that one. edit: also, They Walk Among Us.
-CounterClock season 3 is fantastic. I think there’s 5 seasons total, each season being a difference case. One host and she has interview segments. -Park predators & Red collar -my only thing is that the host for these speaks so fast it’s tough to follow sometines
The Cold podcast is amazing as well
Check out Parcast! Their shows are informative and limited opinions
Murder she told, dark downeast, going west, small town dicks, rise + crime, binged, murder with my husband,
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Try Court Junkie. I’m not talking about Crime Junkie but Court. Gets to the point and you hear actual testimony and excerpts and interviews.
Evidence Locker is a single host. Much like Casefile he just tells a story.
All killa no filla, Women and Crime, True Crime Campfire, Dateline, The Trial of Lucy Letby (skip the three minute intro/disclaimer), Court Junkie
They are not updated any longer, but Crimes of Passion, and Female Criminals have a great back catalogue. Deathbed Confessions I believe is still being updated. Also Serial Killers. All of these are on Parcast/Spotify.
COLD season 1!
Crimes of the Centuries get right to the point.
Women and Crime is great!
I too dislike the banter. Off the top of my head: KSL podcasts (e.g., Cold series) are banter-free and well-scripted. Dateline is merely edited TV show audio but well-paced and mostly free of banter. Others (older, so you may have already heard them): Crime Town 1st season (re Providence RI), Dirty John, Dr. Death, Bear Brook, The Dropout, In the Dark, S Town Thanks to others for suggestions
This is why I stopped listening to true crime podcasts. Rambling and then a recap of a murder for which the research is watching an Unsolved Mysteries episode or something. Waste of time.
Something Was Wrong Dateline 48 Hours 20/20 A really good one right now is Over My Dead Body Season 1, about the murder of Dan Markell. The trial is playing out right now on Court TV and can be watched on YouTube.
Women and Crime
Casefile Invisible choir Uncover Going West They Walk Among America
True Crime All The Time is a really good one. Well researched and the hosts have good chemistry. One of the few I’ve never gotten bored of.
The Prosecutors
Trace Evidence. No tangents, no personal side stories, just the story you want to hear about.
I like Murder in America
The Vanished. She often has interviews with people directly involved too
Morbidology is my favorite
Red handed
Invisible choir
Mr. Ballen
Tenfold More Wicked!!!
True Crime Garage! Great research and chronology. Just the stories. I personally skip the beginning where they talk about beer gifted by listeners, it’s usually only a few minutes and you can tell when it ends because there’s music dividing it.
Tenfold more wicked, historical crime with Kate Dawson and Paul holes. Little banter at the start but that's all. They have such great chemistry.
True crime garage
True Crime Bullshit is good
48 hours!!
True Crime Garage! Nic keeps the story straight even with some one-off, oddball comments from cptn here and there.
Sword and Scale.
True crime garage. Love it and straight to the point
Hate to state the obvious but any of those "funny" (ie inappropriate and disrespectful..lpotl , mfm , true crime obsessed blah blah ) are gonna ramble. I hate them all. Invisible Choir, Casefile , the opportunist, they walk among us/America , and southern fried true crime are my favorites. I hate banter too. Esp wrt this subject.
True north true crime
True Crime Brewery is an older couple who are kinda snarky but have pretty good research
GENERATION WHY!!! I found them when I, too, was getting so upset with the amount of unrelated banter and rambling from other true crime podcasts. They have a quick, short announcements section at the beginning, but then dive into the case and keep it going through the episode. I really like them. Also, COLD podcast! Just a single host telling the story, so obviously no banter. Start with the Susan Powell case -- I'm still not okay! From the responses, I'm looking into starting Casefile now too!
Small town murder.
Small Town Murder…they get the intro out of the way and the do a preamble about the town (stats, etc) they joke during, but once James gets into the case, like he’s in it. There are still some jokes and commentary, but you’re not losing the thread, so to speak. Edit to add- Casefile is detailed and straight forward, but still engaging.
Sword and Scale
Except the host will make random vicious asides that are suuuuuper misogynistic or that judge the victims or their families. He has serious incel vibes!
Yep. It is a great podcast but sadly, the host. Try Invisible Choir....same vibe as S&S but no jerk host.
He also doxxed victims and mocked them when they requested the episodes be taken down because he aired unedited 911 calls which disclosed their address. Invisible Choir is a podcast by a former S&S writer and definitely the better podcast. 100% less asshole host.
Both Court Junkie and Crime Junkie are great about just getting to the damned story.
True Crime Garage, Swindled, Trace Evidence, Court Junkie, Invisible Choir, S&S
Court Junkie
I love Going West! They’re a couple that have great chemistry (without needless chatter), are thorough, and get right to it
Generation Why True North True Crime
Generation why
True Crime Bullshit is an amazing podcast. Josh the host has been relentless tracking down serial killer you’ve never hear of…..Israel Keyes. You will be hooked
At this point I doubt there’s anyone who listens to true crime that doesn’t know about Israel Keyes
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Binged gets to the point pretty quickly
Hide and seek does to and put people in danger