One of the joyful things about podcasts is that the off switch never gets flipped. There’s no time of the year when the best shows wait to vie for people’s attention, no optimal season for prestige programming. Every time you refresh your feed, there’s always the potential for finding something that could fundamentally open the way you see the world or a special part of it.

Of course, that constant abundance can be often be overwhelming, too. So, in the spirit of highlighting great work amidst that sea of goodness, we try to take stock every six months or so of the best of what’s out there. Below, you’ll find installments from 50 series from across the podcast universe, each with something particularly exiciting to offer.

Some of these episodes come from ongoing series that have lasted for years, while others are from the opening installments of series brand new to 2019. Some are key pieces of their show’s overall puzzles, while others are diversions into uncharted territory. There are episodes that are the product of dozens of contributors and a few that come from a handful of intrepid audio storytellers just trying to make something new with the tools they have.

No two are alike, no two reach the same conclusion. They span science, art, food, comedy, sound, and so many corners of the human experience in between. They’re all waiting for you to dive right in.

For more of our deep dives into the best of what the podcast world has to offer, check out our 2018 year-end list, last year’s midsummer check-in, and our top picks at the end of 2017.

The Best Podcast Episodes of 2019 (So Far)

More amazing months of stories prove that there's always more to discover in the podcast world.