"That framework, however, naturally leaves out a significant part of what podcasting still is for many listeners. Most notably, that list is devoid of any audio-centric narrative storytelling that once formed the core of how I related to, and curated, the space. To be candid, I didn't encounter many narrative shows I truly loved this year, let alone break through to greater prominence in any meaningful way."
"This isn't a traditional year-end podcast list. For the second time running, we've eschewed a conventional "best of" format in favor of an approach that better reflects how podcasting now operates within the broader culture: less as a stable canon of shows than as a series of moments, events, and developments - often emerging from existing programs - that reveal something about the medium's current shape and influence. We published that list last week under the title " 10 Moments that Defined Podcasting in 2025.""
Podcasting in 2025 functions more as a sequence of moments, events, and developments than as a stable canon of shows. Audio-centric narrative storytelling remains important to many listeners, but fewer narrative programs achieved notable prominence in 2025. The focus narrows to a short set of narrative podcast projects from 2025 that stand out as especially worthwhile. What We Spend exemplifies a voyeuristic, spreadsheet-driven approach that turns personal-finance blogging into intimate, revealing portraits of how ordinary people live and budget. The approach rejects financial advice from influencers and wealthy figures and emphasizes real experiences of people who are not extensively online.
Read at Vulture
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