The 15 Most Popular Plex Podcasts in 2019

In May 2018, Plex added podcast support to its popular home media server app. Now, there are hundreds of thousands of shows and millions of episodes available.

But which are the most popular Plex podcasts? Plex was kind enough to share the most played Plex podcasts with MakeUseOf, so let’s take a look at the results.

15. Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

The Armchair Expert sees the host—Dax Shepard—interview people from all walks of life to discuss the struggles they’ve faced to get to where they are. Specifically, Shepard likes to discover how various difficulties ultimately resulted in growth and betterment.

Recent interviewees have included chefs, actors, psychotherapists, political commentators, and scientists.

14. Bag Man

Hosted by MSNBC presenter Rachel Maddow, Bag Man tells the story of former U.S. Vice President, Spiro Theodore Agnew.

Agnew was in the role from 1969-1973 but was forced to resign (becoming only the second Vice President in history to do so) after investigations into criminal conspiracy, bribery, extortion, and tax fraud during his time as Governor of Maryland.

13. Up and Vanished

Up and Vanished looks at the suspicious circumstances surrounding missing people.

At the time of writing, there are two seasons. The first season tells the story of Tara Grinstead (a former beauty queen who went missing in Georgia in 2005); the second season digs into the disappearance of Kristal Reisinger in Colorado.

The Grinstead case is particularly famous. The show helped push the story into the mainstream media; police were able to make two arrests within 12 months of airing.

12. Planet Money

The Planet Money podcast (produced by NPR) is one of the most widely listened to economic podcasts in the world. Here are more podcasts about the world of finance if you’re interested.

But don’t worry; this isn’t high-brow Wall Street chat. The hosts refrain from using financial jargon and diving into the complexities of the markets. All the information is presented in an easy-to-understand way.

On average, you can expect two new episodes per week.

11. Last Podcast on the Left

Last Podcast on the Left is a go-to show for anyone interested in horror—both in the movies and in real life.

The show, which has been running since 2011, tells stories of serial killers, conspiracy theories, UFO sightings, ghosts, and other associated topics. There are more than 350 episodes and counting.

10. The Daily

The Daily is the first news show to make the list of the most popular podcasts on Plex. The podcast is produced by The New York Times and is hosted by its political correspondent, Michael Barbaro.

The format revolves around interviews with the paper’s other journalists, in which they discuss and dissect their latest stories.

9. Stuff You Missed in History Class

If you love history, this is a Plex podcast that you absolutely have to listen to. With a new episode landing every couple of days, a vast number of topics have been covered. The first show was broadcast in June 2008.

You will find podcasts on everything from maritime history to LGBT history. Example episodes include “Lili’uokalan — Who Was the Last Queen of Hawaii?,” “Hennig Brand and the Discovery of Phosphorus,” and “Raphael Lemkin and the Genocide Convention.”

8. The Adventure Zone

The Adventure Zone uses the popular tabletop role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons for its inspiration.

Three brothers—Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy—are the hosts. They are sometimes joined by their dad, Clint. As you might imagine, Clint doesn’t quite have the same level of expertise as his sons, thus leading to plenty of funny interplays.

7. The Rachel Maddow Show

Rachel Maddow must be doing something right; she has a second entry on the list of the most popular Plex podcasts.

This time, it’s her self-titled show that makes the cut. Of course, The Rachel Maddow Show is best known for its prime-time MSNBC TV slot. The podcast is merely an audio-only version of the day’s TV episode.

6. The Dave Ramsey Show

We’re now getting into a who’s who of the most popular podcasts in the world.

At number six on the list is The Dave Ramsey Show. Dave’s background is in finance, but his podcast looks at all aspects of taking control of your life. Naturally, that includes some financial content, but the show also looks at health issues, how to make important decisions, and dealing with relationships.

There’s a new episode every day.

5. Serial

Serial is an investigative journalism podcast that’s spread across three distinct seasons.

Each season tells a different story. The first season from 2014 looked at the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee in Baltimore. Season two (2016) was about Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, a Taliban prisoner of war. The most recent series from 2018 told the story of how the American criminal justice system operates.

4. Stuff You Should Know

There’s lots of stuff you should know, but don’t. This podcast aims to fill in some of the blanks.

Stuff You Should Know is produced by the How Stuff Works team. It’s the same group of people who are responsible for the Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast that we mentioned earlier.

As you would expect, the selection of content is diverse. There are podcasts about animals, space exploration, movies, economics, and everything in between.

3. The Ben Shapiro Show

At number three is The Ben Shapiro Show. Shapiro is a conservative political commentator in the US. However, due to his overwhelming focus on domestic issues, he isn’t too famous in the rest of the world. Non-Americans might want to give this one a miss, but US residents of a particular political persuasion will love it.

2. TED Talks Daily

TED Talks Daily offers the latest TED talks in an audio-only form. If you don’t have the time or the inclination to watch hours of TED’s YouTube videos, this podcast is a great way to tune in.

For those who don’t know, TED Talks feature an expert in a particular field giving a presentation about a specific topic. To give you a flavor of what to expect, recent podcast titles include “What it takes to launch a telescope” by Erika Hamden, “My descent into America’s neo-Nazi movement—and how I got out” by Christian Picciolini, and “Mosquitos, malaria and education” by Bill Gates.

1. The Joe Rogan Experience

The most popular Plex podcast is The Joe Rogan Experience.

The show has been running for more than a decade and has amassed more than 1,300 episodes. In addition to being the most popular podcast on Plex, it was also the second most-downloaded podcast from Apple’s directory in 2018.

Episodes typically feature Rogan interviewing a famous guest in his studio. Guests have included Elon Musk, Wiz Khalifa, Eddie Izzard, Kevin Hart, Jack Dorsey, and more.

More Great Podcasts to Check Out

These podcasts only reflect the tastes of Plex users. If you don’t think there’s anything here to suit your interests, don’t worry. There are millions of podcasts out there for you to check out. If you would like some more suggestions, read our article listing the best podcasts on Spotify.

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