Podcasts are the new, trendy way to be entertained without having to do anything but listen. It is super convenient when you're driving, have a plane ride, or are even working on homework. There are so many different kinds, such as celebrity hosted ones, comedy podcasts, sports podcasts; you know it and there is a podcast for it. For this article, we are going to focus on crime podcasts. Many have become popularized, and I am here to tell you the best ones to binge.

1. Serial

If you have ever heard about crime podcasts, then you definitely have heard of Serial. Serial is a podcast hosted by Sarah Koenig, and in Season 1, she investigates the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, an 18-year-old student at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. Her corpse was discovered on February 9 in Leakin Park and identified two days later. Lee's ex-boyfriend, Adnan Masud Syed, was arrested on February 28 at 6 a.m. and charged with first-degree murder. The podcast reopens the case and tries to discover if Adnan really did it, or if he was falsely accused. It's a very suspenseful and interesting investigation, and is one of the more popular ones you can find.

2. Generation Why

Two friends, Aaron & Justin, discuss theories and share their opinions on unsolved murders, controversies, mysteries, conspiracies, & true crime. It is an awesome podcast for picking what mystery or crime you want to hear about each day. They are different each week and always entertaining.

3. Up and Vanished

From its description it says, "Up and Vanishedisan ongoing audio podcast series that documents my investigation of the unsolved disappearance of Tara Grinstead." Tara was a school teacher from Georgia who went missing 10 years ago, and they have no idea what happened to her. I recently started this one, and I am hooked! It is like Serial in the sense that every episode is about the same case, but it's very interesting listening to it all unravel.

4. Sword and Scale

This podcast is very intense, but if you are a true crime fan, it is your dream come true. Right from the "About us" page it states, "Sword and Scale is an internet radio show and website covering the dark underworld of crime and the criminal justice system’s response to it. The show features stories of murder, abduction, rape, and even more bizarre forms of crime. It’s the purest form of true-crime where nothing is off the table. Everything from 911 calls to court testimony, interviews with victims and sometimes with perpetrators give listeners a 360-degree look at the entire story. Told from the narrator’s point of view, Sword and Scale goes beyond the news clips and the sensationalist headlines to give listeners the whole story and deeper insight into the cases it covers than any other medium."

5. All Killa No Filla

If you love true crime, but get spooked easily, then this podcast is for you. Comedians Rachel Fairburn and Kiri Pritchard - McLean explore a shared passion of serial killers. Each episode, the pair will talk all things murder and macabre, and have a right laugh doing it.

I highly reccomend these podcasts! Plus, they are free! Just download the Apple Podcast app and search them all up. You can also find them free on Google. Happy listenin!