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ARN’s iHeart Reigns as Australia’s Podcast Powerhouse with 7.7 Million Monthly Listeners

ARN’s iHeart continues as Australia’s podcast powerhouse, reaching 7.7 million monthly listeners and delivering more than 24 million monthly downloads. iHeart now connects with 35% of all weekly Podcast Ranker listeners, underscoring its broad reach and influence in the Australian podcasting landscape.

Standout performers for iHeart include:

  • Life Uncut surged back into the Top 10, climbing 5 places to #7 overall and reaffirming its position as Australia’s #1 Relationship podcast.
  • The Kyle & Jackie O Show ranked at #14 overall
  • The Daily remained a consistent presence at #15, while The Daily Aus also performed strongly at #23 overall
  • Stuff You Should Know continues to deliver at #28 overall and holds the crown as Australia’s #1 Knowledge podcast.
  • On Purpose with Jay Shetty ranked at #32 overall.
  • She’s On The Money climbed 4 places to #37 overall, consolidating its position as one of Australia’s most loved finance podcasts.
  • BBC’s Global News Podcast held firm at #38 overall
  • No Such Thing As A Fish gained momentum, up 2 places to #50 overall.
  • Dyl & Friends moved to #56 overall
  • Stalked made one of the month’s biggest moves, climbing a remarkable 66 places to #90 overall.
  • You’re Dead To Me also surged, up 28 places to #111 overall.

Corey Layton, ARN’s Head of Digital Audio, said: “This month’s results highlight the depth, diversity and strength of iHeart’s slate. From market-leading homegrown voices like Life Uncut and The Kyle & Jackie O Show to global favourites like Stuff You Should Know, we’re connecting millions of Australians to the content they love. With our Upfronts just around the corner, we’re looking forward to sharing the next evolution of our slate.”

Overall, iHeart represents more podcasts in the top 300 than any other representative, with 84 of the Top 300 podcasts in the latest Australian Podcast Ranker. A diverse slate of titles across news, entertainment, lifestyle and knowledge continues to deliver scale and impact for audiences and advertisers alike.

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Mumbrella adds:

The Triton Podcast Ranker, which is published by industry body the CRA (Commercial Radio and Audio), has also this month “retired” the Top Publishers and Top Sales Representatives charts.

Lizzie Young, CEO at CRA told Mumbrella this decision to remove the charts was in order “to make it more relevant for clients and agencies by ensuring they can access the data and insights that best help them plan and target podcast audiences across demographics, titles, and genres.”

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The ABC recorded the highest number of titles in the August Triton Podcast Ranker, released today, with 47 podcasts in the top 300, including four in the top 10.

The ABC saw growth across its podcast slate with 3.2 million listeners in August, an increase of 158,000 (+5%) compared to July.

ABC News Top Stories remained the ABC’s most popular podcast, holding its position at No 2 overall with 821,000 listeners.

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Head Above Water

SBS Audio podcast helps new Australians keep their Head Above Water

As Australia heads toward summer, comedians and good mates Sashi Perera and Suren Jayemanne share how to become more confident and comfortable in the water, hosting guests such as Olympic legend Ian Thorpe.

There have been more than 357 drowning deaths in Australia over the past 12 months, a 27% increase on the 10-year average, according to the National Drowning Report 2025¹. With drowning deaths on the rise and a need for more water safety education, new SBS Audio podcast series, Head Above Water, takes an entertaining approach to helping new Australians feel more confident and comfortable in the water.

Hosts and comedians Sashi Perera and Suren Jayemanne share Sri Lankan heritage and a sharp sense of humour, but that’s where the similarities end – one is a skilled swimmer, while the other prefers not to get wet. Together, they learn why Australians love the water and how to participate in this pastime, from the basics of adult swimming lessons to the way water can bring families closer including through device-free time together.

“It’s exciting to dive into water adventures and safety along with the intricacies of different cultural expectations and etiquette. For myself that meant navigating a culture that encourages modest swimwear to one that celebrates bikinis. It’s hard enough to know what to wear to the beach, let alone the swimming part,” said host Sashi Perera.

“As someone who grew up in Australia but wasn’t raised to be confident around water, I’ve always felt on some level I’m missing out. We’re so fortunate to have so many beautiful spots to enjoy the water, but it’s so important to know how to have fun safely. In this podcast, we help new Australians build swimming comfort and confidence, with expert advice from water safety specialists, Olympians, and community leaders,” said host Suren Jayemanne.

Joining the series is one of Australia’s greatest Olympic swimmers, Ian Thorpe, who reflects on swimming as a skill for life and the extraordinary mental health benefits it brings.

“I can almost be in a meditative state when I’m swimming. When you get into a body of water it’s as though any of your problems, anxieties, worries that you may have, dissipate with the ripple of the water,” Ian says in episode 2. “Once you get relaxed enough that could be standing on the bottom of the pool where you’re comfortable that you’re just surrounded by water.”

This podcast series is particularly timely as Australia heads toward summer, and the warmer weather draws people toward beaches, pools, lakes and rivers.

The first episode dives into surf, sun and preparing for a safe beach day with Life Saving Victoria’s Rami Hussesini. Across the series, listeners will also hear from Sikh community leader Harpreet Kandra, who developed a pool program for multicultural Australians. General Manager of Australia’s Boating Industry, Neil Patchett, shares the dos and don’ts of boats, jet skis and kayaks; Head of Research, Evaluation and Insights at Life Saving Victoria, Dr Bernadette Matthews, highlights the risks of rock fishing; and finally, Chief Ranger for Werribee Plains, James Brincat, appears alongside SBS Indigenous Lead, Kerri-Lee Barry, to talk about inland waterways.

All episodes of Head Above Water are available now. Listen to all of SBS Audio’s podcasts on the SBS Audio App, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, LiSTNR or wherever you stream podcasts.

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Into The Austenverse premieres on Monday, September 22, with episodes released weekly across podcast platforms.

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ALVA BEACH: DEATH AT THE DOOR

New Investigative Podcast from 60 Minutes & 9Podcasts

Unravels One Fatal Night in North Queensland

Two men killed. No one charged. An emergency response gone wrong. A family desperate for the truth.

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Get ready to dive into one of Australia’s most baffling and tragic mysteries. Alva Beach: Death At The Door is the new eight-part exclusive investigation by 60 Minutes journalist Adam Hegarty that pulls back the curtain on the fatal events of a single night in a quiet North Queensland town - a case that has left families heartbroken and demanding answers for seven long years.

On that night, a backyard party in Alva Beach ended in tragedy with the stabbing deaths of two men: 37-year-old father of three Corey Christensen and 27-year-old Tom Davy. The teenager responsible was never charged.

Hegarty covered the coronial inquest and has now travelled to North Queensland to delve back into this case; dissecting an inexcusable failure by first responders; troves of contradicting testimony; why lawyers stormed out of the inquest; and speaking with families feeling let down by what they consider a flawed investigation.

“I was shocked by the botched response and failures of police and paramedics that night and the inadequacy of the court to get to the truth of this tragedy even years later,” said Hegarty.

"Tom and Corey’s families believe the system failed them from the very start and have been chasing answers for years. There are critical details of this case that demand public scrutiny, and this podcast is about putting that full, unvarnished record out there.”

Tom Davy’s father, Neil Davy said, “It’s been a domino effect of failures right from the start. The ambulance, the police, then the inquest. We’re here because we need the law to work.”

Alva Beach: Death At The Door gives the audience a rare insight into this case through an extraordinary amount of evidence - much of which has never been released to the public - including police bodycam footage, emergency phone calls, suspect interviews and internal investigation recordings.

Throughout the podcast, Hegarty tracks down people linked to this case who have never spoken before. Among them, former police officer Justin Luke, who was on the scene that night.

“I’m not a police officer anymore, so I feel like I can speak a little bit more freely,” Luke says. “There’s unanswered questions, and I think what I’ve had to say hopefully will answer some of them(sic) questions.”

Alva Beach: Death At The Door is more than a mystery; it’s a powerful challenge to the listener. Was this a tragic and unfortunate chain of events, or is it an egregious failure of justice and due process in this country?

The Davy family’s lawyer, Julia Jasper, whose legal fight continues, perfectly sums up the core problem: “We have a system that’s set up to protect rights but also, as far as the evidence allows, gets to the truth… it hasn’t worked. We should know more than we know.”

Listen to the full, gripping investigation from 60 Minutes and 9Podcasts now, wherever you get your podcasts.

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BACK FOR A TOUCH-UP – LiSTNR SIGNS LONG-TERM DEAL WITH HIT BEAUTY & WELLNESS PODCAST

LiSTNR has confirmed a long-term deal for Vain-ish, the chart-topping beauty and wellness podcast, hosted by media personalities Bec Judd and Jess Roberts.

Originally commissioned as a limited series, Vain-ish quickly captivated audiences across Australia, rocketing to #1 on Australia’s Apple Top Podcast Charts within 24 hours of its launch. It’s raw, relatable and refreshingly unfiltered take on beauty, wellness, and modern self-care has attracted a loyal following.

Vain-ish made its debut at #78 on the July Triton Australian Podcast Ranker, Top Podcasts (Australian made), with over 72,000 unique listeners*. Its runaway success has led LiSTNR to commit to a two-year extension, backing the show’s devoted audience and strong commercial appeal.

Each episode peels back the curtain on the world of glam. From bizarre beauty and wellness treatments, to their most “vain-ish” moments, Bec and Jess dive into a new facet of beauty culture each week, with industry experts, celebrity guests, and their trademark honesty and humour.

With a combined Instagram following nearing 800,000, Bec and Jess have harnessed their social media savvy to transform Vain-ish into more than just a listening experience; they’ve built a multi-platform entertainment powerhouse that brings their conversations to life in hilarious ways, including launching the first series with a parody of Simply Irresistible that sparked strong engagement and set the tone for what Vain-ish would become. Their latest parody video, announcing the show’s extension, continues that tradition, check it out here.

Bec Judd said: “When we launched Vain-ish we honestly had no idea how big the response would be. To top the charts within 24 hours was wild – we’re still pinching ourselves.”

Jess Roberts added, “The best part of this whole experience has been the feedback. So many listeners message us saying, ‘thank you for normalising it’s okay to be a little vain’ – that’s exactly why we started this. We love that our audience trusts us to ask the questions they’re too embarrassed to ask.”

In its debut series, Vain-ish explored some of the world’s most talked-about beauty and wellness trends, from salmon sperm injections to placenta encapsulation, and welcomed high-profile guests including Melbourne socialite Nadia Bartel, celebrity hair stylist Marie Uva, Dr Kristy, and TikTok’s favourite skincare expert Jayde Taylor.

And for what’s to come for Van-ish? Bec Judd teases: “Without giving away too much, let’s just say we’re diving deeper with even wilder treatments, some amazing celebrities we’ve managed to lock in, and maybe even a few experiments that we may or may not regret later.”

Commercially Vain-ish has attracted early interest from respected brands across the beauty, wellness, and lifestyle categories. Cupra (part of Volkswagen Group) came on board as a launch partner for the debut of the podcast, featuring an integrated campaign, with Vain-ish securing ongoing interest from a growing slate of premium partners.

Mike Williams, LiSTNR’s Head of Entertainment & Culture, said: “Vain-ish is a fantastic example of LiSTNR’s ability to tap into fast-growing cultural conversations and scale them into premium audio content. The audience appetite and increased commercial demand made the decision to extend the show an easy one.”

Listen to Van-ish for free on the LiSTNR app, or wherever you get your podcasts every Wednesday.

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ABC’s gripping new video podcast explores history’s most shocking assassinations

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Watch or listen to the first episode here

As we’ve seen time and time again, the world can be changed forever by a single act of brutal violence.

In new video podcast series ASSASSINS, content creator and researcher Aslan Pahari explores murders that altered the course of history.

The weekly series features a compelling mix of infamous and more obscure cases, from the deaths of Abraham Lincoln, Tupac Shakur, Rasputin and Mahatma Gandhi to a 3000-year-old murder mystery.

Blending true crime and historical insight, scholarly insights and accessible storytelling, this ambitious and distinctive podcast employs archival footage to bring these stories to life.

Search ASSASSINS to watch or listen now on ABC listen and ABC iview, or wherever you get your podcasts

About Aslan Pahari
With more than 6 million followers, Aslan Pahari is a behemoth of social media. The “Hello my friend” guy is a content creator and researcher known for his explorations of anthropology, religion, languages and history, with an academic background in International Relations and Anthropology. His proficiency in Hindi, Urdu, and Pothwari enables him to draw from a broad range of cultural sources, enriching his historical and religious analyses.

PRODUCTION CREDITS:
Host: Aslan Pahari.
Producer: Hannah Jose.
Audio Engineer: John Jacobs.
Video Producer: Tejas Bhat.
Special thanks: Michael Osmond for archives research.
Executive Producer: Joel Werner, Eric George, Jessica Radburn.

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Sony Music and Campside Media Announce New True Crime Podcast, Where Is Daniel Morcombe?, the Tragic Tale of an Abducted Boy

Sony Music Entertainment and Campside Media, in association with Pacesetter Productions, announced the premiere of, Where Is Daniel Morcombe?, a gripping eight-episode investigative podcast that explores the tragic abduction of 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe and the extraordinary fight for justice that followed. Hosted by writer/director Matt Angel, Where Is Daniel Morcombe? takes listeners on an intimate journey with Daniel’s family as they pursue answers in a case that has had a lasting impact on Australia, and around the globe. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes today.

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Lana Wilkinson and Rozalia Russian will launch their new podcast, The Archive, on Tuesday October 7.

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Take a lively look at death with the return of SBS Audio’s award-winning Grave Matters podcast

Season 2 premieres Thursday 9 October, with new episodes dropping weekly

Following a blockbuster debut that saw Grave Matters crowned Best Factual Podcast at the 2024 Australian Podcast Awards, co-hosts and mates Nadine J. Cohen and Anthony Levin are back to dig even deeper into the weird and wonderful world of death.

This season, the dynamic duo will explore everything from the history of whole-body donation to the challenges of aged care for the LGBTI community, the ethics and future of voluntary assisted dying, a monster-sized Halloween special on vampires and zombies, forensic and trauma cleaning, AI, true crime, the anti-ageing science behind the “curing death movement”, and more.

Across 10 episodes, listeners will meet an eclectic range of experts and fascinating special guests, including journalist and author Jackie Dent; Director of Exit International Dr. Philip Nitschke; academic and monster expert Dr Emily Zarka,who specialises in understanding the cultural and historical significance of monsters; forensic cleaner Gabrielle Simpson; Scientia Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of New South Wales Toby Walsh; Gamilaroi woman and Sorry Business Consultant Eliza Munro; unlikely true crime podcaster Alex Campbell; philosopher and academic Dr Patrick Linden; and psycho-sexologist Chantelle Otten.

Grave Matters co-host Nadine J. Cohen said: “Far from morbid, this season introduces 10 passionate, inspiring people working with death in diverse and intriguing ways. Every episode is an adventure full of insight, humour and heart, from cleaning crime scenes and solving cold cases to navigating grief and sex and escaping the zombie apocalypse. I’m really excited for listeners to join us on this new journey.”

Grave Matters co-host Anthony Levin said: “We were thrilled that Grave Matters’ bold approach to exploring one of life’s most misunderstood realities resonated strongly with listeners, and this season we’re digging even deeper into the wild world of death. Prepare for unexpected topics, hilarious revelations and a smorgasbord of incredible guests.”

Catch up on season one of Grave Matters here or hear new episodes every Thursday from 9 October on the SBS Audio App, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, LiSTNR or wherever you stream podcasts.

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Nine Podcasts Signs BookTok Star Luke Bateman

Nine Podcasts Signs BookTok Star Luke Bateman

Nine Radio today announced the signing of rising media star and Australian BookTok sensation, Luke Bateman, to an exclusive audio deal.

The former NRL star and fan-favourite from The Bachelors Australia has officially joined the Nine Podcast stable and is currently developing a new audio project due for release later this year.

Bateman has become one of the country’s most compelling new media personalities, seamlessly transitioning from the rugby league field to amassing an enormous and highly engaged following on TikTok (@lukesreads) for his authentic passion for literature.

The timber-cutter, business owner, and soon-to-be author – who also holds a two-book deal with publisher Simon & Schuster – brings powerful momentum to Nine’s award-winning podcast slate. This acquisition is a significant move, securing a unique talent with an instantly recognisable profile and a substantial, built-in audience.

Luke Bateman commented on the partnership: “I am ecstatic to announce I am working with Nine. Every human being is a storytelling machine and I’m looking forward to sharing these with you all. I’m looking forward to finally revealing this project to the world.”

Nine’s Head of Podcasts, Rachel Fountain said: “We’re over the moon to be working with Luke. His narrative – from the rugby league field to literary influencer – is one of the most compelling stories in media today, and our team loves working with him. He’s so passionate and invested in everything he touches, he’s not afraid to be vulnerable, and he brings authenticity and real talent for storytelling and connecting with audiences. This, combined with the power of Nine, makes him a truly unmissable addition to our stable.”

Further details on Nine’s podcast project with Bateman will be released soon.

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The Age and SMH are releasing a new 4-part investigative podcast series Diagnosing Murder today.

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Former ABC journalist Liz Keen (Four Corners, Background Briefing) and her partner’s company Headline Studios has launched a new podcast series, The Reality Of.

The first season, The Reality of Porn, began on September 24.

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ARE WE ACCUSING INNOCENT PARENTS OF KILLING OR HARMING THEIR BABIES?

FOUR-PART PODCAST ‘DIAGNOSING MURDER’ INVESTIGATES
WHETHER SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME DIAGNOSIS IS FLAWED

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Scores of innocent Australians may have been wrongfully accused of killing or harming a baby due to an outdated and flawed medical theory, a new podcast investigation by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald has revealed.

A landmark four-part podcast Diagnosing Murder, by The Age’s Walkley Award-winning journalist Michael Bachelard and executive producer Ruby Schwartz, delves into the traumatic and confronting deaths and injuries of babies, revealing that the medical orthodoxy behind shaken baby syndrome – used as a clear indicator of child abuse for decades – may be flawed and increasingly out of line with international standards.

Shaken baby syndrome is a collection of medical signs that most doctors, police and child protection experts have believed since the 1970s can be an almost certain sign of child abuse. But in the past 30 years a number of serious miscarriages of justice in the US and UK have convinced a growing number of people that that diagnosis may have led to false imprisonments on a vast scale.

While the debate rages overseas, in Australia the evidence of a small number of child abuse specialists is often still accepted, and on their opinions, children have been forcefully removed from families, and fathers mothers, boyfriends, and carers found guilty of serious charges leading to long prison sentences. Now, dissenting voices from medical experts to lawyers have begun to cast doubt on the shaken baby orthodoxy.

Produced by the team behind the award-winning podcast, Trial By Water, Liar Liar and Phoebe’s Fall, Diagnosing Murder poses the difficult question – is shaken baby syndrome good science or has a bad diagnosis led to good people being locked up when they’ve done nothing wrong at all?

Due to legal restrictions the families cannot be named so all parents interviewed go under aliases. But they tell raw and traumatic stories of having to deal not only with the death or injury of their baby, but also with a system accusing them of the most callous criminal acts.

Episode one delves into the theory behind the syndrome, including that shaking a baby causes three life threatening clinical findings, called the triad. Bachelard goes deep into the evidence to critically examine these three markers - bleeding under one of the membranes of the brain; bleeding in the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eyes; and swelling of the brain.

This medical diagnosis is at the heart of Diagnosing Murder. It’s a theory that means, in many cases, expert evidence from specialist doctors is enough to persuade a jury of the guilt of the accused.

“Not shaking a baby is just good advice. But the real question here is whether you can diagnose abuse or murder from the triad findings alone?” said Michael Bachelard. “Serious doctors now say there could be 40 or 50 other causes – which means potentially dozens of wrongful convictions in this country alone. Initially, I had serious qualms about reporting this story – nobody wants to excuse child abuse. But in having these doubts, I just think of one case – a case we study in detail. And to me it’s such a clear injustice it points to the fact that something is going terribly wrong in this country.”

Nine Publishing’s head of growth Lisa Muxworthy said podcasting was the perfect medium to tell this story.

"It allows listeners to absorb the complexity of the medical evidence alongside the raw, emotional testimonies of the families. It is an extraordinarily difficult story to tell but the resulting work is revelatory.

"Diagnosing Murder also demonstrates the Age and Sydney Morning Herald’s commitment to holding power to account and delivering credible, essential public interest journalism, even when it means challenging established medical and legal orthodoxies.”

Diagnosing Murder will be supported by interactive digital coverage and is available now through the mastheads, on SPOTIFY, APPLE, YOUTUBE, and all other podcast apps.