International Podcast Day

The day began as a family affair. In 2013, Steve Lee, founder of the Modern Life Network, had the inspiration to host a day centered entirely on podcasts. In 2014, he and his son Dave Lee, father-and-son podcasters behind the long-running show The Waves of Tech, launched it as a national event in the United States. A year later, in 2015, the celebration was rebranded as International Podcast Day, and the little American idea went gloriously global. From the start, the founders’ message was simple: podcasting is a celebration of the power of podcasts, for creators, listeners, and enthusiasts alike.

The global takeover was fast and joyful. In 2015 and 2016, the event gathered podcasters from almost 40 nations and generated 95,000 tweets over those two years. The celebration grew into a marathon: the day effectively kicked off on September 29 to accommodate time zones around the world, delivering about 30 hours of livestreamed content with sessions from podcasters on nearly every continent. Participants have hailed from nearly 65 countries, including Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Poland, Germany, South Africa, Jamaica, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, the Philippines, India, France, Switzerland, Scotland, the United Kingdom, and Finland. That is a lot of voices in a lot of accents, and that is exactly the point.

The day’s format has always been gloriously participatory. Livestream schedules have covered everything from why translation is the future of podcasting to monetizing a show through social media to recording on location to grow an audience. Big names in the industry have joined the founders’ kickoff sessions to talk shop about the medium’s history and future. And in a lovely full-circle moment, the founders eventually turned the day back over to the podcast community itself, encouraging listeners and creators everywhere to make the celebration their own rather than gathering around one central livestream.

Why does podcasting deserve its own international day? Because few mediums have changed daily life so quietly and so completely. Podcasts turned the commute into a university, the workout into a storytelling session, and the kitchen into a comedy club. They gave a microphone to anyone with something to say, from true crime obsessives to history nerds to two friends chatting about movies. The barrier to entry is a phone and an idea, which means the world’s most democratic broadcast medium keeps getting more democratic. International Podcast Day is the annual reminder to appreciate that miracle.

The celebration is also wonderfully easy to join. There is no ticket, no venue, no dress code. You can mark the day by discovering a show from another country, sharing your all-time favorite episode with the hashtag #InternationalPodcastDay, thanking a host whose voice gets you through the week, or finally recording that episode idea you have been sitting on. Podcasters can release a special episode, run a listener Q and A, or collaborate with a show across the globe. Listeners can leave a review, the single most valuable gift in podcasting. Everybody with ears is invited.

So on September 30, press play a little louder. Queue up a show you have never tried, revisit the episode that made you laugh on a crowded train, or gather a friend and record five minutes of your own brilliance. International Podcast Day belongs to the hosts, the guests, the producers, and every single listener who ever said, “Wait, have you heard this podcast?” In 2027, on Thursday, September 30, the answer to that question should be a very enthusiastic yes.

The day also doubles as a giant recommendation engine. Each year, curators and podcast communities publish discovery lists to help listeners find their next obsession, like the EarBuds newsletter’s annual roundup of dozens of shows spanning every genre, tone, and format. Some listeners use the day to finally try a genre they have ignored, true crime fans sampling history, comedy devotees sampling science. Others revisit the classics that got them hooked. And for creators, the day is prime time: special episodes, crossovers, and listener Q and A sessions all ride the wave of attention. In a medium with millions of shows, a good recommendation on September 30 is worth its weight in gold.

There is also room for a little podcast history on the day. Longtime listeners love swapping stories about the first show that hooked them, the episode they have replayed a dozen times, or the host whose voice feels like an old friend. Newer fans can explore how far the medium has come since two podcasters decided it deserved its own holiday. However you listen, September 30 is the perfect excuse to geek out about audio with people who get it.

THE STORY BEHIND INTERNATIONAL PODCAST DAY

🎤 A Father-and-Son Idea
Steve Lee, founder of the Modern Life Network, dreamed up a day for podcasts in 2013. In 2014, he and his son Dave Lee, the father-and-son duo behind the long-running podcast The Waves of Tech, launched it as a national event in the United States.

🌐 Going Global in 2015
In 2015 the celebration was rebranded as International Podcast Day. In 2015 and 2016, podcasters from almost 40 nations took part, generating 95,000 tweets over those two years and proving the idea had worldwide appeal.

⏱ Thirty-Plus Hours of Audio
The celebration became a marathon, kicking off on September 29 to span the world’s time zones with about 30 hours of livestreamed sessions covering everything from translation in podcasting to recording on location.

🏳 Nearly 65 Countries
Participants have hailed from nearly 65 countries, including Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Poland, Germany, South Africa, Jamaica, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, the Philippines, India, France, Switzerland, Scotland, the United Kingdom, and Finland.

🎁 Handed to the Community
In recent years the founders turned the celebration back over to the podcast community itself, inviting listeners and creators everywhere to make the day their own with their own events, episodes, and shout-outs.

WAYS TO CELEBRATE

🎧 Discover a New Show
Pick a podcast from another country and listen to a full episode. With shows from nearly 65 countries in the celebration’s history, there is a whole world of voices waiting in your podcast app.

🔊 Share Your Favorites
Post your all-time favorite episodes on social media with #InternationalPodcastDay and tell the world what to queue up next. Your recommendation might become someone else’s obsession.

🎤 Record Your Own
Grab a friend and record a five-minute episode about your favorite local story, hobby, or hot take. The barrier to podcasting is a phone and an idea, so today is the perfect day to start.

Celebrate International Podcast Day

On September 30, 2027, turn up the volume on the world’s most democratic medium. Discover a new show, thank a favorite host, share an episode, or record your own. Happy listening.