The Ten Best Miami Podcasts

Podcasts are the best. They fill the most monotonous hours of the day, from driving to work to picking up groceries, with interesting material. Sometimes they're educational, sometimes they're just entertaining, but one of the things that's consistent among the best podcasts is they're hard to turn off, no matter what they're about. And though many of the best known podcasts are recorded in Los Angeles and New York, some are made right here in South Florida. Here's our list of the ten best local podcasts.
Fresh Art International. After launching her contemporary-art podcast in Brooklyn in 2011, Cathy Byrd eventually took it to Miami, where she records episodes and streams longer programs on Jolt Radio. Though Miami is home to her podcast, Byrd has traveled the world to find enthralling creatives, from architects to curators to filmmakers, to engage in conversations about their craft, meant to stoke the curiosity of any and all with an artistic bent. Visit freshartinternational.com.
Gamertag Radio. Over the past 13 years, Gamertag Radio has been making a name for itself as one of the best gaming podcasts anywhere in the world. And if you think 13 years seems like a long time to have been in the podcasting game, you’re right. This show got its start in the earlier days of casting, before iPhones and iPads could stream episodes at any place and time, largely because the show’s founder, Danny Peña, has always had the kind of drive and curiosity to put him on the cutting edge. With almost 800 episodes and more than five million downloads of their podcast, Peña and his crew have amassed a repertoire of quality gaming content, from news and predictions to interviews and reviews, that’s just as impressive as their reputation. Visit audioboom.com/channel/gamertag-radio

The Read. Full disclosure: This podcast is not recorded it Miami. But it does follow a Miami native who moves to New York City, an exodus with which many people in South Florida are familiar. Kid Fury left the Magic City for the Big Apple and started a podcast with fellow transplant Crissle, who hails from Oklahoma, and the show gives the friends a space to figure out how to acclimate to their adopted home. They also spend time talking up and tearing down the biggest stars in pop culture, so if shade is a favorite part of your vocabulary, you need to subscribe. Visit thisistheread.com
We Should Make a Podcast. If there's one thing Miamians love doing, it's talking shit. That's what makes podcasting a natural fit for this town: At its purest, a podcast is people sitting around a set of microphones while talking shit with one another. That’s the idea behind We Should Make a Podcast, which features Miami’s Grace Goldoni chatting with her counterpart in New York, Mark Cersosimo. They get into conversations about subjects ranging from Trump to Girl Scout cookies, and they have that essential podcasting quality of being easy to listen to. Visit weshouldmakeapodcast.com.
Sword and Scale. True crime is seeing a renaissance, and that fact is truer in the podcasting world than anywhere else. Since the release of Serial in 2014, there's been a renewed interest in the genre, and with that interest has come a slew of individuals creating amazing content for listeners. One of the best shows is Mike Boudet’s Sword and Scale. The show revisits a wide array of crimes, from mass murders to heists to sex crimes, and Boudet’s storytelling is captivating. If you’re a fan of true crime, do yourself a favor and subscribe to the show — you won’t regret it. Visit swordandscale.com.
Planted in Miami. Let’s be honest: Some of the time, when people start in on conversations about mindfulness and conscious living, they can come off a little smug. OK, make that a lot of the time. But that doesn’t mean topics such as healthy diets and environmentally friendly shopping habits aren't worth discussing. Fortunately, cohosts Jeanette and Alexander Ruiz, along with their dog Abby, talk about these topics in ways that will not only hold your interest but also might even make you try to affect some positive changes in your life. Visit plantedinmiami.com.
Ballscast. Brought to you by New Times contributor Chris Joseph and Slim, this show is equal parts sports and comedy. The first episode of their current run, for instance, began with a minute-and-a-half-long song crapping on the Marlins and then, after an introduction, proceeded with their spending about 30 seconds screaming and cursing at each other. They clearly have a lot of fun. Visit ballscast.podbean.com.
Sh*t Miami Girls Say: El Podcast. Pero, like, it doesn’t really get much more Miami than these tipas. Aimee Carrero, Michelle Sicars, and Giancarlo Sabogal — who were behind the now-classic viral video that satirized the majestic dialect of the Miamian — have gotten into the podcast game. And even though se fueran pa’l carajo and moved to Los Angeles, the three are still parodying the Miami landscape via characters such as Dolce Cubana (a fictional dancer at Doral’s Booby Trap) and riffing on national and local headlines, as well as imparting what they know life to be like in Mee-ami. Visit itunes.apple.com.
Florida Action Cast. This is the podcast for politically inclined, progressive-minded Miamians, whether you’re an activist, a wannabe policy wonk, or just a news junkie looking to hear what liberal leaders in Florida have to say. The show not only interviews local politicians, offering listeners a chance to get to know them in a series called Drinks With Politicians (which also has its own podcast by the same name), but also invites guests to discuss subjects that concern everyone who cares about the greater good, from immigration to the working poor to net neutrality. Visit floridaactioncast.com.
The Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz. Maybe this one doesn't qualify as a podcast in the classic sense of the word, but ESPN repackages the Dan Le Batard Show, recorded at the Clevelander on South Beach, as a podcast and distributes it online and through iTunes. If you’ve ever listened to the show on the radio, you know Le Batard and Stugotz's dysfunctional relationship and high-energy sense of humor are matched by their understanding of sports and the sometimes shockingly intelligent analyses they provide. So screw the podcast purists. It’s Dan Le Batard and Stugotz. These guys are Miami sports royalty, and they get to be included on whatever Top 10 list for which they even halfway qualify. Visit espn.com.