A lot of everyday work is repetitive and mechanical. When I’m doing tasks that don’t require much thinking, podcasts are one of the easiest ways to make long stretches of work less tiring. If your usual background audio is a TV drama, this might give you a few new options.

What podcasts are, and why the app matters

A podcast is digital media distributed over the internet, usually in audio form. It’s similar to radio, but not quite the same thing. Podcasts are closer to an RSS-style subscription model: you can follow shows through a general podcast app and listen wherever that feed is available. Radio-style audio platforms are more tied to their own ecosystems.

That difference matters in practice. If a show isn’t searchable in some of the more common domestic podcast apps, it may still be available through a general-purpose client such as Apple Podcasts, Castbox, or Overcast.

Podcast apps I actually use

The apps I’ve tried and found genuinely useful are Xiaoyuzhou, Apple Podcasts, and Castbox.

Xiaoyuzhou is one of the most popular podcast platforms for Chinese-language content. It’s especially convenient for discovering and listening to Chinese shows, and as the platform keeps growing, the discussion and comment sections under episodes are getting more active as well.

Castbox is a general cross-platform podcast client. I often use it for shows that aren’t available to subscribe to on Xiaoyuzhou, especially English-language content such as TED.

The podcasts I’ve been listening to

I tend to group what I listen to into a few broad categories: funny casual talk, lifestyle discussion, tech and current information, learning-oriented shows, and mystery or horror.

Funny casual talk

Light, chatty, genuinely funny shows are some of my most-played podcasts. When work is dull and tedious, I’d much rather have laughter in the background than something overly serious. Sometimes I end up laughing out loud while still working through whatever is on my screen.

Xiexing Liaotianhui is a comedic chat show recorded by stand-up comedians together with listeners. Regular hosts include Lü Dong, Boss Shi, and Liu Shou.

Zhengjing Baba uses a similar format, but with a different host lineup, including Da Laowang, Dan Danxiu, and Da Pen. Da Pen in particular has a very unusual way of thinking that often makes the whole show hilarious.

Xitan Lu is organized by Shanghai stand-up comedians such as Storm, Xiaoju, and Feifei. It’s also a casual talk show, but the vibe is quite different from the two above, with sharper opinions and a more pointed style.

Shuangxiangpao is hosted by the Shanghai comedians Xiaoju and Feifei. The tone is sharp, the language can be aggressive, and a lot of the content revolves around roasting people—especially certain kinds of men. If that bothers you, it’s probably not the right pick.

Lifestyle and general-interest talk

These aren’t purely comedy shows. They still feel relaxed, but they usually revolve around a theme or topic, and I often come away with something useful or interesting.

Ritan Park is hosted by Li Shu and Xiao Huozi. It moves easily between film, music, literature, anime, trending works, travel, food, shopping, fashion, and lifestyle topics, with all kinds of guests dropping in for conversation.

Top Player is planned and produced by Luo Shu together with veteran podcast producer Aiwen. Its range is broad: daily life, pop entertainment, literature and the arts, work experience, professional skills, travel and food, emotional analysis, mental health, fitness, and consumer advice.

Gcores Lifestyle Channel shares all sorts of strange, memorable, or entertaining things from everyday life.

Story FM is a narrative podcast built around real experiences told by the people who lived them. Founded by Aizhe, the show usually relies on first-person or multi-speaker oral storytelling.

Danei Mitan brings hosts and guests together to discuss social issues, cultural trends, historical events, technological change, psychology, and more. The subject matter is wide-ranging, and the show can move between serious research and light, humorous conversation while still staying insightful.

Blackwater Park mainly focuses on film, television, and animation, hosted by Aiwen and Jinhua.

Tech and current information

Jinjin Ledao is, in a broad sense, also a talk show, covering technology, education, culture, and food. But because many of the hosts are deeply rooted in the internet industry, the overall feel leans more toward tech. Its sub-series Keji Luandun is especially good for discussions of current events in the tech world, and often leaves you with something to think about.

Life Roaming Guide is a loose, conversational science show. It uses one science-related news item after another as a jumping-off point, so you pick up bits of knowledge while listening to an easygoing, funny discussion.

Gcores is already familiar to a lot of people. It’s primarily a gaming podcast, and is now split into three sub-programs focused on games, life, and interests.

Learning and self-improvement

TED Talks Daily is one of TED’s podcast programs. It releases new audio talks every weekday. Host and journalist Elise Hu brings in leading thinkers and creators to speak on a wide range of subjects, from artificial intelligence to zoology.

Luke’s ENGLISH Podcast is a good choice for listeners studying English or preparing for language exams. It focuses on British English and covers skills, methods, grammar, vocabulary, and more.

Huberman Lab is hosted by Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the Department of Neurobiology at Stanford University School of Medicine. The show starts from neuroscience and tries to explain the brain in an accessible way. It also features guests from other fields to explore how people work, think, and function. If the audio alone feels hard to follow, the YouTube version can be easier since it includes subtitles.

Hidden Brain, from NPR, uses storytelling and interviews to satisfy curiosity about both the world and ourselves. It helps listeners notice unconscious behavior in daily life, understand how bias shapes choices, and learn more about psychological and social science in a way that broadens perspective.

Mystery and horror

Even as a committed materialist, I’m still curious about the edges of what science can explain.

Black Cat Detective Agency is a true-crime narrative podcast hosted by two women, Mizai and Caomei. Each episode centers on a gripping real case, and it’s very easy to keep listening once one story starts.

Nida Radio is hosted by a husband-and-wife duo from the Sichuan-Chongqing region. It has two main strands: Suspense Cases and Paranormal Time. The former covers real stories that are unsettling, suspenseful, and full of twists; the latter steps outside science entirely and leans into ghost-story territory.

IN Nuclear Park is straight-up ghost stories: paranormal experiences from the hosts themselves, from friends, and from listener submissions. Not for the timid.

Xuan Er Wei Jue is hosted by someone working in metaphysical practice, and discusses fortune calculation, fate reading, feng shui, and folk beliefs from a more “academic” angle.

Safe Exit FM isn’t exclusively a suspense or horror show, but that side of it is part of the appeal. It also includes movies, music, and general chat.

Why podcasts have become part of my routine

Podcasts have gradually become part of daily life for me. Unlike short videos or regular video platforms, they don’t demand your full visual attention. That makes them much better company for walking, housework, commuting, or repetitive desk work.

And because podcasting has grown so quickly in China, it’s easier than ever to find something that fits your own taste. These are the shows currently in my rotation and the ones I’ve enjoyed enough to keep coming back to. I’ll probably keep updating that list over time.