Rephonic
Artwork for Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews

Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews

Kirkus Audiobook Reviews
Audiobooks
Audiobook
New York City
Science Fiction
Audiobook Narration
Horror
Family Dynamics
Narration
Audiofile Magazine
True Crime
Mental Health
Big Chief
New York
Racism
Aging
A Study In Scarlet Women
Whoopi Goldberg
Dark Academia
Kimberly Farr
Mary Oliver

Kirkus Audiobook Reviews Find your next great audiobook on Behind the Mic with Kirkus Reviews. Every Thursday, host Jo Reed and her guests discuss what they’ve been listening to and recommend the very best audiobooks. It’s the perfect way to keep up with new releases and hear about the ones you may have missed. Launched by AudioFile magazine in 2018, Behind the Mic now has its home at Kirkus Revie... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes1917Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BooksArtsPerforming Arts

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews

Latest Episodes

Host Jo Reed talks with contributor Alex Richey about three audiobooks whose outstanding narrators bring emotional depth to stories of ghosts, murder, and terrifying change. They begin with The Girl with a Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean, in which Nat... more

Host Jo Reed talks with contributor Michele Cobb about three

audiobooks full of unexpected turns, each narrated by Golden Voice performers at the top of their craft. Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Howard Hughes feel uncannily real in The Original... more

YouTube

Host Jo Reed talks with contributor Stephen Cummings about

three celebrity memoirs that reveal the many ways that authors tell their own stories in audio. They begin with Arsenio by Arsenio Hall and Alan

Eisenstock, narrated by Hall, whose lively, ch... more

YouTube

Host Jo Reed talks with contributor Kendra Winchester about three inventive story collections that reveal just how expansive audiobook

storytelling can be. They begin with Fat Swim by Emma Copley Eisenberg,

performed by a seven-person cast including ... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Lena Dunham
Creator of Girls, memoirist
Lena Dunham
Episode: Writing a Life, Reading It Aloud
Patricia Cornwell
Author of the Kay Scarpetta series, memoirist
Patricia Cornwell
Episode: Writing a Life, Reading It Aloud
Arsenio Hall
Actor, comedian, memoir author
Arsenio Hall
Episode: Writing a Life, Reading It Aloud
Laura Simeon
Young Readers Editor from Kirkus and regular contributor to Behind the Mic
Kirkus Reviews
Episode: Kids Confront a Changing World
Derbhle Crotty
Narrator of The News From Dublin
Self/Voice Actor
Episode: Three Very Different Roads Through Fiction
Darragh Shannon
Narrator of The News From Dublin
Self/Voice Actor
Episode: Three Very Different Roads Through Fiction
Robert Petkoff
Narrator of Ghost Town
Self/Voice Actor
Episode: Three Very Different Roads Through Fiction
Ramiz Monsef
Narrator of Wolvers
Self/Voice Actor
Episode: Three Very Different Roads Through Fiction
Amy Metsch
Associate Publisher and Director of Audio Programming
Spiegel & Grau
Episode: Exploring Kathryn Stockett’s The Calamity Club

Host

Jo Reed
Host of Behind the Mic with Kirkus Reviews

Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars from 171 ratings
  • Make it part of your morning routine!

    Great show. It’s a part of my daily morning podcast routine along with NPR’s Book of the Day.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Hachimitzu
    United Statesa year ago
  • The Ads???!

    Would have easily been a four star but for the AIPAC ads.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    duckpat
    United Statesa year ago
  • Great content but ads are far too long for the length of the podcast

    If you have a 5-minute podcast, please don’t add 2-3 minutes of ads onto it.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    janeycanuck
    Canada2 years ago
  • An excellent resource that’s fun to listen to

    I love listening to these reviews and the sheer joy that the host and guests share for this Format. I’ve been introduced to narrators I’ve never heard before and have discovered must listen audiobooks.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MayWJ
    United States2 years ago
  • Honest reviews

    I like that Jo adds a personal comment, occasionally negative, on the selections.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    PSDExpat
    United Kingdom2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Fans appreciate insider industry context and guest expertise from narrators, editors, and authors.
Some listeners note ads can feel lengthy relative to episode length.
Listeners praise concise, bite-sized explorations of audiobook narration with accessible sample clips.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#236
South Korea/Arts/Books

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Kids Confront a Changing World
Q: How does the narration style contribute to the book's emotional accessibility?
Emma Ladji's performance is calm and measured, with distinct yet cohesive voices that provide a sense of safety and intimacy, helping listeners process difficult topics without being overwhelmed.
Kids Confront a Changing World
Q: So tell us a little bit about Phoenix and why it resonates for both kids and adults?
The book balances tough themes like family separation and animal welfare with careful, off-page handling of violence and a narration that feels like a supportive, warm guide through the story, making it approachable for younger listeners while still meaningful for adults.
Lauren Groff: In Her Own Voice
Q: Have you ever considered narrating any of your novels?
She says novels require a different voice and that her first-person stories in Brawler align with autofiction, while her novels demand voices closer to the narrative and character register.
Lauren Groff: In Her Own Voice
Q: Was there a story that was particularly challenging for you to read?
She cites Annunciation as challenging yet moving, noting how Word for Word's live adaptation helped her see the story in three dimensions and how actors' interpretations influenced her own reading.
Hockey, Heat, and Two Very Different Voices
Q: What do these books deliver that feels true to romance conventions, and where do they stretch it?
Laurie explains that the series adheres to core romance conventions like a happily-ever-after while exploring deeper issues such as homophobia in hockey and mental health, which adds emotional realism without sacrificing the romantic payoff.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews

What is Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A show focused on audiobooks and narration, featuring hosts who review and discuss recent releases, narration quality, production decisions, and behind-the-scenes stories. Episodes frequently cover multi-narrator casts, author involvement, casting choices, pacing, sample clips, and industry partnerships, with a steady stream of author, narrator, editor, and publisher guests providing practical insights for listeners who love audio storytelling. A notable pattern is the blend of craft analysis with behind-the-scenes production notes and sponsor/partnership context, making it useful for audiobook enthusiasts, pros in audio production, and booksellers scouting audiobook recommendations.

Where can I find podcast stats for Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews:

1. Poured Over
2. NPR's Book of the Day
3. All the Books!
4. The Book Review
5. What Should I Read Next?

How many episodes of Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews are there?

Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews launched 8 years ago and published 1917 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews?

Recent guests on Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews include:

1. Lena Dunham
2. Patricia Cornwell
3. Arsenio Hall
4. Laura Simeon
5. Derbhle Crotty
6. Darragh Shannon
7. Robert Petkoff
8. Ramiz Monsef

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days