This American Life
This American LifeEach week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. It’s the most popular weekly podcast in the world, and winner of the first ever Pulitzer Prize for a radio show or po... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 509 | Founded | 20 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | Society & CultureArts | |||
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Latest Episodes
We head to some of the happiest places on earth: amusement parks! Ira Glass takes us behind the scenes at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, where the young staff – coached by a funny, fun-loving boss just a little older than they are – truly seem to love... more
People dealing with new, glaring, massive changes happening right where they live.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.
(00:00:00) Prologue: Rick Cole, a city councilmember in Pasadena, CA, talks to Ira ... more
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered everyone over 30 in the military to have their testosterone tested. That inspired us to rerun this classic episode where everyone at This American Life tested their testosterone and compared results. It did ... more
People on journeys they did not intend — or agree to.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.
(00:00:00) Prologue: A woman on a nighttime bus ride wakes up to discover the bus driver is taking the passenger... more
Key Facts
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Recent Guests
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Reviews
- I Used to Love It…
I used to love this show and listening to the stories and sometimes got a chuckle and it was about every day American life. But lately every episode is a political message and I listen to podcast get away from this very thing.
Apple Podcasts1VettePal
United States8 days ago - Too many international stories
For a podcast called “The American Life”, there’s waaaay too many international stories. Surely there’s a better podcast for these. Some entire episodes are just international stories. You can’t find anything interesting in the US right now? Seriously?
Apple Podcasts2pnw_21United States9 days ago - C-Section
This was probably the most harrowing show I’ve ever listened to on This American Life. Every episode is interesting and entertaining…but this specific episode was absolutely phenomenal. Thank you to the producers.
Apple Podcasts5MidwestDreamsUnited States9 days ago Very good!
Podcast Addict511 days agopazuzo- Greatest ever
Just love this. It changed what it meant to do a 'show' when if first came on the air.
Apple Podcasts5BoatwagonUnited States11 days ago
Listeners Say
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #49 | United States/Top Podcasts |
Apple Podcasts | #4 | United States/Society & Culture |
Apple Podcasts | #51 |  Canada/Top Podcasts |
Apple Podcasts | #208 |  United Kingdom/Top Podcasts |
Apple Podcasts | #6 | Canada/Society & Culture |
Apple Podcasts | #30 | United Kingdom/Society & Culture |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Audience Metrics
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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Frequently Asked Questions About This American Life
What is This American Life about and what kind of topics does it cover?
This program curates human-scale narratives around a chosen theme each week, blending investigative reporting, personal memoir, and cultural commentary. Across episodes, listeners encounter intimate stories about power, responsibility, relationships, and everyday life, often featuring journalists, authors, and researchers who illuminate broader social issues through individual experiences. The show is notable for its hybrid format: long-form storytelling, archival material, and live dialogue that can swing from poignant to playful, frequently anchored by a consistent host voice. It probably attracts listeners who value empathetic storytelling, rigorous reporting, and nuanced perspectives on current events and social dynamics.
Where can I find podcast stats for This American Life?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for This American Life. 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 This American Life and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does This American Life get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for This American Life, 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 This American Life?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for This American Life, 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 This American Life have?
To see how many followers or subscribers This American Life 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 This American Life?
These podcasts share a similar audience with This American Life:
1. Radiolab
2. The Moth
3. Heavyweight
4. Fresh Air
5. Serial
How many episodes of This American Life are there?
This American Life launched 20 years ago and published 509 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 This American Life?
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 This American Life?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for This American Life 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 This American Life?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of This American Life. 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 This American Life?
Recent guests on This American Life include:
1. Rick Cole
2. Katie Gowell
3. Rose Fuchs
4. Monica Shearheart
5. Pasha Tolankin
6. Sarah Vowell
7. Griffin Hansbury
8. Miriam Toews
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.