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 | 501 | Founded | 20 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | ArtsSociety & Culture | |||
Listen to this Podcast
Latest Episodes
We try to tell the story of life in America through portraits of life on four different corners, in four different states across the nation.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.
* Prologue: Host Ira Gla... more
We spend an hour in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter, behind and desperate, with people trying any damn thing they can think of.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.
* Prologue: Five years aft... more
It’s the late 1960s, and a California TV repairman named Bob sees an opportunity to help people cheat death with the new science of cryonics. But freezing dead people isn’t easy. And apologizing for the mistakes you make along the way? Even harder. more
Regular people trapped inside Greek myths.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.
* Prologue: When a mysterious, ripped-open package arrives on Pablo's doorstep, he takes it as a sign. (4 minutes)
* Act... more
Key Facts
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Recent Guests
Host
Reviews
still excellent after 30 years
Podcast Addict5a month agolwood2425- No longer really American life
I have been listening to TAL for probably 25 years. What I loved were the stories about pockets of American life that coastal White middle class folks never ever hear about. Stories about farming and mining and what it's like to live in pockets that are somewhat isolated from the mainstream. The episodes that I've never forgotten have nothing to do with politics, let alone international politics, and certainly not international wars.
Maybe Ira has just gotten bored with America. I wish it were i... more
Apple Podcasts3Marinette5050
United Statesa month ago - Paying for a show that has always been free
NPR continues to disappoint. From promoting Trump in 2016 and now we have to pay for show we got to listen to for free. It’s not just YT people with money who listened to you. Bye.
Apple Podcasts2PfionaBWUnited Statesa month ago - This international life
The original and still be of the best ever podcasts. But I thought it was called This American Life? Instead we get constant stories about international conflicts and hours long shows about this or that atrocity. I get it the world sucks but I miss the old This American Life.
Apple Podcasts3kittycorbuUnited Statesa month ago - New episodes are terrible, old ones are great
The show has followed the same track as Colbert, and now every episode is just a miserable rehash of Orange Man Bad. Preaching to the converted like this is boring and counterproductive. It just serves to make the liberals that listen to this show more snotty and humorless, which will alienate yet more people from the democratic party. If the show must be political then it should be about winning the working class back to the democratic party. Be interesting, be funny, and quit being a miserable... more
Apple Podcasts2EfbrazilUnited Statesa month 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 | #61 | United States/Top Podcasts |
Apple Podcasts | #4 | United States/Society & Culture |
Apple Podcasts | #76 |  Canada/Top Podcasts |
Apple Podcasts | #8 | Canada/Society & Culture |
Apple Podcasts | #45 |  United Kingdom/Society & Culture |
Apple Podcasts | #163 |  Australia/Top Podcasts |
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. The Daily
How many episodes of This American Life are there?
This American Life launched 20 years ago and published 501 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. Alexa Junge
2. David Sedaris
3. Roger Wendler (narrator/subject in Act Three)
4. Meghan Daum
5. Marion Kramer
6. Gary Gulman
7. Garrett Morgan
8. Shalom Auslander
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.