Welcome! EarBuds delivers 5 podcast episodes around a central theme, and each week it’s curated by someone new. This week, our curator is Treena Innes.
Treena’s podcast picks
What’s this theme about? Treena says:
These days, countless people have found themselves in a “rinse and repeat” cycle of life. But with a fresh year now here, this could be the one where you finally find fun, prioritize laughter and play, and as a result, live a brighter, lighter, and healthier life. Fun is a necessity, not a luxury, and you definitely deserve it!
5 podcasts to make 2026 the year of FUN
Finding Fun Experiment Podcast podcast cover art
Finding Fun Experiment
What happens when you don’t prioritize play in your life? A panel of physicians comes together to discuss why they’re prescribing fun to their patients and how you can incorporate it into your day-to-day routine.
Growing Joy podcast cover art
Growing Joy
Plants aren’t just beautiful beings that bring life to your home and yard, they can also bring life to your wardrobe! Discover a variety of botanical fabric dyeing techniques to rock more colorful and creative outfits this year, and express yourself through fashion that is connected to nature.
The Mel Robbins Podcast podcast cover art
The Mel Robbins Podcast
Sometimes the only thing keeping us from a healthier life is the people we’re surrounding ourselves with. This year, brush the negative energy off your shoulders and focus on the things you can control. Mel Robbins guides you through dealing with disrespect and avoiding expending more energy than you need to.
Dish podcast cover art
Dish
Nostalgia and food are sometimes the most special ingredients for a life of fun. Millie Bobby Brown basks in the power of her favourite dishes and comfort foods, and the fulfillment she gets from living on a farm with her many animals – and naming them!
How To Be a Better Human podcast cover art
How To Be a Better Human
If there’s any goal to make this year, it’s to stop (or at least to limit) your doomscrolling. This episode takes a critical look at the role social media is playing in our lives and why we might be better off without it.
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Community
🇦🇲 In Podcast The Newsletter, Lauren Passell writes… “I just listened to the most blazingly beautiful episode of Country of Dust, a show that tells stories of Armenia’s people and history. ‘Daughter of the Crying Man’ made me teary eyed.”
🚛 Trailer Park: The Podcast Trailer Podcast is back. Find your next favorite podcast by way of its trailer (and analysis) on this show. Submit your podcast for consideration!
🌎 On Air Fest is fast approaching — Brooklyn, NY: February 23-26. Grab tickets before they go up in price! Hear from creators, actors, and journalists like Don Lemon, Audie Cornish, Roxane Gay, Chani Nicholas, and more.
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Podcast news from Podnews
Listen Notes says that there were 198,488 new podcasts published in 2025. That figure was 198,280 in 2024, so is ever so slightly up year-on-year.
In November, Third Coast, which organizes a podcast festival and competition, announced that it had transitioned to being a voluntary organisation, after financial pressure. It sent out an update yesterday, confirming that the competition will take place in 2026, and that the archive will be maintained.
Where do Americans listen to audio the most? Not the car - but at home, with a sharp increase in at-home listening since the pandemic, says Edison Research. The company suggests a “new normal” of around 55% of all audio being consumed at home.
Spotlight Podcast Pick
🔦New: EarBuds founder Arielle Nissenblatt (that’s-a-me) will share what she’s been listening to in this section.
You’ll still be able to sponsor this section, and when it’s sponsored, that will be noted and clear.
SPOTLIGHT ON: Based On a True Story
Based On a True Story is a show that compares movies and TV with the historical events that they’re based on. Hosted by Dan LeFebvre, each episode is a conversation between between Dan and a historian or someone attached to the project in question. For example, for the episode covering 12 Years a Slave, Dan spoke with historian and professor Greg Jackson. For the episode on Nuremberg, Dan spoke with the author of the book that the movie was based on, Jack El-Hai.
Based On a True Story podcast cover art
Not only is the show smart and snappy with no fluff (but somehow still friendly), it’s also clear that Dan puts a good deal of research into his interviews. I find myself thinking of a question I’d like answered via the conversation and then a second later, Dan asks that question for me. What more could you ask for in a host?
Episode recommendation: truly, any. Listener’s choice. scroll through the extensive archive, find a movie you’ve seen, hit play, and dive into the real history behind it.
-Arielle Nissenblatt
