Top 10 Apple Podcasts — Top Shows (US) — September 5, 2026

September 5, 2026 brought a familiar hierarchy to Apple Podcasts in the United States, with true crime and long-form conversation formats dominating listener attention. The most-listened podcasts on Apple Podcasts reflect aggregate listener behavior—how many users subscribe, stream, and complete episodes—creating a real-time barometer of what captures American ears on any given day. This daily snapshot matters because it reveals where public attention concentrates, whether that skews toward breaking news, serialized investigations, or entertainment. The New York Times' The Daily held the top position for September 5, cementing its status as the morning briefing millions of Americans depend on. Crime Junkie's stranglehold on the second spot underscores the enduring appetite for digestible true crime storytelling. Meanwhile, the presence of COERCED at number five—a limited series from LUNASHARK®⁠—signals that narrative investigative podcasts continue to break through the noise. Apple Podcasts calculates this ranking using a proprietary blend of subscription growth, streaming volume, and episode completion rates across its US user base, weighting recent activity more heavily than historical performance.