As October rolls along, it is time to find some spooky good audio fun to set the stage for Halloween. With that in mind, we set out to search and share some audio gems to prepare you for the haunting season. These are just six recommendations among the many possible choices.
HAUNTED: The Audio Drama by Impala Films
Picture it: A spooky tale weaving itself magically between your ears, the chilling suspense in the air, and the episodic thrills wrapping you into a gripping narrative. Welcome to HAUNTED: The Audio Drama. It’s an auditory journey into the uncanny and the spectral—a podcast pulsing with hair-raising stories that blur the line between reality and the supernatural. Designed with hair-raising ambiance and exceptional voice acting to keep you perched on the edge of your seat, it’s not just horror—it’s a passion for the spine-tingling arts of storytelling that keeps the clock ticking well into the midnight hour.
The No Sleep Podcast: Creative Reason Media
NoSleep is one of the biggest forums on Reddit that offers a platform for people to share their “scary personal experiences”. Even though the stories shared on the forum are fictional, the community’s emphasis on original and first-person horror narratives creates a fun and scary atmosphere. The podcast, which is a spinoff of the forum and began June 13th, 2011, recreates this magic in an anthology series format. It repackages the most popular user-submitted stories as narrated audio dramas, complete with eerie music cues and soundscapes. The show is now in its 20th season and has a vast back catalog of chilling tales. Though not all of the stories are taken from the forum anymore, the high-quality chills are consistent and are meant for adults only.
The Lesser Dead: Wondery
The Lesser Dead is a gripping 26-episode audio drama that takes place in the wild and chaotic world of 1978 New York City. It revolves around a group of vampires who are living together with their leader, Margaret McMannis (played by Minnie Driver), under the subways of the city. Our narrator, Joey Peacock (played by Jack Kilmer), is a young and irreverent 19-year-old who introduces us to his unconventional vampire family. Margaret’s strict rules have kept them safe for decades until one night when Joey discovers three young vampire kids, which leads to a series of events that turn their lives upside down forever.
Scare You to Sleep
Scare You to Sleep was initially created by host Shelby Scott as a platform to showcase her own horror stories, but it soon progressed to include stories from a variety of authors. The podcast has a distinct tone as it usually presents character studies, but it also doesn’t shy away from featuring slasher stories filled with gore and disembowelment. It’s surprisingly brutal for a low-key show, making SYTS one of the most engaging horror shows out there. With each episode, you’ll never know what to expect.
Creepy: A Horror Podcast
Jon Grilz, the creator and host of Creepy podcast, produces and narrates fan-favorite “creepypasta” stories in audio form. Creepypastas are horror-related stories created by users that circulate the internet with the intention to scare readers. For the past four years, Jon Grilz has released 31 episodes in October, one for every day of the month, in a series called “31 Days of Horror”. This year will be no different. Every day, a new story will be released, and it will all lead up to an extra special 2.5-hour episode on Halloween.
Full Body Chills: AudioChuck
“Ever miss those spooky campfire stories you heard growing up? Well, gather round…and listen close.”
Full Body Chillsoffers up five seasons of short, spooky narratives written by numerous talented writers and produced with intense eerie audio flair. On their website you can read along with the narrative if you should so choose. Or just sit back in your comfortable armchair with a blanket, turn down the lights… and listen (headphones recommended). Just make sure your doors are locked.
These are just a few of the many spooky and immersive Podcasts available for your listening pleasure. Maybe you know of some more that you would recommend? Be sure to leave a comment and let your fellow audio fans know. After all, Halloween is the season for sharing more than just candy.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.