
Planet Money
by NPR
Is this your podcast?NPR, or National Public Radio, is a well-respected American media organization known for its in-depth reporting and storytelling across various subjects, including news, culture, and economics. They have a reputation for producing high-qual…
Insights from recent episode analysis
Audience Interest
- economics and its impact
- current business news
Podcast Focus
- explores economic forces
- relates topics to economy
Publishing Consistency
- 355 episodes produced
- active for 3 years
Platform Reach
- available on major podcast platforms
- NPR distribution network
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
Most discussed topics
Brands & references
Total monthly reach
Estimated from 48 chart positions in 48 markets.
By chart position
- 🇨🇦CA · Business#7300K to 1M
- 🇺🇸US · Business#23100K to 300K
- 🇦🇺AU · Business#27100K to 300K
- 🇬🇧GB · Business#5830K to 100K
- 🇩🇪DE · Business#9130K to 100K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
423K to 1.3M🎙 Daily cadence·355 episodes·Last published today - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
1.4M to 4.5M🇨🇦22%🇺🇸7%🇦🇺7%+45 more - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
564K to 1.8M934K real followers tracked across platforms
Market Insights
Platform Distribution
Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
Total Followers
—
Total Plays
—
Total Reviews
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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
On the show
From 14 epsHosts
Recent guests
Recent episodes
It’s my tree. Why can’t I cut it down?
Jun 12, 2026
25m 15s
Two indicators for lowering the rent
Jun 10, 2026
17m 47s
Why is there a supplement craze if they don’t even work?
Jun 5, 2026
34m 54s
There's no business like dough business
Jun 3, 2026
27m 23s
The sneaky way companies get new chemicals into our food
May 29, 2026
35m 41s
Social Links & Contact
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| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/12/26 | ![]() It’s my tree. Why can’t I cut it down? | Can the government stop you from cutting down your own tree? In many towns and cities these days, removing a tree now requires a permit. You might have to pay a fee, or promise to plant replacement trees. But sometimes, the city won't let you cut down the tree at all, even a tree in your own backyard.That's because trees are important for air quality, for flood control, and for public health. They help keep neighborhoods cool on hot days. But some think that tree protection laws have gone too far — that they might even be unconstitutional.On today's episode, it's the latest showdown between property rights and local zoning laws. Typically, towns and cities enjoy a lot of power when it comes to zoning and permits. They can ban certain types of buildings. They can make you paint your house a certain color. But can they make it illegal to cut down a tree? And what does it mean to "own" a piece of property anyway?Support:Planet Money+Read: Our book: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life Our weekly longform Planet Money newsletterOur weekly Indicator round-up newsletterFollow: InstagramTikTokYouTubeFacebookThis episode of Planet Money was hosted by Jeff Guo and Amanda Aronczyk. It was produced by James Sneed and Emma Peaslee, edited by Jess Jiang, and fact-checked by Vito Emanuel. It was engineered by Robert Rodriguez and Cena Loffredo. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy | 25m 15s | ||||||
| 6/10/26 | ![]() Two indicators for lowering the rent | One specific type of affordable housing used to be popular in American cities, kept rents low, then nearly vanished. Is it time to reconsider boarding houses and single room occupancy units? If they lowered rents in cities, why did they go away? We have the history.Then, let’s talk about corporate landlords. They’re blamed for driving up rents. Studies show they do the opposite. When corporate landlords come to town, they do buy up homes, which can raise the price to buy, but at the same time lower rents. We’ll parse the impact as we consider a Trump administration plan to restrict corporate home ownership.Related episodes:Is the YIMBY movement doomed? How to fix a housing shortage How to build abundantlyCan Trump make buying a home more affordable?Support:NPR+Read: Our book: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life Our weekly longform Planet Money newsletterOur weekly Indicator round-up newsletterFollow: InstagramTikTokYouTubeFacebookThe original episodes of the Indicator were hosted by Darian Woods and Wailin Wong. They were produced by Julia Ritchey, Cooper Katz McKim and Corey Bridges with engineering by Travis Hagan and Robert Rodriguez. They were fact checked by Vito Emanuel and Sierra Juarez. Kate Concannon edits the show. This episode of Planet Money was produced by James Sneed with help from Emma Murphy. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy | 17m 47s | ||||||
| 6/5/26 | ![]() Why is there a supplement craze if they don’t even work? | One reason the $70 billion supplement industry is set to double in the next seven years? Lax regulation.On today's show, we tell the story of a century-long battle between the U.S. government and … you, the people, blinded by your love of a magic pill.We’re talking about protein powders, pre-workouts, creatine, stuff for gut health, joint health, vitamin C, turmeric supplements. All that. You might not wanna hear this.Sources mentioned in the episode:Marion Nestle, Food PoliticsCatherine Price, VitamaniaSupport:Planet Money+Read: Our book: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life Our weekly longform Planet Money newsletterOur weekly Indicator round-up newsletterFollow: InstagramTikTokYouTubeFacebookThis episode was hosted by Sarah Gonzalez and Jane Black. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler, edited by Marianne McCune, and fact checked by Sierra Juarez with help with Vito Emanuel. It was engineered by Robert Rodriguez with help from Jimmy Keeley. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money’s executive producer. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy | 34m 54s | ||||||
| 6/3/26 | ![]() There's no business like dough business | Have you ever walked around a street, mall, or airport and noticed two or three of the same franchise restaurant within walking distance? Why might one Starbucks or McDonald’s or Wetzel’s Pretzels sometimes be built so close to another? Are they friends or competitors? And how can that possibly be profitable?Today’s show is one such example. Our pals at Hyperfixed got a knotty question we just had to help them untangle: Why are there so many Wetzel’s Pretzels so close to one another at the Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center Station?To find out, Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi followed the dough all the way to the top. His journey led him to a jolly pretzel executive, a franchisee with a deep-fried American dream, and a brush with mall security.Support:Planet Money+Read: Our book: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life Our weekly longform Planet Money newsletterOur weekly Indicator round-up newsletterFollow: InstagramTikTokYouTubeFacebookThis episode was hosted by Alex Goldman and Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi. Hyperfixed is produced and edited by Emma Courtland, Amor Yates, Sari Soffer Sukenik and Tori Dominguez Peak. The music is by the mysterious Breakmaster Cylinder and Alex Goldman. It was engineered by Tony Williams. Fact checking by Naomi Barr. The Planet Money version was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler and edited by Jess Jiang. It was engineered by Robert Rodriguez. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money’s executive producer. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy | 27m 23s | ||||||
| 5/29/26 | ![]() The sneaky way companies get new chemicals into our food | 99% of chemicals in our food right now were added without FDA approval. Many were added in secret, through a sneaky loophole built into the 1958 Food Additives Amendment.It was supposed to require FDA approval for new additives. But food companies and chemical makers found a workaround. And the FDA formally okayed the loophole in the 90s — in the process bringing attention to a loophole to the loophole.The FDA has essentially admitted it doesn’t have the capacity to verify the safety of new food chemicals. So they leave it up to food companies and chemical makers to declare their brand new chemicals are safe. These chemicals are used in everything from chocolate and smoked fish, to tea bags, protein drinks, popcorn, and seeds.So, how’d the loophole get there, and what does it tell us about the priority the U.S. places on safety versus speed and innovation? And, how much can one lawyer do about it?Live show tour and book info. / Subscribe to Planet Money+Listen free: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.This episode was hosted by Sarah Gonzalez, produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler, edited by Jess Jiang, fact checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Robert Rodrguez with help from Kwesi Lee. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money’s executive producer. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy | 35m 41s | ||||||
| 5/27/26 | ![]() The leaked tapes that show how the rich avoid taxes | Tax avoidance -- that is, legally reducing your tax bill -- is as American as apple pie. But the line between tax avoidance and tax evasion is often a grey one. On today’s show, a collaboration with Tax Notes, we listen in on the secret tapes that show how the wealthiest Americans avoid taxes. We trace the lifecycle of a tax loophole: how it was born (in Malta), how it grew, how the Feds cracked down, and how the industry came to its rescue -- with the help of one high-ranking Trump administration official. Support:Planet Money+Read: Our book: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life Our weekly longform Planet Money newsletterOur weekly Indicator round-up newsletterFollow: InstagramTikTokYouTubeFacebookThis episode was produced by Luis Gallo and Emma Peaslee and edited by Marianne McCune. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez and engineered by Cena Loffredo and Robert Rodriguez. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money’s executive producer.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy | 26m 19s | ||||||
| 5/22/26 | ![]() The giant factory town that might be a giant mistake | How does a poor country become a rich country? There's a simple blueprint — or at least, that's what many economists used to believe. But over the years, a lot of rapidly developing economies have stalled out. These countries aren't poor anymore, but they're not rich either. They're stuck in the middle. The World Bank calls this problem the "middle income trap."And if there's a poster child for the middle income trap, many would point to Brazil. For a time, Brazil had one of the fastest growing economies in the world. On today's show, we head to Brazil to understand why the old blueprint for economic development might not work so well anymore.The story starts in the Amazon rainforest. With an audacious plan to industrialize the country as fast as possible.Support:Planet Money+Read: Our book: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life Our weekly longform Planet Money newsletterOur weekly Indicator round-up newsletterFollow: InstagramTikTokYouTubeFacebookThis episode of Planet Money was hosted by Jeff Guo. It was produced by James Sneed and Luis Gallo. It was edited by Marianne McCune, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, translation help from Sarah Robbins. It was engineered by Robert Rodriguez and Jimmy Keeley. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.A very, very special thanks to Carrie Kahn and Valdemar Geo from NPR’s Rio bureau. Also to Otaviano Canuto and Denis Minev.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy | 26m 58s | ||||||
| 5/20/26 | ![]() Vacation and why Americans take so little | Do you work more for more money? Or work less for more time? For some, this is the ultimate economic choice. Every single worker in the European Union is guaranteed four weeks of paid vacation. No matter how long they’ve been at a company. No matter how low paying the job is. Vacation is a right. In fact, all but one of the richest countries in the world guarantees paid vacation, except: the U.S. According to a 2019 study, people in Japan get 10 paid vacation days and 15 paid holidays; in Australia it’s 20 paid vacation days and 8 paid holidays; and in Spain it’s 25 paid vacation days and 14 paid holidays. And it’s not just a rich country thing: Mexico, Afghanistan, Thailand, Tanzania - they all guarantee paid vacation from work, at least in the formal job sector. In the U.S: Zero paid vacation days and zero paid holidays. So, why is the United States the outlier? We go to several labor economists and historians, to find out what makes Americans different from Europeans. It’s a winding journey, so maybe put in a request for some paid time off and take a listen!Note: This episode originally ran in 2023.Some articles we mention in this episode:“No Vacation Nation”“Study: A Record 768 Million U.S. Vacation Days Went Unused in ‘18, Opportunity Cost in the Billions”“Why the US is one of only a few countries with no paid time off”This episode was hosted by Sarah Gonzalez, produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler, edited by Jess Jiang, engineered by Maggie Luthar, and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer. Book info. / Subscribe to Planet Money+Listen free: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR One or anywhere you get podcasts.Find more Planet Money: Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy | 25m 09s | ||||||
| 5/15/26 | ![]() Jerome Powell and the Future of Fed Independence | If you have a credit card, hope to buy a house, or just want stable grocery prices – let’s talk about the future of Fed independence!It’s impossibly important for the Federal Reserve to steer monetary policy without political interference – an ideal pushed to its brink during Jerome Powell’s time as Fed Chair.Powell’s Fed faced a once-in-a-century pandemic, oversaw the economy as inflation spiked to about 9 percent … went back down to nearly 2 percent … and has started to go back up as the U.S. has gone to war and continued to try and implement the most comprehensive tariffs since the early 1900s.But perhaps Powell will be best remembered as a target – of angry tweets, speeches, and ultimately a criminal investigation, by the very president who nominated him in the first place.On Powell’s last day as chair, we ask where his story fits into the sweep of history. We’ll hear from someone who was on the Fed Board when Powell was appointed … and when President Trump started to pressure Powell. Plus, we learn what to watch for to see if Fed Independence is crumbling – or holding – as a new Fed Chair nominated by President Trump takes office.Recommend Listening: - Happy Fed Independence Day - The case for Fed independence in the Nixon tapes - A primer on the Federal Reserve's independence - Trump's unprecedented attack on the Fed - Should presidents have more of a say in interest rates? - Lisa Cook and the fight for the Fed - What happens to central banks under pressure?Book info. / Subscribe to Planet Money+Listen free: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.This episode was hosted by Kenny Malone and Erika Beras. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler, edited by Jess Jiang, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Robert Rodriguez and Cena Loffredo. Planet Money’s executive producer is Alex Goldmark. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy | 28m 53s | ||||||
| 5/13/26 | ![]() The secret meeting that launched OPEC | Recently, a listener wrote in with a question about OPEC and oil prices. She was prepping for a camping trip… thinking about how much it costs to fill up her diesel-guzzling camper van at the pump. “It would be so awesome if you guys could do an episode explaining OPEC to us,” she emailed us. She wanted to know: why does OPEC exist? Why does it limit the supply of oil? And now that the United Arab Emirates has dropped out, what will happen to gas prices? We love when our listeners write in (and send us voice notes!). The simplest questions can reveal how the complicated web of the economy works.On our latest: we answer our listener’s questions… and the questions behind those questions! Related episodes:• Chevron, Venezuela and the Paradox of Plenty Book info. / Subscribe to Planet Money+Listen free: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.This episode of Planet Money was produced by James Sneed with help from Willa Rubin. It was edited by Marianne McCune, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Robert Rodriguez. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy | 27m 33s | ||||||
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| 5/9/26 | ![]() Diary of a WNBA negotiator✨ | WNBAsports negotiation+4 | Alysha Clark | WNBANPR+5 | — | WNBAAlysha Clark+5 | — | 29m 18s | |
| 5/6/26 | ![]() How we got free agents in baseball✨ | free agencybaseball history+4 | — | St. Louis CardinalsPhillies+2 | — | Curt Floodfree agency+5 | — | 28m 51s | |
| 5/2/26 | ![]() How to make a BOOK into a bestseller✨ | book publishingbestsellers+4 | — | New York TimesBloomberg Businessweek+1 | — | bestsellerNew York Times+5 | — | 46m 45s | |
| 4/29/26 | ![]() Spirit Airlines and the future of cheap flights✨ | cheap flightsairline industry+4 | Ben Baldanza | Spirit AirlinesPresident Trump+7 | — | Spirit Airlinescheap flights+5 | — | 25m 35s | |
| 4/24/26 | ![]() Battlefield rare earths: How the U.S. lost to China✨ | rare earthsU.S. industry+4 | — | NPRPlanet Money | U.S.China | rare earthsU.S. industry+5 | — | 34m 15s | |
| 4/22/26 | ![]() Live: Anthropic co-founder on AI and jobs✨ | AIjobs+3 | Jack ClarkDaryl Fairweather | Planet MoneyRedfin+1 | — | AIjobs+5 | — | 29m 45s | |
| 4/18/26 | ![]() Do prediction market bettors make anything better?✨ | prediction marketsgambling+4 | Kristin Johnson | CFTCPlanet Money+3 | — | prediction marketsgambling+5 | — | 32m 25s | |
| 4/14/26 | ![]() How to get through the Strait of Hormuz✨ | IranStrait of Hormuz+4 | — | IranNPR | Strait of HormuzOman | Strait of HormuzIran+4 | — | 18m 53s | |
| 4/10/26 | ![]() BOOKstore Economics✨ | bookstorespublishing industry+4 | — | Planet MoneyNPR+2 | — | bookstorespublishing+5 | — | 40m 52s | |
| 4/8/26 | ![]() A pro-worker experiment in private equity✨ | private equityworker ownership+4 | — | NPRPlanet Money | — | private equityworker equity+4 | — | 25m 41s | |
| 4/4/26 | ![]() Reese’s heir vs. chocolate skimpflation✨ | chocolateskimpflation+4 | Brad Reese | Reese’s Peanut Butter CupHershey’s+1 | — | chocolate skimpflationHershey's+4 | — | 33m 42s | |
| 4/2/26 | ![]() Dark times for Cuba’s economic experiment✨ | Cuba's economycommunism+5 | — | NPR | CubaUnited States | Cubaeconomy+6 | — | 27m 41s | |
| 3/28/26 | ![]() The skyscrapers that NIMBYs and zoning couldn't stop✨ | real estate developmentzoning restrictions+4 | — | Squamish NationNPR | — | Squamish Nationreal estate+7 | — | 22m 24s | |
| 3/26/26 | ![]() Our BOOK vs. the global supply chain✨ | publishing industrysupply chain+4 | — | NPRPlanet Money | — | book productionsupply chain+6 | — | 46m 30s | |
| 3/21/26 | ![]() Inside a BOOK auction | In the age of TikTok and Polymarket, it can be easy to overlook the humble book. But books are one of the most influential technologies ever invented. From “The Wealth of Nations” to “Das Kapital,” books have the power to shape whole economic systems… and everything else in our world. The market for books can determine which ideas make it to the masses. So when Planet Money was approached to make its own book, not only did it present an opportunity to spread the gospel of whimsical economic infotainment to new audiences everywhere, but it also presented an opportunity to get a rare peek behind the curtain of the notoriously opaque world of publishing. On today’s episode, the first chapter in our series on the making of a book: Planet Money sets out to land a book deal. We enter the high stakes, high school drama of the publishing industry, where literary agents try to woo powerful book editors. And we learn what happens when lofty artistic ideals meet the cold logic of the market. It’s a courtship dance with millions of dollars potentially on the line. There will be whale fights, corporate speed dating, and a literary shotgun wedding.Related: - Episode 2: Our BOOK vs. the global supply chain- Episode 3: BOOKstore Economics- Episode 4: How to make a BOOK into a bestseller - Series: Planet Money makes a book Live event info and tickets here. Pre-order the Planet Money book and get a free gift. / Subscribe to Planet Money+Listen free: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.This episode was produced by Willa Rubin with production help from Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was edited by Jess Jiang, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Robert Rodriguez. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy | 43m 11s | ||||||
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Chart Positions
48 placements across 48 markets.
Chart Positions
48 placements across 48 markets.

























