Radio Headspace - Podcast Rankings and reviews

Y’all I have loved and greatly appreciated this podcast for years. The episodes being short make it easily digestible and a good way to help me start my day on the right foot. I am so thankful for everyone at Headspace and all of the guests they bring in. BUT.. lately it’s been a whole 3+ minutes of ads in the beginning of every episode and sometimes the podcast itself isn’t more than 4 or 5 minutes long. I kind of feel like that’s a bit annoying and I miss the days when the episode would just start with the “swish, click!”

Amazing content, teachers, and production but, literally, a third of each episode is ads. It’s really frustrating

I remember the first time I listen to Radio Headspace when I first launched… And it was an absolute life saver in the midst of Covid. fast forward to after Andy sold the business they decided to monetize the podcast, which is well within their right. The issue that I have is that over 60% of the podcast is an advertisement for one business or another and it’s hard to get 4 to 5 minutes of content without leaving the feeling of being sold to and not a feeling of calm. This podcast has been ruined. But the content is still good.

Great podcast

Been a part of my daily routine for over a year now

Really helped me after leaving a bad job

I can’t say enough good things about Headspace, and their podcast is no exception. Smart, thoughtful content that is well-produced. The length is perfect for my morning commute. It’s the only podcast I listen to regularly, multiple times a week. I’ve recommended it and the app many times.

Only recently they started running ads. Because of the short format, I feel like the ads are just as long as the show. But the worst part is some of the ads feature the hosts of the show peddling products and apps that feel salesy and insincere. Headspace has done a great job building high levels of trust with their meditation teachers and audience, and the ads compromised that for me.

I’ve used the Headspace app almost everyday for nearly ten years. As a subscriber to the app, I can get the podcasts ad-free in the app, but it’s a few extra steps, and I can’t access it alongside other podcasts I listen to.

I acknowledge the reality of financially sustaining a company like Headspace. Now that Apple offers subscriptions to bypass ads, I might consider paying a small price for no ads, in my normal podcast app—the content is that good.

But please don’t underestimate the credibility the hosts have with a very loyal audience—and how easily that’s lost by inauthentic ads selling inane products. For a company changing the world through mindfulness and meditation, it feels icky and self-serving.

I used to listen every day. It was great bite-sized mindfulness content and I loved starting my daily commute with it. Then I had to skip past 2min+ of ads. Now I don’t listen anymore. Need to balance the commerce with the content or it starts to feel like a cash grab.