Podcasting

Sound On: The Best Podcasts About Texas

Podcasts are one of the easiest ways to stay connected to Texas—its news, history, sports, food, and tall tales—wherever you are. Below is a curated guide to standout Texas shows across genres, with quick "why listen" notes and starter episodes so you can jump in fast.

We've focused on real, active titles—like Texas Monthly True Crime: The Problem With Erik, On Texas Football, Texas Ag Today, and Progress Texas—and paired them with complementary picks to round out your feed.

True Crime & Big-Canvas Storytelling

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Texas Monthly True Crime: The Problem With Erik
Texas Monthly's true-crime feed drops limited series that unpack headline-grabbing Texas cases with narrative depth and careful sourcing. "The Problem With Erik" follows an unsettling case that asks hard questions about accountability, memory, and justice. Expect reporting first, drama second—and a production polish that keeps you listening late. Stories like this echo real Hill Country cases too—take this concise look at a notorious Hill Country murder.

Tom Brown's Body (Texas Monthly)
This breakout season from the same editorial home traces a Panhandle disappearance and the ripple effects across a small community. It's Texas scale—personal and sprawling—delivered with steady, humane reporting.

Boomtown
Part oil-patch epic, part economic anthropology, this series (hosted by Christian Wallace) explores the Permian Basin's booms, busts, and the people who fuel them. If you want a sense of how West Texas powers the world—and how the world changes West Texas—start here.

Start here: The first episode of The Problem With Erik to catch the show's tone; then queue the Tom Brown's Body premiere to see how the larger Texas Monthly True Crime feed works across seasons.

News, Civics & Policy—Made Local

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Texas Standard
A weekday newsmagazine from KUT/KUTX Studios covering politics, science, culture, business, and the voices you might miss in national news. It's a concise way to understand what matters today in the state—smart questions, strong sources, and a dependable daily rhythm.

Progress Texas Podcasts
Short, interview-driven episodes that spotlight progressive organizers, voting issues, and policy debates, often with practical context for listeners who want to get involved. It's a useful counterweight in your feed, even if you like to sample across the ideological spectrum.

Y'all-itics (WFAA)
Texas politics—but conversational. Reporters take the show on the road, crack open a cold one, and talk to newsmakers and locals about the stories behind the headlines. It's particularly good during elections or big legislative moments.

Start here: A recent Texas Standard daily to get the cadence, then pair with a Y'all-itics election-season episode for color and context.

Sports—From Sidelines to Film Room

On Texas Football (Inside Texas/On3)
A go-to for Longhorns fans who want recruiting insight, scheme talk, and honest post-game breakdowns. The hosts keep it film-room grounded, not just hot-take heavy. If Saturdays in Austin are sacred, this belongs high in your queue.

SportsDay Insider (The Dallas Morning News)
For DFW loyalists, this umbrella show touches Cowboys, Mavs, Rangers, and Stars, with beat writers who live in the weeds. It's a clean, reporting-forward listen that pairs nicely with team-specific pods.

Start here: A Monday On Texas Football episode after a marquee game to hear the coaching-level analysis that sets it apart.

Land, Water, Wildlife & the Working State

Texas Ag Today
A daily briefing from Texas Farm Bureau Radio that hits markets, weather, land management, and producer voices. It's crisp, practical, and invaluable if you work in—or are just curious about—the state's largest industry.

Under the Texas Sky (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
Story-driven episodes about parks, wildlife, conservation, and the people who keep Texas wild. It's equal parts trip-planner and love letter to the outdoors—great for a long drive to your next state-park campsite.

Start here: A Texas Ag Today weekday roundup, then an Under the Texas Sky episode on a park you've never visited—instant weekend inspiration.

History & Culture—Past Is Prologue

Wise About Texas
Houston judge and historian Ken Wise tells brisk, well-sourced stories from every corner of Texas history—from courtrooms and courthouses to dance halls and disasters. Episodes are snackable, archival, and fun to share with newcomers.

America's Girls (Texas Monthly)
Journalist Sarah Hepola excavates the culture, controversies, and myth-making around the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders—glamour, labor, feminism, and football in one package. It's Texas pop-culture history with sharp reporting and empathy.

Start here:Wise About Texas on a region you know well, then America's Girls Episode 1 to see how a single Texas institution became a global image.

Food, Business & the Creative Economy

The Disconnect (Texas Monthly)
A hard look at big-ticket Texas stories—water, power, industry—and how they shape daily life. Episodes bring policy out of the abstract and into neighborhoods, ranches, and boardrooms. It pairs well with your news pods if you like deep context.

Add-On Picks: If you're into restaurant culture and immigrant foodways, sample regional shows highlighting Texas chefs and pitmasters; for energy markets, fold Boomtown into your rotation for narrative rather than ticker-tape coverage.

How to Build a Balanced Texas Playlist

  • Mix daily with deep dives. Anchor your mornings with Texas Standard or Texas Ag Today, then queue a chaptered series like The Problem With Erik for commutes or long walks.
  • Pair perspectives. Follow a policy episode from Progress Texas with a reporter roundtable on Y'all-itics to triangulate an issue.
  • Match your season. In fall, elevate On Texas Football and SportsDay Insider; in spring, rotate in Under the Texas Sky before your next park trip.
  • Go local, then go long. Use metro-specific shows for city hall and school board news, then let statewide series like Boomtown zoom back out for systems-level stories.

Starter Queue: 10 Episodes to Sample This Week

  1. Texas Monthly True Crime: The Problem With Erik — Episode 1 (scene-setting and reporting tone).
  2. Texas Standard — Today's episode (a tidy scan of the state).
  3. On Texas Football — Post-game breakdown after a ranked matchup.
  4. Texas Ag Today — A weekday market/weather roundup.
  5. Progress Texas Podcasts — Recent interview on voting or reproductive health policy.
  6. Y'all-itics — Election-season guide or long-form interview with a statewide candidate.
  7. Under the Texas Sky — A parks-focused episode to plan your next trip.
  8. Wise About Texas — A legendary Texas court case or frontier tale.
  9. America's Girls — Episode 1 to meet the cast and stakes.
  10. Boomtown — Premiere episode for the sweep of the Permian story.

FAQ: Are these shows still active?

Most are ongoing feeds (Texas Standard, Texas Ag Today, On Texas Football, Progress Texas, Y'all-itics). Limited-series titles (like Boomtown and America's Girls) are complete but binge-ready; Texas Monthly's true-crime feed continues to release new seasons, including The Problem With Erik. Under the Texas Sky publishes regularly with evergreen outdoors content.

One Last Pro Tip

Texas is huge; your playlist should be, too. Keep a daily show for "now," a series for deep context, a sports show for Saturdays, and a nature/history pod for road-trip miles. With that mix, you'll hear the state in 360 degrees—its voices, backroads, and big ideas—no matter where you press play.

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