Spotify Wants To Creep You Out

It's Halloween, so spooky is in vogue for the next few days. For the last few years, since Spotify barged into the podcasting marketplace, profitability has been an ongoing issue, like an itch you keep scratching till the skin is raw. 

But good news in this last quarter, Spotify's results have improved significantly, and the company projects profitability in podcasting in the next few quarters.

Since 2019, Spotify has made inroads into just about every podcast genre. Horror is no exception. 

Consider these podcasts as you celebrate Halloween.

First up is Serial Killers, which is a Spotify Original. Listeners can get a rare glimpse into the minds and methods of sadistic murderers. From notorious names like Jeffrey Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy to lesser-known killers like “Death House Landlady” Dorothea Puente. What turns a regular person into a predator?  You'll find out. New episodes Mondays.

The episode I most enjoyed was called The Railway Revenge Killer.  Rudy Bladel claimed he murdered his coworkers in an act of revenge — but most of his victims were complete strangers. Vanessa Richardson examines his life and crimes to understand Bladel’s twisted logic. Spoiler alert: He is seriously deranged.

Next up is a classic. Ever miss those spooky campfire stories you heard growing up? Well, gather round... and listen close.

Full Body Chills is a compact show with episodes lasting about 15 minutes, which is just enough time to scare the crap out of you. Tales include a mortician who enjoys his work too much, terror in a treetop, and a family trip that goes wildly awry.

Join the show around the campfire for tales about unexpected encounters.

Then there's Spooked, which features true-life supernatural stories, told firsthand by people who can barely believe it happened themselves. Be afraid. Created in the dark of night, by Snap Judgment Studios, in partnership with KQED & PRX. It is hosted by Glynn Washington. Anything by Washington is worth your ear time.

Finally, visit the world’s most haunted destinations and find out what happens when a soul leaves the body, but doesn’t leave the grounds.

Haunted Places is a Spotify Original from Parcast. Flickering lights… Clanging metal… A sudden, cold rush of air… Join Alastair Murden as he reaches into the cob-webbed collection of ghost stories from all over the world and brings to life a new, heart-racing tale every Thursday.

There's the phantom of Mill Croft Lane, an artist who paints a realistic depiction of Hell, a vampire terrorizes a community, and a young teacher learns the dark secrets of her sweet old landlords.

It's all super creepy and in about 30 minutes.

Please don't listen to any of these podcasts alone. 

And if you do, spread salt along all the doorways, carry a rosary, and please, please, please, do not open any door that has a sign on it that states, DO NOT OPEN.