Why Doesn't AI Recommend Indie Podcasts When Asked By Users?

  

 As 2025 ends and 2026 approaches, the time for BEST OF... and 2026 podcast recommendations is on the minds of many podcast fans. 

That focus on recommendations prompted a thought experiment for me. When someone queries an AI model -- ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini -- for podcast recommendations, does the result by the AI model include any independent podcasts? 

 Before answering that question, I took a remedial lesson in artificial intelligence (AI). I learned that AI answers recommendation questions by using Machine Learning to analyze vast user data and patterns (like viewing/buying habits) to predict what you'll like, employing techniques like collaborative filtering (you're like others) or content-based filtering (you like X, so here's more X), synthesizing information from trusted sources, and offering structured, context-aware suggestions for products, movies, or content, though its suggestions rely on data and lack true human judgment.

 AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Copilot are not just conversational tools – they’re intelligent search interfaces. Unlike traditional search engines that return a ranked list of links, AI chatbots generate direct answers by synthesizing information from various sources and matching it to the context of the query. They operate based on large language models (LLMs), which “learn” language and knowledge from massive datasets: texts, articles, forums, product descriptions, and technical documentation.

Their key advantage is understanding user intent – chatbots don’t look for keyword matches but instead try to respond precisely to the query, considering the conversation context, question style, and even previous interactions. This allows them to not only provide information but also recommend specific products, services, or solutions – just like a consultant or salesperson would.

I know that was tough. Here's the result I received when I asked AI to provide me with the Best Podcasts of 2025.

Top Ranked & Most Popular (2025)

These shows consistently lead national charts by listenership and cultural impact: 

The Joe Rogan Experience: Remains the most-listened-to podcast globally, featuring long-form conversations with diverse guests.
The Daily: The New York Times’ flagship news show, ranked #2 for its deep dives into the day’s biggest headlines.
Crime Junkie: Continues to be the top true crime podcast in the U.S. by reach.
Call Her Daddy: A leading show in the society and culture category, consistently ranking in the top five.
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce: A major breakout in the sports category, featuring the Kelce brothers' insights on football and culture. 
 
Major publications like The Atlantic and Podcast Review highlighted these as the year's standout titles:

Not A Very Good Murderer: Ronan Farrow's investigative series exploring the vetting of sources in journalism.
Good Hang with Amy Poehler: A top-rated new 2025 comedy series featuring interviews with guests like Tina Fey and Kathryn Hahn.
The Plot Thickens (Season 6): A deep dive into the chaotic production of the 1963 film Cleopatra.
You Feeling This? (Season 2): An experimental fiction podcast cited by critics for its unique storytelling.
Burn Order: A high-ranking investigative series from Rachel Maddow Presents

Genre Recommendations

• True Crime: Dateline NBC (legacy favorite), Sea of Lies (2025 breakout), and Rotten Mango (top-ranked for storytelling).
• History: The Rest Is History (British historians discussing diverse topics) and Hardcore History (immersive, long-form narratives).
• Self-Improvement & Science: Huberman Lab (neuroscience and health) and The Mel Robbins Podcast (motivation and coaching).
• Business: The Diary Of A CEO and My First Million

Notice what happens when I revise my AI query and ask it to name the BEST INDEPENDENT PODCASTS OF 2025. 

 Storytelling & Human Interest

• Rumble Strip: Produced by Erica Heilman from her home in Vermont, this show is widely considered a masterpiece of the medium. It features deeply intimate interviews that capture the "idiosyncrasies of the human condition".
• The Life Shift: Named Best Overall Podcast of the Year at the Ear Worthy Awards, this show features candid conversations about pivotal, life-altering moments.
• Multispective: Recipient of the Best Life Lessons Podcast award, focusing on how unique personal experiences shape everyday life. 

 Specialized & Niche

• Ear Hustle: Co-produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods, this show provides a raw and often funny look at life inside prison.
• The Indie Hackers Podcast: Essential listening for entrepreneurs and developers looking to build profitable businesses without venture capital.
• The Sound Session: A 2025 favorite that explores the impact of sound on the world from both artistic and scientific perspectives

Verbal Diorama: Awarded Best Movie Podcast in 2024-2025 for its deep dives into the history and legacy of films.

Song Exploder: Musicians take apart their songs piece by piece to tell the story of how they were made.

Imaginary Worlds: A sound-rich exploration of science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction. 

 

As you can plainly see, the AI returns a reasonable and altogether accurate result based on my query.

However, why is it that a query to an AI that does not specifically include the term "independent" does not return any independent podcasts when asked for BEST PODCASTS OF 2025? 

Does a podcast listener care if the best podcasts are network-produced or independent?  In this case, no. However, when the AI excludes independent podcasts from the AI query result, that's a problem for podcast listeners and podcasters. 

It's a problem for podcast listeners because they're not receiving an accurate answer. What if a person asks an AI to name the greatest baseball players of all time and the AI only returned results on white baseball players, excluding Blacks, Asian, and Latino players? 

Without including independent podcasts in the query result, podcast listeners are not receiving accurate and complete information by which to make a decision on our next podcast options. 

The AI result on BEST PODCASTS is an issue for independent podcasters because they are excluded from a valuable and much-used podcast discoverability tool. After all, asking "the computer" for recommendations is becoming more prevalent every day. 

Can anything be done about this inequity? Do we not recognize that technology has already captured our attention, viewpoints, political beliefs, and now our media choices? 

Why can't an AI query on BEST PODCASTS return a result that includes INDEPENDENT PODCASTS, even as a distinct category?

I apologize if this is one of those frustrating stories for readers when the writer lays out the problem and has few solutions. I'm not a technology expert. I just discovered how to increase my font size on my iPhone, so I'm not I.T. Help Desk material.

However, my outrage is at DEFCON 5. This is just another example of how independent podcasts are excluded from the podcast industry "adult's table" and are relegated to the "kid's table." You know, visible by not audible. 

At Ear Worthy, we cannot solve this problem, but we ask that greater minds like James Cridland, Sam Sethi, Tom Webster, Dan Meisner, and others work on this issue.

Ear Worthy has developed and published (and will update monthly) an article that contains its choices for the BEST INDEPENDENT PODCASTS 2026 by genre. There will be an monthly updated entry for new indie podcasts that deserve a listen or for any indie podcasts on the list that have milestones in content, structural changes, and achievements.