The EarBuds Story.

EarBuds Podcast Collective started with a simple question: What should I listen to next?

EarBuds founder Arielle Nissenblatt wearing blue, sitting in front of a blue background, looking at a laptop, with a microphone and headphones on.

EarBuds founder Arielle Nissenblatt

Founder Arielle Nissenblatt first fell in love with podcasts while stuck in Los Angeles traffic, using audio storytelling to make long commutes more enjoyable.

Like many listeners, she had a handful of favorite shows on repeat — but she knew there had to be more great podcasts out there, ripe for discovery.

So she asked friends to recommend their favorite episodes. Then friends of friends joined in. What began as a casual exchange of podcast recommendations eventually grew into EarBuds Podcast Collective, a weekly podcast newsletter dedicated to helping listeners discover their next favorite show.

EarBuds is a free weekly email newsletter that features:

  • One theme each week

  • Five hand-picked podcast episodes

  • Curated by a different guest curator every Sunday

Each edition is thoughtfully assembled by podcast lovers, creators, journalists, and industry experts. It’s a community-driven initiative, made by people, not AI algorithms.

The result is a human-powered discovery engine for podcasts of all genres, from narrative journalism and pop culture to business, history, wellness, and beyond.

EarBuds is read by thousands of podcast listeners around the world and has been spotlighted as a trusted resource for discovering new podcasts, supporting independent creators, and highlighting standout episodes that deserve more attention.

Whether you’re new to podcasts or a lifelong listener, EarBuds Podcast Collective helps you spend less time searching and more time listening.

The EarBuds Team

Close-up of a smiling young woman with long, wavy brown hair, wearing a black sleeveless top and white earbuds, with a torn paper background.

Arielle Nissenblatt

Founder & Curator

Arielle is the founder of EarBuds Podcast Collective, which has been running since 2017. She has worked in many aspects of the podcast industry, including as a studio manager, an in-app curator at Castbox, a festival organizer at Outlier PodFest, an event speaker, a marketing and strategy expert, and more. Arielle is a graduate of the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. She is on the Board of Governors for The Podcast Academy. She is a 2026 inductee of the Podcast Hall of Fame.

She wants to help you find your next favorite podcast!

Young woman with glasses and curly hair smiling and giving a thumbs-up, wearing a colorful, tropical tee, taped to a black background with purple tape.

Abby Klionsky

Editor-in-Chief

Abby has been editing and advising on the EarBuds weekly email since its inception, and has spent many years editing academic papers, too. She loves well-told history, good interviews, hikes with views, working with kids, and the Oxford comma.