Stuff You Should Know

What Stuff You Should Know does

Stuff You Should Know is a long-running educational podcast brand launched in 2008 and hosted continuously since inception by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant. The core product is a free, ad-supported audio show in which the two co-hosts research and explain diverse topics — science, history, true crime, culture, and general curiosity-driven subjects — in an unscripted conversational format. The catalog exceeds 2,100 episodes, with secondary formats (Short Stuff for shorter episodes, Selects for curated replays, and curated themed playlists) layered on top. Distribution is broad and platform-agnostic: iHeartRadio (the parent network's own platform), Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, and Stitcher, with no paywall or subscription required for the listener.

The business operates as a branded content property inside iHeartMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: IHRT), the diversified audio conglomerate that acquired the show from HowStuffWorks roots. Monetization flows through three streams: advertising/sponsorship embedded in episodes (handled at the network level by iHeartMedia), direct-to-consumer merchandise through a Cotton Bureau storefront, and a recurring live tour program that takes the hosts to theaters across the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Adjacent IP extensions — a branded Trivial Pursuit game, a published book, a one-season Science Channel TV adaptation, and Josh Clark's separate 'The End of the World' podcast — demonstrate an IP-extraction strategy beyond the core audio feed.

The go-to-market approach is product-led growth in its purest media form: free top-of-funnel content on all major podcast platforms, with social sharing and live touring as mid-funnel conversion mechanisms to merchandise and ticket sales. The company is privately operated as a brand unit within a public parent, has no independent funding rounds or outside investors, and reports no independent revenue line. Its competitive positioning rests on catalog depth, the consistent two-host chemistry after 18 years, and reach across all major podcast directories.

Name

Stuff You Should Know

Legal name

Stuff You Should Know (operated by iHeartMedia, Inc.)

Website

https://stuffyoushouldknow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Stuff You Should Know is a long-running educational podcast launched in 2008 and hosted by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant, distributed ad-free on all major podcast platforms and generating revenue through advertising, live touring, and branded merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Podcast

NAICS

Sound Recording Industries (5122), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Podcast Networks & Multi-Show Publishers (MPACADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Audio Learning Content (Podcasts, Audiobooks, Listening Programs) (EDAGALAM), Live Podcast Recordings (MPAGACAJ), Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE)

Keywords

• Educational podcast
• Audio content
• Podcast advertising
• Live show events
• Branded merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Podcast Content Distribution: The podcast is distributed freely across major podcast platforms including iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, and Stitcher. Revenue generation appears to come from podcast advertising, sponsorships, and merchandise sales through Cotton Bureau.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Stuff You Should Know is a long-running educational podcast launched in 2008 and hosted by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant, producing more than 2,100 conversational episodes covering science, history, true crime, culture, and other topics. The core audio content is distributed for free across major podcast platforms under the iHeartPodcast Network, with monetization derived from podcast advertising and sponsorships, plus complementary revenue from branded merchandise, a Trivial Pursuit game, a book, and live touring performances.

Product overview

Stuff You Should Know is a single unified podcast product that has expanded into multiple content formats and merchandise. The core offering is the main podcast featuring hosts Josh and Chuck, which spans more than 2100 episodes covering diverse educational topics. The product portfolio includes specialized episode formats (Short Stuff for brief topics, Selects for curated classics, and the Science Playlist for science-themed content), physical products (a Trivial Pursuit game and a book titled 'An Incomplete Compendium of Mostly Interesting Things'), a live touring experience with unscripted in-person shows, and a spin-off podcast ('The End of the World with Josh Clark'). The company previously operated a TV show on Science Channel for one season and sells branded merchandise through Cotton Bureau.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stuff You Should Know Podcast A long-running educational podcast hosted by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant, producing more than 2,100 episodes covering diverse topics including science, history, true crime, and culture, distributed free across major podcast platforms.
• Live Tour Shows

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• iHeartMediacoreTechnology or IntegrationiHeartMedia is the parent company and podcast network behind Stuff You Should Know. The show is distributed through iHeartRadio and produced under the iHeartPodcast Network. The contact email is [email protected].

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Welcome to Night Vale: Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor's long-running two-voice scripted podcast with a dedicated cult following and live touring. Comparable in longevity, two-presenter brand identity, live-show revenue, and merchandise/book extensions.
• Hidden Brain: Shankar Vedantam's NPR-distributed conversational podcast exploring human behavior and social science. Closely parallel to SYSK in single-host narrative-explainer format, broad educational scope, and ad-supported distribution through iHeart, Spotify, and Apple.
• Crime Junkie: Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat's long-running true-crime podcast from audiochuck. Highly comparable as a top-tier ad-supported podcast brand with a large back catalog, sponsor-driven monetization, and a strong live-events business.
• StarTalk Radio: Neil deGrasse Tyson's science-focused conversational podcast featuring guest experts. Directly comparable as a long-running, ad-supported educational podcast with TV-adjacent brand extension potential and similar celebrity-led audience pull.
• No Such Thing As A Fish: Knowledge-fact podcast from the QI team featuring four presenters sharing curious weekly facts. Direct overlap with SYSK's educational-conversation format, broad curiosity-driven topic range, and regular multi-presenter cadence.
• My Favorite Murder: Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark's long-running two-host conversational podcast. Closely mirrors SYSK in two-host chemistry-driven brand, distributed ad-supported model, live-tour business, and merchandise extensions through the Exactly Right network.
• Hardcore History: Dan Carlin's long-form educational podcast delivering scripted deep dives into history. Comparable as a premium, host-driven, evergreen educational show with a devoted niche audience and ad/merch-driven monetization.
• TED Radio Hour: NPR-produced curated adaptation of TED Talks organized around educational themes. Comparable in mission (distilling expert knowledge for general audiences), conversational explainer tone, and ad-supported distribution across major podcast platforms.
• Radiolab: WNYC Studios' flagship long-running educational podcast hosted by conversational presenters and built around diverse, curiosity-driven topics. Directly comparable in mission (accessible explanation of complex ideas), format (two-host dialogue), and ad-supported distribution model.
• Freakonomics Radio: Stephen Dubner's long-running educational podcast using conversational deep dives into science, economics, and culture. Comparable as a curiosity-driven, host-led, evergreen educational podcast distributed on the same major podcast platforms and monetized via advertising.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/syskpodcast
• Facebookfacebook.com/StuffYouShouldKnow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stuff-you-should-know

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stuff You Should Know