With podcasts’ recent rise in popularity, there are a plethora of topics to choose from. That being said, The Lord of the Rings fans will surely be able to find something for them. But, with so many podcasts available the only question is which ones are the best? Let’s take a look at our 15 best The Lord of the Rings podcasts.
To make sure you find the right one for your particular taste make sure to keep reading this article as it provides a brief description of the 15 best The Lord of the Rings podcasts out there.
1. An Unexpected Podcast: Talikn’ Tolkien
We start off our list of best Lord of the Rings podcasts with An Unexpected Podcast: Talikn’ Tolkien. An Unexpected Podcast: Talikn’ Tolkien is hosted by two longtime friends and fans on everything Lord of the Rings and Tolkien’s work in general. Ezra and Lane re-read the original trilogy and deal with different aspects of what they read. Some of the topics of these discussions include the plot, fan theories, things you may have missed on your first read, and a wide array of hosts’ speculations regarding the franchise.
The podcast will entertain any Lord of the Rings fan but one thing to keep in mind is that the episodes are much longer than an average podcast episode, sometimes upwards of three hours which is why it is not a good choice for people who don’t have much time on their hands. To check them out you can find the podcast here.
2. By-The-Bywater podcast
By-The-Bywater podcast is not strictly focused on the Lord of the Rings trilogy itself but rather on J. R. R. Tolkien’s general work. The three hosts, Ned, Oriana, and Jared each in order to pick a subject of their discussion for each episode.
Aside from Tolkien’s work, the By-The-Bywater podcast also discusses relevant news, rip-offs, and parodies of Tolkien’s work as well as other things of interest to them. There is a brief description of each one of their episodes which is extremely helpful when deciding if you want to listen to or skip a certain episode. You can find them here.
3. Lord of the Rings Minute podcast
Lord of the Rings Minute is the first podcast on this list that deals with the movies exclusively. The hosts take a detailed look into each minute of the original trilogy directed by Peter Jackson.
The hosts discuss the way movies were made while watching extended editions of the movies and commentary of the movies while starting discussions regarding the movie’s plot, moviemaking techniques, and similar things.
If you think this could be something you’d enjoy, you can check the podcast out here.
4. The Prancing Pony podcast
The Prancing Pony podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by two devoted fans of J. R. R. Tolkien’s work. The basic premise of The Prancing Pony podcast is going through the entire work opus starting with Silmarilion and then moving to the Lord of the Rings series and the Hobbit.
The Prancing Pony podcast chronologically goes through the stories taking place in Middle Earth, discussing the wider picture of the franchise as well as putting certain flashbacks and filler stories from the original series into a comprehensive timeline.
If this sounds interesting and you want to check the podcast out it is available here.
5. So, You Want To Read Tolkien podcast
Next up on our list of best Lord of the Rings podcasts is So, You Want To Read Tolkien podcast. This podcast was started by three friends and longtime fans of the series tired of the rampant gatekeeping in the fandom. Caitlin, Rachel, and Emily discuss Tolkien’s work in a way that makes the podcast entertaining for any listener, regardless of their previous knowledge of Tolkien’s work.
So, You Want To Read Tolkien podcast looks into the entire Middle Earth-related content with a critical lens while pointing out problematic things in the series in-between moments of expressing their love for the series. Occasionally they release special episodes called Drunk Tolkien which are extremely entertaining.
If you want to know more about the podcast or perhaps check it out, you can find it here.
6. That’s What I’m Tolkien About podcast
That’s What I’m Tolkien About podcast is one of the most popular Lord of the Rings-related podcasts out there. This is in part due to its interesting premise. The host of the podcast is completely clueless regarding the series and in each episode she reads a part of the series and discusses what she read.
These discussions usually involve talking about the plot, her impressions, and things she did not like about it. Each episode features a guest host who is sometimes a longtime fan and other times completely clueless like the host.
If you want to check it out, the podcast is available here.
7. The Tolkien Heads podcast
The Tolkien Heads podcast is a chapter-by-chapter analysis of the Lord of the Rings series; however, unlike other podcasts with a similar premise, the hosts of The Tolkien Heads podcast are academics from various areas of the literature and language. The four hosts use their expertise to dissect Tolkien’s work by applying their individual specialties.
They also go through the content while observing it from random themes. These themes are unplanned and usually unrelated to the original series they are discussing.
If you want to check it out, the podcast is available here.
8. The Tolkien Professor podcast
If you ever sat in a literature class and thought to yourself that you would rather go through Tolkien’s work than the Russian classics, this is the The Tolkien Professor podcast for you.
The podcast is hosted by Professor Corey Olsen, President of Signum University, and has plenty of material to listen through. To go over the lectures as fast as possible check it out here.
9. The Tolkien Road podcast
The Tolkien Road podcast is hosted by John, who studies Tolkien’s work and writes about it often, alongside Greta who is a more casual fan of Tolkien’s work. The Tolkien Road podcast is structured as a chapter-by-chapter walkthrough of J. R. R. Tolkien’s works with an emphasis on simplifying more dense parts of his work, such as Silmarilion.
If you think this will be an interesting podcast or just want to refresh or summarize your reading experience check them out here.
10. History of Middle Earth Podcast
Next up on our list of best Lord of the Rings podcasts is the History of Middle Earth Podcast. If you ever wanted to learn more about the history of Middle Earth and what was happening to your favorite characters before the original series started History of Middle Earth Podcast is perfect for you.
The podcast explores the events that took place in Middle Earth but were not explored in the movies as well as how Middle Earth became what we get presented within the movies.
If this is a topic you’d want to learn more about, check the podcast out, it is available here.
11. Newcomers: The Lord of the Rings with Lauren Lapkus and Nicole Byer podcast
Newcomers: The Lord of the Rings with Lauren Lapkus and Nicole Byer podcast is not exclusively focused on the Lord of the Rings franchise; however, the entirety of the second season is dedicated to it. The premise of the podcast is that two hosts, Nicole and Lauren, catch up on every fantasy and science fiction franchise they missed out on.
The podcast follows them as they explore J. R. R. Tolkien’s magical world of Middle Earth. Check them out for their Lord of the Rings season and if you like it stick around if they cover any other franchise you enjoy.
12. There and Back Again podcast
There and Back Again podcast is another podcast focused on reading through The Lord of the Ring and The Hobbit series. The host read through the pages and leaves an occasional comment, which is why this is a perfect podcast for anyone who wants to revisit the books or listen to them for the first time.
If you want to listen to it the podcast is available here.
13. LOTRO Academy podcast
LOTRO Academy podcast is the first podcast on the list that focuses on the Lord of the Rings online game. It was created to help newer players to adjust to the game and catch up with the game’s mechanics and the way certain elements of the story work.
If you want to get into this game but are unsure how to start or what to do exactly check this podcast out to make your gaming experience easier.
14. Mythgard’s Exploring The Lord of the Rings podcast
Mythgard’s Exploring The Lord of the Rings podcast is a very deep dive into the Lord of the Rings text. It is one more podcast hosted by Professor Corey Olsen, President of Signum University, where he discusses his way through the Lord of the Rings sentence by sentence. He has been discussing the text every week for 4 years and is still in the Council of Elrond. They are projected to finish discussing the books sometime in 2035 or so!
At the end of each class, he also does a field trip in The Lord of the Rings Online, but that is by far the lesser and shorter element of the broadcast; it is a kind of bonus segment.
This is an extremely calm podcast that can be entertaining for anyone who wants to learn more about the world. It is available here.
15. The Green Dragon podcast
We’re ending our list of the best The Lord of the Rings podcasts with The Green Dragon podcast. The Green Dragon is another video game-based podcast. The host focuses on another popular Lord of the Rings game by Games Workshop. The host discusses different strategies applicable in the games, so if you are struggling with it this is a perfect podcast for you.
