Criminal is an award-winning, independent podcast about people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle. Launched in 2014, the show is renowned for its empathetic storytelling, meticulous research, and high production quality. Hosted by Phoebe Judge and co-created with Lauren Spohrer, Criminal explores a wide range of true crime stories with a focus on complexity and nuance. In early 2024, Criminal, along with sibling podcasts 'This is Love' and 'Phoebe Reads a Mystery,' became independent, operating under the new entity Criminal Productions.
Serves as the primary hub for podcast production, including research, writing, recording, sound design, editing, and business operations for Criminal Productions.
Likely includes professional home studio setups and collaborative remote working environments rather than a large, traditional office.
Creative, journalistic, detail-oriented, and collaborative, focusing on producing high-quality narrative audio storytelling. Emphasizes empathy and thorough research.
The operational core for creating and distributing the Criminal podcast and other productions by the team, maintaining its distinct style and quality independently.
While production is primarily based in the United States, Criminal podcast has a significant global listenership. The podcast is distributed digitally via major podcast platforms, making it accessible to audiences worldwide who are interested in thoughtful true crime storytelling.
[Information not publicly available, operates with a primary base in Durham]
Durham
North Carolina
USA
Address: N/A
Allows access to a wider talent pool and provides flexibility for the production team.
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As of April 2025, Criminal' leadership includes:
Criminal has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:
The most significant change in the last 12 months was Criminal (along with 'This is Love' and 'Phoebe Reads a Mystery') transitioning to an independent production model under Criminal Productions, departing from the Vox Media Podcast Network in early 2024. This move positions co-creators Phoebe Judge and Lauren Spohrer as primary leaders of their independent entity.
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Criminal podcast provides a general contact email address for inquiries. While specific individual professional email addresses for the team are not publicly listed, a common format for smaller, domain-based organizations is often [first_name]@[domain.com].
Likely [first_name]@thisiscriminal.com or similar structure for internal team members; general inquiries use hello@thisiscriminal.com.
Format
hello@thisiscriminal.com
Example
95%
Success rate
Deadline • January 16, 2024
Phoebe Judge and Lauren Spohrer, the creators and hosts of hit podcasts Criminal and This Is Love, are taking their shows independent from the Vox Media Podcast Network. The pair, who also produce Phoebe Reads a Mystery, are launching their own company Criminal Productions....more
The Hollywood Reporter • January 16, 2024
Phoebe Judge and Lauren Spohrer are taking their popular podcasts 'Criminal' and 'This Is Love' independent from Vox Media, forming their own company called Criminal Productions. The shows had been with Vox Media since 2021....more
InsideRadio • January 17, 2024
Phoebe Judge and Lauren Spohrer, the creators of the popular podcasts 'Criminal' and 'This Is Love,' have announced they are taking their shows independent from the Vox Media Podcast Network. They will now operate under their newly formed company, Criminal Productions....more
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