Look, you’re a savvy, modern news consumer. You probably listen to podcasts all the time — you may even be listening to one right now.

But take your earbuds out for just a minute. Our new series, Listen Up, will not only recommend new podcasts to try and creators to watch but will also tell you about some of the biggest upcoming trends in podcasting. Want to find out where podcasting is truly king, and who’s shaking up the world of audio erotica? Read on.

The creators of the now-famous South Korean podcast Naneun Ggomsuda (“I’m a Sneaky Trickster”) couldn’t have known what they were setting into motion back when they began broadcasting their smash-hit political satire in 2011. Sure, the four-man comedic commentary team attracted 6 million downloads within months by taking potshots — mixed with serious political reporting — at the country’s conservative and allegedly corrupt ruling class.

But what started as a joke grew into a national trend that some say has helped transform the country’s media landscape. These days: Nearly 2 out of 3 South Koreans listen to podcasts --- the highest rate in the world.

While studying for a Ph.D. in mass communications at the University of South Carolina, Kelli Boling often found herself cutting across radio lines during her hour-and-a-half-long commute. Looking for something to occupy her time, she started listening to true crime podcasts. First Serial, made famous by NPR’s Sarah Koenig, and then Undisclosed, another deep dive on wrongful convictions. Then she found herself falling down an addictive audio rabbit hole, listening to everything from American Public Media’s In the Dark to The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Accused to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown.

Boling became curious: Was she the only woman deeply interested in these real-life tales of murder and violence? She decided to lead a study, which found that she was far from alone. In fact, according to her study, published in the Journal of Radio & Audio Media last year, nearly 75 percent of true crime podcast listeners are women.