Where can I subscribe to or stream Rachel Maddow’s podcasts and are they free or behind a paywall?
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Executive summary
Rachel Maddow’s podcasts are widely available across major podcast platforms — Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Audible, Podbean and aggregator sites — with a dedicated “Rachel Maddow Presents” feed collecting her narrative series and her regular “The Rachel Maddow Show” episodes [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]. Most episodes appear in free feeds you can follow and stream (multiple aggregator listings state free listening), but some early-access, ad-free or bonus content is promoted behind an “MS NOW Premium” / “MSNBC Premium” tier on Apple Podcasts [7] [8] [9].
1. Where to find her shows: mainstream platforms and a “presents” hub
Rachel Maddow’s output is spread across mainstream services: Apple Podcasts lists both “The Rachel Maddow Show” and the “Rachel Maddow Presents” series such as “Burn Order” [1] [7]; Spotify carries “Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra” [2]; iHeart hosts “Burn Order” listings [3]; Audible and Podbean also list “The Rachel Maddow Show” podcast [4] [5]. Simplecast hosts specific narrative series’ pages like “Ultra,” and radio.net, player.fm and other aggregators also mirror her feeds and episodes [6] [10] [11].
2. Free availability: most episodes are on free feeds
Multiple aggregator pages and podcast directories state you can “listen online for free” or “free listening” to The Rachel Maddow Show and the Rachel Maddow Presents feed [8] [12] [5] [11]. Those listings indicate that standard episodes and many narrative-series installments are available without a paid subscription in common podcast apps or via web players [8] [11].
3. Where paywalls appear: MS NOW / MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts
Apple’s listings for Maddow’s new series explicitly promote an MS NOW Premium (also referenced as MSNBC Premium in some directories) subscription on Apple Podcasts for early access, bonus episodes and ad-free versions; the Burn Order page and other feeds encourage signing up to get early-access or bonus/ad-free content [7] [3]. Several platform pages repeat the same upsell language: subscribe to the premium tier to avoid ads or get episodes earlier [8] [4].
4. What you get behind the paywall—and what you don’t
Available sources advertise that premium subscribers receive early access, bonus material and ad-free content for “this and other podcasts” on the MS NOW/Apple Podcasts premium tier [7] [3] [8]. Aggregators repeatedly urge users to “sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to get early-access” while still listing regular episodes in free feeds [7] [8]. Sources do not detail exact pricing, trial lengths, or geographic restrictions for the premium offering (not found in current reporting).
5. How networks and platforms frame the incentives
MS NOW and the Rachel Maddow feeds are presented as both editorial brands (a nightly show, award-winning narrative podcasts) and commercial products: the same pages that promote free listening also highlight awards and chart success while simultaneously marketing premium subscriptions for ad-free and early-access perks [1] [13] [9]. That mixed messaging reflects a dual strategy: broad reach through free distribution and monetization via platform-tied premium access [1] [8].
6. Practical advice for listeners who want to avoid surprises
If you want to listen without paying, follow or subscribe to the free “Rachel Maddow Presents” and “The Rachel Maddow Show” feeds on your preferred app (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Podbean, radio.net, player.fm) where many episodes are available free [1] [2] [3] [5] [10] [11]. If you want ad-free episodes, bonus content or early releases, be prepared to sign up for MS NOW / MSNBC Premium via Apple Podcasts as promoted on multiple listings [7] [8] [3]. Sources do not say whether the premium content is exclusive to Apple’s ecosystem or whether the same paywalled extras appear identically on other platforms (not found in current reporting).
7. Competing viewpoints and commercial interests to note
Platform pages and aggregators uniformly promote both the editorial acclaim of Maddow’s projects and the premium upsell; those are simultaneous messages from the same commercial hosts (Apple’s premium program, MS NOW branding) rather than independent critique [1] [7] [8]. Independent directories emphasize “free listening” while Apple’s official show pages point directly to MS NOW Premium for early/ad-free access, showing a friction point between free reach and platform monetization [7] [11].
Limitations: these sources outline availability and the advertised premium offer but do not provide price, regional availability, or detailed terms for MS NOW / MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts; those specifics are not found in current reporting (not found in current reporting).