Draft:Canadian True Crime Podcast
Canadian True Crime is a true crime podcast created, hosted and produced by Australian emigrant Kristi Lee, who is based in the Greater Toronto Area.
Canadian True Crime unravels and analyzes thought-provoking crime cases through immersive audio storytelling.
Episodes are scripted using facts already on the public record including court documents, inquiry reports, news archives and relevant studies—and often includes the participation of victims and survivors.
With over 65 million downloads as of 2024, Canadian True Crime is Canada’s top indie podcast and was named by Apple Podcasts as the #5 podcast in Canada overall for 2023.[1]
History and development
[edit]Inspired by the single-narrator format of Casefile and They Walk Among Us, and after immersing herself in the Facebook community for true crime podcasts, Lee realized there was an opportunity in the podcast world to cover and share Canadian stories. She decided to challenge herself to start a podcast of her own as a personal passion project that covered solved, true crime cases in Canada.
Lee recorded the first episode in her bedroom closet and released it in January 2017. A few hours after releasing her first episode, Lee had close to 400 downloads. She told the Globe and Mail she felt it was demonstrative of the demand for Canadians wanting their own cases covered.[2] From then on, she kept making more episodes while also working her full-time job in communications and marketing.[3]
Canadian True Crime is an immersive, scripted audio presentation that presents Canadian crime stories as told by a narrator. Facts are curated from court documents, news archives and other sources already in the public domain, and episodes often include a look at media coverage and community impact as well as insights into relevant social and historical factors.
It is funded primarily through advertising.
The podcast has been exclusively hosted and represented by Acast since 2020.[4]
Production
[edit]Canadian True Crime is recorded in a full home studio. Episodes are typically an hour long, with some split into mini series.
Lee is the primary writer and researcher. The full list of sources, resources and credits can be found on the page for each episode.
Canadian True Crime is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and all podcast players. Episodes are also available to stream directly from the Canadian True Crime website.
The podcast releases at least two episodes most months with no set release schedule.
Reception
[edit]Canadian True Crime is consistently among the top podcasts on the Canadian podcast charts, with over 65 million downloads as of 2024, and more than 14,000 ratings and reviews on Apple Podcasts.
Canadian True Crime was selected for Apple Podcasts' Best Listens 2019 (Canada) list[5], the ten Biggest Shows of 2020 (Canada)[6], and was named #4 in the Top Shows for Canada in 2022.[7] The podcast was also named one of CBC’s Best Podcasts of 2022.[8]
In 2023, CTC was named by Apple Podcasts as the #5 podcast in Canada overall[9], the #2 True Crime podcast in Canada overall, and episode 122 (Jacob Hoggard Part 1) was named the top episode in Canada overall.
Spotify and Amazon Music featured Canadian True Crime as part of their Canadian entry campaigns which included digital billboards at Toronto Union Station and Yonge & Dundas Square.
Charity
[edit]Canadian True Crime donates monthly to Canadian charitable organizations that help victims and survivors of injustice, including:
- Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime
- Black Lives Matter Canada
- Indian Residential Schools Survivors Society
- True North Aid
- First Nations Child & Family Caring Society
- Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters
- Women’s Sexual Assault Centre of Renfrew County
- Sun Youth Organization
- Tim’s Tribute
External Links
[edit]See Also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Apple shares the most popular podcasts of 2023". Apple Newsroom. Apple.
- ^ "Canadian True Crime's Kristi Lee: I didn't expect to get to 'a point where I would be able to monetize the podcast'". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ "Canadian True Crime's Kristi Lee: I didn't expect to get to 'a point where I would be able to monetize the podcast'". The Globe and Mail. Andrea Yu.
- ^ "Acast launches in Canada". podnews.
- ^ "Apple releases its best of podcasts, apps and games of 2019". Daily Hive Canada. Ainsley Smith.
- ^ "The best podcasts in the world - Apple Podcasts 2020". podnews. James Cridland.
- ^ "Apple Podcasts: Top shows for Canada in 2022". podnews.
- ^ "The best podcasts of 2022". CBC. CBC Radio.
- ^ "Apple shares the most popular podcasts of 2023". Apple newsroom. Apple.