Political Beats
Political Beats, published by National Review, has Scot Bertram and Jeff Blehar interview guests from politics about their musical passions. The show has 161 episodes, released roughly every 34 days, with a median length of about 2 hours 50 minutes. Estimated downloads are 2,000 to 8,000 per episode, with a rate of $40 to $200 per episode.
Long-form music conversations with political commentators, with a loyal, highly rated listener base
- 547 Apple Podcasts ratings averaging 4.8 out of 5, with 90 percent five-star reviews
- 161 episodes covering artists from Steely Dan to Tom Waits in depth
- Listeners are mostly older, with an estimated 45 percent aged 45 and over
Brand fit report
Content
- Formats
- interview, co-hosted banter, album retrospective
- Tone
- conversational, knowledgeable
- Language
- English
- Production
- Clean, edited audio
- Typical length
- 2 hours 40 minutes to 3 hours 20 minutes
Audience
Commercial
- Brands seen
- National Review
- Categories promoted
- None yet
- Affiliate links
- No
No sponsor mentions found in the feed; the show is published under the National Review name and no funding links are listed.
Suitability GARM Brand Safety Floor + Suitability
Family friendly
Episode titles cover rock and pop artists and mainstream political commentators, with no explicit flags in the feed.
We classify content, never people. No age, gender, ethnicity, religion or political views are inferred about the creator. Audience figures are estimates unless marked verified. Creators can correct anything on their profile.
Where to listen
| Platform | Link |
|---|---|
| Website | www.nationalreview.com/media/political-beats |
| Apple Podcasts | podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1273580812 |
| RSS feed | feeds.simplecast.com/2V3ixohJ |
Benchmark score: 26 / 100
Public rule, same for everyone. How it works.
Recent episodes
| Episode | Date | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Episode 160: Eli Lake / Steely Dan | 2026-08-20 | 3 h 17 min |
| Episode 159: Nic Rowan / Sleater-Kinney | 2026-07-14 | 2 h 45 min |
| Episode 158: Andrew Gretes / XTC [Part 2] | 2026-05-31 | 2 h 41 min |
| Episode 157: Andrew Gretes / XTC [Part 1] | 2026-04-30 | 3 h 5 min |
| Episode 156: Jack Butler / The Apples in Stereo | 2026-04-03 | 2 h 58 min |
| Episode 155: Ivan Pongracic / Deep Purple | 2026-02-24 | 3 h 27 min |
Last six episodes from the show's feed, latest 60 days ago, a new one about every 34 days.
Scot Bertram and Jeff Blehar discuss ask guests from the world of politics about their musical passions.
About Political Beats
Political Beats is a music-focused podcast published by National Review and hosted on Simplecast. Scot Bertram and Jeff Blehar interview guests from the world of politics about the music they love, covering artists such as Steely Dan, XTC, Tom Waits and Stevie Wonder. The feed lists 161 episodes, released about every 34 days, with a median length of roughly 2 hours 50 minutes.
Apple Podcasts shows 547 ratings with a 4.8 average, which the feed and Apple data support as a loyal listener base. Audience figures are estimates: about 2,000 to 8,000 downloads per episode, skewing toward listeners aged 45 and over, mostly in the United States. The show has no sponsors visible in the feed.
A sponsorship at the estimated audience size would cost roughly $40 to $200 per host-read mid-roll. That suits music-related and premium lifestyle brands that want a considered, long-form audience.
Written from the show's public RSS feed, its Podcast Index listing and episode titles. Numbers updated 2026-10-19. Political Beats can edit or remove this page at any time.
Questions about Political Beats
How much does Political Beats charge for a podcast sponsorship?
Political Beats has an estimated rate of about $40 to $200 per host-read mid-roll, based on an estimated 2,000 to 8,000 downloads per episode. Final pricing depends on episode placement and the terms agreed with the show.
What is Political Beats about?
Political Beats is a podcast from National Review in which hosts Scot Bertram and Jeff Blehar interview political figures about their favorite music. Episodes run long and cover a wide range of rock, pop and classic artists.
How do I contact Political Beats about sponsoring an episode?
The show's contact email unlocks on Starbooked for $0.80. Boosted shows can also be booked through Starbooked, so you can reach the show from the directory listing.
Similar creators
Podcast and other creators in music history, ranked by score.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ROCK AND/OR ROLLpodcast | music historyrock music | 5k | – | $40–200 | 83 |
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Radio Meneapodcast | latin musicmusic history | 5k | – | $40–200 | 22 |
Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Matépodcast · US | political commentarynews analysis | 40k | – | $360–1500 | 100 |
Next Up with Mark Halperinpodcast | us politicspolitical commentary | 50k | – | $360–2000 | 100 |