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Casefile
Presentation
Hosted byAnonymous host
GenreTrue crime
LanguageEnglish
Production
ProductionMike Migas
Theme music composed byMike Migas, Andrew Joslyn
Audio formatPodcast
No. of episodes271 cases (317 episodes)
Publication
Original release9 January 2016
ProvideriTunes, Google Podcasts, SoundCloud
LicenseCommercial
Related
Websitecasefilepodcast.com

Casefile is an Australian crime podcast that first aired in January 2016 and is hosted by an Australian man who remains anonymous. The podcast, produced by Casefile True Crime Podcast, is usually released on a Saturday for three consecutive weeks, with a bonus episode on the fourth week. The series deals with solved or cold criminal cases, often related to well-known murders and serial crimes. Unlike a number of similar podcasts, the series is fully scripted and narrated, while relying primarily on original police or mass-media documents, eyewitness accounts, and interview or public announcement recordings.[1]

Many early episodes relate to Australian cases (e.g., Port Arthur or the Snowtown murders), although notable crimes from the UK and the US were increasingly featured,[2] and well-known cases from other countries have also been included. Larger and more-complex cases have received multiple-week serialised broadcasts, and case updates to previously aired cases are also provided from time to time. The series has been well received, and has won a number of awards since its debut.

Production

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Casefile first aired on 9 January 2016[3] and was conceived by an anonymous Australian host who started producing the show in 2015 in his spare room.[2][4] The host had just had surgery and was listening to a lot of podcasts and true-crime shows (e.g. The Joe Rogan Experience, Hardcore History, Serial, and Making A Murderer) at the time, and felt encouraged by Joe Rogan to make his own based on in-depth research and a storytelling style.[5] According to several sources, the host remains anonymous because he wants the show to focus primarily on the stories, facts, and the questions raised.[5][6][7]

In its current format, the 2024 Casefile team consists of the host/narrator, two composers, a creative director, a digital media/designer, and three researcher/writers (and a producer for the Portuguese version).[8] It has also had a producer/composer, "since about episode 7", which led to the first six episodes being reworked.[5] Researchers have also travelled internationally to access primary resources in some cases, such as former researcher and co-writer Anna Priestland,[9] who travelled from Melbourne to visit the UK National Archives in Kew in 2017 to examine police files on Myra Hindley.[2] Since 2018, a number of cases have also been written and researched by the Australian author Eileen Ormsby.

Episodes

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Main article: List of Casefile True Crime Podcast episodes

Most episodes remain publicly available once released. One episode, Case 55 (Simone Strobel, released 15 July 2017), was removed due to legal issues, although general details of the podcast itself are still publicly available.[10][11][12] Others (Cases 19 (Snowtown, released 14 May 2016) and 30 (The Claremont Serial Killer, released 20 August 2016)) have been temporarily removed with the intention of updating and/or improving them.[13][14]

Reception

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Along with the recent rise in true crime podcasting, as seen in series such as Serial or S-Town, the show was reviewed positively by several sources.[4][5][15][16][17] One early review focussed on the differences to similar shows noticeable in the production, such as its sombre music and limited host editorialising, while also avoiding the use of primary materials by simply replaying news clips, emergency calls, and interviews.[18] Other reviewers have commented on the strengths of the show's research, on its extensive reviewing of people and places in their cultural context, and on its impact on the genre.[7] In contrast, factors such as the lack of host transparency, the length and detail of some episodes or series, and the lack of variety of format have been regarded as criticisms.[19]

In Australia, the podcast has consistently been in the top 10 since May 2016.[20] By episode 99, the show was appearing in the podcast charts in 107 different countries.[21] Download statistics by iTunesChart.net show that Casefile had charted in the top 100 in 5 regions, with peak ranking positions including: Australia (2), Canada (9), Germany (68), United Kingdom (11), and United States (7).[22] Overall, as of July 2019, individual episodes have been downloaded more than 275 million times.[23] As of 2022, it was still being downloaded over 2 million times a month.[24]

Awards

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Since 2016, the show has received numerous awards:

  • Apple Podcasts (Best of 2016–2023)[25][26]
  • CastAway 2017 Australian Podcast Awards[25]
  • Discover Pods award (Most Innovative Podcast 2017)[27]
  • Off the Charts 2017[25]
  • Spotify Podcasts of the Decade

Related content

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Each case includes a corresponding page on the Casefile Presents official homepage, which details information such as special thank-yous, official support phone numbers, and websites (for Australia, the UK, the US, Canada and New Zealand), other credits, and resources (such as books, websites, videos, documents, articles, maps, wanted posters, and suspect sketches). Warnings are regularly given at the start of podcasts due to the graphic content. It is available via numerous sites.[28] Since 2018, a companion YouTube channel also offers the show's episodes.

Early in the show's history, updates to cases were also occasionally aired as breakthroughs or other significant events occurred. However, as the podcast evolved, these began to be placed behind a voluntary subscription paywall. In July 2019, it was announced that these updates would now be spun out into an informal companion series, From the Files, to be aired monthly in the show's off week.[29][30][31] To replace it, a new patron only show called Behind the Files debuted the same month. It was announced in December 2019, however, that From the Files would be put on hiatus for 2020.[32] In September 2023, it was announced that a new companion podcast "loosely based" on From the Files would be starting, hosted by Raquel O'Brien.[33]

Casefile Presents also produces and releases a number of crime podcasts besides Casefile[34][35] including: The Vanishing of Vivienne Cameron (2020) – covered in episode 80; Searching For Sarah MacDiarmid (2021); The Detective’s Dilemma (2022); Matty (2022); The Frankston Murders (2023)- covered in episode 23; and, Dragonfly (2023). Since 2020, a Portuguese version of the show, known as Casefile True Crime – Edição Oficial em Português, is also produced.[36]

In August 2022, an official card-based boardgame (similar in play to Cluedo) was released by Goliath Games, a Dutch game manufacturer. Titled Casefile: Truth & Deception Board Game[37] players, acting as private detectives, try to solve the murder mystery of a businessman.[38]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The best Australian podcasts to listen to right now". TechRadar. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Podcast becomes global hit as it examines UK's most notorious crimes". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  3. ^ "AMA with the host of Casefile True Crime". WhatPods. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Casefile: How an anonymous Australian created one of the world's best true crime podcasts". 9news.com.au. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d "Casefile: True Crime Podcast creator reveals story behind popular series". pickle.nine.com.au. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  6. ^ "9 Podcasts To Binge If You're Obsessed With True Crime". SHE'SAID'. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Best Casefile Podcast Episodes: True Crime Fan Picks". wiredclip.com. 15 January 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  8. ^ "About". Casefile: True Crime Podcast. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  9. ^ "Anna Priestland had an idea, so she emailed her favourite podcasters". amp.smh.com.au. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  10. ^ "Inquest hears Strobel boyfriend suspected in death". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 July 2007. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  11. ^ "Toby Moran's life under scrutiny by police 12 years after his girlfriend's mysterious death". News.com.au. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  12. ^ "Case 55: Simone Strobel by Casefile True Crime on Podchaser". Podchaser. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  13. ^ "Case 19: Snowtown". Casefile: True Crime Podcast. 14 May 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  14. ^ "Casefile: True Crime Podcast – Case 30: The Claremont Serial Killer". Casefile: True Crime Podcast. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  15. ^ Garber-Paul, Elisabeth (22 July 2016). "Beyond 'Serial': 10 True Crime Podcasts You Need to Follow". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  16. ^ "The 12 Best True Crime Podcasts Of 2018". LBC. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  17. ^ "Casefile True Crime popularity & fame | YouGov". yougov.co.uk. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  18. ^ Bulnes, Rebecca. "Our favorite podcasts of 2016". AUX. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  19. ^ "Casefile Podcast Review". True Crime Connection. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  20. ^ "iTunesCharts.net: 'Casefile True Crime' by Casefile True Crime (Australian Podcasts iTunes Chart)". itunescharts.net. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  21. ^ "Casefile: true crime with a mysterious host". RNZ. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  22. ^ "iTunesCharts.net: 'Casefile True Crime' by Casefile True Crime (International iTunes Chart Performance)". itunescharts.net. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  23. ^ "Casefile True Crime: Casefile Presents – From the Files – a new Casefile show on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  24. ^ "Podcast Ranker: Casefile True Crime begins year on top – AdNews". adnews.com.au. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  25. ^ a b c "Welcome to Casefile: True Crime Podcast". Casefile: True Crime Podcast. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  26. ^ "Welcome to Casefile: True Crime Podcast". Casefile: True Crime Podcast. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  27. ^ "The 2017 Discover Pods Awards Winners | Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods". Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  28. ^ "Casefile True Crime". audioboom.com. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  29. ^ "Home". From the Files. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  30. ^ "Casefile Is Dropping A Brand New Podcast Called 'From The Files' This Weekend". Pedestrian TV. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  31. ^ "Casefile Presents – From the Files – a new Casefile show". Audioboom. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  32. ^ "Casefile True Crime: End of Year Message on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  33. ^ "Unfiltered". Casefile Presents. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  34. ^ "Our Shows". Casefile Presents. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  35. ^ "When the truth is more shocking than fiction – The Bakersfield Three". Close to the Mic – Podcast News and Reviews from New Zealand, Australia and Asia. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  36. ^ "Edição Oficial em Portugês". Casefile: True Crime Podcast. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  37. ^ "Casefile: Truth & Deception Board Game – Casefile Podcast". Casefile: True Crime Podcast. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  38. ^ Gamer, Jim (12 September 2022). "Casefile: Truth & Deception Board Game Review". Jim Gamer. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
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