Hosted by Nick Spitzer, American Routes is syndicated by 225 stations, with over half a million listeners.

American Routes is the most widely heard regular presence for tradition-derived and community-based music on public radio today.

It was created by Nick Spitzer and Mary Beth Kirchner, who had worked together previously producing segments for All Things Considered.

[3] While in Lafayette, Spitzer and his crew produced a series of shows called After the Storm,[4] which "followed the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast through the stories and songs of its musicians".

The show consists of songs arranged around interviews, usually of musicians or field audio from various cultural events or institutions.