If you want to speak Spanish, you must spend a lot of time listening to Spanish. Listening should take up a large percentage of your study time and be your top priority. Podcasts are an incredible tool for listening practice because they are available at all levels and there is a podcast for every interest. You can put on a podcast and get passive Spanish input while doing chores or exercising, or you can use a podcast transcript and actively go through the podcast bit by bit. How you incorporate podcasts into your study schedule is dependent on your level and study goals. Below you will find great podcasts for every level, but I encourage you to also find some on your own. While all the links below are for Spotify, most of these podcasts are also available on other popular podcast platforms.
Beginner
Listening to podcasts is a big leap because it removes all context and visual cues. Even if you have been studying Spanish for a while, podcasts may still be difficult. You may know every word in a sentence, but still struggle to understand them when heard. That is why, even if your overall level is intermediate, you may still want to listen to beginner podcasts. You don’t need to understand everything in the podcast, it’s good to stretch a little above your level because you’ll learn new words through context. However, if you start zoning out from the podcast because you don’t understand anything, then you should find something easier to listen to.
Coffee Break Spanish
“Coffee Break Spanish” is a great podcast for beginners because the hosts explain Spanish grammar in English with examples and lots of detail. This podcast is great for learning grammar or reinforcing the grammar you’ve already learned.
SpanishPod101
“SpanishPod101” is another great podcast for beginners that will introduce you to Spanish grammar with explanations in English.
Cuéntame
“Cuéntame” is a fantastic podcast for easing into fully Spanish listening. Marta speaks slowly and clearly, using beginner-friendly vocabulary. Plus, each episode includes a free transcript, making it perfect for shadowing!
Chill Spanish Listening Practice
This Spanish podcast helps improve your listening comprehension with everyday topics, spoken in clear and natural Spanish. It’s great for beginners who are nearing the intermediate level.
Learn Spanish with Stories
“Learn Spanish with Stories” is exactly what it sounds like, the host teaches Spanish through culturally relevant stories. The narratives are simple and easy to follow, with helpful context provided in English before each story.
Intermediate
Podcasts at the intermediate level cover a wide variety of topics, grammar, and vocabulary. They are still spoken in clear, slow Spanish, but the vocabulary and grammar are much more varied than that of beginner podcasts. You may find them much more difficult than the beginner podcasts when you first start listening, but after a few weeks of repeated listening they should become easier. Many podcasts also provide transcripts, which you can use to help increase your comprehension. I recommend starting with shorter podcasts so you can listen to the episodes multiple times.
Españolistos
“Españolistos” is a podcast that helps you learn Spanish through natural conversations and structured teaching. The Spanish host, Andrea, asks the American host, Nate, questions in Spanish and introduces new topics. This teaching format allows listeners to learn from Nate’s mistakes and gain insights from a fellow learner’s perspective.
Easy Spanish
The “Easy Spanish” podcast explores a wide range of topics in clear, comprehensible Spanish. With such diverse content, you’re sure to find something that interests you!
Intermediate Spanish Podcast
This podcast covers a wide variety of interesting topics in easy-to-understand European Spanish. While many topics are complex, the host, Cesar, does an excellent job of making them accessible by providing plenty of context for new and difficult words.
Conversations in Spanish
“Conversations in Spanish” is a talk show where the host interviews native Spanish speakers from around the world, exploring their life experiences and cultures.
Advanced
At the advanced level, it’s time to start listening to podcasts created for native speakers. This will be very difficult at first, but as you listen, it will get easier. I recommend starting with just one podcast and listening to most of their episodes. Everyone speaks differently, and by listening to just one podcast, you will get used to the way the hosts talk, and you’ll have an easier time understanding the podcast. Every time you start listening to a new podcast, you need to get used to the way the host speaks before it becomes easy to understand. It takes hundreds of hours of listening, to easily understand most everyday topics, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t understand everything right away.
Radio Ambulante
“Radio Ambulante” is a podcast that tells the diverse stories of people throughout Latin America.
Leyendas Legendarias
This popular comedy podcast explores true crime stories, paranormal activity, and peculiar historical events—anything unusual or fantastical is up for discussion!
Relatos de la Noche
This podcast shares ghost stories and tales of paranormal and mythical creatures that roam the streets of Latin America.
Las Alucines
“Las Alucines” is a comedy podcast where the two hosts share stories and anecdotes from their lives. It’s a great way to pick up slang and listen to natural Spanish conversation!
Nadie Sabe Nada
“Nadie Sabe Nada” is another comedy talk-show where the hosts improvise and talk about whatever they want.
Historia para Tontos
In this podcast, the hosts discuss various historical figures and periods in history, all in a fun, comedic talk-show style.
Jefillysh
“Jefillysh” is a podcast that covers relevant science topics and discoveries in a way that is easy-to-understand and digest!
Other Podcasts
You can find other popular podcasts to listen to by going to Spotify’s podcast carts and selecting a Spanish-speaking country. In the charts, you can also see which podcasts are the most popular by category.
Additional Listening Resources
LibriVox
LibriVox is a free digital library where you can download audiobooks for out-of-copyright books that are in the public domain. There are hundreds of classics available to listen to in Spanish and new ones are constantly being added.
ivoox – Freemium
iVoox is an audiobook and podcast platform with a vast selection of Spanish-language content. While most podcasts are free to listen to, accessing audiobooks requires a $12 monthly subscription.
storytel – Premium
Storytel is a subscription-based audiobook service, where, unlike Audible, you get access to the entire library. When you create your account make sure you choose a Spanish speaking country or you won’t have access to as much Spanish content. Depending on the country, the price is $7.50 to $7.99 USD per month for unlimited access.
Audible.es – Premium
Audible.es is the Spanish version of Audible, with thousands of Spanish audiobooks available for you to listen to. If you are trying to access it from outside Spain, you may first be redirected to the Audible website for your country. If this happens, click on the banner that pops up and confirm you want to go to audible.es. You get one free book for signing up for the 30-day trial and after that, it’s €9.99 for one book per month.
If you are on mobile, click the Marketplace button at the bottom of your screen.
Next, select Audible.es and sign in with your Amazon account. You will most likely need to create a new Amazon account, but you can use the same email as your main account. Once you’re logged in, you have a wide variety of Spanish audiobooks and thousands of hours of content available to listen to.
VK – Audiolibros
VK has a page for Spanish audiobooks many of which also include the text file in the discription. However, although many audiobooks are still available, the page is unfortnunatly no longer maintained, so no new titles have been added in several years. To be able to access these books, you will need to create a VK account.
