Hola, Spanish enthusiasts and maestros! Looking for the best podcast to learn Spanish fast or improve your level while multitasking? Look no further. I’ve done the research for you.
And wow, it took a while. There’s a million Spanish language podcasts from all over the Spanish-speaking world to choose between. Plus it’s hard for Spanish learners to find a good weekly podcast that’s kept up to date with regular publishing.
Fear not language learners! Today, we’ll take a dive into the joyous world of Spanish listening skills and vocabulary building by exploring the best podcasts to learn Spanish.
So, grab your headphones and a cup of coffee, or a mojito if it’s past cocktail o’clock, and let’s get you connected to some of the best Spanish podcasts. ¡Vamos, amigos!
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The best Spanish podcasts (in my humble opinion)
One podcast is never enough and that’s even truer when we’re talking about learning about something as deep, rich and far-reaching as the Spanish language.
Each and every Spanish podcast mentioned here is worth checking out. They all bring a different aspect of Spanish language and culture to the table.
But, if you want my picks of the crema catalana of the best Spanish language podcasts for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners of Spanish, here you have them. ¡Disfruta!
Top podcast for Spanish beginners
Coffee Break Spanish will have something for you from your very first day of learning Spanish. This is the place to start if you’re an absolute beginner who wants to speak Spanish.
Top podcast for Spanish intermediate learners
Conversations in Spanish is my top pick in the category of intermediate podcasts to learn Spanish. It offers you excellent variety in terms of topics and countries. The free supporting materials are detailed and will be helpful for serious learners of the Spanish language.
Top podcast for Spanish advanced learners
Radio Ambulante is a great all-rounder for advanced Spanish learners and one of the best language podcasts we found. You get to find out more about life in Latin America while you improve your Spanish with free learning resources.
What we think: if you really want to learn a language online, a curated online course like the ones Babbel offer is the best option.
5 quick tips for successful Spanish learning with podcasts
Before we get started, here are some top tips to help you make sure learning Spanish with podcasts actually works for you.
1. Play in the right league ⚽🇪🇸
If you’re a beginner, don’t try to run before you can walk: stick to podcasts for beginners. Otherwise, your mind will wander and you’ll give up. If you’re advanced, push yourself a bit and even consider choosing a podcast for native speakers.
2. Choose your Spanish flavor 🌮
Pick something you like. If you’re a beginner wanting to speak Spanish on holiday, choose the podcast that’s most suitable to achieve that goal. If you’re an intermediate or advanced Spanish learner, consider a topic for native Spanish speakers that you find interesting. If you don’t like the presenter or topic, move to another podcast.
3. Diversify your podcast playlist 🎧
Just like a tapas spread, sample different accents, speeds, and subjects. This not only keeps things interesting but also exposes you to various linguistic nuances and different aspects of Spanish culture.
4. Time it right ⏰
Ever tried focusing on listening to a foreign language during a siesta? Timing matters. Tune in when you’re most alert and receptive. Over your morning coffee perhaps? Or while conquering the treadmill.
For me, it works to listen for the first five minutes of the day over breakfast. Doesn’t sound like much? Well, five minutes is better than none at all, and if you like it, maybe you’ll stick around a bit longer.
5. Repeat and Remix 🔁
Repetition is essential for language mastery. If you’re a beginner learning by repetition, replay those tricky phrases until they roll off your tongue. If you’re listening to a podcast for a native Spanish speaker and struggling to follow, less is more. Better to listen to the same two minutes three times and understand it than listen for 10 minutes while letting your mind wander.
Remember, language learning is a journey, not a sprint. Listen to podcasts you enjoy and be consistent about doing a bit each day. Combine it with a properly curated Spanish course and you’ll soon be chatting away in Spanish and impressing everyone with your vocab!
What we think: This complete learning package is the best choice for self-study learners and Spanish teachers alike.
3 podcasts with easy-to-understand Spanish for beginners
Clear Spanish is essential if you’re going to succeed in learning a new language. Notes in Spanish and supporting materials to help you learn are also valuable.
Listening practice can be fun as long as you get a good teacher. I had this in mind while I was picking out these podcasts to help absolute beginners enjoy listening while they learn Spanish.
Coffee Break Spanish
URL: Coffee Break Spanish
Level: Starts at beginner in the early series and then progresses
Type of Spanish: European Spanish
Transcript & learning resources: yes, if you pay for the premium Coffee Break Spanish course.
A video and audio podcast with a long history. Consume your Spanish in short chunks of around 20 minutes along with a cup of coffee and a magdalena. The presenters are a native speaker accompanied by an English speaker. This is a great podcast to support your Spanish learning if you’re willing to dedicate time to it.
Check out Coffee Break Spanish.
News in Slow Spanish (Beginner)
URL: News in Slow Spanish
Level: Beginner
Type of Spanish: Latin American
Transcript & learning resources: yes, but you have to subscribe on the News in Slow Spanish website.
This podcast does what it says on the tin. You listen to stories from the news told very slowly, to make it easier for you to understand. The starter version of News in Slow Spanish is designed for false beginners. If that’s you, check it out because it’s a great way to expand your vocabulary and grammar while learning more about current affairs in Spanish-speaking countries.
On the downside, you can only have access to a limited amount of content with the free version. Still, it’s good for five minutes of listening practice over breakfast.
Check out News in Slow Spanish (Note that they also have versions for intermediate and advanced learners.)
Un Día en Español
URL: Un Día en Español
Level: pre-intermediate (A2-B1)
Type of Spanish: Latin American Spanish
Transcript: yes, click on this link to view the transcripts for Un Día en Español.
Learning resources: no, but check out the Babbel courses.
Produced by online language course provider Babbel, this monolingual Spanish podcast is a good choice for people who are still at an early point in their journey to learn Spanish. You’ll hear the story of a native Spanish speaker living in the USA or Latin America. The show is specially designed for Spanish learners.
Check out Un Día en Español.
What we think: best choice if you want to find a tutor for online langauge clases 1-to-1 or in a group.
3 good podcasts to learn Spanish for intermediate learners
If you have an intermediate level of Spanish, you’ve probably already done some Spanish lessons. You know that podcasts to learn Spanish are a good supporting resource.
So, for you intermediate learners, we’ve found some different options for your coffee-break Spanish immersion time. Below are some of the best podcasts to learn Spanish outside of the classroom.
Conversations in Spanish
Level: intermediate and advanced learners
Type of Spanish: Mainly Latin American with some European Spanish
Transcript & learning resources: yes, provided for free with links in the show notes on Spotify
This podcast feels like a labor of love. The producers strive to provide variety and topics that are both interesting and practical, for instance, an episode on how to buy a house in Mexico.
The conversations are natural but clear, which aids listening comprehension. The different supporting materials, including a transcript and bilingual glossary with English <> Spanish translation, are also excellent.
Check out Conversations in Spanish.
Fluent Fiction (Spanish)
URL: Fluent Fiction
Level: intermediate and upper-intermediate
Type of Spanish: Latin American Spanish
Transcript & learning resources: full transcript and bilingual Spanish–English glossary provided on Spotify under the episode.
An original podcast where you learn Spanish by listening to a story read first in Spanish and then line by line in Spanish with a translation to English. The stories come from all over the Spanish-speaking world and the podcast gives you a glimpse into different countries and cultures. This is a pleasurable and different way to learn Spanish.
Check out Fluent Fiction (Spanish).
Duolingo Spanish Podcast
Level: intermediate (but of interest for beginners and advanced learners, too)
Type of Spanish: Latin American and European Spanish
Transcript & learning resources: a link to the transcript is provided in the podcast description.
As Duolingo puts it: “these are not language lessons; they’re life lessons through language”. You’ll hear true stories through English and Spanish combined. The topics are interesting. This is a good podcast if you want to get a feel for Spanish-speaking culture beyond just learning Spanish.
Check out the Duolingo Spanish Podcast.
3 awesome Spanish podcasts for advanced learners
For advanced learners who are Spanish obsessed, there are many great Spanish podcasts. I’ve found three options with interesting topics that include news stories, Spanish culture and Spanish history. They’ll help you expand your vocabulary while you improve your listening comprehension.
If you’d like to support your learning with a text book, check out our recommendations for the best books to learn Advanced Spanish.
Radio Ambulante
URL: Radio Ambulante
Level: proficient, advanced and upper-intermediate.
Type of Spanish: Latin American.
Transcript & learning resources: yes and yes. They offer an educational app designed for intermediate and advanced learners to support you in learning the Spanish language with this podcast.
This podcast is a good choice if you’re looking for cultural insights into Latin America to accompany your Spanish learning. Enjoy listening to interesting topics in real Spanish about the impact of events on everyday life in South America and Central America.
The Spanish audio is by and for native speakers, but the producers have invested in making this a good learning resource, too. You’ll be sure to pick up some new vocabulary and get a better understanding of current events in Latin America.
Check out Radio Ambulante on Spotify.
Hoy en El País
URL: Hoy en El País
Level: proficient and advanced Spanish learners.
Type of Spanish: European Spanish.
Transcript & learning resources: no
This is the daily podcast news report from the Spanish newspaper El País. It’s for native speakers, but if you have a very high level of Spanish, then this podcast will help you keep up to date with what’s going on the world. Consider this Spanish podcast as an alternative to your English-language news source.
That way, you’ll get your news and build up your Spanish vocabulary at the same time! If you’re a translator preparing for the DipTrans, this is a great choice for you.
Check out Hoy en El País.
Advanced Spanish Podcast
Level: advanced and upper intermediate
Type of Spanish: European
Transcript & learning resources: yes, available for free for each episode on the Spanish Language Coach website.
An up-to-date series of conversations between native Spanish speakers on a wide range of interesting topics. The podcast is designed for advanced learners and so you get to hear conversational Spanish without the speakers defaulting to slow Spanish to make it easier for English speakers to understand.
That said, they speak clearly and the conversations are supported by a range of free resources that you can use to support your learning.
Check out the Advanced Spanish Podcast.
FAQs about learning Spanish through podcasts
Should I focus on Latin American Spanish or European Spanish?
If you’re learning Spanish because you’re planning to go on holiday in a Spanish-speaking country, then choose the type of Spanish spoken in the country you’re planning to visit. If you’re learning Spanish for work, consider where the people you’re likely to speak to most will be from.
For intermediate and advanced students, you’d do well to make sure you listen to a mix of Spanish speakers. This will help you broaden your language skills.
If you’re an advanced student, make sure you expand your listening comprehension beyond grammar points and vocabulary. Choose language podcasts that include current events and cultural insights from across the Spanish-speaking world.
What are the main benefits of using podcasts to learn Spanish?
Podcasts are a great resource to support your Spanish learning. Here are some reasons why:
Podcasts are free. So, you can jump among them without spending a dime.
Podcasts are mobile. You can use them on the go or while multitasking.
Podcasts are varied. If you get bored with one, it’s easy to switch to another one or to surf topics.
Podcasts give you listening practice. This is a key skill in learning Spanish.
Podcasts expose you to all the different Spanish accents. They’re one of the best ways to attune your ear to all the different Spanish accents.
Can I become fluent by listening to a Spanish podcast?
No, to become fluent in Spanish, you’ll probably need to do more than just listen to podcasts. Most people will take complete courses such as those offered Babbel or Rosetta Stone, or get a private tutor of the type you can find on italki.
When it comes to being fluent in Spanish, you have to work on your spoken Spanish, which isn’t so easy with a podcast. Listening to Spanish audio and news stories are both important aspects of language learning. But you have to work on your conversational Spanish and Spanish grammar as well.
That said, podcasts can be a huge support on your journey to learning Spanish. As a language learner, if you make use of the transcripts and supporting materials that the best Spanish podcasts provide, you’ll be able to build up your knowledge of Spanish phrases along side your listening skills.
To really get the most out of them, I recommend making a commitment to yourself to make listening to good Spanish podcasts part of your daily routine.
You could commit to listening to one over breakfast from Monday to Thursday each week. Alternatively, perhaps you could commit to listening to one for the first 10 minutes of your morning commute or your first 10 minutes of daily exercise. Try to attach them to a habit (for help with this, read Atomic Habits).
What we think: This book is essential reading for anyone interested in having better habits. It helps you understand why you behave the way you do and shows you how to change your behavior for the better.
How can you use the transcript of Spanish podcasts to assist your language learning?
You can enhance your listening experience by pairing it with the transcript. Do a first listening without the transcript, then listen while reading along.
Aim to take away five new words or expressions to amplify your comprehension and vocabulary. Make notes in Spanish and English and add them to your vocabulary list in your notepad or by creating flashcards.
How can you build on your Spanish learning apart from by listening to podcasts?
There are lots of ways to learn Spanish. I recommend doing an online Spanish course such as those offered by Babbel or Rosetta Stone. But we have numerous other ideas, check out this article on how to learn Spanish fast.
What we think: if you really want to learn a language online, a curated online course like the ones Babbel offer is the best option.
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