25 Best Podcasts to Learn Italian in 2024 for Any Level

This blog post presents the 25 best podcasts to learn Italian for any level. Let’s dive into the numerous advantages of learning Italian (or any new language) through podcasts and how they can enhance your language journey.

Benefits of Learning Italian with Podcasts

best podcasts to learn the Italian language

Discover how finding the best podcast to learn Italian offers a great way to master the language while immersing yourself in Italy’s rich culture. Explore the following five advantages:

1. Experience Cultural Immersion at Your Fingertips

One of the significant benefits of learning Italian through podcasts, often led by experienced Italian teachers, is the opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture (as the saying goes, “the best way to learn Italian is through immersion”).

These podcasts frequently explore aspects of Italian symbols and life, including history, cuisine, art, and more, allowing you to connect deeply with the language.

2. Free Podcasts: Accessible Learning for All

An advantage of learning Italian through podcasts is numerous free resources. This makes language learning accessible to everyone, regardless of budget constraints, and allows you to explore various podcasts and teaching styles to find the best fit for your learning needs.

3. Learn Italian Anytime, Anywhere

Podcasts offer unparalleled flexibility in terms of when and where you can learn. Whether commuting to work, walking, or even doing chores around the house, podcasts enable you to listen to Italian and quickly enrich your vocabulary.

4. Get a Feel for Authentic Spoken Italian

Listening to podcasts is an excellent way for Italian language learners to familiarize themselves with the spoken language’s natural rhythm, accents, and nuances.

By listening to native speakers, you will better understand the language and improve your pronunciation and conversational abilities. Try to make a conscious effort to repeat words aloud when you listen to Italian podcasts.

5. Master the Language Through Repetition and Effective Practice

Repeated exposure to words and sentences in Italian podcasts reinforces your learning, helping you retain new vocabulary and grammar rules more effectively.

Podcasts often provide context for language usage, making remembering new phrases and expressions easier in the long run, especially for Italian students who want to learn and retain the language effectively.

What Are the 25 Best Podcasts to Learn Italian?

Whether you’re an absolute beginner or an advanced learner, this comprehensive list features a variety of engaging and effective podcasts to help you master the Italian language. Find the best podcasts for learning Italian below.

1. LearnItalianPod

LearnItalianPod Podcast series offers a unique blend of language learning and cultural immersion in its podcast series. Hosted by Italian natives who’ve moved to the US, their infectious personalities bring Italian lessons to life. The podcast series focuses on building foundational grammar, vocabulary, and conversational skills in Italian.

Each episode is a journey into Italian lifestyle and customs, making language learning practical and enjoyable. This approach allows learners to embrace Italian culture, enhancing their language skills with practical, everyday applications.

Level: Beginner, Intermediate | Link to Show: LearnItalianPod

2. Podcast Italiano

Completely in Italian, this podcast caters to intermediate learners, but episodes can be chosen based on your skill level. The website offers transcripts in Italian and teaches colloquialisms in the “Usi Colloquiali” section. Host Davide combines personal anecdotes with helpful vocabulary for an engaging experience.

As an online teacher and polyglot with a background in translation and interpretation, Davide offers a high-quality YouTube channel and podcast for Italian learners of all levels.

Free transcripts, vocabulary notes, and English and Italian translations are available for each episode as a series of unscripted conversations for enhanced comprehension. Download audio for all episodes on the Podcast Italiano website.

Levels: All Levels | Link to Show: Spotify

3. News in Slow Italian

Targeted at intermediate learners, Slow Italian News discusses global news, grammar, and expressions with slowed-down audio. Each episode immerses listeners in Italian-speaking contexts, demonstrating grammar and vocabulary in real-life situations. Engaging hosts bring the language to life, encouraging learners to dive in. Clear audio is easy to follow, and the website provides transcripts, grammar, expressions, pronunciation, and quizzes for each episode.

Although primarily a paid resource, some free intermediate content is available on Spotify. The website features news at an appropriate pace, with grammar points and expressions highlighted in transcripts. Upper-level beginners can try the “Get Up to Speed” course to prepare for the intermediate program.

Level: All Levels | Link to Show: Spotify

Suggested Reading: 30 Best Italian Shows on Netflix to Watch

4. Coffee Break Italian

The Coffee Break Languages series—available in French, German, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese, and Italian—provides language lessons lasting approximately 30 minutes. Each Italian conversation includes an English discussion and analysis, making it ideal for learners who prefer more context.

To fully immerse yourself in one of the best Italian podcasts for beginners, respond to prompts aloud and consider starting at episode one if you’re new to the language.

While premium versions provide extra lesson notes and video pronunciation practice, simply listening to the podcasts on major streaming platforms offers substantial value for Italian learners.

Level: Beginner | Link to Show: Spotify

5. ItalianPod101

ItalianPod101 covers basic to advanced levels, offering exciting and immersive episodes. Engaging hosts present dialogues clearly and concisely, addressing various grammatical features and cultural topics. Users can access spaced repetition flashcards, PDF lesson notes, and a community forum by signing up for premium content on the website.

Though requiring a paid membership, ItalianPod101 offers benefits such as thousands of bite-sized podcast-style dialogues for beginners to advanced learners and lesson notes, quizzes, flashcards, and the English translation for all the lessons. Navigating the site’s various lesson paths and episodes can be confusing, but finding the right lesson path will likely be rewarding.

Level: All Levels | Link to Show: Website

6. Oggi Parliamo

Join Andrea, a qualified Italian instructor and native Italian speaker who offers a unique Italian experience four days a week. On Mondays, delve into the arts, including opera, literature, music, history, and more. Focus on grammar on Tuesdays, catch up with current events on Wednesdays, and explore common expressions on Thursdays. By supporting Andrea on Patreon, you can access complete transcripts.

Level: Beginner, Intermediate | Link to Show: Spotify

Recommended Read: Dive into captivating insights about the Italian language in our feature article.

7. Radio Arlecchino

Produced by the University of Texas at Austin, Radio Arlecchino is one of the most effective Italian podcasts for learners of the language. The show features 22 captivating dialogues emphasizing grammar aspects such as subjunctive tense, past tense, imperative form, and pronouns. Though there are no additional episodes, the complimentary PDF transcripts with cultural and grammar notes make this limited series an invaluable resource to revisit throughout your learning journey.

Level: Beginner, Intermediate | Link to Show: Website

8. Just Italian

Michele and Martina host an appealing podcast for intermediate Italian learners, covering Italian fashion, celebrities, culture, and more. You’ll effortlessly pick up common Italian words and grammar as you listen. Intriguing subjects, top-notch production, and Italian music make for an enjoyable listening experience.

New episodes are released several times a month. To access exclusive content, such as the series on current Italian events and trivia, Italian short stories and legends, and educational transcripts for every episode, join their reasonably-priced Patreon.

Level: Intermediate | Link to Show: Spotify

Need a basic Italian grammar refresh? – Check out our concise Italian grammar basics guide for a quick yet effective review of the basics.

9. Simple Italian

In Simple Italian, Simone brings genuine Italian immersion to your doorstep. Learn from his experiences, gain new outlooks from interviews with other Italian speakers, and receive well-researched information on subjects like sleep or lesser-known cities’ histories. You can access transcripts with English vocabulary notes of this interesting podcast by purchasing a membership on his website.

Level: Beginner, Intermediate | Link to Show: Spotify

10. Italiano Bello

Italiano Bello (podcast to learn Italian)

Italiano Bello feels more like eavesdropping on someone’s thoughts than a structured podcast, providing small glimpses into daily life in Italy. Discover Italian culture, language, and literature while receiving language learning tips. The 10-minute episodes offer excellent practice for intermediate learners to enhance their listening comprehension skills.

Level: Intermediate | Link to Show: Spotify

11. Italiano Automatico

Italiano Automatico is a fun and engaging podcast for learning words, phrases, and other peculiarities commonly used in Italy. With this podcast, you’ll quickly develop natural speaking abilities and improve your listening comprehension and understanding of colloquial language. A listener praised Alberto, saying, “He knows how to captivate listeners with fascinating topics and speaks clearly.”

Level: Intermediate | Link to Show: Spotify

12. Italian Stories in Italian

This recent podcast emphasizes learning Italian through natural language instead of in-depth grammar lessons. The 10- to 20-minute episodes feature a slower pace of Italian while discussing fascinating subjects such as Dante Alighieri, multiple intelligences, carnivals, festivals, and in general, the life of real Italian people. Each episode includes a complimentary transcript and vocabulary notes.

Level: Intermediate | Link to Show: Spotify

13. Learn Italian with Lucrezia

Lucrezia’s followers might be familiar with her YouTube channel, but her podcast offers a hands-free learning experience. The channel primarily focuses on providing intriguing information about the Italian language, customs, and festivals, diverging from a concentration on Italian grammar books and rules.

Additionally, there are interviews with inspiring Italian learners and polyglots for motivation. Watch for images and articles in the podcast episode descriptions provided by Lucrezia.

Level: Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate | Link to Show: Spotify

14. Podcast 100% Italiano by Italy Made Easy

Italy Made Easy’s mission is to help you learn, practice, speak, and master the Italian language. They offer numerous valuable resources, courses, and slow Italian content to support your fluency journey.

Italy Made Easy’s creator, Manu, provides one of the top-rated Italian courses. You can access plenty of free content through his podcast. His energetic and captivating personality ensures a fun and easy learning experience.

Level: Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate | Link to Show: Spotify

15. Quattro Stagioni

podcast to learn the Italian language: Quattro Stagioni

Laura’s dynamic voice makes it easy to picture her facial expressions without visuals. Her podcast, Quattro Stagioni, has three different series: The main Quattro Stagioni series explores Italian culture and aspects of Laura’s daily life.

For food enthusiasts, In Cucina delves into Italian cuisine, while In Viaggio takes you on a journey around Italy. Each bite-sized episode offers Italian immersion with Laura as your guide. A paid subscription grants access to episode transcripts for easier comprehension.

Level: All Levels | Link to Show: Spotify

16. Pensieri & Parole

Linda’s thoughtfulness and storytelling prowess set this podcast apart. She covers various topics, from cultural, literary, and linguistic concepts to seemingly simple yet significant subjects like salt and hand gestures. If you enjoy these episodes, you can purchase study packages for them on the Piccolo Mondo Italiano website.

Level: Upper Intermediate | Link to Show: Spotify

17. Ila Zed

Italian teacher Ilaria offers numerous podcast episodes if you appreciate structured information in an audio format. Covering grammar and culture, she also motivates listeners with discussions on learning Italian. Acquire advice on reading articles, watching films, or developing a daily routine while engaging with the language. Ilaria provides free episode transcripts on her website.

Level: Intermediate, Upper Intermediate | Link to Show: Spotify

18. The Teacher Stefano Show

With over five years of experience teaching Italian, Stefano now creates courses, YouTube videos, and podcast episodes to help students advance toward fluency.

He hosts various guests on his show—friends, students, and even his mother—to discuss topics like cooking, remote learning, and obtaining Italian citizenship. These episodes allow you to familiarize yourself with different Italian accents or listen to solo episodes to learn about Italian culture and holidays.

Level: Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate | Link to Show: Spotify

19. L’Italiano Vero

Drawing inspiration from All Ears English, Massimo and his team produced this podcast to make learning Italian enjoyable and straightforward. Engaging, authentic dialogues cover diverse topics such as TV quiz shows, the hosts’ daily lives, or influential advertisements that create popular catchphrases. Several interactive transcripts are freely available on their website.

Level: All Levels | Link to Show: Spotify

20. RAI Radio

RAI Radio offers a wealth of content for advanced Italian learners, covering sports, music, news, and more, allowing for Italian language and culture immersion. There are also several stations for children, so the whole family can enjoy learning Italian together. Advanced students of Italian will love this channel, as it will allow for a full immersion into the Italian language the way it is spoken in Italy daily.

Level: Advanced | Link to Show: Website

21. Daily Cogito

Rick Dufer is a talented writer, performer, and philosopher. Regardless of your Italian proficiency, his energetic presence will captivate you. Listen to his podcast and enhance your Italian through discussions on philosophy, critical thinking, literature, and pop culture. He frequently interviews influencers and professionals from various fields.