Top 10 Podcasts to Learn Italian, from Absolute Beginner to Advanced
Ten real podcasts built specifically for Italian learners, spanning A1 to C2, so you can find the right teaching style and pace for where you are right now.
Editorial note: This is an independent list of Italian-learning podcasts. LingoLore has no affiliate, sponsorship, or other commercial relationship with any show named below. Cover art is pulled from each show’s official Apple Podcasts listing.
Podcasts built to teach, not just to entertain
Unlike native Italian shows, the podcasts below are designed specifically for learners: slowed pace, explained vocabulary, structured levels, or comprehensible-input storytelling. They are a good fit for regular listening practice that matches your actual level, rather than native content you have to fight to follow.
They range from absolute-beginner courses to near-native comprehensible input, so most learners will want two or three from different points on that spectrum rather than just one.
A balanced learning stack
Use each tool for the job it does best
1 · INPUT
Stories
Read and listen for connected, level-appropriate language.
Browse Italian stories →2 · STRUCTURE
Lessons
Use a course when you want a clear sequence or explanation.
3 · OUTPUT
Speaking
Practise responding aloud with a tutor, partner, or prompt.
4 · RETENTION
Review
Revisit the few words and phrases you genuinely want to keep.
1. Coffee Break Italian: a structured course in your ears
Mark Pentleton’s Coffee Break Languages team runs this as a genuine course across seasons, from absolute beginner through upper-intermediate, teaching grammar and vocabulary through dialogue with a teacher, a native speaker, and a fellow learner. Its clear season structure makes it a sensible starting point if you want a syllabus, not just exposure.
Level: A1–B2. Cost: free podcast; paid Coffee Break Academy for full course materials. Spotify · Apple Podcasts · Official site
2. Podcast Italiano: from beginner track to native media
Turin-based teacher Davide Gemello delivers clear, natural Italian on culture, history, and society, with dedicated beginner, intermediate, and advanced tracks plus transcripts and a free ebook. It is built explicitly to bridge the gap between beginner courses and unmodified native content.
Level: A1–C2. Cost: free podcast and resources; paid courses and a club membership available. Official site · Apple Podcasts
3. News in Slow Italian: current events, at a learnable pace
Real news stories delivered at a deliberately slowed, clearly articulated pace, with grammar and vocabulary explanations, across explicit Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced tiers. A strong choice if you want listening practice built from real content instead of invented dialogues.
Level: A1–C1+. Cost: subscription-based with a free trial. Official site · Apple Podcasts
4. Italiano Automatico: comprehensible input at real speed
Alberto Arrighini speaks at close to natural Italian pace, following comprehensible-input principles so learners train real-world listening rather than artificially slowed speech. Episodes cover daily life and culture in Italy, often featuring his grandmother for warm, authentic conversation.
Level: intermediate–advanced. Cost: free podcast; paid resources on his site. Apple Podcasts · Spotify
5. Learn Italian with Lucrezia: a five-minute daily habit
DITALS-certified teacher Lucrezia Oddone records short, diary-like episodes about daily life in Rome and listener questions, naturally weaving in grammar and cultural context. The short format makes it easy to build a genuine daily listening habit.
Level: beginner–intermediate. Cost: free podcast; paid courses sold separately. Spotify · Apple Podcasts
6. Simple Italian Podcast: everyday topics, slowly
Simone Pols speaks slowly and clearly, using everyday vocabulary and natural sentence structures on topics like travel and lifestyle, built around comprehensible-input theory. New episodes release weekly, with an optional membership adding transcripts and study plans.
Level: beginner–intermediate. Cost: free; optional paid membership. Spotify · Official site
7. Easy Italian Podcast: unscripted conversation, closer to native
Matteo and Raffaele have natural, unscripted-feeling conversations about Italian culture and current events, exposing learners to colloquial speech beyond textbook Italian. A paid membership adds interactive transcripts and vocabulary tools for closing comprehension gaps.
Level: intermediate. Cost: free podcast; paid membership for transcripts. Spotify · Official site
8. ItalianPod101: a structured audio-lesson library
A long-running, highly structured lesson system across five tiers, from absolute beginner to advanced, organized into thematic dialogues, vocabulary breakdowns, and cultural notes. Less conversational than the others here, more useful as a self-study spine to pair with a listening-first podcast.
Level: A1–C1. Cost: free daily lessons; paid subscription for full learning center. Spotify · Apple Podcasts
9. 100% in Italiano (Italy Made Easy): all-Italian immersion
Manu Venditti narrates entirely in slowed, simplified Italian on cultural and everyday topics, without switching to English. It is a good stepping stone once bilingual beginner lessons start to feel too easy, but full native pace still feels out of reach.
Level: beginner–intermediate. Cost: free podcast; separate paid grammar courses. Apple Podcasts · Spotify
10. Stories in Slow Italian: narrative rather than news
Short narrated stories and conversations in slow, comprehensible Italian, followed by translations and explanations, a comprehensible-input approach built on narrative rather than dialogue or current events. A natural complement to News in Slow Italian for learners who prefer stories.
Level: beginner–intermediate. Cost: free core episodes; paid subscription for bonus content and transcripts. Spotify · Apple Podcasts
Matching a podcast to your level
| Your level | Try |
|---|---|
| A1, brand new to Italian | Coffee Break Italian, News in Slow Italian (Beginner) |
| A2–B1, building a daily habit | Learn Italian with Lucrezia, Simple Italian Podcast, Stories in Slow Italian |
| B1–B2, ready for less hand-holding | Podcast Italiano, 100% in Italiano, Easy Italian Podcast |
| B2+, near-native comprehension | Italiano Automatico, News in Slow Italian (Advanced) |
A slowed, learner-built podcast and a genuinely native one solve different problems. Once a learning podcast stops feeling challenging, that is usually the signal to add a native Italian podcast alongside it.
Sources and availability
Availability was checked on July 8, 2026, against each show’s official site, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts page, linked above. Levels, pricing, and hosting can change over time and by platform. For level-appropriate reading and word-synced audio built specifically around the CEFR framework, see LingoLore’s Italian stories.
Related guides
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