At some point, I realized that if I really wanted to improve my Spanish, I needed to surround myself with it — to live in the language, not just study it. So I started listening to Spanish passively — while commuting, cooking, or walking — just to let my ears get used to the sounds.
Spoiler: my Spanish didn’t improve that way. Everything still sounded too fast and blurry. Unfortunately, as adults, our brains don’t absorb languages like kids do. We can’t just listen and magically start speaking a new language.
Things changed immensely when I began actively listening to podcasts with transcripts. Suddenly, I could “see what I was hearing” — notice patterns, phrases, and how natives actually speak. My comprehension started to grow naturally, one episode at a time.
That’s what language experts call Comprehensible Input, in simple terms: we learn when we understand.
In this article, I’ve listed the best Spanish podcasts with transcripts to help you get used to how European (Castilian) Spanish sounds in real life — podcasts that let you listen, read, and actually make progress but absolutely FREE.
Best Spanish Podcasts with Transcripts (Intermediate Edition)
Below are the best European Spanish podcasts that are highly recommend for intermediate learners. These are the ones that truly helped me improve my Spanish. In general, each of them talks about everyday topics and the Spanish culture, but I suggest you try each one and see which topics match your interests best.
1. Podcast de ProfeDeELE
Podcast de ProfeDeELE is made by Spanish teachers, so everything feels structured and intentional — but still natural to listen to. They talk about everyday topics, grammar, and culture in a way that’s easy to follow. I like that they include activities with each episode, so you can actually practice what you hear instead of just listening passively.
What I like about this podcast: Each episode comes with pre- and post-listening activities. It’s not just listening for the sake of it — you actually get to prepare your ears before, and then test what you understood after. It keeps you engaged and helps what you hear stick longer. After all, this website was originally created to help students prepare for the DELE exam. In fact, these podcasts played a big part in helping me pass my Spanish DELE A2 exam.
- Language level: Intermediate Spanish (B1-B2)
- Transcript available: Yes
- Spanish Type: Castilian (European) Spanish
- Average duration of episodes: 10 to 15 minutes
- Cost: FREE podcast
- Number of episodes available: 37 episodes
- Where to listen: iTunes, Spotify, Ivoox, YouTube, on their official website
2. Intermediate Spanish Podcast – Español Intermedio
Intermediate Spanish Podcast – Español Intermedio is hosted by César Rodríguez (aka Spanish Language Coach). He´s from Valencia, Spain, and he creates content geared toward Spanish learners: real topics, natural Spanish, but with a structure that helps us follow along.
What I like about this podcast: I find this podcast super helpful because you get to listen to someone who speaks European Spanish (from Spain), but he slows just enough or frames the content so you don’t get totally lost. Pair that with the transcript and vocabulary help, and it becomes a really powerful tool for bridging the gap between “I hear some words” and “I understand the whole idea.”
- Language level: Intermediate Spanish (B1-B2)
- Transcript available: Yes
- Spanish Type: Castilian (European) Spanish
- Average duration of episodes: 15 to 25 minutes
- Cost: FREE podcast
- Number of episodes available: 227+
- Where to listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon Music
3. Español Automatico
Español Automático is hosted by Karo Martínez, a Spanish teacher from Spain, and her husband Mauro, this podcast focuses on helping learners understand and speak Spanish naturally. Their conversations feel spontaneous and real — a good balance between authentic and clear. They talk about everyday topics, motivation, and Spanish culture in a way that keeps you engaged.
What I like about this podcast: I really like how they speak at a natural speed but still pronounce clearly enough to follow along. Their episodes are great for tuning your ear to how Spaniards actually talk — the tone, rhythm, and little filler words you only pick up from native conversations. The transcripts also come in handy when you want to review phrases or expressions you missed the first time.
- Language level: Intermediate Spanish (B1-B2)
- Transcript available: Yes
- Spanish Type: Castilian (European) Spanish
- Average duration of episodes: 10 – 20 minutes
- Number of episodes available: 311+
- Where to listen: YouTube, Spotify
4. LanguaTalk Spanish Podcasts
LanguaTalk Spanish Podcasts hosted by Rocío and Jesús, two Spanish teachers from Spain now living in Madrid, this podcast is all about real and natural conversations. They talk about everyday topics — from culture to personal stories — using clear, authentic Castilian Spanish that’s perfect for intermediate learners. You can also follow along with their interactive transcripts and vocabulary lists on their website.
What I like about this podcast: I like how natural their conversations are. Since both are from Spain and live in Madrid, the accents, expressions, and colloquialisms are exactly what you’d hear in real life here. Their podcast was actually the first one I started listening to and got me hooked—and I ended up finishing all of their episodes.
- Language level: Intermediate Spanish (B1-B2)
- Transcript available: Yes
- Spanish Type: Castilian (European) Spanish
- Average duration of episodes: 20 – 30 minutes
- Number of episodes available: 54
- Where to listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts, YouTube
5. Unlimited Spanish
Unlimited Spanish is hosted by Óscar Pellus, this podcast has been around since 2013, helping learners all over the world improve their Spanish through stories and repetition. Óscar uses a unique method that focuses on understanding and speaking naturally — not memorizing grammar rules. The episodes include short stories, question-and-answer sections, and point-of-view practice to help you absorb patterns in a natural way. All transcripts are available as free PDFs on his website.
What I like about this podcast: What I really like about Óscar’s podcast is that the episodes are short. Most of them are around 10 minutes, which makes them perfect if you don’t have a lot of time or find it hard to stay focused for long periods. It’s easier to build a consistent habit when you start with shorter materials like his. He also speaks clearly and at a natural pace, which makes it ideal for training your ear to Castilian Spanish without feeling overwhelmed.
- Language level: Intermediate Spanish (B1-B2)
- Transcript available: Yes
- Spanish Type: Castilian (European) Spanish
- Average duration of episodes: 10 minutes
- Number of episodes available: 400+
- Where to listen: UnlimitedSpanish.com, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, on their official website
Not FREE but what I am currently using: Hoy Hablamos
Okay, so I know the title of this article is supposed to recommend free European Spanish podcasts. But just in case some of you are wondering what I’m currently listening to — I actually want to include it here as well. I highly recommend this channel for a number of reasons. This is my favorite Spanish podcast, and I honestly couldn’t leave it out.
Hoy Hablamos is one of the most popular Spanish podcasts for learners, hosted by Roy and Paco from Spain. They release new episodes every weekday, covering everyday topics, culture, expressions, and real-life stories. The podcast has been running for years and now has over 1,800 episodes, each focused on helping you understand and speak Castilian Spanish more naturally. The podcast offers transcripts, PDFs with explanations, and exercises, though those are behind a premium subscription.
What I like about this podcast: I know there are already tons of free resources out there, but here’s the thing — each learner has their own preference. Personally, I prefer Hoy Hablamos because it’s made by Spaniards who actually use European Spanish idioms, expressions, and colloquialisms in a way that feels real. They don’t sound overly formal — they talk like how real people talk here in Spain.
What I love the most is how unfiltered their conversations can get. You’ll hear funny stories, green jokes, and even embarrassing moments — the kind of things that make the language feel alive. That’s exactly the type of Spanish I want to adapt because I live here in Madrid, and I want to understand how people actually speak in day-to-day conversations.
I don’t mind paying for the subscription because it´s not that expensive, and honestly, the value I get from listening to them regularly is worth every euro.
- Language level: Intermediate Spanish (B1-B2)
- Transcript available: Yes (premium subscription)
- Spanish Type: Castilian (European) Spanish
- Average duration of episodes: 20 – 25 minutes
- Number of episodes available: 1,800+
- Where to listen: Hoy Hablamos, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts
- Price: $9,95/month
How Listening to Podcasts with Transcript Helps Language Learning
One of the most important ideas I’ve come across in my Spanish learning journey is Stephen Krashen’s Input Hypothesis. He explains that we acquire language and literacy through input — what we listen to and what we read — not through output like speaking and writing.
In other words, our ability to speak a language comes from understanding it first. The more quality input we get, the more natural our output becomes. But doing it the other way around doesn’t work — you can’t speak well without first having enough meaningful input.
To acquire a language effectively through input, Krashen says four factors must be present:
- Comprehensible: You can follow most of what’s being said, even if you don’t understand every single word.
- Interesting: The topic grabs your attention — it’s something you want to listen to. If it’s boring, too difficult, or makes you anxious for not understanding, it’ll actually slow your progress.
- Rich: The input feels alive — full of natural vocabulary, tone, emotion, and variety.
- Abundant: You’re getting lots of exposure. The more time you spend listening and reading in your target language, the faster your brain adapts.
There are two main forms of input: listening and reading. For me, listening to podcasts with transcripts is the best way to get both — and it checks all four boxes.
- Comprehensible: Because you have the transcript, you can read along while listening. And if there’s a part you don’t understand, you can easily translate or look it up.
- Interesting: There are so many Spanish podcasts out there — covering every kind of topic, accent, and region — so you’ll always find something that actually interests you.
- Rich: Podcasts are either storytelling or real conversations between people. They expose you to natural Spanish — everyday vocabulary, expressions, jokes, and even how people react and express emotion.
- Abundant: Personally, I prefer listening over reading because it’s just more accessible. I can listen during my commute, while cooking, cleaning, working out, walking in the park — pretty much anywhere. That extra exposure adds up, and over time, it makes a bigger difference than reading.
How to Listen to Podcasts with Transcript Effectively (My Method)
Of course, you can listen to your chosen podcast however you want — there’s no single “right way.” But if you feel like what you’re doing isn’t working or you’re not remembering much after listening, here’s the method that finally worked for me. It took a lot of trial and error to figure out how to make my podcast sessions more effective and fit into my daily routine.
🌙 Night Routine
About an hour before bed, I pick one podcast episode and listen while reading along with the transcript. If there’s anything I don’t understand, I highlight those parts right away. Once I finish the episode, I go back to my highlights and look up the meanings — usually on Google or ChatGPT — to make sure I fully understand them.
After that, I listen to the same episode again, this time without stopping, because I understand better now. Then I go to bed. I’ve found that revisiting the audio right before sleep helps my brain process and retain it better.
🌞 The Following Day
The next day, I play that same episode repeatedly — while I’m on my way to the gym, while working out, during my commute to work, during my commute from work, or even while doing chores.
And I make sure that I intently listen to the podcast, not passively. The more I actively listen to it, the more familiar the rhythm, phrases, and expressions become.
🔁 Long-Term Review with SRS
To make sure the material really sticks, I actively listen to the same episode one more time using the Spaced Repetition System (SRS). It’s a memory technique that helps you review at gradually increasing intervals so you don’t forget.
Here’s how I schedule it for podcasts:- Day 3 — Listen again
- Day 7 — Listen again
- Day 15 — Listen again
- Day 30 — Listen again
- Day 60 — Listen again
- Day 90 — Listen again
This rhythm helps move what I’ve learned from short-term memory into long-term recall. And it doesn’t feel like it takes a lot of time — I just let the episode play while I’m doing something else that doesn´t require a lot of brain/focus power.
Listening this way helped me retain vocabulary naturally, recognize phrases faster, and feel less anxious when hearing native Spanish speakers. It’s not about perfection — it’s about consistent exposure and letting your brain do its work over time.
