Educational Podcasts for Adults That Are Also Entertaining
History, Music, Economics, Communication, Happiness, Pop Culture, Science, Nature, Environment, Language, Culture, How To, & Poetry Education Podcast Recommendations
If you are a curious person who enjoys learning; podcasts can be great, easily accessible, educational resources. And it is possible to find ones that are so interesting and entertaining that it does not feel like doing homework to listen to them. In this post, I share my favorite such podcasts.
As I enjoy listening to educational podcasts, I usually search for new shows to try a few times each year. However months ago, after I decided to write this post, I did a particularly deep search for interesting-looking shows. Since then, I have been slowly trying them out and seeing which ones continue to appeal to me over time. So, the podcasts that I recommend below are a mix of old favorites and others that are newer to me.
While most of the shows that I recommend below are on-going, some have been completed but have interesting catalogs of back episodes that you still can explore.
You can subscribe to as many of the below podcasts as you would like on whichever podcast listening app you prefer. I happen to use the default Apple one, which is why the links below on podcast show titles go to Apple pages for those podcasts. If you use a different app to listen to podcasts, however, just search for the names of the shows in whichever app you use and press the buttons on their pages to subscribe to the shows that most appeal to you.
How to manage subscribing to many podcasts at once
There are a variety of ways that you can manage subscribing to many different podcasts at once. The way that I do it is that I:
Check the “Latest Episodes” from the shows to which I am subscribed in my “Library” on the Apple podcast app about once a day.
Download only the latest episodes that have topics that particularly appeal to me.
Use the “Downloaded” episodes part of my “Library” on the Apple podcast app as my playlist.
Listen to podcast episodes while I am doing other things.
Use a 2x speed as my default listening speed (except for podcast episodes that contain music excerpts or are in foreign languages).
Never get worked up when I do not catch everything that is said in the episodes. I listen to podcasts for fun. There are no tests.
Delete downloads of episodes after I finish them.
And delete old downloads of episodes every once in awhile that have been languishing on my downloaded “playlist” for a long time, and which no longer call to me.
The educational podcast spectrum
There are lots of interesting podcasts that are on what I would consider to be the very educational, low entertainment side of the podcast spectrum.
For example, there are podcasts like those on the New Books Network in which academics interview other academics about new release academic books (usually about their recent research) that are often published by university presses. Some of the interviewers and interviewees on the network are better communicators than others.
If these kinds of academic conversations interest you, you can subscribe to any of the very wide range of academic subject matter shows on the network to help you stay up to date on recent research in those fields, including ones that focus on: African studies, African American studies, ancient history, archeology, architecture, art, Caribbean studies, children’s literature, comics and graphic novels, disability studies, East Asian studies, Eastern European studies, environmental studies, film, folklore, French studies, geography, history, history of science, Irish studies, Latin American studies, Latino studies, LGBTQ+ studies, library science, literary studies, mathematics, media & communications, Middle Eastern studies, music, Native American studies, neuroscience, performing arts, photography, poetry, political science, psychology, science, science fiction, sound studies, South Asian studies, sports, women’s history, and sociology.
And universities often have their own podcasts to promote the research and teaching happening on their campuses. So, searching for specific university names in podcast apps is a good way to find highly educational shows.
Also tending towards the low entertainment side of the educational podcast spectrum (from my perspective) are the foreign language learning podcasts that are more useful if you treat them like homework and study other materials in conjunction with them. For example, there are high quality Coffee Break podcasts that teach a number of languages. If a show has episodes about verb conjugation, it feels like homework to me no matter how amusing its hosts are. If you are looking for help learning foreign language verb conjugation, of course, they can be extremely helpful. However, I will not be focused on recommending those kinds of podcasts below.
There are also interesting philosophy podcasts like Philosophize This! and History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps. You may not get quite as much out of them, however, if you have not already read (or do not read along with) at least some of the philosophical works discussed in their episodes, and if you do not start at the beginning of the shows and work your way through episodes chronologically.
There are also many interesting science podcasts. When it comes to the hard-core ones, how entertaining you find them may depend on how interested you are in the specific scientific issues that they discuss. There are science podcasts that I sampled while preparing this post that go into so much depth that, although I found their hosts engaging and the episodes of them that I tried interesting, I felt like labeling them as generally entertaining would be a stretch (for example: TWIM: This Week in Microbiology).
Many music-related performing arts organizations provide pre-performance educational lectures to audience members. Some organizations provide live lectures that they also record and then later share via podcast episodes. Other organizations pre-produce polished podcast episodes that include music clips and interviews. And others provide a combination of both kinds of episodes. So, if you are interested in music education, you may want to see if performing arts organizations that you admire have their own educational podcasts. One example is Ballet Talk with Pacific Northwest Ballet. Some of the show’s episodes dig deeply into the interesting histories of iconic ballets (although unfortunately, without the help of music clips).
There are also countless other podcasts with high educational value made by individuals and organizations that share their expertise about extremely specific topics with listeners. Whatever topics you want to learn about, there may be people knowledgeably and/or amusingly podcasting about them. And of course, the more interested you are in the topics, the more entertaining the shows are likely to be to you.
On the other side of the podcast spectrum, there are lots of entertaining podcasts that do not provide enormous amounts of educational value but are nevertheless delightful. There are comedy podcasts, celebrity interview podcasts, multi-cast fiction podcasts, etc.
The podcasts that I recommend below fall somewhere in between for me. They all are educational and/or thought-provoking to some extent or another. And they are also usually some combination of amusing, well-written, well-produced, and/or pithy. Sometimes I recommend podcasts because their hosts are standout communicators. And some podcasts are entertaining to me because of how interesting I find their topics. Of particular importance for the purposes of this post, none of them require you to do additional reading or homework to gain some educational benefit from them.
I have not listened to all of the episodes of all of the podcasts that I recommend below. And I do not necessarily agree with all of the opinions of their hosts. But I do think that there are at least some episodes of each show that are both interesting and entertaining (at least for me).
I hope that this post helps you find some new-to-you podcasts that will delight you!
History podcasts
There are LOTS of history podcasts. If there is a particular geographical area, time period, or major historical event that interests you; there is a good chance that you can find one or more highly rated history podcasts that can help educate you about the topic. Many of the shows start as far back as possible and slowly proceed chronologically through history.
However, I personally tend to prefer history podcasts that do not require me to listen to episodes in chronological order so that I can enjoyably dabble in whichever episodes of them happen to sound interesting to me when I see them in my stream of new episodes.
All of the history podcasts that I recommend in this section can be consumed sporadically and (often) out of order.
The Rest Is History
This podcast is a lot of fun! The two British historians—
and Dominic Sandbrook—who host it are both extremely knowledgeable and very entertaining. The historical topics they cover are wide-ranging and interesting.Significant Others
This thoughtful and well-produced podcast hosted by Liza Powel O’Brien (whose significant other is late-night talk show host and podcaster Conan O’Brien) tells captivating stories about the colorful significant others of famous historical figures. They are individuals about whom you probably have not heard much before.
The Bowery Boys: New York City History
If you ❤️ NY and are interested in history, you may find this podcast about the colorful history of New York City to be a treat. The episodes are well-researched and well-produced and sometimes include interesting sound clips or interviews.
Everything Everywhere Daily
If you would prefer to get a brief overview of historic topics without chit chat or the aid of character actors, this may be the podcast for you. Host
conveys a significant amount of information clearly and concisely for less than 20 minutes each episode. And there are TONS of episodes about a wide variety of topics. Some of the topics are likely to interest you more than others.Communication podcasts
Think Fast Talk Smart
Matt Abrahams, the host of this show, is a strategic communication lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business. He thoughtfully interviews experts who provide interesting communication advice. Not surprisingly, since he is a communication expert, he does an excellent job of communicating about communication.
Twenty Thousand Hertz
This captivating podcast is about the “the stories behind the world’s most recognizable and interesting sounds.” They are auditory treats!
Economics/behavioral economics podcasts
Planet Money
This NPR podcast usually dives into a different, interesting economic issue each episode.
The Indicator from Planet Money
This is another economics podcast from NPR’s Planet Money team. They describe it as “a little show about big ideas.”
The Economics of Everyday Things
In this well-produced show, the economics behind everyday things are explored.
Choiceology with Katy Milkman
The host of this podcast, Katy Milkman, is a behavioral economist and Wharton business school professor. She shares interesting stories and research to help her listeners learn how to make better choices.
Music education podcasts
As podcasts are a great medium for sharing information about audible content, it is not surprising that there are a number of great music education podcasts.
One Song
The hosts of this show—Harvard graduate, DJ, producer, actor, and writer Diallo Riddle and DJ, producer, songwriter, and musicologist Baron von Luxxury—deeply delve into one popular song each episode. Lots of informative music clips are included in the episodes to help the hosts make their points. I find it fun to listen to episodes about songs that interest me.
Song Exploder
In each episode of this podcast hosted by Yale graduate, musician, composer, and producer
; a different musician “takes apart” one of their own songs. Then the song is played in full. Again, I find it fun to listen to episodes about songs that interest me.Classical Breakdown
Each episode of this wonderful podcast hosted by John Banther does a deep, explanatory dive into a different classical music work, theme, instrument, or composer. Lots of music clips are included in episodes. Besides being a podcast and radio show host, Banther is also a musician. He graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music.
Sticky Notes: The Classical Music Podcast
Deeply knowledgeable conductor/host Joshua Weilerstein walks you through wonderful works of classical music, explaining their history and what to make of their parts. Lots of music clips are included. This show is a treat!
Embrace Everything - The World of Gustav Mahler
The summary for this fantastic, well-produced (by Aaron Cohen), classical music history show explains: “Each season explores a different Mahler symphony and includes interviews with leading conductors, music scholars and musicians. Additionally, Mahler’s own words and those of his contemporaries are read by actors.” Whether you are already a Mahler fan or would just like to begin to learn about who he is and what to make of his music, this podcast has a lot to offer. And just in case this podcast inspires you to want to listen to more recordings of Mahler’s symphonies (as it did me), I shared my favorite Mahler symphony recording recommendations in a separate post (which you can find here).
The Classical Music Minute
This podcast, hosted by composer Steven Hobé, packs informative classical music history into (usually exactly) one-minute-long packages.
Aria Code
Episodes of this podcast co-produced by The Metropolitan Opera enjoyably delve into famous arias (solo vocal pieces) from operas. Clips of the arias are played as they are thoughtfully discussed. Although there have not been any new episodes posted recently, you can still enjoy listening to old episodes.
Jazz Profiles
The summary for this podcast describes it as “A Peabody Award-winning documentary series chronicling the people, places, and themes of jazz. Combing interviews, archival recordings, music, and narration …” It is a high-quality production presented by jazz vocalist/actress Nancy Wilson and produced by long-time NPR jazz producer Tim Owens.
Pop culture podcasts
Pop Culture Happy Hour
The NPR hosts of this show—
, Aisha Harris, Glen Weldon, and Stephen Thompson—often sound like they are having a lot of fun while they have interesting discussions about what they are watching, listening to, playing, and reading.Imaginary Worlds
This science fiction and fantasy podcast describes itself as “what would happen if NPR went to ComicCon and decided that’s all they ever wanted to cover.” Former public radio reporter/producer
hosts this high-quality, creative-world-expanding show.Science podcasts
Unsung Science
Unfortunately, new episodes of this excellent and captivating science and tech podcast hosted by David Pogue are not currently being produced; however, there is a catalog of great old episodes that you can explore.
Short Wave
NPR’s science podcast describes itself as being about: “New discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines—in just under 15 minutes. It’s science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a little humor.”
Science Quickly by Scientific American
This Scientific American “bite-size science variety show” podcast “delves into the rich world of scientific discovery.”
Nature and environment podcasts
Yale Climate Connections
These climate-related podcast episodes from Yale’s Center for Environmental Communication are not only informative, but they are also extremely short.
Nature Guys
The very likable host of this podcast, Bob Staggenborg, shares his love of nature through interesting and thoughtful conversations about a variety of nature-related topics. His enthusiasm for the topics that he discusses is contagious. His rotating co-hosts include a conservation biologist/ecologist, a naturalist, a horticulturalist, and the director of a nature-based education non-profit.
BirdNote Daily
Episodes of this podcast are usually less than two minutes long. Most of them briefly introduce you to the sounds that a particular bird makes, as well as some facts about that bird.
English usage podcast
A Way With Words
The summary for this show describes it as “Light-hearted conversation with callers from all over about new words, old sayings, slang, family expressions, language change and varieties, as well as word histories, linguistics, regional dialects, word games, grammar, books, literature, writing, and more.”
and are the show’s delightful hosts.Foreign language and cultural learning podcasts
The following podcasts I use either to help me enjoyably avoid completely forgetting how to understand languages I previously studied (French and Spanish), or enjoyable dabble in languages that I do not plan to study intensely.
There are lots of other language podcasts that are better suited for the nuts-and-bolts of intensive language study, as well as lots of podcasts about other languages.
Intermediate level
Duolingo
If you are an English speaker and already understand at least intermediate French or Spanish, or if you are a Spanish or Portuguese speaker and already understand at least intermediate English; Duolingo has a podcast for you. They are high-quality productions that tell captivating cultural stories in a mix of English/French, English/Spanish, or English/Portuguese. The French-language podcast for English speakers is hosted by
and the Spanish-language podcast for English speakers by Martina Castro. New episodes have not been posted recently, but the podcasts’ back catalogues of episodes are fun to explore. As I am assuming that if you are reading this post your English-language comprehension is already excellent, I did not include samples of Duolingo’s English-teaching podcasts below. However, if either interest you, you can find more information about the one for Spanish speakers here and for Portuguese speakers here.Any level
Learn French With Alexa (2022 season)
The second season (2022) of this show consists of entertaining discussions in English about French culture and the French language. The sample episode below is a discussion in English about a French rough equivalent of pig latin.
Easy Korean
Each episode of this podcast teaches only one single Korean word or expression, and it usually is an amusing one. The episodes are between 3-6 minutes long, so they are not a major time investment. The episodes provide interesting lessons that can be enjoyed by absolute beginners and more advanced learners alike.
Learn Japanese Pod
Episodes of this podcast are posted infrequently and do not require you to be intensely studying Japanese. Some vocabulary words are provided for absolute beginners (like me). And there are also offerings for more advanced learners. I appreciate how entertaining the English-language discussions about Japanese words are. The hosts also often discuss (in English) interesting aspects of Japanese culture. I skip the “Just the dialogues” episodes as they are for advanced students of the language.
A Flatpack History of Sweden
This light-hearted, Swedish history podcast also frequently delves into Swedish culture. And each episode teaches one amusing/interesting expression in Swedish along with the episode’s history lesson. You can find a list of the expressions that they have taught so far here. The hosts are a very engaging and likable couple (a Swedish woman and a British man). Their “bonus” episodes are the easiest ones to listen to out of chronological order. The below sample episode about eel-related history and culture is a lot of fun.
Happiness podcasts
The Happiness Lab
Dr. Laurie Santos (the Yale professor who hosts this interesting podcast) studies the science of happiness and uses the podcast to share what she learns. Some of the older episodes dig into the happiness-related wisdom of classical thinkers like Plato and Aristotle; and then discuss how that wisdom relates to recent research.
The Science of Happiness
Psychologist Dacher Keltner hosts this podcast about “research-tested strategies for a happier, more meaningful life, drawing on the science of compassion, gratitude, mindfulness, and awe.”
Bookish podcasts
If you are interested in finding book review podcasts, you can check out my earlier post here recommending a number of them. I also recommended some additional book review podcasts near the beginning of my post about BookTube channels. You can find that post here.
Poetry for All
In episodes of this podcast, the hosts “read a poem, discuss it, see what makes it tick, learn how it works, grow from it, and then read it one more time.” The show is absolutely delightful! It is hosted by professors
and , and they have a Substack too.A “how to” podcast
Life Kit
This “how to” podcast from NPR covers a wide range of topics, some of which are likely to interest you much more than others.
Do you have any podcast recommendations that you would like to share?
Which educational podcasts that are also entertaining do you most enjoy? You are welcome to share your thoughts about the podcasts that I mentioned above as well as add recommendations of your own in the comment section for this post.
History: the memory palace, by Nate Dimeo (I read his excellent book first; the podcast is also wonderful).
Poetry: Poetry Unbound, with Pádraig Ó Tuama - I’d listen to his dreamy accent reading the phonebook, but his poetry choices and analyses are even better.
Thanks for this list! I would recommend Ologies, each episode the host interviews an expert in a different field and asks questions from listeners