Want to improve your listening skills in Brazilian Portuguese? Check out this collection of our favourite Portuguese podcasts.
Selection Criteria
There are hundreds of Portuguese Learning Podcasts out there, so we've picked the following list with these guidelines in mind:
- Reviews: Are the iTunes reviews above average?
- Active: Are new episodes being published?
- Library: Is there a significant backlog of content to listen to?
- Professionalism: Does the podcast have a website or other platform with their brand and supporting materials?
Best Portuguese Podcasts for Beginner Learners
1. One Minute Portuguese – Coffee Break
Languages (paid)
This podcast is great for the beginner who is always busy. Another addition to the impressive Coffee Break catalogue, One Minute Portuguese brings you bite-size lessons to get you interacting with the language as soon as possible.
Each episode is around 1 – 3 minutes long and starts from the absolute essentials The presenters are clear, interesting, and speak in both English and Portuguese. This is best for people with no prior knowledge of Portuguese who are looking for a fast, easy way to get the ball rolling.
This short podcast course is only available through Coffee Break Languages and costs £12 for 1 year access. So, grab your coffee, sit down, and get ready to say, ” Olá! Tudo Bem?”
2. PortuguesePod101
Arguably more of a course than a podcast, PortuguesePod101 offers hundreds of audio and video lessons to help you learn from scratch.
They boast 275+ hours of lessons by real teachers and dialogue breakdowns of the conversations. What’s great is that you can download the podcasts to your phone and listen whenever is convenient for you.
The Premium Plus subscription is around $25/month but they regularly have deals, like the starter pack for $1. You can access the audio lessons only for under $10/month. For those keeping the purse strings pulled, you can watch hundreds of PortguesePod101 videos for free on Youtube.
3. Todo Mundo Pod
Todo Mundo Pod is suitable for beginner and intermediate learners wanting to boost their Portuguese through podcasts. The episodes are recorded entirely in Portuguese which might overwhelm some listeners, but there are transcripts and extra resources available to help.
The presenter speaks clearly but not too slowly, and you have plenty of space for your brain to catch up. He mainly discusses cultural points and figures of interest in Brazil, but also looks at grammatical points that learners often encounter.
Because the format is simple and the content is engaging, Todo Mundo Pod is our top pick for Beginner and Low Intermediate learners.
Full podcast episodes are available through the website, along with additional learning materials.
Best Portuguese Podcasts for Intermediate & Advanced Learners
4. SBS in Portuguese
If you're currently living in Australia or want to keep up to date with what's happening down under, SBS Portuguese releases daily news broadcasts. It wasn't created for learners in particular, rather Portuguese speaking immigrants in Australia but is a brilliant resource for intermediate speakers.
The episode length ranges from 3 minutes to 15 (perfect for the morning commute) and covers the latest in Politics, Sports, Weather and News. If you're feeling overwhelmed at the thought of an all-Portuguese podcast, don't worry! Most of the sound bites feature English speakers which gives your ears a rest from the Brazilian news readers.
It's free and easy to access through Spotify or Apple podcasts, or you can go straight to their website.
5. Brasileiríssimo
As the name suggests, Brasileirissimo is a podcast dedicated to educating learners on Brazilian language and culture. The episode topics vary from Brazilian history, politics, vocabulary and more. There's even an episode on Saci–pererê, a comical character from Brazilian folklore.
The lessons are kept short (usually between 7 – 12 minutes) and there are transcripts available on the website for you to read while you listen.
This is a great podcast for intermediate learners looking to make that leap to more immersive content.
6. Carioca Connection
A long time favourite with Brazilian Portuguese learners, you'll have no shortage of episodes with Carioca Connection. You join Alexia, Rio de Janeiro native, on her mission to help Foster, from the US, learn Portuguese.
The episodes feature conversations between the pair on a mixture or topics, introducing certain vocabulary, grammar, or pronunciation in each episode. The episodes are usually 90% Portuguese – 10% English.
It's encouraging hearing the points where Foster struggles too, and the podcast addresses issues that learners often encounter.
On the website you can find articles, worksheets and how to become a member of t
he Carioca Connection Club.
7. Trago Boas Noticias
Listening to the news is a great way to learn a language but it can be a little dull from time to time, not to mention depressing. Trago Boas Noticias is a podcast dedicated to sharing positive news stories from Brazil and around the world in a calming, creative way.
The production is fantastic and the style is based in meditation and visualisation, helping you to establish the context of the story. Some previous stories include a teacher who planted a forest in dry land, and a dancer who helps people with Down Syndrome.
It wasn’t made specifically for learners and some of the vocabulary will be difficult for intermediate speakers, but the speed is not too challenging and the episodes are short. Whether you can understand every detail or not, you’ll love practicing your listening skills with this inspirational podcast.
8. Quem Lê Tanta Notícia
A great choice for news junkies, Quem Lê Tanta Notícia brings you news stories from Brazil and around the world in a fresh way. Each episode focuses on a separate issue which the presenters dissect in detail, giving their own opinions on the subject and giving you the information to form your own.
It’s a fresh way to present news and keeps you attentive even if you get lost somewhere in the Portuguese. We recommend this for Advanced learners as there’s no transcripts available and the presenters speak at native speed.
9. NerdCast
NerdCast is a long-running, Brazilian podcast dedicated to all things nerd. They cover films, games, finance, listener stories, and anything new in the world of geek. There are many different presenters which is great for getting used to different accents and colloquial language.
Any learners under Advanced level will struggle with this podcast as the topics are specialist and the presenters speak quickly and spontaneously. The episodes are around an hour in length.
10. Escriba Cafe
Escriba Cafe is an excellent option for Advanced learners who are tired of listening to the same old audio lessons and want a native podcast to actually enjoy.
The topics focus on the “history of humanity” and range from stories on Jack the Ripper, Democracy, and the Bermuda Triangle. Each story is around 20 – 30 minutes and with over 100 episodes to choose from, you’ll be sure to find something to suit your fancy.
Escriba Cafe episodes are free to access via its website or Spotify.
Did I miss anything? Let me know.
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Kris is the founder of Actual Fluency, and has spent the last 8 years becoming an expert in language learning software, methods, and techniques.
He lives in Denmark and speaks 5+ languages at varying levels. His other interests are Wine, Online Marketing, and Travelling.