21 Best BBC Arts Culture Podcasts

1. The Allusionist

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Website Apple Spotify YouTube Episodes
Adventures in language with Helen Zaltzman. TheAllusionist.org
Host Helen Zaltzman
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.7/5Apple Reviews 5.3K Avg Length 43 min Format Long form Since Jan 2015 Get Email Contact Get access to full database of 2.7M podcastsCreate podcast lists, export in spreadsheet or CSV file with email contacts and start your podcast outreach in minutes.Sign Up for Free with Email Continue with Google

2. World Book Club

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The world's great authors discuss their best-known novel.
Host Harriett Gilbert
Producer/Network BBC World Service
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.6/5Apple Reviews 1K Avg Length 58 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

3. Add to Playlist

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Website Apple Spotify Episodes
Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe take us on a musical journey of discovery, exploring the web of connections between tracks across the breadth of all musical styles, from pop, rock, reggae and hip-hop to classical, jazz, folk and country.MORE Hosts Jeffrey Boakye, Anna Phoebe
Producer/Network BBC Radio 4
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 185 Avg Length 42 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

4. Start the Week

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Website Apple Spotify YouTube Episodes
Weekly discussion programme, setting the cultural agenda every Monday
Hosts Tom Sutcliffe, Adam Rutherford
Producer/Network BBC Radio 4
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.7/5Apple Reviews 467 Avg Length 42 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

5. Bookclub

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Led by James Naughtie, a group of readers talk to acclaimed authors about their best-known novels
Host James Naughtie
Producer/Network BBC Radio 4
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.4/5Apple Reviews 759 Avg Length 30 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact

6. Front Row

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Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
Hosts Nick Ahad, Tom Sutcliffe, Samira Ahmed
Producer/Network BBC Radio 4
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.4/5Apple Reviews 522 Avg Length 43 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

7. Loose Ends

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Clive Anderson and guests with an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy
Host Clive Anderson
Producer/Network BBC Radio 4
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.3/5Apple Reviews 142 Avg Length 37 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact

8. The Verb

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Radio 3's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance
Host Ian McMillan
Producer/Network BBC Radio 4
Email ****@ian-mcmillan.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.4/5Apple Reviews 158 Avg Length 43 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

9. This Cultural Life

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In-depth conversations with some of the world's leading artists and creatives across theatre, visual arts, music, dance, film and more. Hosted by John Wilson.
Host John Wilson
Producer/Network BBC Radio 4
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.9/5Apple Reviews 321 Avg Length 44 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

10. The Media Show

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Social media, anti-social media, breaking news, faking news: this is the programme about a revolution in media.
Hosts Katie Razzall, Ros Atkins
Producer/Network BBC Radio 4
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.4/5Apple Reviews 522 Avg Length 43 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

11. Opening Lines

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Producer and writer John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years, and he shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact behind the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.MORE Host John Yorke
Producer/Network BBC Radio 4
Email ****@johnyorkestory.com
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4/5Apple Reviews 23 Avg Length 15 min Format Short form Get Email Contact

12. Music Matters

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The stories that matter, the people that matter, the music that matters
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 3.7/5Apple Reviews 54 Avg Length 45 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

13. Between the Ears

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Innovative and thought-provoking features that make adventurous use of sound and explore a wide variety of subjects. Made by leading radio producers.
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.7/5Apple Reviews 53 Avg Length 30 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact

14. Four Thought

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Series of thought-provoking talks in which the speakers air their thinking on the trends, ideas, interests and passions that affect culture and society
Producer/Network BBC Radio 4
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.4/5Apple Reviews 201 Avg Length 21 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact

15. The Radio 3 Documentary

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In-depth documentaries which explore a different aspect of history, science, philosophy, film, visual arts and literature. The Sunday Feature is broadcast every Sunday at 6.45pm on BBC Radio 3.MORE Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.4/5Apple Reviews 112 Avg Length 41 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

16. The Culture Scene

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Website Apple Spotify YouTube Episodes
Inspiring stories of creativity from across the vibrant arts scene in Scotland. A weekly podcast hosted by Nicola Meighan and a series of short films.
Producer/Network BBC Radio Scotland
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 6 Avg Length 38 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact

17. The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed

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Poet Laureate Simon Armitage is a former probation officer, DJ and poet celebrated for his witty and profound take on modern life. He writes in the shed in his garden, and in this podcast he invites guests to join him to talk about poetry, creativity, music, art, sheds, sherry and the countryside.MORE Producer/Network BBC Radio 4
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 240 Avg Length 48 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

18. The Cultural Frontline

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The Cultural Frontline: where arts and news collide.
Host Nick Rankin
Producer/Network BBC World Service
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.9/5Apple Reviews 27 Avg Length 28 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact

19. The BBC Academy Podcast

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Essential listening for the broadcast production, journalism and technology communities. Your guide to everything from editorial and craft skills to taking your next step in the industry. Practical advice on all aspects of TV, radio, journalism.MORE Producer/Network BBC Radio
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 3.8/5Apple Reviews 106 Avg Length 20 min Format Short form Get Email Contact

20. The Banksy Story

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The story of Banksy's rise, the stunts, the culture and the story of how the work became so valuable.
Host James Peak
Producer/Network BBC Radio 4
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.8/5Apple Reviews 231 Avg Length 19 min Format Short form Get Email Contact

21. The Missing Madonna

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A da Vinci painting is stolen in a daring heist at a Scottish castle. This is the incredible inside story of Britain's biggest art theft and the search for a stolen masterpiece.
Host Olivia Graham
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.6/5Apple Reviews 370 Avg Length 22 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact