35 Best BBC Radio 3 Podcasts
BBC Radio 3 Podcasts
Here are 35 Best BBC Radio 3 Podcasts worth listening to in 2026.
Export Contact List1. Composer of the Week
Play
Website Apple YouTube Episodes
BBC Radio 3's Composer Of The Week is a guide to composers and their music. The podcast is compiled from the week's programmes and published on Friday, it is only available in the UK.
Ranking #29 in Apple Charts (GB)
Host Donald Macleod
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 2/5Apple Reviews 662Facebook 182.6KTwitter 120.6KInstagram 135.6K Avg Length 71 min Format Long form 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. Private Passions
Play
Website Apple Spotify Episodes
Guests from all walks of life discuss their musical loves and hates, and talk about the influence music has had on their lives
Ranking #13 in Apple Charts (GB)
Host Michael Fitzhardinge Berkeley
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.3/5Apple Reviews 294Facebook 182.6KTwitter 120.6KInstagram 135.6K Avg Length 53 min Format Long form Get Email Contact
3. Classical Fix
Play
Website Apple Spotify Episodes
The podcast for classical newbies. If you fancy giving classical music a go, start here.
Ranking #92 in Apple Charts (GB)
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.8/5Apple Reviews 1.3KFacebook 182.6KTwitter 120.6KInstagram 135.6K Avg Length 29 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact
4. Slow Radio
Play
Website Apple Spotify Episodes
An antidote to today's frenzied world. Step back, let go, immerse yourself: it's time to go slow.Listen to the sounds of birds, mountain climbing, monks chatting as you go about your day. A lo-fi celebration of pure sound.MORE Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 3.9/5Apple Reviews 368Facebook 182.6KTwitter 120.6KInstagram 135.6K Avg Length 29 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact
5. This Classical Life
Play
Website Apple Spotify Episodes
Jess Gillam hosts the music show for people who like classical and other stuff too. Music, eclectic playlists and chat, with a new guest every week.
Host Jess Gillam
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.8/5Apple Reviews 163Facebook 182.6KTwitter 120.6KInstagram 135.6K Avg Length 28 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact
6. Between the Ears
Play
Website Apple Spotify Episodes
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 53Facebook 182.6KTwitter 120.6KInstagram 135.6K Avg Length 30 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact
7. Sound of Gaming
Play
Website Apple Spotify Episodes
Radio 3's regular jaunt into the latest, brightest and best gaming soundtracks.
Hosts Elle Osili-Wood, Louise Blain, Jessica Curry
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 34Facebook 182.6KTwitter 120.6KInstagram 135.6K Avg Length 29 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact
8. Record Review Podcast
Play
Website Apple Spotify Episodes
Building a Library: a guide to the best recordings of the greatest classical music. Each week an expert and enthusiast brings along a wide range of recordings of a well-known piece. They explore the music and the different ways of performing it, ending with a recommendation for your libraryMORE Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 2.7/5Apple Reviews 243Facebook 182.6KTwitter 120.6KInstagram 135.6K Avg Length 49 min Format Long form Get Email Contact
9. Music Matters
Play
Website Apple Spotify Episodes
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 54Facebook 182.6KTwitter 120.6KInstagram 135.6K Avg Length 45 min Format Long form Get Email Contact
10. Music Planet: Road Trip
Play
Website Apple Spotify Episodes
Discover the world with music. Join local experts for a sonic journey around the globe.
Host Betto Arcos
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.4/5Apple Reviews 64Facebook 182.6KTwitter 120.6KInstagram 135.6K Avg Length 15 min Format Short form Get Email Contact
11. Sound of Cinema
Play
Website Apple Spotify Episodes
Matthew Sweet's weekly look at music for the screen
Host Matthew Sweet
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@mac.com
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 2.3/5Apple Reviews 149Facebook 182.6KTwitter 120.6KInstagram 135.6K Avg Length 23 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact
12. The Radio 3 Documentary
Play
Website Apple Spotify Episodes
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 112Facebook 182.6KTwitter 120.6KInstagram 135.6K Avg Length 41 min Format Long form Get Email Contact
13. The Early Music Show
Play
Website Apple Spotify Episodes
An exploration of early music, looking at early developments in musical performance and composition in Britain and abroad. UK only: please note that not all episodes are podcast.
Host Hannah French
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 3.2/5Apple Reviews 96Facebook 182.6KTwitter 120.6KInstagram 135.6K Avg Length 33 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact
14. The Listening Service
Play
Website Apple Spotify Episodes
Rethink music with The Listening Service. Tom Service presents a journey of imagination and insight, exploring how music works
Host Tom Service
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.2/5Apple Reviews 245Facebook 182.6KTwitter 120.6KInstagram 135.6K Avg Length 30 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact
15. Music and Culture of WW1
Play
Apple Spotify Episodes
Highlights of BBC Radio 3's special programmes to mark the WW1 centenary. Classical music, art, literature, film, popular songs and cultural life inspired by the war.
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 13 Avg Length 15 min Format Short form Get Email Contact
16. The Essay
Play
Website Apple Spotify Episodes
Leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond, themed across a week - insight, opinion and intellectual surprise.
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.2/5Apple Reviews 231Facebook 182.6KTwitter 120.6KInstagram 135.6K Avg Length 14 min Format Short form Get Email Contact
17. Radio 3's Piano A to Z
Play
Website Apple Episodes
BBC Radio 3's Piano A to Z
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 5 Avg Length 8 min Format Bite size Get Email Contact
18. Commonwealth Connections
Play
Website Apple Spotify Episodes
World music from the Commonwealth countries for BBC Radio 3's World on 3, Fridays. Musicians, sportspeople and cultural figures introduce music recorded on location.
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 3.5/5Apple Reviews 22 Avg Length 14 min Format Short form Get Email Contact
19. Radio 3 Opera Guides
Play
Apple Episodes
BBC Radio 3 Opera guides
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 2.9/5Apple Reviews 39 Avg Length 9 min Format Bite size Get Email Contact
20. Radio 3's Fifty Modern Classics
Play
Website Apple Episodes
Artists, musicians and composers introduce fifty key pieces of classical music composed between 1950 and 2000. As featured in the BBC Radio 3 programme, Hear & Now.
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 2.6/5Apple Reviews 53 Avg Length 13 min Format Short form Get Email Contact
21. Ravel Revealed
Play
Website Apple Episodes
Maurice Ravel revealed through guides to his work and life. First broadcast on BBC Radio 3's Ravel Day, 7 March 2014.
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 3/5Apple Reviews 6 Avg Length 8 min Format Bite size Get Email Contact
22. The Lebrecht Interview
Play
Apple Spotify Episodes
Norman Lebrecht interviews a major cultural figure
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 19 Avg Length 45 min Format Long form Get Email Contact
23. BBC Proms Music Guide
Play
Apple Episodes
In this set of free downloads, BBC Radio 3 presenters introduce a key composer and work featured in BBC Prom concerts.
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 2.1/5Apple Reviews 59 Avg Length 4 min Format Bite size Get Email Contact
24. The Shakespeare Sessions
Play
Apple Spotify Episodes
Your one-stop shop for all things Shakespeare. Catch A-List casts in brand new audio versions of Shakespeare's greatest plays, plus documentaries from the brightest minds on the bard's life and work.MORE Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.8/5Apple Reviews 189 Avg Length 29 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact
25. The Spirit of Schubert
Play
Apple Episodes
BBC Radio 3 tells you everything you need to know about Franz Schubert. These free downloads will cover every aspect of the life of one of the greatest ever composers.
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 3.6/5Apple Reviews 40 Avg Length 17 min Format Short form Get Email Contact
26. Britten 100
Play
Website Episodes
Britten 100. Highlights from Radio 3's Britten centenary weekend in Aldeburgh with special features, interviews and on location reports recorded in Suffolk.
Estimated listeners
Avg Length 14 min Format Short form Get Email Contact
27. Radio 3's Composers' Rooms
Play
Website Apple Episodes
Sara Mohr-Pietsch interviews today's composers exploring the relationshipbetween their immediate environment and the music they write. From BBC Radio 3's Hear and Now, published on Sunday mornings.MORE Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Reviews 4 Avg Length 13 min Format Short form Get Email Contact
28. In Tune Sound of Cinema
Play
Apple Episodes
As part of BBC Sound of Cinema, a special series of interviews with major names from the industry, providing a fascinating insight into how music works in film.
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Reviews 6 Avg Length 13 min Format Short form Get Email Contact
29. A History of Mozart in a Dozen Objects
Play
Apple Spotify Episodes
Mozart's world rediscovered in objects of his time. Professor Cliff Eisen looks at Mozart's world through objects that were close to him. From BBC Radio 3.
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 4.1/5Apple Reviews 75 Avg Length 11 min Format Short form Get Email Contact
30. The In Tune A-Z of Opera
Play
Apple Episodes
A comprehensive guide to the language of opera with contributions from singers, conductors, directors and vocal coaches. From BBC Radio 3, May 2010
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Rating 2.7/5Apple Reviews 29 Avg Length 10 min Format Bite size Get Email Contact
31. Georgian Pleasures
Play
Apple Episodes
Key pieces of music from the Georgian period explored by Suzy Klein and Christian Curnyn. From BBC Radio 3
Producer/Network BBC Radio 3
Email ****@bbc.co.uk
Estimated listeners
Apple Reviews 4 Avg Length 8 min Format Bite size Get Email Contact
32. Radio 3 Breakfast Carol Competition
Play
Episodes
The final shortlist of winning carols in the Breakfast Christmas Carol Competition. Composed by listeners, a setting of a poem by Susan Hill specially written for Radio 3
Estimated listeners
Avg Length 4 min Format Bite size Get Email Contact
33. Modern Muses
Website
Creative collaborations in new music. A series where the world's leading composers and performers explain how they cooperate in the creation of new work.
Estimated listeners
Get Email Contact
BBC Radio 3 shows hosts and producers
| Podcaster Name | Role | Podcast Link | Gender | Twitter Handle | Twitter Followers | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald Macleod | Host | bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02nrvd3/episodes/player | Male | @donaldmacleod01 | 8.2K | London, United Kingdom | |
| Michael Fitzhardinge Berkeley | Host | bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tnv3/episodes/player | Male | @michaelberkele2 | London, United Kingdom | ||
| BBC Radio 3 | Producer | bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b09cy8yl | @bbcradio3 | London, United Kingdom | |||
| Jess Gillam | Host | bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00040ch/episodes/player | Female | @jessgillamsax | 10.6K | United Kingdom | |
| Elle Osili-Wood | Co Host | bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0009rfp/episodes/player | Female | @elleosiliwood | 24.2K | ||
| Louise Blain | Co Host | bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0009rfp/episodes/player | Female | @shiny_demon | 9.2K | Los Angeles, CA, United States | |
| Jessica Curry | Co Host | bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0009rfp/episodes/player | Female | ||||
| Betto Arcos | Host | bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02nrw3w/episodes/player | Male | ||||
| Matthew Sweet | Host | bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/b03bzf92 | Male | @drmatthewsweet | 66.6K | London, United Kingdom | |
| Hannah French | Host | bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tn49/episodes/player | Female | @hannahcfrench | London, United Kingdom | ||
| Tom Service | Host | bbc.co.uk/programmes/b078n25h/episodes/player | Male |