Best BBC World Service Podcasts (2025)

1
BBC World Service Newshour: Sonic Heritage interview, 18 April 2025 4:33

8d ago4:33

4:33

Interview with Cities and Memory founder Stuart Fowkes on BBC World Service's Newshour programme on 18 April 2025, introducing the Sonic Heritage project. Features sound clips from the Sistine Chapel, Coimbra in Portugal and Okarito in New Zealand.By Cities and Memory

1
Has listener power prevailed on BBC Sounds? 8:59

3h ago8:59

8:59

The proposed switch from BBC Sounds to a new BBC app has been weighing heavily on the minds of some listeners. Many of you have been unhappy.Well it seems listener power has prevailed and there’s been an important change! We’ll bring you the BBC’s update.Plus , the true crime podcast series “The Con: Kaitlyn’s Baby” is about one apparently pregnant…

1
Gadgets for blind people 23:32

3d ago23:32

23:32

Myra Anubi is joined by BBC Access All presenter Emma Tracey to look at new technology that could help blind people in their everyday lives. Glide is a new mobility aid – it’s a device with wheels and cameras that aims to provide blind people with an alternative to white canes and guide dogs, while using AI to give them more information about their…

1
The challenges facing the BBC’s Russian service 8:58

7d ago8:58

8:58

A number of journalists working for BBC Russian have been labelled “foreign agents”, severely restricting their professional and private lives. We hear from the editor of BBC News's Russian service about the impact. Plus, a listener has been in touch to praise a moving eyewitness report on Newsday. Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard Shannon.A W…

1
BBC Radio 4 Today Programme: Sonic Heritage interview, 18 April 2025 4:26

8d ago4:26

4:26

Interview with Cities and Memory founder Stuart Fowkes on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme on 18 April 2025, introducing the Sonic Heritage project. Features sound clips from the Tower of London, the Sistine Chapel and Valparaiso, Chile.By Cities and Memory

1
How sport can bring outsiders in 23:26

11d ago23:26

23:26

This week we look at two projects that show how sport can be a powerful tool for social inclusion. We go rowing with some refugees in Seville, Spain, and discover how being part of a crew has helped both adults and kids feel part of their new community. And we join a special scheme in southern England that uses football coaching to break down barri…

1
How to make a documentary on President Trump 8:58

14d ago8:58

8:58

The documentary Donald Trump’s New World Order set out to explain the reasons behind these turbulent times. Presenter Jamie Coomarasamy reveals how he overcame the problems of staying up to date when the Trump Administration seems to be announcing new policies day by day? We hear your views. Presenter Rajan DatarProducer Howard ShannonA Whistledown…

1
Recovery for all 23:16

18d ago23:16

23:16

There are more people alive and living for longer - but with that comes more people experiencing failing health. While some of this is inevitable, some can be reversible through rehabilitation. The WHO says 2.6 billion people could benefit from rehabilitation services but in low and middle income countries fewer than half receive these services. We…

1
The place of greenstone 6:45

19d ago6:45

6:45

"It was fascinating in the course of working on this piece to learn more about the significance of the Te Wahipounamu region to the Māori people, and to read of the world-building legends about how this part of the world came into being. "I wanted to hold this sense of the sacred close to me as I explored the sound - and what it represented - more …

1
Dawn chorus at Okarito 18:16

19d ago18:16

18:16

This is a recording of a dawn chorus after two days of hard rain at Ōkārito. Pīpipi Brown Creepers, Mātata Fernbird, Tauhou Silvereyes, and other manu birds are busy feeding and grooming in the warm sunlight. Mixing with this birdsong is the constant rumble of waves that can be heard wherever you are in town. The trail where this was recorded was d…

1
Sitting concession 6:28

19d ago6:28

6:28

"The overlapping sounds – the drone's gentle pulse, the lingering reverb, the admiring whispers, and the sacred music – create a dreamlike and immersive experience. It's as if the drone has become a silent witness, its sonic capture blending the everyday wonder of visitors with the profound spiritual atmosphere of a Christmas Mass. The drawn-out no…

1
Clinch variant 5:50

19d ago5:50

5:50

At the heart of the recording is the simple, almost nostalgic sound of a small stereo playing the Kokiriko bushi melody with its slightly lo-fi quality. For this remix, the original recording has been cleaned, removing unwanted noise while preserving the inherent intimacy of the space. Layers additional music have been introduced, transforming the …

1
St. Anthony's relics 5:24

19d ago5:24

5:24

In the Basilica di Sant'Antonio in Padova, in which we can hear tourists admiring the amazing church and its incredible frescos, statues and artworks, as well as a Christmas service taking place in the centre of the church. We join the queue to view the relics of St. Anthony, which include the saint's tongue, jawbone and vocal chords. UNESCO listin…

1
Kokiriko bushi 5:00

19d ago5:00

5:00

The sound recorded is of an exibition of the Kokiriko bushi traditional dance. A man, in traditional clothes, plays a song on a little stereo and dances in front of a small audience. The setting is a traditional house made of dark timber, embers shine in the ash pit in the middle of the room. As he dances he plays the binzasara, a traditional instr…

1
In the metro, Novosibirsk 2:19

19d ago2:19

2:19

Recording from the Novosibirsk metro, Russia. Recorded by Pavel LopatinBy Cities and Memory

1
Resonant protest in Tirana 1:53

19d ago1:53

1:53

Many of Albania’s voices are political, and this recording demonstrates that this remains true today. Captured in Skanderbeg Square, in the heart of Tirana, this recording showcases the soundscape of a protest organized by the opposition party, the Democratic Party of Albania. In the recording, the voice of the individual speaking into the micropho…

1
In metropoliten 12:29

19d ago12:29

12:29

Recorded sounds are synthesised with electronic sounds, creating new timbres and syntheses. Novosibirsk metro, Russia reimagined by Pavel Lopatin.By Cities and Memory

1
Walls that resist 5:19

19d ago5:19

5:19

"Protests embody unrest, tension, and hope. They are activities that display these contrasts while effectively utilizing sound. In this interpretation, I sampled a protest recording from Tirana and approached it in four distinct ways. The first is in its original form. The second features a louder megaphone effect. The third presents a distorted, u…

1
Targeting journalists for just doing their job 8:58

21d ago8:58

8:58

Turkey has jailed and expelled a number of journalists, including BBC correspondent Mark Lowen. Listeners give us their reactions. And, as Hard Talk ends, a new interview format show starts. Some of you remain unhappy about the loss of one of your favourite shows. Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Howard Shannon.A Whistledown production for BBC World…

1
Peter and Paul Fortress Carillon 6:37

23d ago6:37

6:37

Peter and Paul Fortress Carillon (i believe it was a rehearsal). I randomly walked into the sound of the bells and made a recording directly under the cathedral on the empty night square. UNESCO listing: Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments Recorded by Masha Sha. IMAGE: Alex 'Florstein' Fedorov, CC BY-SA 4.0

1
Radioactive rhinos 23:18

25d ago23:18

23:18

The global rhino population has fallen by 95% since 1900, mainly due to poaching. Now an atomic approach is being used to stop the poachers in South Africa by placing radioactive material into the horns of rhinos. We journey to the South African bush to meet the scientists - as well as the rhinos being protected. People Fixing The World from the BB…

1
Together 3:04

26d ago3:04

3:04

"I was attracted to working with a recording from Thailand for personal reasons. I travelled there some years ago, and lived in a border town, where I volunteered helping a local NGO working with refugees from Burma I had never visited Ayutthaya and the temples, so this work is a chance to visit it in some way. I had visited some other Buddhist tem…

1
Proton motive force 6:20

26d ago6:20

6:20

"What struck me about this recording was the joyful melancholy of the brass band, a bittersweet, steady march. The constant pulse of life. A warm embrace, a salve for wayward souls. The chug of an old train on a long journey. The rhythms that govern our lives, that bring a sense of constancy, but are also relentless and uncompromising. These univer…

1
Ayasofya in the dark 2:23

26d ago2:23

2:23

"This piece was inspired by a story my father told me about when he was a student in Istanbul. One night as my father was walking through the grounds of the mosque, from out of the darkness he heard the delicate strains of a musician, the reverberations of their instrument bouncing off the pillars of the courtyard, a sound echoing and decaying like…

1
Traditional bell ringing 8:19

26d ago8:19

8:19

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is an Orthodox Christian cathedral located in Georgia's oldest city and former capital, Mtskheta. As I passed through the main entrance and walked through the internal grounds, bell ringers began ringing the bells from high up in one of the towers. UNESCO listing: Historical Monuments of Mtskheta Recorded by Colin Hunter. —…

1
Religious procession in Lima 3:46

26d ago3:46

3:46

Religious procession in Lima. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Historic Centre of Lima Recorded by Erick Ruiz Arellano. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage…

1
Inside the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque 1:23

26d ago1:23

1:23

Binaural recording of a walk around the mosque, November 2015. UNESCO listing: Historic Areas of Istanbul Recorded by David Webb. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage…

1
Morning birds in Apoala 2:31

26d ago2:31

2:31

Morning birds in Santiago Apoala. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley: originary habitat of Mesoamerica Recorded by Erick Ruiz Arellano. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.…

1
Ponte de Dom Luís I 1:20

26d ago1:20

1:20

Spanning the Douro River, the Dom Luís I Bridge in Porto provides a unique moment of calm in the early hours of the day. The recording captures the peaceful atmosphere, where the distant calls of seagulls and the quiet hum of the city fill the air. In this tranquil setting, the Metro train makes its dramatic entrance, its sound gradually building a…

1
Birds of Apoala 2:25

26d ago2:25

2:25

"This piece reflects the birds of Apoala sounding at first light. After 30 seconds there are sounds of music, representing the unique sonic relationship that birds and their songs have with man." Birds of Apoala reimagined by Tallest Trees. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sig…

1
Rust 7:38

26d ago7:38

7:38

"I grew up close to one of the biggest Catholic pilgrimage destinations in the world - I could never escape bells. I love the way they sound, the seemingly impossible rhythms and beatings they create, and the long ringings. "I wanted to preserve those sounds and rhythms in some way, but at the same time reflect the wanton disregard with which we tr…

1
Morning pass 2:05

26d ago2:05

2:05

"I wanted to create the sense of multiple trains passing over time by breaking up the sounds into component parts with distortion and delay but also introduced the feeling of being on the train at the same time with the background notes." Dom Luis I Bridge, Porto reimagined by David Cowlard. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project,…

1
The life of Winston Churchill 4:49

28d ago4:49

4:49

Blenheim Palace was the birthplace of Britain's most famous Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, and throughout the property there are plenty of reminders of this, including a dedicated permanent exhibition to his life. Attention has been paid to sound in the exhibition, which variously includes mockups of Churchill's voice telling stories about his …

1
I loved riding 3:04

28d ago3:04

3:04

"To start with I was mostly interested in seeing if I could extract the typewriter and morse code sounds and use those rhythms to trigger snippets of Churchill's voice. I wanted to re-code the existing code and tried a variety of techniques including EQ, AI Stem Splitting, Gates, Envelope Followers, distortion and reverb. "I started to make some ov…

1
Campanas de la Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México 7:19

28d ago7:19

7:19

On Palm Sunday during Holy Week, all the cathedral bells are rung. It is a unique moment throughout the year. UNESCO listing: Historic Centre of Mexico City Recorded by Leonardo Santiago. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: htt…

1
Bell fall 2:31

28d ago2:31

2:31

"I love this recording by Leonardo Santiago of the cathedral bells in Mexico City. I was working with a mix of voice, song and sound elements taken from the recording, but then I got sick and couldn’t record the voice elements. So this is a really simple combination of the second part of the recording with a poem I wrote about a visitor descending …

1
Naja nostalgia 3:46

28d ago3:46

3:46

"The world is not this world when heard through the auditory spectrum of a snake. It follows, then, that history itself might also shift if perceived outside the limits of human hearing. Naja Nostalgia is a sound work that employs field recording, geophone recordings, synthesizers, and an improvised Viridu performance to recreate the experience of …

1
The legal case against rap singer Sean Combs 8:58

28d ago8:58

8:58

The BBC’s series Diddy on Trial sets out to investigate the rumours, confront the theories, and give listeners the answers they need about the legal case against the rap singer Sean Combs. He denies all the charges. We speak with the show’s presenter about the challenges of making this series and especially the hazard of tip-toeing through a legal …

1
The ancient and the new 2:46

29d ago2:46

2:46

This recording was captured in Fanal, a vast forested area with an enchanting atmosphere and ancient-looking trees that are part of the indigenous Laurisilva forest. In the recording, you can hear me walking, sounds of people talking, taking photos and wandering through the mist. Between some powerful winds, theres some calmer moments where you can…

1
Transformation 4:30

29d ago4:30

4:30

"The field recording I worked with was of a 'Jaguar Whistle', an instrument designed to replicate the sound of a jaguar. My understanding is that in Mesoamerican cultures, the jaguar was a symbol of transformation, bridging the earthly and spiritual realms. Research suggested that Shamans and rulers sought to embody its power, believing they could …

1
Misty transmutes 11:24

29d ago11:24

11:24

"I got inspired of the original recording’s “rough” essence - the windy and rainy weather was dominant, along the noise of the people. For me, it reflects the ongoing change of the climate and amount of tourism which seem to change and grow hand in hand. "Also the description of the original recording tells about capturing the sound of growing numb…

1
Heritage simulacrum 3:09

30d ago3:09

3:09

"I approached the word 'heritage' from two directions; there is what we receive, 'inherit', (and what we in turn leave) - an imperative to consider how we care for leave behind what we hold precious. But heritage can also indicate efforts to retain what has, realistically, been lost - a simulacrum, second-hand experience. In the context of this pro…

1
Day of the Dead at Xoxo 3:34

30d ago3:34

3:34

Day of the Death at Xoxocotlán cemetery. Families gather around thumbs. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Indigenous festivity dedicated to the dead Recorded by Erick Ruiz Arellano. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https:/…

1
Skara Brae 12:02

30d ago12:02

12:02

"After carefully listening to my chosen field recording; Skara Brae, I refreshed my memory and researched the Neolithic site in Orkney. "I liked how the geofon recording added a mysterious layer, with distant sounding muffled voices and rumbling… I accentuated and extended this mystery. "I imagined the aeons of time that has passed on the site; the…

1
Skara Brae tourism 1:48

30d ago1:48

1:48

Skara Brae, Europe's most remarkably preserved Neolithic village, offers a profound connection to the distant past. In this recording, the wind carries its timeless song, mingling with the murmurs of visitors as they explore the site. Captured through the Geofon, the vibrations of wind and footsteps resonate like the ancient village's heartbeat, wh…

1
Does it drive you crazy too? 3:39

30d ago3:39

3:39

"I liked how the field recording sounded messy and not put together 100% and I incorporated that in my production style. I also liked the raw sounding vibe of the recording which i enhanced with reverb to create a unique atmosphere in the background. "I think my composition shows that every sound has a place in today's music style and we can preser…

1
Delos, from Egypt to modern day 4:20

30d ago4:20

4:20

"Upon listening to the in field recording, I instantly had the idea of doing something involving synthesis and tying that to the idea of time travel. What stood out to me most is the raw, natural ambience that it has. I used this to use hard panning in the beginning to simulate the listener looking around. I connected it to the sound of a stream fl…

1
Soul of Italy 1:57

30d ago1:57

1:57

"The opera singing within the field recording sounded soul-like, which inspired us to pull inspiration from 90s hip hop, such as the Wu-Tang Clan, who also sampled a lot of old music. As discussed, we used sampling techniques and other effects such as bit crush, to achieve an old school sound." Singer at the Pantheon, Rome reimagined by Theo Steven…

1
Wieża 3:23

30d ago3:23

3:23

""Wieża" considers themes of change, stasis, motion, stillness, and meditation, as suggested by the original field recording. The footsteps that explore Wieża Ratuszowa in that recording become a percussive pulse in this composition, exploring convergence, tension, loss, and progress: people, events, ideas, emotions, structures, melodies, instrumen…

1
Wieża Ratuszowa 1:16

30d ago1:16

1:16

From the height of Kraków’s Town Hall Tower, this recording transports you to the heart of the Old Town, where the echoes of history are intertwined with the pulse of contemporary life. Standing as a proud Gothic monument since the 14th century, the tower bears witness to centuries of change. Soft, measured footsteps ascending the narrow stairs, wh…

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