Â鶹ԼÅÄ

If you love music but have never got to grips with the gigantic slab of sound known as “classical”, then this is the podcast for you. Try before you buy with fully qualified classical chaperone Clemmie Burton-Hill, who’s on a mission to open more ears to the rich and varied world of classical music.

Every episode, Clemmie puts together a classical playlist for a special guest and we listen in as they react. Those responses aren’t always positive, by the way. There’s no airbrushing here, no right or wrong, and no homework.

Why are bass lines so good? How does video game music work? Can music be gendered? What is minimalism? And why is opera so ridiculous?

There is no musical query too obvious, too abstract or too weird for The Listening Service to consider. This weekly pod is hosted by powerhouse music journalist Tom Service (geddit?), who finds the answers to music’s big questions with the help of experts ranging from physicists and historians to marine biologists and ludomusicologists (they're a thing; look it up).

Classical music is having a bit of a millennial moment, with interest in the genre spiking among younger listeners who use classical to focus, relax and energise. This new podcast, hosted by 20-year-old classical musician Jess Gillam, is a golden opportunity to escape streaming service algorithms and discover new sounds from across the musical spectrum.

The format is simple. In every episode, Jess invites another young pro musician to share the tracks that are currently riding high on their personal playlists. She plays a track, they play a track, they have a chat and we all hear some great music. Definitely one to share with the adventurous playlister in your life.

Think back to your favourite holiday memory. Was it the evening you were serenaded at dinner by a talented busker? The time you stumbled across a breathtaking traditional dance display in a village square? Or was it that amazing folk band you chanced across in a tiny local bar?

Hearing a country’s traditional music is a short cut to getting to know its people, culture and history. This weekly podcast (made by the people behind Radio 3’s Music Planet) is dedicated to traditional music from around the world. Each episode is hosted by a local correspondent, giving you insider access to music and places you might never get the chance to visit IRL.

Another vintage podcast from Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 3, Composer of the Week is THE one-stop shop for discovering everything, ever, about the history of classical music. Each episode represents the genius distillation of five hours of Radio 3’s Composer of the Week radio show into 60 action-packed minutes.

If there’s a more efficient way of learning about over 1,000 years of music, we haven’t found it. COTW host Donald Macleod’s knowledge of his subject(s) is unparalleled and, as a bonus, he has one of the most reassuring voices in radio.

Michael Berkeley is our genial host in this music and celeb-heavy podcast, which sees guests from all walks of life talk about the influence music has had on their lives.

Michael’s background as a composer allows him to tease details from his guests via their musical tastes that you simply won't hear anywhere else. Music, after all, is the one thing that connects us through the biggest moments of our lives – from weddings and funerals to coming of age stories and bittersweet memories.