The best sex podcasts of 2026 include Sex With Emily for practical sex education, The Sex and Psychology Podcast for research-backed insight, Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel for real couples sessions, and Dipsea for erotic storytelling. Whether you want sex education, candid advice, or audio fiction, the nine shows below are all actively publishing and worth your listening time. Podcasts cannot replace professional support, but they can make conversations about sex and sexual wellness feel far less intimidating.
| Podcast | Host | Best for | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex With Emily | Dr. Emily Morse | Practical sex education | Weekly, listener Q&A |
| The Sex and Psychology Podcast | Dr. Justin Lehmiller | Research-backed insight | Weekly, expert interviews |
| Private Parts Unknown | Courtney Kocak | Sex and culture worldwide | Weekly, travel interviews |
| Pillow Talks | Vanessa & Xander Marin | Couples communication | Weekly, therapist-led |
| The Dildorks | Billy Lore & Kate Sloan | Kink and sex-positive talk | Weekly conversation |
| Dipsea | Rotating narrators | Erotic storytelling | Subscription app |
| Quinn | Rotating narrators | Actor-narrated audio erotica | Subscription app |
| Where Should We Begin? | Esther Perel | Real couples sessions | Weekly, session recordings |
| Savage Lovecast | Dan Savage | Frank advice on sex and dating | Weekly call-in |
What Are the Best Sex Education Podcasts?
The following sex education podcasts do a lot of legwork, making it all look effortless. Yes, you will learn a lot about sex — it’s psychology, biology, history, and mechanics — as well as the cultural and societal intricacies and implications of sexuality, gender, desire, seduction, and more.
1. Private Parts Unknown
Formerly known as Reality Bytes, Private Parts Unknown is an educational sex podcast that explores love, relationships, gender, and seduction in cultures and subcultures worldwide. Following a Bourdain-esque format, host Courtney Kocak interviews experts in a travel series with locations like Finland, Mexico, and Japan. Kocak unpacks LA-centric stories between locations, aiming to destigmatize everything from sex work and polyamory to kink culture and abortion.
2. The Sex and Psychology Podcast
Hosted by Kinsey Institute Senior Research Fellow Dr. Justin Lehmiller, The Sex and Psychology Podcast guides listeners through exploring, as they say, “the most important sex organ in the entire body,” which is the brain, of course! You can think of this podcast as the sex education you never got in school. Lehmiller crafts each episode based on extensive research and interviews with experts, sharing personal relationship tips along the way.
3. Sex With Emily
If you haven’t heard of Dr. Emily Morse yet, it is only a matter of time. Sex With Emily is packed with judgment-free sex information and education, covering everything from the best sex toys for specific sexual proclivities and how to achieve multiple orgasms to overcoming sexual performance anxiety and the impact of sex drive on sleep. Dr. Morse is the rare expert whose knowledge is matched only by their approachability. Don’t forget to send in your questions and join this interactive community of curious individuals. The show has been running since 2011 and still publishes weekly.
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What Are the Best Podcasts for Sex Advice and Real Talk?
Sex talk podcasts are conversational shows where hosts answer real listener questions about sex, confidence, and pleasure without shame or judgment, covering everything from how to be more confident in bed to ideas for improving your pleasure. The most practical examples will make you feel like you are chatting with friends, getting into the nitty-gritty of all things sex and sexuality without any sense of shame or judgment.
4. The Dildorks
Co-hosts of The Dildorks — Billy Lore (he/him) and Kate Sloan (she/her) met each other at a sex bloggers’ retreat, and the rest is history. As best friends and sex experts, they discuss the real, down-and-dirty details about sex, masturbation, sex toys, kinks, and more. Lore and Sloan aim to tackle long-standing taboos and create an open-minded, educational space focusing on mindful, consensual sex talk.
5. Pillow Talks
Hosted by licensed sex therapist Vanessa Marin and her husband Xander, Pillow Talks delivers practical, judgment-free conversations about desire discrepancy, initiating sex, and communicating what you want in bed. Vanessa brings 20 years of experience as a sex therapist, Xander offers the everyday partner perspective, and the two openly use their own marriage as a case study. The QCODE show publishes weekly and takes the place of our former pick in this category, Doing It! with Hannah Witton, which ended its run in December 2023.
What Are the Best Erotic Story and Sex-Positive Podcasts?
Sex story podcasts deliver scripted erotic fiction in audio form, and research suggests they resonate most strongly with female listeners. In that way, these sex-positive podcasts often become thriving communities that champion sexual exploration and female empowerment.
6. Quinn
Quinn is an audio erotica platform founded by Caroline Spiegel that pairs scripted romantic series with professional narrators, including well-known television actors. Episodes play like intimate audio dramas, and the platform surged in popularity through 2025 and 2026 as mainstream actors signed on to narrate, according to Variety. Quinn sits naturally alongside Dipsea for listeners who want story-driven, sex-positive audio, and it replaces Dirty Diana, a six-episode limited series that concluded in December 2020.
7. Dipsea
Dipsea is an erotic, story-telling podcast created by a passionate team of writers, voice actors, editors, directors, and sound engineers who all agree that sex is as much a mental experience as it is a physical one. Listeners can explore a collection of audio sex story podcasts that use aural or auditory cues, electric dialogue, and character chemistry to appeal to a primarily female audience. As they say, “Desire is in the details.” Note that Dipsea is a subscription app rather than a traditional free podcast, with more than 1,000 stories and new audio added weekly.
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Why Is Audio Erotica Suddenly So Popular?
Audio erotica has moved from a niche corner of podcasting into one of the fastest-growing formats in audio. Podcast listening itself hit record highs in 2026, with 58 percent of Americans age 12 and older listening monthly, according to Edison Research’s Infinite Dial 2026 study. Within that boom, story-driven sexual wellness audio is growing fastest among women, who make up the core audience for platforms like Dipsea and Quinn.
Quinn, founded by Caroline Spiegel, illustrates the shift. In 2026 the platform began recruiting well-known television actors to narrate scripted romantic series, and its first series led by an actor over 50, narrated by The Pitt’s Shawn Hatosy, passed 100,000 plays within 12 hours of release, according to Variety. Mainstream outlets including Slate have covered the trend as audio’s answer to the romance novel surge.
There is a psychological logic behind the format’s appeal. Audio engages the imagination rather than presenting a fixed image, which many listeners experience as lower-pressure and more personal than visual sexual media. Researchers studying erotic audio have found that it reliably shifts emotional and physiological arousal responses on its own, without any visual component. For listeners who find visual pornography uncomfortable or unrealistic, story-based audio can be an approachable way to explore desire, though anyone experiencing persistent distress about sex or intimacy should consider talking with a licensed sex therapist.
What Are the Best Podcasts About Sex in Relationships?
Relationship sex podcasts focus on intimacy between partners, covering desire discrepancy, rekindling attraction, breakups, and open relationships with input from licensed experts.
8. Where Should We Begin? With Esther Perel
Esther Perel, the iconic psychotherapist, hosts Where Should We Begin? If that alone doesn’t convince you to listen, consider that Perel brings real-life couples to talk through actual issues. With a 4.7 out of 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts and a new season launched in July 2026, Where Should We Begin? boasts a loyal fanbase. One reviewer calls it “the best podcast ever,” claiming that what Esther can “evoke, contextualize, and make contact with” in each episode is “phenomenal.”
9. Savage Lovecast
Hosted by the famous journalist and advice columnist Dan Savage, Savage Lovecast answers your most pressing questions about the intersection of dating, relationships, politics, culture, and… you guessed it — sex! Regardless of your gender identity or sexual orientation, there is something for you on this sex podcast. Savage’s wit, intellect, and graphic humor have kept the Lovecast running weekly since 2006, with more than 1,080 episodes to date.
When Should You Consider Sex Therapy Instead of a Podcast?
Podcasts on sex can be informational, inspiring, and entertaining, but they shouldn’t replace professional help, including couples therapy or sex therapy. Using a non-pathologizing approach, sex therapists, including those certified by AASECT (the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists), promote freedom of thoughts, feelings, fantasies, and healthy sexual activity and expression. If you want to find a therapist, consider using an online therapist directory. And by all means, keep listening to your favorite sex podcasts, too!
Additional Resources
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Best Online Therapy Services
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best sex podcast on Spotify?
Sex With Emily and Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel are two of the highest-rated sex and relationship podcasts on Spotify. Sex With Emily focuses on practical sex education and listener questions, while Esther Perel’s show features real couples counseling sessions. The best choice depends on whether you want education, storytelling, or relationship insight.
What are the different types of sex podcasts?
Sex podcasts generally fall into four categories: sex education podcasts hosted by researchers and educators, sex talk podcasts built around candid conversation and listener questions, erotic story podcasts featuring scripted audio fiction, and relationship podcasts that explore intimacy within couples. Many shows blend formats, but knowing the categories helps you find a match for your goals.
What are explicit podcasts?
Explicit podcasts are shows tagged with an “E” label on platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, indicating adult language or mature sexual content. The label helps listeners make informed choices and lets parents filter content through platform settings. An explicit tag describes language and subject matter, not quality; many evidence-based sex education shows carry one.
Are sex podcasts a good source of sex education?
Sex podcasts hosted by credentialed experts can be a legitimate supplement to formal sex education. Shows led by researchers, such as Kinsey Institute Senior Research Fellow Dr. Justin Lehmiller’s Sex and Psychology Podcast, translate peer-reviewed findings into plain language. Look for hosts who cite research and hold relevant credentials, and treat entertainment-focused shows as conversation starters rather than medical guidance.
Can sex podcasts replace sex therapy?
Sex podcasts cannot replace sex therapy. Podcasts offer general education and normalization, but they cannot assess your specific situation or provide treatment for concerns like low desire, pain during sex, or trauma. A licensed sex therapist uses a structured, non-pathologizing approach tailored to you. Podcasts work best alongside professional support, not instead of it.