Listening is an active process of receiving, interpreting, and responding to messages, requiring focus and engagement. Podcasts, a popular medium for listening, are digital audio programs available in episodes that can be streamed or downloaded. Covering a wide range of topics such as news, education, and entertainment, podcasts offer convenient and diverse content produced by both major media companies and individual creators, making them an accessible way to gain knowledge and enjoy stories. The aim of the current study was to seek students‘ perspection on using podcasts as a learning media in listening skill. The study used a qualitative approach with a total of 6 students as a sample at English Studio, which is one of English Courses located in Pare, Kediri, East Java. The data were gathered through interview, observation, documentation and analyzed through three stages, including data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The result showed that most of the students perceived the podcast as a positive activity for their listening skills. Students have a tendency to listen to: conversation podcasts, monologue podcasts, and interview podcasts. Also, this research found that podcasts could not only affect and enhance students‘ motivation but also flourish their English skills, including pronunciation and vocabulary. In contrast, students often found difficult to comprehend the sentences and what the speakers were talking about. This was occasionally caused by a lack of vocabulary and accent. What is more, the challenges came from the duration of podcasts. Students found that it was too long, which made them lazy to listen and made them feel bored and less interested. Despite these obstacles, the positive impact on motivation and learning suggests that podcasts can be a valuable tool in language education, provided that strategies are developed to address these issues.

Key words: students’ perception, podcasts, listening skill.