Soft X-ray spectroscopies are nowadays established as primal tools for investigating the electronic and magnetic properties of all kind of materials. In this opportunity I will present three examples where X-ray absorption (XAS), emission (XES) and Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS) in the soft X-ray regime helped to clarify and understand the electronic structure of Li2Mn2O4 (a cathode material for Li batteries), the family of YbFexMn(1-x)O3 (a possible multiferroic material) and iridates with (Sr2IrO4 and Bi2Ir2O7). In the case of Li2Mn2O4, the evolution of the oxidation states of Mn (2p-3d transitions) are followed and correlated with changes in the O K edge (1s-2p transitions) XAS spectra for different stages along the charge/discharge cycle of the Li battery. For YbFexMn(1-x)O3, changes in the electronic structure of the system as Mn content is varied are tracked for Fe, Mn and O in the L2,3 and K edges, respectively. Finally, similitudes and differences as reflected in the O K edge spectra for Sr2IrO4 and Bi2Ir2O7 iridates are presented.