Top Podcast Apps in 2024: Find Your Perfect Listening Experience
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Uh oh, podcast fans! Google Podcasts officially bit the dust yesterday, joining the growing graveyard of discontinued Google services. This leaves many Android users scrambling for a new way to listen to their favorite shows. Even iPhone users aren't in the clear – Apple Podcasts may have gotten some recent improvements, like automatic transcripts with the new iOS update, but it's never quite bounced back from its rough redesign in 2021.
The good news is, podcasts are still super popular, and there are actually more awesome podcast managers available for both Android and iPhone than ever before! This guide will help you find the perfect app to manage your podcasts on the go, and even throw in some suggestions for some unique options if you're looking for a fresh podcasting experience.
Pocket Casts is the podcast app to beat
In the world of podcast apps, Pocket Casts stands out from the crowd. Not only is it free to use on iPhone, iPad, Android devices, and the web, but it also packs in a bunch of features you won't find elsewhere. Plus, there's a paid subscription option if you crave even more.
The app's interface is smooth and user-friendly, making it a breeze to navigate your podcasts. But the real magic lies in its clever tools. Here are a few that caught our eye: can't quite hear that interview over the background music? No problem! Pocket Casts' volume boost lets you crank up the voices while quieting the noise. Want to zip through an episode? The app's "trim silences" feature cuts out those long pauses, saving you precious time. And if you listen at a different pace than everyone else, you can adjust the playback speed from super slow (half speed) to extra fast (triple speed) – all without sounding like Alvin and the Chipmunks.
Pocket Casts is a great app for podcast lovers on the go. You can listen on any device, and it keeps track of where you left off on each one. Plus, finding new podcasts is a breeze. You can search for specific topics across all episodes, or just browse through your listening history. It even lets you play your own music or audiobooks you have stored on your phone, and has a sleep timer to lull you to sleep with your favorite podcast.
The free version is pretty awesome, but it does have a couple of drawbacks. You can make playlists, but there aren't many ways to organize them. You can't sort your shows by topic, for example, and playlists don't update automatically. It seems strange that such a feature-rich app wouldn't have these customization options.
Despite that, I really dig Pocket Casts' design. It's clean and easy to use, and you can even personalize it with swipe gestures (like swiping left to archive episodes) and a dark theme.
The free app is available for iPhone and Android and has everything I've mentioned so far. But if you crave more features and can listen on even more devices, there's Pocket Casts Plus. For $40 a year, you get access to versions for Mac, Windows, web, and Apple Watch, plus 20GB of cloud storage to sync your podcasts across everything. They even have a Patron tier for $100 a year, which gives you even more storage and lets you try out new features before everyone else.
The best of the rest
Procast (Android/iOS)
Overcast (iOS)
Overcast is a feature-packed podcast app, but only for iPhone and iPad users. It lets you control playback in all sorts of ways, like speeding things up or boosting the volume. Plus, it automatically skips those silent bits at the beginning and end of episodes. No more scrambling to remember where you left off either - Overcast remembers for you!
Building playlists is a breeze, and you can listen to all your downloaded podcasts in one go if you want. They've even snuck in some cool extras, like using Siri to control playback and customizing how your headphones, remote, or car controls work.
The only real downsides? Finding new shows can be a bit tricky, and the free version has ads (boo!). But for a ten-dollar annual fee, you can ditch the ads and unlock even more features, like importing your own audio files. You can grab Overcast from the App Store if you're an iPhone or iPad user.
Podcast Addict (Android)
Looking for a podcast app for your Android phone? Check out Podcast Addict! It's a free app that goes way beyond just podcasts. Here's what makes it great:
- Podcast Paradise: Discover millions of podcasts on any topic you can imagine. Plus, you can customize playlists, adjust settings for each podcast (like playback speed), and even tag your favorites for easy access.
- Not Just Podcasts: Podcast Addict is your one-stop shop for audio entertainment. Listen to over 120,000 radio stations or dive into one of the 20,000+ audiobooks available.
- Seamless Streaming: Take your audio on the go with Android Auto and Chromecast support.
- Free with Perks: The free version has everything you need to get started, with just a simple banner ad here and there. Want even more? Upgrade to the premium version for a small monthly or yearly fee. You'll get bonus features like a playlist widget and more app themes.
- Easy to Find: Download Podcast Addict from the Google Play Store and start listening today!
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