Podcasts have been enjoying a surge in popularity lately, and more and more people are listening to them on their iOS devices, at home, or on their daily commute to and from the office. There are a plethora of podcast apps out there, from free built-in offerings to paid apps for power users. In this post we look at some of my favorites.
Overcast
Overcast has been around for a few years, and its creator Marco Arment has loaded the app with features such as Voice Boost and Smart Speed (removes silences in between the conversation). It’s a great app for those that listen to a lot of podcasts. It has recently changed to a free app with an in app patronage system ($1 a month). This gives you extra features including a fantastic dark mode and the ability to use file uploads (perfect for sending different audio files, like audio books and more to the app).
Discovering new podcasts is easy within Overcast. You can use their in app recommendation system or get recommendations based on who you follow on Twitter. This has given me lots of new discoveries across several different categories. There’s also a podcast network collection that offers a quick way to see everything from a featured network in one place (such as 5by5, Relay FM and others).
Syncing podcasts across devices works well, and is something I frequently use between my iPad and iPhone. If you listen to a lot of podcasts, want an easy to use UI and want to cut down on the time you spend listening to them, Overcast is a no brainer.
- Free – Download
Apple Podcasts
The most obvious starting point for new podcast listeners will be to use the stock iOS Podcasts app. It does the basics very well with sync across devices, a clean UI and good discovery features such as featured picks by editors and a top chart by category.
There are no power user features such as Smart Speed or Voice Boost here, but you can do simple things like make a podcast queue, review podcasts, and leave comments. If you are just getting into podcasts, and like to stay within the Apple ecosystem, then the built-in app is a great choice.
- Free
Pocket Casts
Pocket Casts is another solid third party podcast app, including features such as a way to boost voice and trim silences, and the UI (offering a dark mode) is clean and intuitive.
Sync and discovery options are available, and the app includes a great trending and most popular section. This is an area in which Pocket Casts really stands out and makes it easy for anyone to find new shows to listen to.
If you listen to a lot of podcasts and want to discover new ones all the time then check out Pocket Casts.
- $5.99 – Download
What podcast apps do you use?
Choosing a podcast app is a very personal decision. The UI obviously plays a part in the decision, and extra features such as voice boost are must haves if you listen to a lot of podcasts in different locations.
Let me know what you use for listening to podcasts and don’t forget to subscribe to ours.
Pocket Casts for me. Would consider Overcast if Marco added support for video podcasts.