We guarantee that these apps are better than Apple Podcast.
Apple Podcasts is the standard podcast app for many iOS users, but the recent update to iOS 14 has made it a mess. For months, users have been dealing with errors, lost subscriptions, delayed episode availability, and poor performance. Each patch seems to break as many things as it fixes. This also makes the platform difficult for podcast creators, especially those who rely on Apple Podcast’s new paid subscription feature to generate revenue.
The report shows that once iOS 15 goes live, many of these issues will be resolved, but a stable version will still take several months. Fortunately, if you are tired of the recent headaches, you don’t have to stick to Apple Podcasts; podcasts are becoming more and more popular, so there are more podcast managers on the App Store than ever before.
We’ve been at this speed for some time, and have made some clear recommendations on the best app to manage podcasts on iPhone and/or iPad (maybe even Android or desktop), as well as some support for Tips for those seeking to update their podcast listening experience.
Pocket Casts is the podcast app to beat
Platform: Free on iOS and Android; additional subscriptions ($1/month or $10/year) on iOS, Apple Watch, Android, Mac, Windows and the Web.
Pocket Casts brings together almost all the useful features in almost all other podcast managers, as well as many unique features. The app also provides them through an easy-to-use stylish interface, and most importantly, it’s free.
Some highlights include audio enhancement options: Built-in “Volume Boost” can easily hear people’s voices while reducing background music or noise; “Trim Silences” reduces long pauses; and you can increase it from 0.5 times to 3 times Adjust the playback speed arbitrarily within the range (this will not affect the pitch).
Pocket Casts users
Pocket Casts users can sync their subscriptions and playing locations across multiple devices, and the app has powerful options for finding new podcasts, including the ability to search by episode, so you can find all podcasts that have discussed a particular topic. and verify your listening. history. You can also play third-party media files stored on your device and set a sleep timer to pause podcasts when you listen to them before bed.
Although the free version is feature rich, it is not perfect. For example, playlists and filter options can be more powerful. You can organize your playlists however you like or filter your downloaded podcast subscriptions and episode lists using a small set of preset categories, but you cannot sort subscriptions by topic or create your own playlists that update automatically. Given the amount of features that Pocket Casts includes, it seems odd that it lacks this customization.
Despite this annoying problem, we still like the look of Pocket Casts. Not only does the app cover all the basics, it also has some customizable gesture options (like setting a swipe left to archive episodes) and even a dark theme.
The free version of Pocket Casts is available on Android and iOS and includes all the features we have discussed so far, but if you want access to more features and broader device support, there is also an advanced Pocket Casts Plus option . Monthly For $ 1 or $ 10 per year, Plus subscribers can access Pocket Casts for Mac, Windows, Web, and standalone versions of Apple Watch, as well as 10 GB of cloud storage space, which can be accessed on all your connected devices.
Overcast is a great alternative, though discovery options could be better
Platforms: iOS (including Apple Watch) (Free)
Before Pocket Casts was free, Overcast was our top pick among podcast managers. To be clear, it’s still one of the best podcasting apps available and a great alternative to Pocket Casts (not to mention Apple’s official app).
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Overcast has all the needs: you can slow down or speed up the episode, when you stop listening in the middle, the application will automatically reserve your location, you can create an instant playlist with a few taps or listen to each of your podcasts have downloaded continuously. More importantly, these functions are intuitive and easy to use.
Even information that is usually hidden, such as an episode’s show description (which usually includes the time code and other useful information), can be easily accessed with a single click. Overcast has the same volume boost and mute settings as Pocket Casts, as well as some good-quality-of-life options, like the ability to add Siri shortcuts and customize headsets, remotes, and car dash controls.
What makes Overcast
What makes Overcast different, and its main advantage over Pocket Casts, is its simple and powerful playlist creation tool. You can collect individual episodes, group podcasts by duration, or simply group subscriptions in a way that makes sense to you.
The downside is that Overcast supports ads, but I found their ads to be unobtrusive and enthusiastically think they make the app better. Listen to me: If you can actively improve one aspect of Overcast, it is that the app lacks discovery options, which are limited to repacking Apple’s podcast list and changing the appearance of some other podcast publishing centers.
Cloudy announcements are almost entirely related to podcasts, so although quality is not guaranteed, they are the only way to allow you to watch programs that are not yet popular through the app.
Like Pocket Casts, there is a premium version of Overcast. For only $9.99 per year, you can remove ads, get a backup logo, and implement the ability to upload files that are not available through iTunes or RSS.
The best of the rest
Although it is difficult to recommend any application other than the two applications above, there are some applications that are commendable for their novel features and are more reliable than anything Apple has done with Apple Podcasts.
Procast
Procast is a newcomer in this field. If you like to tweet or share your thoughts on your favorite shows, it is a good option, the built-in editing function allows you to edit some podcasts to complement the tweets or the text. It also has a simple “swipe to inbox” feature, allowing you to add episodes to the queue with the simple swipe of your finger. Procast is a good option for iOS, but Android users can check out, too.
Breaker
On the surface, Breaker is a relatively basic podcast player, but its built-in time-coded comments (similar to Soundcloud comments) provide users with a place to discuss podcasts with other fans. For podcasting applications, this is a novel concept that provides listeners with a way to chat and participate in conversations about their favorite shows outside of places like Twitter and Reddit. Breaker is available on iOS and Android.
iCatcher!
Finally, our last backup option is iCatcher! Unlike Procast and Breaker, iCatcher does nothing “new” in the field of podcasting applications, it is just a robust and reliable podcast player, which includes many Pocket Casts and Overcast features, if the packaging is a little less. Elegant. Almost every major playback feature you can think of is available and the interface is simple. You can sync your subscriptions and playlists between multiple iPhones or iPads through iCloud. If we ignore iCatcher! ‘S unique and customizable gesture controls, including the ability to skip two full minutes by drawing an “L” shape on the screen, we’d be remiss. Also, it is the single developer product that is easy to contact for bug reports, and regularly releases performance improvements, bug compression updates.
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