Whether you’re doing laundry, driving home from work, or working out at the gym, podcasts are a fantastic way to catch up on what’s happening in the news, listen to an interview, get to know your favorite personalities and more. Podcasts are essentially on-demand digital radio programs, and you have many to choose from. Podcasts are hosted in a podcast app. But which podcast app is the best?
Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but starting with a provider that offers features that fit your needs is a start. We examine some of the best podcast services available today.
Best podcast app for audiophiles: Pocket Casts
My favorite podcast app is Pocket Casts – the podcast platform you’ve never heard of. It has features typically found in premium services but is still simple and free to use. Pocket Casts is feature rich and boasts content curated by experts, which may be why it ranked #2 in a survey by Mozilla, second only to Apple Podcasts (which sits in the envious and advantageous position of being included in every copy of iOS).
Features:
- Pocket Casts is entirely free.
- Easy to access the podcasts you want, with a simple-to-use interface that enables you to filter content, connect to your smart speakers, and sync content across devices.
- Seasonal episodes can be downloaded independently or automatically for offline play.
- Pocket Casts also includes everything you’ll conceivably need for listening, including shortcut buttons, voice trimming, a volume lifter, and even a sleep timer.
Best podcast app for commuters: Spotify
Spotify has invested significantly in original programming. During the pandemic, it was even reported that Joe Rogen’s exclusive deal with Spotify was worth over $200 million. But there is so much more offered on Spotify today, with any number of topics typically relegated to niche corners of the market like Complex Subject: Pop Smoke, Dope Labs, and Wind of Change. Spotify has become an essential voice in a news-media environment focusing more on click-bait than unique content. And it’s great. Spotify has also put a crown on creating a user-friendly experience, which is why we’ve coined it best for commuters.
Features:
- Music and podcasts in one convenient location. Spotify allows you to move between podcasts and music without switching apps.
- Spotify promotes its music and podcasts with a personalized playlist that provides the latest news and an excellent musical score for your daily commute.
- For exclusive content and features, look into Spotify premium. Paid membership nets you unlimited music downloads, ad-free streaming, and unlimited skips. And while we typically look to maximize value in the free version of every app, Spotify does a great job identifying the content you’d enjoy; the seamless experience you get with premium just makes listening to Spotify fun.
Best podcast app for content creators: PodBean
Because of its friendly user interface on both sides, PodBean has emerged as one of the most used podcast apps for both listeners and podcasters. If you’re a content creator or influencer, extending your reach with a podcast is incredibly easy with PodBean.
Besides offering alternative options to Spotify, Napster, and Apple Podcasts for content creators, three of Podbean’s features stand out for listeners.
Features:
- Rather than being required to adjust the playback speed individually for every episode, the intelligent playback speed can be set based on the series you’re listening to. In other words, you don’t need to set playback speed each time you launch a cast. To do this, click the speedometer icon when listening to any podcast. To save these settings for all podcasts from the series, click the toggle button at the bottom to the on position.
- Rather than listening to podcasts after they’ve been captured and modified, you can pay heed to them live and communicate with them in real time with PodBean’s Live Shows feature.
- You can also record your own podcast with PodBean with little effort at no cost, making PodBean a must-have for content creators looking to expand their reach.
Whether you are podcast aficionado, a casual listener, or a content creator, there are any number of options available. The best way to find out which is best for you is to dial up each and check them out. So which one will you be streaming this weekend?
Related: 2 Podbean Tips For A More Professional Podcast