Podcasts are wildly popular channel to listen to the news, educational content, political views, comedy, stories and more. But with so many Podcast Apps, how do you decide which one is the one for you.
This guide covers the most popular podcast apps and provides enough information so that you can make an informed decision.
What is a podcast?
A podcast is a pre-recorded audio clip that you can listen to using an app on your phone or internet browser.
A person can create a show which is a series of recorded content and upload it to podcast hosting servers. From there, they connect to podcast services like Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, RadioPublic and more.
Once this is done, anyone using a podcast app mentioned below can now discover the podcast show and start listening.
Are podcasts popular?
Yes, they are. According to Podcast Insights, as of 2019, there were close to 1 million podcast shows and over 30 million recorded shows. They also mentioned that 51% of Americans have listened to at least 1 podcast show
Top 10 Podcast Apps:
1. Google Podcast: If you own an Android device you can install Google’s own Podcast app. It has one of the largest collection of Podcast shows available. Cross-device interaction lets you stop on 1 device and pick on another. Just like with Apple Podcast (below), you will find the majority of the world’s podcast shows on this app.
Download for Android devices here.
2. Apple Podcast: If you own an Apple device like an iPhone, iPad, or the Mac series of computers, you already have access to Apple Podcast. It has one of the largest collection of Podcast shows available. The majority of podcast creators will link their podcast to Apple. After all, you don’t want to lose out on the 2nd largest handset maker.
Download for iOS devices here.
3. AudiBrow: Different than a Podcast app, it plays written web content from top technology, sports, politics, business and educational sites. Because it reads web content, it has the latest content to hear compared to podcasts audio content which tends to be about 1 week old average.
Download for your iPhone.
Download for Android devices.
4. Overcast: Popular because of the flexibility it offers end users. You can fine-tune your audio speeds, get recommendations for a podcast based on who you follow on Twitter, and lets you upload your content to their servers and listen via the app.
Download for iOS devices here.
5. Spotify: Already a spectacular app for music lovers, Spotify delights its customers by adding Podcast channels to its app.Download for iOS devices here.
Download for Android devices here.
6. Himalaya: It is an interesting podcast app with multi capabilities: free podcasts, radio, audiobooks & music. No subscription costs to use. Also, lets you import your podcast list from an existing podcast app you may be using.
Download for iOS devices here.
Download for Android devices here.
7. Sticher: Premium podcast app with every app support you can think of: iOS, Android, CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Echo and more. For a premium subscription, you get access to exclusive content.
Download for iOS devices here.
Download for Android devices here.
8. Pandora Music: Using a technology called “Podcast Genome Project”, Pandora aims to curate podcasts the way they did music. They’ve also introduced exclusive shows to compete with Sticher and Spotify.
Download for iOS devices here.
Download for Android devices here.
9. RadioPublic: They claim to the 1st podcast market place. Features over 1000+ podcast shows and 15B episode downloads.Download for iOS devices here.
Download for Android devices here.
10. The Podcast App: Claims to filter and surface the best shows amongst over 550,000 shows in their directory. Many levels of filters to help you discover just the right podcast shows you’ll love.
Download for iOS devices here.
Download for Android devices here.
