Whether or not you get pleasure from immersing your self in gritty crime dramas or want utilizing your commute time to hearken to self-help ideas, podcasts have one thing for everybody. However the place can you discover these cool podcasts? If you happen to’re an iOS consumer, you have got so much to select from. From the basic Apple Podcasts app to common free podcast apps, we’ve rounded up the record of the most effective podcast apps for iOS customers.
Wish to up your listening sport? Take a look at our information to the most effective music apps and the most effective audiobook apps.
Apple Podcasts
Generally the basic is the most effective. The native Apple Podcasts app comes pre-setup and is free to make use of, so that you doubtless gained’t want to have a look at different podcast apps in any respect. You get entry to tens of millions of podcasts, together with a number of the hottest ones like The Every day and Stuff You Ought to Know. Whereas the free model is greater than sufficient, you can even purchase subscriptions to particular podcasts to get pleasure from further advantages. Apple Podcasts hosts a number of subscriber-only reveals like podcasts by CNN, NPR, and The Washington Put up. Like Subtstack, some creators provide each free and paid content material, so you’ll be able to resolve whether or not you get pleasure from their episodes earlier than subscribing.
Apple Podcasts additionally affords customized suggestions based mostly in your listening historical past so you’ll be able to all the time discover attention-grabbing episodes based mostly in your pursuits. It really works with Siri so that you simply ask the assistant to play any episode or playlist of your selection, so you’ll be able to pay attention hands-free whereas figuring out or doing chores.
iOS
Overcast
Overcast is a widely known title within the podcast trade. Customers love its “Sensible Velocity” characteristic that dynamically removes silences, so you’ll be able to hearken to solely the vital stuff and never any lengthy pauses between solutions. Plus, the filters are good and customizable so you’ll be able to design a customized playlist to finest fit your wants.
Overcast affords wonderful sound high quality so you’ll be able to hear crystal-clear conversations out of your favourite artists. The sound high quality is maintained even in noisy locations, supplying you with lots of flexibility about the place you pay attention. Supplying you with much more sense of management is its obtain characteristic, which helps you to obtain podcasts for offline use, so you’ll be able to pay attention whereas commuting, throughout your exercises, and even on a trip, with out worrying about web entry. Furthermore, the app is suitable with CarPlay and works on different iOS gadgets to supply a seamless expertise.
iOS
Pocket Casts
Pocket Casts is without doubt one of the hottest podcast apps for a motive — it’s free! Together with saving you tons of cash, it additionally affords a handy listening expertise because it’s fantastically designed, simple to navigate, and affords customized suggestions proper in your homepage. If you happen to’re seeking to improve your expertise, you will get the Pocket Casts Plus subscription (just a bit over $1 a month) which helps you to hearken to your favourite podcasts on the desktop app. The subscription additionally helps you to add exterior recordsdata, so you need to use the Pocket Casts audio participant to hearken to third-party audiobooks, or downloaded podcasts. Subscribers also can select a novel theme, and customise their expertise.
To additional enhance your listening expertise, the app helps you to filter by your episodes so that you all the time hearken to the precise podcast to fit your temper. It additionally syncs with good audio system so you’ll be able to benefit from the episodes together with your complete household or group of buddies. The very best half? Like different choices, it helps you to trim silence so you’ll be able to skip the awkward pauses and save time.
iOS
Stitcher
Stitcher is ideal for group lovers. It affords a number of the finest filters and sorting instruments so you’ll be able to design playlists that completely match your present wants. You possibly can experiment with tons of settings to additional personalize your expertise, supplying you with most management over your listening expertise. You possibly can set a sleep timer, connect with exterior audio system, and get expert-curated suggestions to seek out new podcasts based mostly in your pursuits.
If you wish to get pleasure from much more advantages, take into account subscribing to Stitcher Premium. For simply $5 a month, subscribers get pleasure from unique episodes and bonus content material from their favourite creators. Like Apple Podcasts, some reveals are solely accessible through a subscription, so if you wish to benefit from the full library, you need to pay up. Together with unique content material, subscribers additionally get ad-free listening and enjoyable giveaways.
iOS
Castbox
Castbox affords a little bit of every little thing. You get entry to common podcasts, audiobooks, FM radio, white noise, and guided meditations. You possibly can mix totally different content material sorts to construct a playlist for the whole day. That is excellent for listeners who love having one thing play within the background as they go about their day. Like different apps, Castbox additionally affords customized suggestions, complete playlists, and customizable playback settings.
What units it aside although is its compatibility with CarPlay. This manner you’ll be able to take your favourite podcasts wherever you go. One other implausible characteristic is the app’s potential to seek for key phrases inside podcast audio so you’ll find area of interest podcast episodes even when the actual phrases aren’t talked about within the title or description. We additionally love the app’s social facet. Listeners can depart feedback on the episodes they’re listening to and hosts can select to answer to construct a relationship.
Castbox additionally has a premium subscription that provides ad-free listening. Free customers are restricted to subscriptions as much as 100 reveals however subscribers can have limitless subscriptions. Additionally they get pleasure from extra superior playback settings for the very best listening expertise.
iOS
Spotify
Providing the Castbox expertise with extra selection is Spotify, an app combining every little thing from the most effective music to the preferred audiobooks. It’s simple to create customized playlists and share them with buddies, including a cool social factor to an in any other case solitary expertise. The advice engine is highly effective and the search characteristic brings out nice outcomes as effectively, so you’ll be able to all the time discover what you’re searching for. The sound high quality is fairly spectacular and you may customise every setting.
It’s free to make use of with an non-compulsory premium subscription however you don’t need to pay something to entry the podcasts. At $10 a month, the paid subscription affords ad-free listening, the power to obtain content material for offline listening, and limitless skips in the event you don’t like what you’re listening to. Spotify has a spread of subscription choices although. It’s also possible to get Spotify Duo, a pair’s subscription (two premium accounts) for $13. The household subscription affords six premium accounts for $16. This model helps you to block specific music and use Spotify Youngsters — completely designed for youthful listeners. College students can get pleasure from a student-only subscription for $5. This model additionally affords Hulu (ad-supported) plan and Showtime.
iOS
Castro
Castro works on a “Queue” system that creates a single playlist with all of your episodes from totally different podcasts. It helps you scan, choose and prioritize some episodes whereas ignoring the remaining as there’s solely a lot time within the day and you may’t probably pay attention to each episode a present releases. The interface is clear, intuitive, and minimalistic with little to distract you out of your listening. This app additionally has the “Trim Silence” characteristic so you’ll be able to skip the gaps in conversations.
To get pleasure from added advantages, you’ll be able to subscribe to Castro Plus. The paid subscription affords a better audio high quality with a dynamic audio enhance that enhances quiet voices whereas sustaining louder ones so that you get pleasure from a greater listening expertise. The premium model additionally helps you to add exterior audio recordsdata to your queue so you’ll be able to hearken to no matter you need with zero interruptions. The paid subscription additionally affords a wide range of superior settings like customized audio filters, skipping intros, and adjusting the playback pace for every podcast.
iOS
Google Podcasts
One of many latest additions to the podcasting world, Google Podcasts affords every little thing you want from a podcast app. It’s free, helps you to create a queue of episodes, and affords nice playback management. It additionally tracks your listening historical past, downloads, and subscriptions so you’ll be able to keep on prime of recent episodes. Created by Google, it has a robust search engine and affords nice suggestions so you’ll be able to uncover new artists based mostly in your pursuits.
What we love essentially the most about Google Podcasts is the pliability it affords. You should utilize it through the iOS app, however it additionally has a desktop model, an Android app, and pairs effectively with many wearable gadgets. It additionally affords nice comfort in the event you pair it with Google Assistant audio system. Merely command the assistant to play an episode and you may get pleasure from hands-free listening. This one doesn’t provide any paid subscriptions or subscriber-only reveals, so you’ll be able to get pleasure from all of the content material totally free.
iOS
Editors’ Selection