Not long ago Podcasts were a thing of an acquired taste. They were not hugely popular and only a select group of people used to listen to them. But, ever since the launch of some sensational podcasts like “Serial” which, by the way, you should definitely listen to if you are just starting off, they have been growing more and more. They are best when you want to kill your time while you are driving or traveling or just doing any kind of mundane work.
But how to listen to them? True, Apple has its own podcasting app but it lacks a lot of features and that makes it really hard to follow your beloved podcasts. Android doesn’t even have its own podcast app. It’s here that developers come to our rescue. Google Play store has some amazing podcasting apps. A good podcasting app, also known as a podcatcher, do a lot more than just playing your podcasts. It smoothens your favorite podcast listening experience and helps you discover new ones.
Here are some of the top apps for podcasting:
Pocket Casts:
Pocket Casts is the best app you can have for podcasting. The first thing you will notice when you open this app is its design. It has a beautiful material design which shows all your subscribed podcasts in tile format with a slide out menu that helps you switch between different tabs. One of the best features it has is to “Discover” tab which helps you find new interesting podcasts.
It also has a ton of features to make your listening experience automatic. You can subscribe to a podcast set it to auto download and notify you whenever a new episode comes up. You can apply filters, create playlists and much more. You can either download or stream an episode. You also get Chromecast support. Pocket Casts also has a sync feature and since it is also available on iOS you can switch between devices without any problem. This has all the feature you want and more.
Developer – ShiftJelly
Compatibility – Requires Android 4.1 and up
Availability – Pocket Cast ($3.99) – Google Play Store( also available on iOS)
DoggCatcher:
Although it has a bit of an odd name don’t be fooled by it. This is one of the best podcasting apps out there. Recently being updated to follow the Google’s material design, it offers a lot of features to customize the app as per your liking. It has different discover sections for audio, video or news.
This is ideal for users who like the app to function as they want it to. It offers numerous features like advanced search, auto-download, variable playback speeds, Chromecast and Android Auto support, a light/dark theme, home screen widget and many more. You can do pretty much anything you want with this app.
Developer – DoggCatcher
Compatibility – Varies with device
Availability – DoggCatcher ($2.99) – Google Play store
Podcast Addict:
This application does not have a beautiful UI as Pocket Casts, but it more than makes up for it with the set of its features. Some of the interesting features it offers which other app lacks in, is the ability to organize your YouTube subscription and manage your RSS feed. It can also perform all the other general functions like auto-downloading, Chormecast, and android wear support etc.
This is an add supported freemium application so you don’t have to pay anything to check it out. This may be a good deal for some people but if you are irritated by the ads you can always upgrade to premium account.
Developer – Xavier Guillemane
Compatibility – Varies with device
Availability – Podcast Addict (Free, $2.99 to remove ads) – Google Play store
Player FM
If you are just starting out and want a free application without any ads, this one will meet your requirement. It has a beautiful modern design and is very easy to navigate. One of the best-looking podcatcher out there, it is also packed with features. It performs all the basic functions and also has Chromecast and android wear support.
One of the best features of Player.fm is its discoverability feature. Just tell it your interest and it will find you some quality content. It is not packed with features like some of the others we mentioned earlier, but if you want a clean and simple UI with good quality suggestions, you will it. Plus, it’s completely free!
Developer – Player FM Podcasts
Compatibility – Requires Android 4.0 and up
Availability – Player FM (Free) – Google Play store
Podkicker
If you strip other podcasting apps to their bare minimum you will get PodKicker. It has the simplest UI, is easy to use and gets the work done. When you open the app you will see three tabs where you can discover new podcasts, see your subscription and download episodes. Other features include making playlists, import/add your subscription, auto download, and Chromecast support. If simplicity is your thing, be sure to check it out.
Developer – qvga
Compatibility – Varies with device
Availability – Podkicker (free) – Google Playstore
