Listening to audio on-demand has been around for over a decade and the underlying technology is just as old. In an era of distraction, we believe in the power of listening. Millions of people listen to podcasts as a part of their day – on their commute, while working out, or while getting ready in the morning.
There are lots of podcast listening apps to choose from these days, with new offerings entering the market every month or so. Research shows that listening to podcasts can improve our mental well-being and boosts our physical health in surprising and astonishing ways. Here’s some of our favorite list of best podcast listening apps in 2020 for iOS or Android users.
1. Apple Podcasts (iOS only)
Apple Podcasts is a podcast listening app for users of Apple products. It provides easy access to popular and featured podcasts using the navigation icons at the bottom of the app. With hundreds of thousands of free podcasts at your fingertips, it’s easy to find and enjoy your next favorite podcast on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, computer, or Apple TV.
Also Read: How to Submit Your Podcast to iTunes or Apple Podcasts.
2. Google Podcasts (Android only)
Google Podcasts is a new podcast player that allows Android users to discover and listen to the world’s podcasts. You can subscribe to any podcast for free and download episodes for offline playback. All your listening is automatically synced across devices so that you can pause on one device and resume on another with the Google Assistant. The app is 100% free for users with no ads or in-app purchases.
3. Spotify Podcast (iOS & Android)
Spotify is go-to music streaming app for iOS and Android smartphone users, but it can also serve as your go-to for podcasts as well. Spotify has a dedicated Podcast category sitting under the Search page, and it will also suggest you podcasts on the homepage. You can jump into any podcast to view all the episodes to directly stream, download or queue them in your playlist. Spotify’s podcast player UI is clean and doesn’t clutter it with an abundance of features.
4. Overcast (iOS)
Overcast is a powerful yet simple podcast player, with Smart Speed, Voice Boost, and Smart Playlists to help you listen to more podcasts in more places, try new shows, and completely control your experience. Overcast is a modern, fully-featured audio podcast player with many useful features in a simple, intuitive interface. Overcast is ad-supported but offers a premium version for $9.99 per year.
5. Pocket Casts (iOS & Android)
Pocket Casts is a powerful, easy-to-use app for managing your podcast listening across Android, iOS, and the Web! Create an account and sync your subscriptions for access across all platforms – available to you anywhere, anytime. With a sleek design, helpful recommendations and an array of useful playback features, Pocket Casts is ready to be your new favorite app.
6. RadioPublic (iOS & Android)
You’re ready to discover something good to listen to. RadioPublic’s free, easy to use podcast player for iOS and Android makes listening to podcasts simple, enjoyable, & fun. The app is available for both iOS and Android users and is completely free on both platforms.
Also Read: What is a Podcast? Definition & Basic Terms.
7. Castro FM (iOS only)
Castro is the iPhone podcast player for podcast fanatics. Castro makes it easy for podcast lovers to stay on top of a large number of podcast subscriptions, find the best episodes of your favorite shows and helps you enjoy them wherever (and whenever) you let podcasting take you. Castro is available for free on the Apple App Store and there is also a premium version named Castro Plus which is available at $18.99 per year.
8. Castbox (iOS & Android)
Castbox is one of a few free podcast apps. It boasts a collection of over one million podcasts scrubbed from places like iTunes and others. The app also includes support for 70 languages, language learning podcasts, Chromecast support, Amazon Echo support, and more. It also includes cloud syncing for multiple device support. The free version comes with everything and has no ads. The in-app purchases are basically optional.
9. Breaker Audio (iOS only)
Breaker is a social podcast app for iOS users. With Breaker, you can see what your friends are listening to, tap a heart to “like” an episode, send it to a friend, and join in the comments. You can also see the top episodes the entire Breaker community is liking and listening to right now. It’s everything a modern-day podcast app should be. The app is free on the Apple App Store but offers in-app purchases that can be charged to your iTunes account.
10. The Podcast App (iOS & Android)
The Podcast App is a powerful podcast search tool combined with a design that makes it extremely easy to use. Enjoy free access to more than 500,000 podcasts and 30,000,000 episodes. Discover new podcasts and learn about any topic from news, education, comedy, politics to religion, crime and many more. The free version of The Podcast App is ad-supported but can be removed when you pay $9.99 monthly subscription fee.
