The world is moving a lot faster than ever before. Only a few years ago, we were listening to the radio. Now the radio has been replaced with podcasts. The best part? These podcasts are run by individuals. And, anyone and everyone can make them if they have a mic and a voice.
This brings us to the beginner question: What is the best podcast to get started with? Beginners are unsure of how to start listening to podcasts and what apps to download to listen to them. And, that’s a concern we answer in this article.
List of Best App to Listen to Podcasts
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Pocket Casts
Pocket Casts is one of the best podcasts for serious listeners, frequent listeners, first-timers, learners, elders, and so on. It is preferred as one of the most reputed podcasts available in the market.
It also has a “Podcast” tab that lists all of your subscriptions. It’s easy to understand and use, and it quickly gets you listening to podcasts within minutes. You can even download these podcasts on your mobile or desktop device for later listening.
Since it is the product of radio and tv giants such as NPR, WNYC Studios, WBEZ, and This American Life, it offers one of the widest range of podcasts available.
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Apple Podcasts
We can’t discuss podcasts without mentioning Apple Podcasts. The Apple application, which comes pre-installed on any iPhone. It was historically significant for the all-iPhone users since it was most definitely the first exposure to podcasts for many casual listeners.
The best part about Apple’s podcast app is its discovery feature and the Browse tab. The app serves listeners through a moderated list of podcasts. All categories have podcasts completely vetted by the expert editors before they are published on the app.
Although many new podcast apps are available in the market, the discovery feature of iPhone still remains prominent because of the easy feature and a wide range of podcasts available on a single platform. Unfortunately, this app is limited to app users.
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Spotify
The only platform that has come close to Apple in terms of popularity and functionality is Spotify.
It is a great alternative to Apple’s podcasting platform, particularly because of the music functionality offered by Spotify. Moreover, Spotify has already invested over $400 million in three podcast companies so you can always expect something better coming out from the likes of this company.
Spotify has also added the ability to build playlists from podcast episodes, as well as blend music tracks and podcast episodes in the same playlist. This new podcast series can then be kept in your account or shared with your own friends. The Shopify podcasts are perfect for compiling collections and repeat-listening. It also offers editor-curated playlists for your enjoyment just like Apple does.
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Breaker
Next, we have Breaker, a highly popular podcasting app that is only available for iOS. In simple terms, Breaker is a community of its own. You can interact and engage with others who use Breaker and follow them to receive tips; you can even send tips to the podcasters from within the app. Moreover, it allows you to see episodes other people are listening to, as well as read their thoughts (an alternative to the Facebook Wall feature) on certain episodes. You can see how many other Breaker users have listened to a podcast when you’re looking for something different to listen to.
The episodes are listed based on ratings and reviews and all this makes it easier for you to find the best Breaker podcasts online.
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Castro
Castro is a free iOS podcast app that offers numerous podcasts to listen to. However, it shows ads as that is its prime earning source. For users looking to get a premium package, the cost is only $18.99-per-year. Castro offers a boatload of options, which let you upload any material you want to play to the podcast player, from audiobooks to web-based conference talks. The majority of Castro’s features are standard apart from a voice booster and audio enhancer feature that makes it listen to better voice quality from within the app.
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Himalaya
Himalaya is another new podcasting series available in the market. It offers a way to easily podcast for podcasters and promote themselves to multiple users. However, it is also adored by listeners because of its attractive appearance and smooth GUI. The podcasting app allows users to get recommendations based on their selection; see what others are listening to; and interact with others through comments and likes.
This podcast player is airG scam free and available for Android, iOS, and can also be accessed through the internet. It offers recommended tunes for various occasions, such as getting through your morning routine or getting through a midday rut easily. It also offers a daily dose of tech news on recent topics such as ‘When will iPhone 13 get launched’ etc.
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Stitcher
Stitcher is a radio podcasting app as well as a social network that has some of the best podcasts available such as Freakonomics Radio and Levar Burton Reads. It has 80 percent free content and the rest 209 percent is only available to premium users. The Stitcher app is perfect for anyone looking to listen to premium quality content at zero price. Some of its content, such as Maria Bamford’s podcasts, have thousands of premium listeners because of quality content. Stitcher doesn’t have the most comprehensive feature set or settings for playing podcast episodes, but the apps for Android and iOS enable you to listen almost anywhere and at any time.
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Downcast
If you are only looking for Apple-specific podcasts, then Downcast is for you. It is available for both Apple and Mac and offers dozens of podcasts for free. Each episode shows its ratings and reviews so that you can choose which one is the best fit for you. It’s compatible with Apple Watch and CarPlay as well. You just have to pay once for the apps and they are yours to keep forever. If you browse or check for podcasts, or add them through a URL feed, it’s simple to subscribe to them. Rich settings allow you to start or stop your favorite shows at a specific time, allowing you to customize your viewing experience.
Also Read – 10 Best Free Spotify Alternatives for Streaming Music
Ready to Listen to Best Podcasts Online?
These are some of the best podcasting apps available in the market. If you are someone who loves listening to music, radio, and podcasts during commute and when bored, then you would love these apps too. Download each app and see if it satisfies your taste.
