There are many ways in which you can use your smartphone as a productive tool. And one of the best examples of this is using it to listen to podcasts. You can learn about various things – ranging from entertainment to real world situations. With the plethora of podcast apps available on the Play Store, it may get daunting to decide the best one for you. To make this task a tad-bit easier for you, here is a list of the 10 best podcast apps for Android you can use:
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1. Pocket Casts
Pocket Casts is arguably the best podcast app for Android, thanks to its gorgeous interface and great features. Right when you open the app, the first screen that appears is that of the featured podcasts. Here, you can navigate to other helpful tabs like trending, top-rated, categories, etc. I find the “Categories” tab very useful. It is something unique and displays podcasts sorted in different categories like arts, business, and comedy. Another tab, “Network”, displays the major podcast stations out there like Radiotopia, Relay FM, NPR, Forbes, etc. These stations have channels with their own episodes. If you are fond of a particular station, this tab may help you find all their channels in a single place.
Pocket Casts makes searching for particular podcasts easy by allowing you to search using filters like episode type, playing state, and release date among many others. When you find a good channel, you can download a podcast and even set them up for auto-downloading whenever a new podcast is released. Last but not the least, the app supports cross-platform synchronization, so your subscriptions and playing progress are never lost.
Install: ($3.99)
2. Podcast Addict
Being a free app with almost all the features that you expect from a good podcast app, Podcast Addict is one of the best podcast apps for Android. You can search from among tons of podcasts, add a live radio station that may be offered in different languages like English and Spanish, and even add one using an RSS feed. If you have any audio books on your device, Podcast Addict also allows you to import it to the app and play it directly from there. This makes it very convenient to listen to all useful audio files from a single app. In addition to this, if you are a consumer of RSS reader feeds, you can import OPML files within the app.
There is a “Discover” section that categorizes the podcast channels based on trending, new, top audio, and top video. If you are new to podcasts, I’d suggest you have a look at this section first. Another couple of places you can start off with are “Browse podcast networks”, where you’ll find a list of the most popular channels that you can browse from and “Podcast suggestions” which suggests you podcasts on the basis of your listening habits. The latter section shows some default suggestions initially, but keeps updating as you use the app.
With its ability to manage playlists, podcast downloads, and channel subscriptions, Podcast Addict is one of the best podcast apps to use. The only downside to using the app is the small advert banner that appears at the bottom of the screen. However, if that bothers you, you can go ahead and donate $2.99 to the app developer.
Install: (Free, $2.99 for ad-free version)
3. Podcast Republic
Podcast Republic is another very popular podcast app for Android. It allows you to search not only for keywords in podcasts but also in episodes and stations. Though you may occasionally see a few adverts, you can remove them by an in-app purchase. Like Podcast Addict, you can browse the top charts, add podcasts by RSS feed, import OPML files, and play audio books in the app. Podcast Republic also features radio stations that can either be searched for or added by URL.
If you are looking for offline playback, the app allows you to download episodes and even arrange them in different playlists. And if you are worried about ever losing them, you can take a backup in your phone’s internal storage and restore it at any time you want. Lastly, the feature that makes this app unique is “Car Mode”. Through this mode, you can define several gestures like double tap to play/pause, swipe up to play next, etc. As the name suggests, this comes in very handy when you are driving and want to control your podcast playlist.
Install: (Free with in-app purchases)
4. BeyondPod
BeyondPod takes you through an amazing journey of exploring different podcasts. Right when you open the app for the first time, you are prompted to select a few topics like Android, cars, money etc. that you may be interested in. Though you can skip this, I’d suggest you to select a few. The next screen prompts you to configure the auto-downloading. You can choose to do this over WiFi or even manually.
After you’re done with the initial setup of the app, it may take a while for the feed to get updated. Regardless of this, you can explore the app further. You can find more podcasts by using the built-in dynamic search and use common features like playlist management, backup and restore, and export to OPML. For customization, BeyondPod can be set up in two different themes – light and dark. Furthermore, you can select your default home screen view and even define the default sorting order.
Install: (Free)
5. DoggCatcher
DoggCatcher is a simple yet efficient podcast app for Android devices. The first thing that you will notice after installing the app is that it displays a few popular feeds on the home screen. You can find more by tapping on “Subscribe” in the hamburger menu of the app. The podcast channels are sorted as top, networks, and categories. Like other apps, the “Networks” tab displays the major podcast stations on a single screen. Similarly, the “Categories” tab helps finding podcasts easier by categorizing them as arts, business, comedy, etc. There is another tab called “Recommendations”. Initially, there won’t be any results there, but as you add a few subscriptions, you’ll find similar channels here.
DoggCatcher also comes with the useful features like allowing RSS feeds, virtual feeds, and importing from OPML file. You can control the playback using your headset and even define what each click does. The only thing I didn’t like about the app is the search. Like most other apps, you don’t get a search bar at the top of the screen, rather you’ll find it under “Subscribe”. If this is not a problem for you, DoggCatcher will not disappoint you in any other aspect.
Install: ($2.99)
6. Stitcher
In order to use Stitcher, you must sign up on the app first. Once you do that, you’ll have to select at least one from a list of topics and sources to move forward. The app will then show you relevant feed accordingly. You can add more topics later at any time you wish. Several channels or stations can be combined in a playlist to enjoy their continuous playback afterwards. And if there is any particular episode that you would like to listen to at a later time, you can add it you can add it to “Listen Later”.
While most of the common features can be found in the free version, there are some additional features that you get if you buy the premium version with an in-app purchase. You get a one-month free trial if you go for the monthly plan and a two-month free trial with the annual plan. The features in this version include an ad-free experience, some bonus episodes, and various Stitcher Original podcast series.
Install: (Free with subscription for Premium)
7. Podcast Player
With Podcast Player, you can kick-start your podcast-listening experience by selecting a few topics you are interested in. You can select a few for the meantime, as they can be modified later on. By default, the podcasts are set for auto-downloading. If you want, you can change this in the app’s settings. You can discover different podcasts based on topics or filters like popular and trending. If you like a podcast by its description but don’t have enough time to listen to it right then, you can mark it as “Play Later”.
In addition to the podcasts offered by the app, you can add more by RSS feed URLs or OPML files on your device. Furthermore, you can define headphone actions while playback. And to make the app more interesting, you can choose from different themes like classic, dark, and black. Overall, Podcast Player is a great free podcast app for Android.
Install: (Free)
8. Podkicker
If you use a phone with an AMOLED display, you will love Podkicker. Not only is it a good podcast app but it also has a dark theme that will save your phone’s battery life. While the app already has a few channels set to load on startup, you can remove them or add more using RSS feel URL or OPML file. In addition to this, you can search for any particular podcast and also view channels similar to your subscriptions under the “Match” tab.
Like most other apps, Podkicker allows downloading of podcasts and headset controls. For your convenience, you can also backup your playlists to an OPML file. The feature that makes this app unique is the “Sleeptimer”. You can set a timer ranging from 15 minutes to 2 hours and the app will stop playing any podcasts after that interval of time. This can come in very handy if you sleep listening to podcasts. All these great features in the free version come at the cost of frequent ads, but you can remove them by buying Podkicker Pro that costs only $1.49.
9. AntennaPod
AntennaPod is a fairly popular podcast app with a simple interface. If you are not looking for anything fancy, then this is the app you want to download. You can add a podcast from various sources like RSS feed URL, directories, and OPML files. If you are in a hurry while playing a particular episode of a podcast, you can increase the playback speed to up to 2.5x, and if you like it, you can mark it as a favorite to listen to it again. Like Podkicker, you can even set a sleep timer to a maximum of 99 hours. If there are any podcasts not available to you due to geolocation restrictions, you can create a proxy network from within the app.
AntennaPod offers many customization options to its users. Right from adjusting the volume and audio effects, you can choose to auto-delete downloaded episodes once their playback completes. Furthermore, you can choose a theme from light and dark, customize the app’s notification drawer, and set lock screen buttons. Being a lightweight app with great functionality, it is one of my favorite podcast apps.
Install: (Free)
10. Podbean
Like Stitcher, you must sign up on the app before using Podbean. On the main screen, you can discover various podcasts based on the recommended ones, audio books, and top 100. If you want are looking for a particular one, you can search for it in the app. You can even add a custom podcast using RSS feed URL or import using an OPML file. Like other podcast apps, you can choose to auto-download news episodes and download over WiFi only.
The best part that I liked about Podbean is its ability to allow you to upload podcasts. If you are interested in this, you can get full advantage of this feature by checking out their podcast hosting pricing here. Choosing a plan from this is recommended if you are looking to upload your own podcasts, as the free version only allows a limited number of uploads.
Install: (Free with subscription plan to upload podcasts)
SEE ALSO: 8 Best Language Learning Apps for Android You Can Use
Use The Best Podcast Apps for Android
Well, those were the best podcast apps for Android. Considering the number of podcast apps available on the Play Store, it’s understandable if you have been confused on which one to use. The good news, you just found out the 10 best podcast apps for Android. Depending on your requirements, you can select any one of them to use. So, which podcast app one are you going to use? Do let me know in the comments section below.
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