So I’m in the process of switching from Spotify to Tidal for my music streaming (since Tidal pays artists like three times more than Spotify does). The only problem is, Tidal doesn’t support podcasts, which is another big thing I used Spotify for.
So what are some good apps for podcasts? I listen both on my PC and my Android phone, and I’m not really thrilled about the idea of paying for another subscription (so now I’m making two payments to cover the functionality I got with a single, cheaper payment). I’m cool with paying a one-time up-front fee, though.
Any suggestions?
I moved from Google Podcasts (which is pretty good) to AntennaPod, which is FOSS and honestly, pretty damn solid
I’ve been using Pocket Casts on Android and it works well. I think that I started using it 2 years ago and I haven’t encountered any issues. I use the free version and it hasn’t asked me to pay and hasn’t shown me ads. I’m a light user when it comes to podcasts though.
They have a web player for PC, but I haven’t tried it.
I’ve been using Pocket Casts for like 10 years at this point, great app
I think you pay if you want to use the desktop app. I paid. Works pretty everywhere. 😊👍
@skellener @VoxAdActa @fdisk not if you use web
Yes. Using the web is not using the desktop app, hence it is free. I preferred the app and supporting the developer, so I paid.
I know it’s kind of niche, but I absolutely love many of the features of Podcast Republic.
Being able to have multiple queues and have them automatically chain together by priority is an irreplaceable feature for me.
I support Pocket Casts because it’s made by Automattic, the makers of WordPress, Tumblr, and WooCommerce. Their CEO, Matt Mullenweg, is someone who seems to really care about the freedom and diversity of the internet. As far as players go, it’s got all the features you’d want for an Android app.
I seldom listen on my PC, but if I want to I can usually find the stream on whatever service the podcast has chosen (their own site, or whichever embedded player they elect to use).
I too love PocketCasts and love what Mullenweg has done, but want to point out that Automattic bought PocketCasts from NPR - https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/16/22580023/automattic-pocket-casts-podcast-app-tumble-wordpress
Automattic themselves didn’t/don’t make PocketCasts.
Edit: Fixed type (lost > love)
Still love Pocketcasts and would use nothing less (though I have a lifetime membership since I beta’d the web player when it first launched, so YMMV)
I love pocket casts, but their recent price hikes are wild. AntennaPod is a nice open source alternative that I’ve been enjoying the last few weeks.
Podcast Addict is amazing. No complaints.
I like the app and I’ve used it for over a decade. I absolutely hate the UI. It’s extremely confusing.
I just keep the player widget on my home screen, but everytime I go to search for podcasts or to unsubscribe from one it takes me a few minutes to figure out what to do to get there.
Prior to Podcast Addict I used Spotify for my podcasts. So, for me at least, it’s been a big improvement; though I’ll concede that’s a low bar to clear.
I’ve been using Pocketcasts for years, and I’ve been very happy with it. Works on Android, PC, and through web browsers. I’ve never had to pay for it.
I’ve also been using the app for user and got grandfathered into a lifetime membership, although I think it’s been inserting ads in my podcasts. I only say that because I have a VPN on my phone and suddenly my phone will play a Swedish ad I can’t understand.
Fwiw I don’t think pocket casts is doing that, but rather your podcasts themselves. A lot of podcasts use dynamic ad insertion that allow them to inject ads into the podcast at download time as opposed to them being baked into the episode. It lets the hosts have relevant ads in their entire backlog of episodes rather than just ones released during the campaign window.
I’m using PocketCasts and I paid a one-time fee before it became subscription based (but there’s still a free tier), in order to be able to listen to podcast using the web app on PC. Thus I now have lifetime premium access.
I’m very satisfied with their service, I did not find any problems with both the Android app and the web app, moreover it has almost every feature I need, except voice to text conversion in order to be able to share slices of audio in text format (but there are dedicated apps for that).
💯 this. Pocketcasts is and has been outstanding for the years I’ve had it. Great UI, and will remember your position on a specific episode cross-platform.
I paid too and I don’t get to use the web app. That’s the main reason I stopped using Casts
Paid for the mobile app (back before it was free)? Or paid for Pocket Casts Plus, which inclued access to the desktop/webapp?
I paid before it was free for sure, I know there wasn’t a subscription model back then. I know I tried using the webapp later and it asked for more money. It’s ok, lots of decent free options for all of that, just felt like they were touching my butt feeling for the wallet
On desktop I use Tildes. It’s fairly minimalistic in terms of features, but very smooth and attractive UI. It does what I need with no headaches and looks great doing it. Like many others here I use AntennaPod on mobile.
What’s Tildes? Please share a link to try it.
I actually noticed recently that it’s no longer maintained so I’ll have to find another desktop solution.
Google Podcasts app works well enough for me
And it’s accessible from both your computer and your mobile devices.
