Podcasts are getting more and more accessible as the years go by. Now in 2023, it’s easier than ever to consume podcasts, subscribe to different shows, and listen from anywhere you go. If, a couple of decades back, you had to download episodes manually and load them in your favorite audio player (WinAmp anyone?), it’s now in everyone’s pockets with mobile apps, or directly on your favorite podcast’s website. Listening to podcasts from your Android phone/device is so easy thanks to dozens of great Android podcast apps that will allow you to consume your favorite podcasts at all times.
With millions of podcast shows out there, you can use various apps to subscribe, track and listen to your favorite show. Your favorite shows (and new shows) are easier than ever to access.
Depending on your listening habits and needs, the perfect Android podcast app for you might vary. There are free, freemium and premium apps your can use to consume your podcasts. In this article, we review the most popular Android podcast apps and give you a better insights to all of them.
Google Podcasts
Google Podcasts is the official podcast app created by Google. It’s Google main app that competes with Apple’s version (Apple Podcasts), although it’s slightly less popular.
Google Podcasts is completely free, and it uses the same familiar UI design you’ll find across all of Google products and apps. They have a simple audio player and great search (well, obviously) to help you discover new shows.
Spotify
Spotify‘s app is super popular among music listeners, but in the last couple of years they took a big step in the podcasting eco-system. After several acquisitions, features and new developments, Spotify is currently the top source for listening to podcasts (across all devices and operating systems).
If you already have an account on Spotify for your music, adding podcasts into the mix is easy as it gets. Simply subscribe to your favorite shows or start listening and Spotify will do its magic and get you recommendations etc.
Spotify has a free tier that include ads while listening to the content offered on the platform. If you upgrade your account and pay a monthly subscription, you can avoid those ads and get straight to listening to your favorite shows!
Castbox
Castbox is a great podcast player app. Beyond podcasts, it includes FM radio and Audiobooks. They provide lots of features around playing the podcasts/audio content, and have cool stats you can track as you listen to more and more episodes. It’s free, but a premium version is available with an optional membership.
Player FM
Player FM is a podcast streaming and discovery app. They list 20+ million podcasts and videos (according to their website) hosted from various podcast hosting services, offer a very nice overall design and player, sync between multiple devices and more.
Pocket Casts
Pocket Casts is a highly popular app among podcast buffs. They offer a free version alongside two tiers of paid membership. They offer a nicely designed app, lots of player and volume controls, stats, scheduled downloads and more. It’s one of the top picks for your listening needs!
Podcast Addict
Podcast Addict is one of the oldest podcast apps out there. They have a giant library of shows, and you can basically subscribe to any RSS feed and get notifications – even if it’s not a podcast. They offer good customization options, podcasts sorted by categories/topics, and even support ratings for podcasts where you can leave feedback or read other’s opinions.
Deezer
Deezer, very much like Spotify, is another music-oriented app that branched out to podcasting. The app is highly popular both for music and podcasting, and has millions of downloads. Deezer offers a great catalog of shows and you can easily listen and subscribe to your favorite podcasts.
Amazon Music
Amazon Music is another giant who offers podcasts and music on the same app. They have a huge collection of music and podcasts, and also have their own original content/shows.
Have your own podcast? Here’s how to publish it to those apps
If you have your own show up and running, you’ll surely want to get it on as many different platforms and apps as possible to increase your exposure. Luckily it’s super easy to do – if you use a dedicated podcast hosting company, they’ll usually submit it for you to several directories.
Once you get listed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google podcasts, you’ll automatically start seeing the other, smaller platforms pulling your podcast and displaying it on their apps.
We already mentioned how to submit a podcast to Spotify and Apple Podcasts (iTunes) so it’s really the main thing you need to do.
Creating your own podcast website is key to grow your show and increase your listeners base. Don’t forget to check out Podcastpage.io in case you want to create a website easily (without coding) and get it up and running in just a few minutes.
