I’ve not been actively looking to replace my podcast app.
Like most people, Spotify and Apple Podcasts serve my needs well enough. However, it’s pretty obvious that neither of the two offer the best possible experience.
I’ve had enough annoyances and irritations with both of them. Be it poor library management, queues that don’t quite stick, or just the way they hide away new releases of my favorite podcasts under so-called recommendations.
I’ve just been wasting too much time on getting to and managing my podcasts instead of actually listening to them.
That’s what pushed me to Pocket Casts. It’s not my first brush with Pocket Casts. It used to be my go-to before I consolidated my listening under Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
However, now that I’ve given it another run, the focused and predictable approach speaks to me. The app is designed ground-up to respect the long-form and intentional listening-focused medium.
After a few days of daily use, I’ve been left wondering why I ever left. It fixes pretty much all the problems that most podcast apps still treat as normal.
Here’s why Pocket Casts is simply better than the alternatives, thanks to its more deliberate approach.
8 best podcast apps on Android
Our selection to listen to the news, captivating stories, or to learn something new
A focused design that puts podcasts first
Reliable queue and easy syncing remove everyday frustrations
The first thing you’ll notice about Pocket Casts is how intentional the design is. It gives you all the control you could want over your podcast experience without feeling overwhelmingly complicated.
The main page is, for the most part, a grid of the podcasts you’ve subscribed to. With your subscriptions front and center, you’re not drowning in a sea of music recommendations and more.
That alone already makes for a markedly improved experience over Spotify’s crowded user interface.
Since Pocket Casts operates purely as a podcast listening app, there are certain benefits that come with the territory.
For example, on Spotify, if I swap from a podcast to a music album, I lose my queue. Not so here. I can line up my podcast listening plans for the day within Pocket Cast’s listening queue and treat it like a planned list.
I drop in the episodes I want to hear, usually a news bulletin in the morning, followed by some music podcasts, and then an audiobook for the evening. I can rearrange this queue and stop thinking about it altogether.
The playback continues exactly as you’d expect. That’s a huge bonus over the so-called do-it-all apps like Spotify and Apple Music.
Podcast syncing is similarly dependable in Pocket Casts. I can start an episode on my phone during a workout and continue on my laptop or my smart speaker later.
The app keeps track of even long podcasts effectively. Now that, in itself, might not sound like something special. But combined with the aforementioned ease of getting to the podcast itself, it removes the friction from listening to your favorite podcasts.
Smart Playlists make large libraries accessible
Auto downloads keep listening friction free
One of my favorite features in Pocket Casts is the smart playlists function. These are rules-based playlists that surface episodes on criteria that I’ve selected, and there’s really no equivalent on other apps.
For example, I have a playlist that specifically filters and shows me music podcasts that are under 40 minutes for my workouts. And other playlists that compile long-form fiction.
There’s a lot of flexibility here, and the best part is that the playlists automatically update on their own without me having to check specific feeds. The app handles all the filtering.
I’ve been listening to podcasts since 2006 or so and have amassed an unmanageable list of podcasts that I follow.
Smart filtering is, hands down, one of the best ways that I’ve been able to manage and somewhat keep on top of my listening library. I still can’t listen to the entire firehose of episodes coming out every week, but at least I know what’s happening with my favorite podcasts.
As someone who is on the move fairly often, auto download is another feature that has proven to be valuable. I’ve marked shows that are important to me and Pocket Casts makes sure that the latest episode or a few are saved and ready on my phone.
Podcasts, being a long-form medium, tend to consume a fair amount of data and this helps ensure that my favorite podcasts are saved using my home Wi-Fi network instead.
On a similar note, it’s been extremely handy when I’ve boarded a flight and realized I hadn’t saved anything for offline listening.
Pocket Casts gets the basics right too. Things like adjusting playback speeds or boosting volume levels. But that’s to be expected from any quality podcast app.
Pocket Casts can fix your podcast listening habits
A few weeks after switching back to Pocket Casts has changed my podcast listening habits in noticeable ways.
For one, I’m listening to more podcasts. I finish more episodes and spend less time digging through pages of the app.
But more importantly, the massively improved organization has helped me resurface many of my old favorites that I’d completely forgotten about. That’s a significant benefit.
If you’re already using a dedicated podcast app, you might not benefit much from switching over to Pocket Casts. But if you’re still using Spotify or Apple Music, shifting your listening to the app might just be the best thing you can do for your podcast experience.
