In recent years, podcasts have emerged as a strong contender to traditional forms of media such as radio, and it is not hard to see why. With podcast apps, you have the flexibility to stream and listen to personal topics of interest whenever and wherever you like.
They also do more than playing your favorite podcasts. They can offer you personalized recommendations based on what you enjoy, sort the most recent episodes, and provide a gamut of features to enhance your listening experience. As an avid podcast listener, I have tried numerous podcast apps and shortlisted Android’s best ones. Here are the podcast applications that made the cut:
Table of Contents
Best Podcast Applications For Android
Best For An All-Rounded Experience: Pocket Casts
Pocket Casts is a great all-rounder if you are not too concerned about particular features and want a podcast app that does the job.
Its features include a simple quilt-like interface where you can browse all your playlists, a discovery tool that feeds you recommendations based on your listening history, as well as organization tools that clean up your feed as you listen. This does not compromise on core features, such as visibility on your subscription list and unfinished episodes, as well as configurable controls over time skips and audio speed.
If you are not too picky with your podcast application, you may want to opt for Pocket Casts. It strikes a perfect balance between design and functionality and is a routine favorite amongst heavy and casual listeners alike.
Best For Variety: Podcast Addict
I use Podcast Addict, and I love it.
If you are a little of the fair-weathered sort when it comes to your listening activity, you aren’t alone. Or you might want to switch it up depending on whatever you are doing at the moment. A Soundcloud remix is perfect for that morning pick-me-up and to gear yourself up for your morning run.
A true-crime podcast is just the thing to while away time as you’re getting the chores done. Finally, to round up the evening, a YouTube video is the ideal companion for curling up in bed. If you fancy a little bit of this and that whenever you plug in those earbuds, Podcast Addict is the perfect podcast app for you.
This app is a buffet for your ears with the option to integrate all possible listening options in one place. Now you can manage podcasts, live radio streams, audiobooks, YouTube channels, and RSS feeds without having to toggle between ten of them at once.
Best For Exclusive Content: Luminary
This podcast app is perfect for pop culture junkies on the lookout for content outside of the mainstream, as well as those who absolutely need to scratch that itch for new and more new content.
Luminary aims to be the Netflix of podcasts, offering access to a library of staples and exclusive content unavailable on other podcast apps. The podcast app adopts a subscription model much like Netflix for its premium content, which allows subscribers to access over 40 original in-house podcasts produced for its network as well as new shows when they debut.
These shows feature a host of big-name creators, including feminist Roxane Gay’s “Hear To Slay,” writer-director Lena Dunham’s “The C-Word,” celebrity host Trevor Noah’s “On Second Thought,” and comedian Russell Brand’s “Under The Skin.” Most recently, the podcast app debuts “The Black List Podcast,” featuring never-before-seen scripts as radio plays and interviews with those in the film industry.
Best For Organization: Castro
If you are someone that absolutely needs to get down to Inbox Zero, find every opportunity to utilize your label maker with a vengeance, and find the utmost joy in Marie Kondo-ing your apartment. You may be a fan of Castro.
Castro’s point of difference from other Android podcast applications is its ability to manage all your podcasts through one central queue. The interface and design of this app come together to reflect this prominent feature.
Episodes can quickly build-up, and it can be a struggle to decide what to listen to next when you are paralyzed by choice. With Castro, it has never been easier to triage your list. This means less time deciding and more time listening for high-volume listeners.
When a new episode appears in the “inbox,” move it to the top or bottom or delete it from your list. The podcast inbox interface also has a built-in drag and drop feature, so you can rearrange episodes as you wish.
This means you can always be ready to jump back in and resume listening from wherever you left off. With this remarkable feature, this podcast app will please those who are a stickler for the organization at heart.
Best For Playlists: Stitcher
As its moniker suggests, Stitcher is a podcast app that allows you to “stitch” together with your favorite podcasts into customized playlists. Stitcher boasts the best playlisting tools that can be found in any podcast app. Playlists can be created without much fuss, and with a customized playlist, no manual downloading or syncing is necessary.
Episodes are automatically included as they are released so that you can have a seamless listening experience. Other nifty features of this app include the ability to set a sleep timer and the ability to search for episodes in addition to whole podcasts.
Once you have determined your desired setting (ranging between 15 minutes to two hours) and activated the sleep timer, the streamed content automatically turns off so that your battery life is preserved.
