It seems like the options for listening to podcasts are endless. From Stitcher to Pocket Casts and everything in between, how do you choose? Is it worth paying for a podcast app? Why are there so many options just to play internet radio shows? Stop asking and just download your favorite app from this list of the best podcast apps for Android.
Once you’ve picked one of these out and loaded it up with new podcast episodes, your commute is going to seem so much shorter and more interesting. The world of podcasts is such a fun place to be these days. Get the news, listen to short fiction, learn about new advances in medicine, and get inspired to travel somewhere exotic on your next vacation. There’s a pocast out there for everyone and a great Android app for you to listen to it with.
Stitcher Radio
Sticher has been named one of the Top 20 Apps by TechCrunch, one of the Top 5 Podcast Apps by Mashable, and one of the Top 25 Android Apps by TIME Magazine. We at Appamatix are big fans, too.
It’s called Stitcher in part because you can “stitch” together your favorite podcasts into your own personalized station. Your shows play in the order you wish to hear them without interruption unless you hit pause.
Stitcher also uses your existing preferences to help you find new podcasts to listen to. If you like their recommendations, just add them to your personalized station and keep listening.
It’s also really easy to share your favorite shows with friends via social media or email, a feature that’s sadly missing from some apps.
Spotify Music
Cost: Free for basic access, $9.99/month for Spotify Premium
Yes, it’s true, as of 2016 you can play podcasts on this music app. It has all the basic functionality of a typical podcast app: play an episode on demand, add podcasts to a playlist, download podcasts for offline listening, and follow podcasts.
There’s nothing too special about this app except that it’s connected to Spotify. So if you’re already using Spotify for music, use it for your podcasts too. Keep the clutter level down on your phone and keep using a platform you already know and (presumably) love.
You can listen to podcasts with Spotify Free and Spotify Premium.
Podcast & Radio Addict
With over five million downloads, Podcast & Radio Addict is the number one podcast app for Android. The database of over 300,000 podcasts and over 10 million episodes will give you plenty of options for what to listen to with the app. Search for podcasts you already adore or take suggestions from the app. The more podcasts you subscribe to, the more personalized your recommendations for new podcasts will be in the future.
This app also has some fun and useful features like variable playback and shuffle mode. My favorite feature is the sleep timer because I like to listen to podcasts at bedtime, but it’s bad for your sleep to have them playing all night long. (I mean, do you really want to wake up in the middle of the night to a recap of the latest presidential debate?)
In addition to podcasts, you can manage your audiobooks, YouTube playlists, RSS Newsfeeds, and livestream radio.
Pocket Casts
When there are so many great free podcast apps out there, why would you shell out your hard-earned cash for one? Well, because Pocket Casts is special.
First off, it’s one of the most beautiful podcast apps that I’ve ever seen. You can customize the theme to a dark or bright theme depending on your preferences and have some flexibility in exactly how the app will look when you use it.
Standard expectations for podcast playback are met with the up next and streaming features. But Pocket Casts goes above and beyond by allowing you to skip episode introductions and trim silences so you’re always listening to the content you really want to hear.
You can sync it to your Android Wear watch to get notifications of new episodes of your favorite podcasts and control playback.
DoggCatcher Podcast Player
The name is fun and the app is well-done. What else do you need to know?
Well, for starters, Lifehacker says this is the best podcast app for Android.
It’s a highly automated app in which you can select automatic downloads and automatic deletion of podcasts as well. If you love listening to podcasts offline but hate needing to manually delete them to save space on your phone, then this feature is a huge reason to choose DoggCatcher over some of the other apps available.
It’s got all the basics you’d expect from a podcast app at this point like customizable playlists and a homescreen widget to control playback. All in all, it’s another solid podcast app option and worth the three bucks to download it.
In short, these are the best podcast apps for Android…
…most of them are free, and the rest are cheap:
- Stitcher: for the person who just wants a basic, free podcast app that works really well and won’t crash
- Spotify: for the person who is really into music, wants to listen to the occasional podcast, and doesn’t want another app on their phone
- Podcast & Radio Addict: for the person who wants a top of the line app that let’s you manage audiobooks and YouTube, too
- Pocket Casts: for the person who doesn’t mind spending a few dollars to get extra special perks like intro skipping
- DoggCatcher: for the person who likes to buy apps because they have quirky names but also wants to them to be incredible apps that work really well
Now, go over to the Google Play Store, download one of these fabulous apps, and listen to your favorite podcasts and stop worrying about whether there might be a better app out there for you. You’re all set. These are the best podcast apps for Android, we promise.
