What is the Best Podcast App?8 min read

What is the Best Podcast App?8 min read

Reading Time: 6 minutes

In recent years, podcasts have seen a dramatic surge in popularity. From true crime thrillers to news bulletins to comedy podcasts, there’s a podcast out there for everyone. The best part is that you can listen to podcasts while you make the drive to work, hit the gym, or relax at home. 

With that being said, the types of podcasts you listen to aren’t the only thing that matters—it’s also important to consider how you listen to your podcasts. There are a wide range of services that offer listeners the ability to stream and download the podcasts they love. But, out of all the options, you may be wondering: what are the best podcast apps?

In this article, we explain what to look for in the best podcast app and compare the different podcast apps currently available. Read on to learn more about the best apps for podcasts or use the links below to skip to any section of the article. 

• Why Should I Listen to Podcasts on an App?
• Features to Look for in the Best Podcast Apps
• What Is the Best Podcast App?
• The Importance of Choosing the Right Podcast App

Why Should I Listen to Podcasts on an App?

Listening to your favorite podcasts on an app can help optimize the listening experience. An app makes it easy to browse through podcasts, subscribe to the shows you like, and listen while on the go. Podcast apps also typically enable you to download shows for offline listening, which can come in handy if you want to listen to podcasts on an airplane or while traveling through areas with poor reception. 

Most importantly, many podcasts are only available through podcast apps. While you may be able to listen to some shows on YouTube, this isn’t always the case. Plus, if you’re on the go, listening to podcasts on YouTube or other platforms can end up using a lot more wireless data than a podcast app would. 

Features to Look for in the Best Podcast Apps

In order to identify the best podcast app for your needs, you have to know what to look for. While all podcast apps are capable of playing podcasts, different apps come with different features. From organizational tools to community features, it’s important to take the strengths of each podcast app into account before deciding on one to use. With that being said, here are a few features to look for in the top podcast apps. 

Easy Organization

The best podcast apps allow you to easily organize your podcasts. This means you can subscribe to the shows you like, personalize your listening library, and quickly sort through saved podcasts. Organizational features can ultimately prevent your app from becoming cluttered and confusing.  

Wide Selection of Podcasts

The top podcast apps host a wide array of podcasts, giving you more content to explore and listen to. With a rich selection to choose from, you can scroll through many different genres and find the podcasts that you really connect with. 

Customization and Curation

With customization features, you can personalize your podcast app and make it align with your tastes and preferences. On the best podcast apps, you should be able to build playlists, customize your listening library, and adjust app settings to your liking. Podcast apps like Podopolo even come with a recommendation engine that curate podcasts based on your preferences and listening behaviors, even friendships, which in turn can help you find new podcasts to listen to.  

Community and Shareability

When it comes to podcasts, one of the best parts is sharing and discussing your favorite shows with friends. And this is becoming easier as the audience for podcasts grows. In 2021, there were 120 million monthly podcast listeners and that number is expected to grow to 164 million by 2023. Thus, the best podcast apps should make it easy to connect with friends, podcasters, and the podcasting community in general, so that you achieve an optimized community experience. 

Interactive Features

The best podcast players help create a sense of community by enabling listeners to interact with creators and each other. Something as simple as allowing listeners to leave comments on podcasts can be a small yet powerful step towards building a community and promoting engagement. 

What Is the Best Podcast App?

Below, we’ve listed some of the most popular podcasts apps in use today. We’ve highlighted the key features of each of these apps in order to help you choose the best podcast app for your needs. So take a look at our list of the best podcast apps to weigh your options. 

Podopolo

Podopolo is one of the best podcast apps because it offers an expansive listening library in addition to a wide array of unique features, including automatic personalization, which is like your best friend finding your future favorite shows, only faster, easier, and without having to ask. 

Podopolo has a library that includes an impressive 4.5 million audio and video podcasts, in every genre and most languages, with more shows added every day. The app provides an easy way to import your library to stream or download, so you can always stay informed without interruption no matter where you are in the world. Special privacy controls also keep your data safe, and you’ll never be tracked between apps or across the web.  

Community features and interactive listening tools are what really make Podopolo stand out as one of the best podcast apps on the market right now. You can add friends, send DMs, comment on shows, and even clip and share podcasts. By creating clips of your favorite podcasts, you can easily send shareable moments to friends or make engaging posts on social media. All of these features—as well as live and interactive video streaming, which is coming soon—make Podopolo an ideal blend between a podcast app and a community engagement platform.

Apple Podcasts

Apple Podcasts is installed on iPhones by default and is a convenient solution for easy podcast listening. A wide range of popular podcasts are available on the Apple Podcasts app, it’s easy to use if you already know what podcasts you’re looking for, and it’s a good option if you want to sync content across your Apple devices. 

Spotify

Spotify has been a major player in music streaming for a while now, but it’s beginning to place a larger emphasis on podcasts than it has in the past. The app boasts a large library of popular podcasts, comes with Spotify’s user-friendly interface, and offers a number of original or exclusive shows. 

Stitcher

While Stitcher doesn’t offer the same vast libraries that the above apps do, it does have a wide range of original shows. The app also includes features such as automatic downloads, unique playback options, and curated collections that focus on interesting themes. 

Google Podcasts

Google Podcasts is a fairly straightforward podcast app offered by the search engine giant. Using the app, you can subscribe to the shows you like, download podcasts for offline use, and create queues to organize your listening. Another benefit of the app is that it can easily sync with Google Assistant speakers, allowing for an integrated hands-free experience. 

Pocket Casts

Pocket Casts is user-friendly and includes a suite of handy features that make listening easier. For example, you can create custom filters to find the podcasts that interest you, automatically trim silent moments from shows, and sync your playback queue across different devices. 

The Importance of Choosing the Right Podcast App

With the best podcast app, you can optimize your listening experience and get the most out of the podcasts you enjoy. Podcast apps that have easy-to-use interfaces, rich libraries, common sense organizational tools, and fun community features can really take your listening experience to the next level. 

Choosing a podcast app that doesn’t align with your needs and preferences can lead to frustration and a poor experience that doesn’t allow you to fully enjoy the podcasts you love. It should be easy to find and listen to the podcasts you enjoy, so choose the best podcast app that allows you to do just that. 

Download Podopolo to Connect With Your Favorite Podcasts

While you have many options to choose from, we can confidently say that Podopolo is the best podcast app because it provides a top-notch experience for both listeners and creators. As a listener, you can choose from millions of podcasts, engage with a vibrant community, and receive curated podcast picks from our recommendation engine and through exclusive shows like Podopolo Unplugged. As a podcaster, you can use Podopolo to effectively grow your podcast, engage with your listeners, manage your show, get actionable audience insights not available anywhere else, and even add revenue streams to your podcast. 

Podopolo creates a community experience in podcasting that benefits both listeners and podcasters. Download Podopolo today to gain access to the best podcast app and explore all of the user-friendly features we have to offer.