What is a Podcast?
A podcast is an audio program or an episodic series of digital audio documents that a consumer can download in an effort to listen. A podcast can be a single episode or a series of episodes focussed on a particular theme or topic. Usually, a podcast series features one or more routine hosts engaged in discussing a particular subject matter or cutting-edge event. Podcast productions can come in different formats like from cautiously scripted to completely improvised discussions, mixed with problematic and artistic sound production. The currently available series in podcasts offer an associated link or direct notes, biographies, resources and dedicated communities for discussing the show’s content.
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A Podcast is a great way to listen to experts talk about the topics you care about and it’s relatively easy to find great podcasts. You just need to subscribe to a particular podcast and enjoy whenever a new episode arrives for that. And to make things easy, if you are a fan of Podcasts and are in the market looking for a new podcast app, so here are some of the handpicked podcast apps that you can download from either Android or iOS app store.
What are the Advantages of Listening to Podcasts?
Millions of people globally enjoy listening to podcasts. But what is the reason behind it? Here are a few reasons why listening to podcasts can be advantageous for you.
Learn New Things
If you want to learn about niche topics, a Podcast is a good way. It improves retention and makes it super easy to understand complicated concepts.
Convenience
Podcasts allow you to learn whenever you want to learn. You don’t need to open the book and learn. You can learn while doing other tasks, too.
Listening Skills
Generally, podcasts are in audio form, and they lack visual cues. Therefore, they are excellent for building active listening skills.
Mental Well-Being
When you listen to podcasts, it helps you laugh, relax, and feel positive. It lets you divert your mind and reduce stress by providing you with the required downtime.
Personal growth
Podcasts are all about real-life stories, ideas, and experiences. It makes them perfect for understanding new concepts, perspectives, and supporting personal growth.
Affordability
Podcasts are usually free or cheap to access. It provides you with knowledge at almost no to zero costs.
How To Listen To Podcasts on iOS and Android:
Pocket Casts:
Pocket Casts is one of the most popular Podcast apps which is loved by all podcast listeners and the app is completely free to use with an option to opt-in for a premium plan. The app has a clean appearance and offers great features, offering a main “Podcast” tab which lists all your subscriptions. The app allows cross-device syncing and discovery based on categories or your listening habits. The Pocket Casts app also features employer tools for streaming and downloading episodes and cleaning up episodes that you’ve listened to. Important tools also include options to configure servers, cover time skips, add sleep timers and more. A Pocket Casts Plus subscription also adds the computer and web apps, additional 10GB cloud storage, as well as themes and custom icons.
Download Pocket Casts for Android
Spotify:
While Spotify might not be the first name of the application that comes to someone’s mind when somebody mentions podcasts of any app that can let them play podcasts, but the streaming media juggernaut also consists of support for audio and video podcasts, along with a nifty Spoken Word section in the app. Spotify organizes podcasts in a variety of categories, such as Storytellers, Sports & Recreation, Technology and Comedy, and also allows users to subscribe to individual podcasts, control downloads, and share podcasts over social media. Playback and management options are sparse in comparison to different apps, but the only issue here is that the Spotify app does not have too many good podcasts available but there’s no doubt that this number is going to skyrocket soon as the platform becomes more popular for podcasts. But if you already use Spotify for music streaming and don’t want to get another dedicated app for listening to a podcast then Spotify is a great option.
Laughable:
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In this busy daily life, Laugh is missing from or lives, and that’s what Laughable promises to bring back, with its comedy-centered podcast app. The app has evolved a lot since inception and is now no longer just for comedy podcasts. Laughable’s database now consists of athletes, actors, and different public figures, as well. Users can also subscribe to other podcasts inside the application, while also experiencing playback capabilities like offline listening, adjusting playback speed and even a nap timer.
Download Laughable for Android
Luminary:
Luminary is a new podcast application that desires to set itself up as the boss of podcasting applications, with all the buffet of podcasts that one would desire to listen to, as well as a library of one of a kind, shows that are only available there. Also, as an additional benefit, Subscribers get entry to Luminary’s unique titles which are ad-free, while users with unfastened tiers can turn to the application to listen down to various loose podcasts. Luminary learns from users listening habits to give personal recommendations, offers playback controls and an exclusive offline mode as well.
Himalaya:
Himalaya is a new application that covers both the ends of the spectrum, being from a free podcast participant application for users as well as a platform for creators and entertainers to publish and monetize their podcasts. The app currently has more than 500,000 podcasters and 270,000 podcasts, with more than 23 million podcast episodes. Also, existing podcast listeners can import their subscriptions from other podcast applications like Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn Radio and more. Users can also search for new podcasts based on their listening habits, featured shows, and other filters.
Concluding Remarks
So, we have reached the end of this article. In this article, we recommend a few of the best podcast applications for both iOS and Android. Which one do you like the most? Do you know any other good applications? If yes, let us know in the comment section below. Also read: One Man’s Trash, Another’s Treasure: How Cashify Solves India’s E-waste Problem
FAQs:
What is a podcast?
A podcast is like a radio show, but on the internet. It’s a series of audio episodes that you can download or stream to listen to whenever you want.
Do podcasts come in a series or just as single episodes?
Yes, they often come as a series on a particular topic, but there can also be standalone episodes.
Who makes podcasts?
Podcasts can be made by one or more “hosts” who talk about a topic. Their format can be very structured (scripted) or more free and conversational.
Why would I listen to a podcast?
The reason behind listening to a podcast is that they’re a great way to hear experts or interesting people talk about things you care about, like tech, stories, comedy, or news.
How do I keep track of the podcasts I like?
You can subscribe to a podcast; this way, whenever there’s a new episode, it shows up for you automatically.
Which apps can I use to listen to podcasts on my phone?
You can use the following apps to listen to podcasts.
- Pocket Casts — It is very clean, lets you download episodes, and has a free and paid plan.
- Spotify — It supports audio & video podcasts in different categories.
- Laughable — It is originally for comedy, but now has a wide variety of shows.
- Luminary — It has exclusive shows and an offline mode.
- Himalaya — It is a very large library, lets creators publish, and supports importing from other apps.
Can I listen to podcasts without internet?
Yes. Many apps (like Pocket Casts or Himalaya allow you to downloadepisodes so you can listen when offline.
How do I discover new podcasts?
In most apps, you can browse by categories (like Technology, Comedy, Sports) or get recommendations based on what you already listen to.
Do podcast apps sync across my devices?
Yes. For example, Pocket Casts offers cross-device syncing, so your subscriptions and where you left off will be the same on different devices.
Are all podcasts free to listen?
Many podcast apps are free, but some apps like Luminary have paid subscriptions for exclusive, ad-free content.
