Podcasts are a good way to stay current on the go. They are like the talk shows of yore on the radio where one went about the daily routine while the radio played music, a play or just a discussion. Similarly, you can go on an audio journey through politics, entertainment, comedy, literature, and more with podcasts. The difference is that you can choose the topics you want to pursue.
Many apps have tons of podcasts you can listen to for free or with a paid subscription. The popularity of podcasts has increased in recent years.
Approximately eighty million Americans – 28% of the U.S. 12+ population – are now weekly podcast listeners, a 17% increase over 2020. The overall monthly podcast listening audience is now more diverse than ever: 57% of monthly podcast listeners are white, 16% Latino, 13% African American, 4% Asian, and 10% of some other, according to a survey from Edison and Triton Digital.
Apple Podcasts
It offers free access to over 30 million podcast episodes, with Siri voice search capabilities. You can also listen to Apple Podcasts through Amazon Alexa products if you link your accounts in the Alexa app.
The search page even allows you to find podcasts by topic or by people mentioned within episodes.
There are reviews from listeners to help you browse through what might appeal to you. If you end up liking a podcast, there are content recommendations for you.
Apple Podcasts offers one million shows to choose from.
Some content is free but a monthly subscription unlocks exclusive shows or extra content from your favorite podcasters. Creators can also add benefits to their premium podcast subscriptions, including ad-free listening and early access.
There’re over one million shows to choose from, including music genres and artists. Some are free, and the rest charge $1 and up for individual show subscriptions.
Spotify
An array of curated, genre-specific collections of podcasts are available on Spotify.
There are over 2.2 million podcasts to select from. Price: Free (with ads), $10 a month (ad-free).
You can watch or play Spotify podcasts over the web browser, iOS, Android, media players, smart TVs, gaming consoles, and more.
Though Spotify started as a music streaming service, it has diversified into podcasts covering all genres. Spotify has some great exclusive offers on music. It does have a free option, but you need a paid subscription to get ad-free streaming.
Spotify offers customized playlists and mix ups.
Spotify premium comes for $10 a month for a single account. You can only download podcasts if you have a premium account on Spotify.
The app features some original podcasts you won’t find anywhere else. Some Spotify exclusive shows include “Renegades: Born in the USA,” “The Michelle Obama Podcast,” and “Living & Learning with Reba McEntire.”
One can customize your playlist according to genre or artists or mix it up.
TuneIn Radio
TuneIn offers a number of radio streams from around the world in addition to its podcast catalog. It has over 4 million podcasts.
Though its primary focus is radio it has some popular podcasts. There are plenty of genres to explore. The service also curates a number of new podcasts on its homepage for easy navigation.
TuneIn’s primary focus may be radio and music, but it also includes some popular podcasts. There are plenty of genres to explore via the app’s search tab.
If you want uninterrupted access, mobile listeners can pay a one-time fee of $10 to download TuneIn Pro. The free version comes with commercial interruptions. There’s also TuneIn Premium for $10 a month, which lets subscribers listen to music and select radio stations without any commercials.
TuneIn offers radio, music, and popular podcasts according to one’s mood.
TuneIn is compatible with Alexa-enabled devices.
Once you start listening to an episode, you can fast forward or rewind by 30 seconds. There is a clock display along with alarm settings. You can favorite a show to listen to later.
Importantly, you can switch to car mode with TuneIn. People can either listen to music or related podcasts on the go. Navigation is made easier in this mode.
It even allows you to add a podcast to the app via the Custom URL button in your library. It plays on the web player, iOS, Android, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Samsung smart TVs, Roku, Chromecast, and Fire TV.
