Great queue management
I’ve been using this app for years, because it has the most sensible interface I can find for easy queue management: I never lose my “up next” list as I listen. I can start any other episode, reshuffle my current queue, and anything else I want to do in the app and the rest stays where it needs to be. In general, the app is less cluttered than the others I’ve tried (I’ve used at least 10 other apps) and sticks to the features I need: finding podcasts, seeing when they have new episodes, and excellent playback options. I also enjoy that it works on Alexa and has a web interface that both sync my listening position.
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Best podcast app
Easily the best podcast app IMO. Practical functionality. Option to skip 30 secs, something Spotify still hasn’t figured out. My only nit picky complaint is that while I have no problem supporting the developer, it’s kind of crummy you have to pay to get a desktop player. Google Podcast is close for me, but doesn’t charge to listen on my computer. I still keep coming back to Pocket Cast though.
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Well thought out design. Poor audio quality
This is an update to my old review as that review is no longer relevant.
First off, this app is amazing. Stable, reliable, well designed, responds well. It’s very easy to use and loaded with well implemented features. However, there is one thing that prevents me from giving it 5 stars: the sound quality. It’s just awful. The app crushes the lower bass frequencies and makes podcasts sound poor. Once they remove this sound processing non-sense (or at least give me an option to turn it off) I will be glad to subscribe to your monthly Pocket Casts +Plus. But I don’t want to subscribe to an app that makes podcasts audio quality sound like they were recorded on cheap microphones.
Meanwhile, I will continue to use the unfriendly design of Apple Podcasts app because at least there podcasts sound nice and natural. But once Pocket Casts fixes the sound quality issue, I will switch to Pocket Casts and will be glad to pay.
First off, this app is amazing. Stable, reliable, well designed, responds well. It’s very easy to use and loaded with well implemented features. However, there is one thing that prevents me from giving it 5 stars: the sound quality. It’s just awful. The app crushes the lower bass frequencies and makes podcasts sound poor. Once they remove this sound processing non-sense (or at least give me an option to turn it off) I will be glad to subscribe to your monthly Pocket Casts +Plus. But I don’t want to subscribe to an app that makes podcasts audio quality sound like they were recorded on cheap microphones.
Meanwhile, I will continue to use the unfriendly design of Apple Podcasts app because at least there podcasts sound nice and natural. But once Pocket Casts fixes the sound quality issue, I will switch to Pocket Casts and will be glad to pay.
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Great and getting better
I’m a long time user of Pocketcasts. A premium subscriber, though it was a free perk for been a long time subscriber, when they introduced the premium tear. It runs out soon and I will definitely be subscribing again.
Love the addition of the folders, already set mine up and so glad that the tile arrangement now syncs across devices.
It would be even better if you could set up filters based on folders, so I can have a favourites/new releases filter. Maybe that’s something that could be added in the future.
Keep up the great work guys.
Love the addition of the folders, already set mine up and so glad that the tile arrangement now syncs across devices.
It would be even better if you could set up filters based on folders, so I can have a favourites/new releases filter. Maybe that’s something that could be added in the future.
Keep up the great work guys.
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Feature Rich, Some Irritating Bugs
I switched over from the stock Apple podcasts app and am satisfied with the decision. Customizing the playlist, auto loading new episodes, preset skipping at the beginning and end of podcasts are very nice features.
Some thing that don’t work super well include poor sensitivity to moving podcasts manually around in a playlist and the app not loading/downloading new episodes promptly after release or having a good way to get them when the app hasn’t updated new episodes. Occasionally, new episodes don’t get automatically loaded to playlists for reasons I don’t understand.
Definitely a step up from basic podcast apps, but it has some issues that will probably annoy you. Hope the developers can iron these issues out.
Some thing that don’t work super well include poor sensitivity to moving podcasts manually around in a playlist and the app not loading/downloading new episodes promptly after release or having a good way to get them when the app hasn’t updated new episodes. Occasionally, new episodes don’t get automatically loaded to playlists for reasons I don’t understand.
Definitely a step up from basic podcast apps, but it has some issues that will probably annoy you. Hope the developers can iron these issues out.
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Great Interface and Customer Service
I can get podcasts in other apps, but PocketCasts the most user-friendly. Love the variable speed, the notifications and the queuing of podcasts. It’s all easy and intuitive.
Recently I had an issue with podcasts from ABC Australia not downloading. The team were patient, polite and helpful as the problem was solved.
Recently I had an issue with podcasts from ABC Australia not downloading. The team were patient, polite and helpful as the problem was solved.
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Response from developer
Hi there! Thanks for your review. Any podcast that is available on Apple Podcasts can be submitted to our database: grab the Apple Podcasts link for the podcast -> paste it here http://getrssfeed.com/ -> and submit the RSS feed URL to our database here https://www.pocketcasts.com/submit/ Or alternatively, you can let us know which podcasts you're after at support@pocketcasts.com and we can add them for you. Hope this helps!
usually great, often flawed
like another reviewer, StarlaThornhill, for like two years i've been experiencing the issue with the playback timer. it seems to mostly happen when i'm using airplay2 to listen to podcasts on my home speakers... if i pause playback and then later resume, somehow the playback position timer loses its mind, and it just causes havoc. i've contacted support several times, and it always winds up going nowhere.
this is very frustrating, because i feel the app has the most user-friendly interface of any of the major podcast apps on the market. most of them have some weird UI gimmick to try and stand out, but it really just winds up feeling clunky and dumbed-down.
i hope the pocket casts team can figure out the playback progress bugs, because i'm really running out of patience with what's otherwise a pretty perfect app.
this is very frustrating, because i feel the app has the most user-friendly interface of any of the major podcast apps on the market. most of them have some weird UI gimmick to try and stand out, but it really just winds up feeling clunky and dumbed-down.
i hope the pocket casts team can figure out the playback progress bugs, because i'm really running out of patience with what's otherwise a pretty perfect app.
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BELIEVE the negative reviews
You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy than these developers. That may seem harsh, but it’s the truth. They love to take your money and give you nothing back for it. “You paid us money for the app when we promised no subscriptions or freemiums? Hah, thanks for the dough, sucker, we’re going free and not even giving you a trial of our now locked behind a paywall features!” Ethical developers have always grandfathered in purchasers of their apps when the go subscription, but these guys failed ethics in college. Just look at how many disgruntled customers have the same issue that they say they never heard of.
Now, as for the app itself, it’s a miracle if it plays the full podcast. If it works on CarPlay, it’s another miracle! If the audio doesn’t constantly cut out, holy cow, call the Pope because this app is only four miracles away from sainthood! Maybe they’ve locked usability behind the paywall, as well.
To summarize, don’t use this. Don’t even gaze in its direction. And especially don’t give these shady thieves a dollar of your money. You could spend it much better on a cheeseburger, thumb tacks, an empty cardboard box, or just by burning it and blowing the ashes in the wind.
Now, as for the app itself, it’s a miracle if it plays the full podcast. If it works on CarPlay, it’s another miracle! If the audio doesn’t constantly cut out, holy cow, call the Pope because this app is only four miracles away from sainthood! Maybe they’ve locked usability behind the paywall, as well.
To summarize, don’t use this. Don’t even gaze in its direction. And especially don’t give these shady thieves a dollar of your money. You could spend it much better on a cheeseburger, thumb tacks, an empty cardboard box, or just by burning it and blowing the ashes in the wind.
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Response from developer
Thank you for your review. We decided to switch to this business model to keep things sustainable in the future. The Plus subscription includes additional features like access to the web, desktop players, and more. You still have access to everything you paid for with the mobile app and more. For more details, please check out these posts: https://blog.pocketcasts.com/news/answers-to-your-questions/ For all the problems you had with the app, we'll be more than happy to help you with them. If you can reach out to us at support@pocketcasts.com or by reaching out from the app, while also telling us in more detail about each problem, we can then take a look at things from there. We look forward to hearing back from you.
Pocket Casts won me over
I’m very picky about the apps I use to listen to podcasts. The Apple one doesn’t work the way I need it to for queuing episodes. I used to really like one of the competing indy podcast apps but started noticing a lack of updates and promotion in the past year, so I decided to check out Pocket Casts instead due to a promotion I heard on the Downstream podcast.
After getting acclimated, I find it checks all the boxes, works exactly how I need it to (the up-next queuing works great), and is very thoughtfully designed. The Apple Watch app is well done, as is the web player which I will occasionally run while using my Windows-based work laptop.
I look forward to continuing to use Pocket Casts as my main podcast player and I am interested to see how this app continues to grow and improve under the stewardship of Automattic.
After getting acclimated, I find it checks all the boxes, works exactly how I need it to (the up-next queuing works great), and is very thoughtfully designed. The Apple Watch app is well done, as is the web player which I will occasionally run while using my Windows-based work laptop.
I look forward to continuing to use Pocket Casts as my main podcast player and I am interested to see how this app continues to grow and improve under the stewardship of Automattic.
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Great but neglected
It’s still my favorite podcast app, and I’ve been using it for years, but it has a few fundamental problems which are not being fixed.
One of the reasons besides the design (which is great), is that it has a decent web interface so I can listen from the web as well. I do pay for this feature.
Here’s what’s broken and support doesn’t really help unfortunately:
Playback sometimes seems to repeat parts of the podcast. You will be listening and then suddenly you have a sense of deja vu, when it goes back 20 minutes and repeats.
You can spend lots of time customizing your rules like how many episodes to keep per podcast, your priorities of which podcasts should be added to the up next queue but guess what? If you have more than one device like an iPad and a phone for example, those customizations do not sync across them. Seems like something which needs to be implemented because the sync of the up next queue is fantastic.
This app also has been sold a number of times to different companies and it seems stagnant, but it’s so good that it still is very good.
I really hope they work on these things it’s my favorite still.
One of the reasons besides the design (which is great), is that it has a decent web interface so I can listen from the web as well. I do pay for this feature.
Here’s what’s broken and support doesn’t really help unfortunately:
Playback sometimes seems to repeat parts of the podcast. You will be listening and then suddenly you have a sense of deja vu, when it goes back 20 minutes and repeats.
You can spend lots of time customizing your rules like how many episodes to keep per podcast, your priorities of which podcasts should be added to the up next queue but guess what? If you have more than one device like an iPad and a phone for example, those customizations do not sync across them. Seems like something which needs to be implemented because the sync of the up next queue is fantastic.
This app also has been sold a number of times to different companies and it seems stagnant, but it’s so good that it still is very good.
I really hope they work on these things it’s my favorite still.
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