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Acast app closing down - what is the best podcast app?

Steezy

Steezy

Member
Jan 7, 2018
501
I've used the Acast app to stream my podcasts for years now and this morning I got a notification announcing they have decided to close it down.

What are my options? Spotify? Do you still get ads on Spotify if you're on premium? Also it doesn't seem to have a feed for subscribed podcasts.

What do you use?
 
Orayn

Orayn

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,231
I really like Pocket Casts. It has cloud sync for listening progress and lots of great features.
 
gig

gig

Prophet of Regret
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,291
People shit on Pocket Casts but I use it still and love it. The desktop/phone sync is great.
 
GK86

GK86

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,972
I started using Pocket Casts in 2015 (2016?) and haven't switched since. I love it.
 
Bigg

Bigg

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,697
I've been using Google Podcasts for a bit and it's mostly solid. I like how it syncs between desktop and phone. Every once in a while I get some annoying buffer issues though.
 
Rag

Rag

Member
Oct 30, 2017
3,907
Another vote for Pocketcasts here. Haven't felt like I've needed anything else in a long time.
 
affeinvasion

affeinvasion

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,970
I'm kind of interested in starting a music podcast and getting around issues of licensing and content id is something I've been concerned about. Anchor lets you embed songs from Spotify so that's what I'm looking into right now. I have no idea how good it actually is though.
 
mute

mute

â–˛ Legend â–˛
Member
Oct 25, 2017
25,513
Steezy said:
Why do people shit on it?
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A year or two ago they put out a new version that changed a bunch of stuff/moved things around for little good reason.

Unless you have grown attached to how it used to be you will probably think it is fine. I've been using Google Podcast since and it is ok too.
 
Reckheim

Reckheim

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
9,598
pocketcast, used it for many years; not sure how it compares to other apps; but it works real well for me.
 
Bunkem

Bunkem

Prophet of Truth
Member
Aug 25, 2021
1,330
mute said:
A year or two ago they put out a new version that changed a bunch of stuff/moved things around for little good reason.

Unless you have grown attached to how it used to be you will probably think it is fine. I've been using Google Podcast since and it is ok too.
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I stopped using it for Podcast Addict when they cut all the functionality years ago, but tried it again recently and it seems to have gone through another change, or they at least put everything back in they had stripped out. The cloud syncing progress stuff is so convenient.
 
trashbandit

trashbandit

Member
Dec 19, 2019
3,912
I use Google Podcasts. It is incredibly simple and 100% focused on just being an app that presents you your subscriptions, and I appreciate that. Though, it is a Google app, so there's always the possibility it'll get axed tomorrow for no reason.
 
Shrikey

Shrikey

Member
Oct 27, 2017
679
For iOS nothing beats Overcast. Or rather, Overcast is so good at what it does I've never felt the need to try anything else after starting it. The UI is solid, performance is solid, the settings/options are solid. It's one of my favourite app designs all round.
 
Disco Infernal

Disco Infernal

Banned
May 14, 2021
16,731
I just use Spotify since it lets me mix podcasts and music on game consoles. PocketCasts on iPhone is great too, but I'd never pay for it.
 
BUNTING1243

BUNTING1243

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,729
I thought Acast was a podcast distribution platform? That's what we use at work at least, didn't know it also had an app.

Overcast and Pocketcast both rock. Lately I've been used Snipd, which adds some interesting transcribing and clip saving features. It's definitely rougher around the edges though
 
PopsMaellard

PopsMaellard

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
3,373
I listen constantly and have tried all the usual apps including Acast for the first time a few months ago.

On iOS the podcast app is completely fine. It's what I return to every single time.
 
Burgess_101

Burgess_101

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,303
Antennapod. Free and open source.

Audiobookshelf is an open source self hosted alternative with an account system if you're that way inclined. I just switched to it today. It's still young so is missing features but it's decent.
 
abellwillring

abellwillring

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,968
Austin, TX
Steezy said:
I've used the Acast app to stream my podcasts for years now and this morning I got a notification announcing they have decided to close it down.

What are my options? Spotify? Do you still get ads on Spotify if you're on premium? Also it doesn't seem to have a feed for subscribed podcasts.

What do you use?
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Click to shrink...
Yes, since the ads are in the podcasts themselves. Spotify is just another place they're posted. I suspect some Spotify only shows may not have ads if you're premium? I use Spotify to listen to mine since it's the easiest way to do it in a lot of places. Overcast is a nice alternative since it has a web-based player as well for say listening at work on your computer.
 
Ultron

Ultron

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
2,849
I paid the 5 bucks or whatever for Downcast on iOS years ago and it's always been great.
 
Real

Real

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,492
I love Pocketcasts. Paid for the monthly premium a while back and they converted us to lifetime premium for free. Haven't used anything else since.
 
manzoman96

manzoman96

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,623
I've only ever really used Podcast Addict on Android. There could be better options out there but it has served me well.
 
lunchtoast

lunchtoast

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,646
Ditched pocket cast after having so many issues to podcast republic. Lots of options and customizations and no subscription BS.
 
Whitemex

Whitemex

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,763
Chicago
Pocketcast but I have an issue with podcasts that have ads injected into them, I'll get random time skips whether forward or backwards. Sometimes it's like 30sec others it's closer to a minute.
 
.exe

.exe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,432
Long time Pocket Casts user. Great features and I prefer the interface over Overcast. I also quite like its web player and Windows app.
 
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mute

mute

â–˛ Legend â–˛
Member
Oct 25, 2017
25,513
Bunkem said:
I stopped using it for Podcast Addict when they cut all the functionality years ago, but tried it again recently and it seems to have gone through another change, or they at least put everything back in they had stripped out. The cloud syncing progress stuff is so convenient.
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Oh I didn't know that they had gone through another change. I may check it out again then.
 
Breqesk

Breqesk

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,244
Been using PocketCasts forever and I do like it, but I find the cross-platform listening progress syncing very unreliable. Same goes for all the alternatives I've tried, though.

You do have to pay for a subscription if you want the premium features these days. I don't know if I'd still be using it if I didn't have a lifetime membership from buying it before they changed business model.
 
808

808

Member
Nov 2, 2017
288
HNL
Overcast on iOS does everything I want a podcast app to do in an elegant way. It's one of the few apps that I subbed to the "premium" version for, to show my support for the dev.
 
Gigglepoo

Gigglepoo

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,317
I've listened to 252 days 6 hours of podcasts since September 28, 2018 on Pocket Casts and have had zero complaints with the app.
 
Darren Lamb

Darren Lamb

Member
Dec 1, 2017
2,842
I like pocket casts for the cloud syncing and file storage. It's worth the 10 bucks a year or whatever
 
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