Music, TV, and podcasts take center stage. ITunes forever changed the way people experienced. Podbean Podcast App. Brought to you by media hosting veterans Podbean, this app is a fully fledged listening and discovery app first and foremost – but it was recently upgraded with some handy creation and publishing tools, too.
Use the Apple Podcasts app on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch with the latest version of iOS or iPadOS, on your Mac with macOS Catalina, or on your Apple TV.
Listen to shows
When you play episodes in Apple Podcasts on your iOS or iPadOS device, a player appears at the bottom of the screen. Tap the player to open the Now Playing screen, which shows all the playback controls.
In the Apple Podcasts app on your Mac, the playback controls are at the top of the window.
To see Now Playing on Apple TV, open Apple Podcasts, then swipe down on your Siri Remote or Apple TV Remote. Now Playing appears in the top menu bar.
Control playback
Fast forward or rewind
To skip through an episode, tap or click the 15 second rewind button or the 30 second fast forward button .
Adjust the playback speed
To play a podcast at a different speed on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, tap the playback speed button . On your Mac, choose a playback speed from the Controls menu in the menu bar.
Set a sleep timer
On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you can set a sleep timer to stop playing a podcast after a certain amount of time. From Now Playing, swipe up and tap the Sleep Timer button .
Play to a speaker
On your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, tap the playback destination button to change what device your audio plays to.
Play episodes in order or play the newest episode first
Some podcasts tell a story that sounds best when you start with the first episode. For other podcasts, you might want to listen to the latest episode first. Here's how to control the order in which episodes play:
- Go to the podcast's information page.
- Tap or click the More button , then tap or click Settings.
- Tap or click 'Play in Sequential Order' or 'Play Most Recent First.'
You can also set up continuous playback so that when an episode ends, the next episode automatically plays. Here's how:
- On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings > Podcasts. Tap the slider next to Continuous Playback.
- On your Mac, choose Podcasts > Preferences from the menu bar in Podcasts. Then click Playback and select “Play the next episode when an episode ends.”
Subscribe to shows
Find shows you love, then subscribe to them to find out when new episodes are released.
Find a show
Browse categories like true crime or comedy. Or search for podcasts that mention a specific word or phrase. For example, search for 'Halley's comet' to see shows and episodes in which someone mentioned Halley's comet.
- On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, tap the Browse tab or the Search tab at the bottom of the screen.
- On your Mac, click Browse in the sidebar, or use the search field at the top of the sidebar.
Podcast Recording App For Mac
To find podcasts that you recently played, tap or click Listen Now, then scroll to the Recently Played section at the bottom of the screen.
How to subscribe to a show
- Browse or search for a show in the Apple Podcasts app.
- Tap or click the show to see its information page.
- Tap or click Subscribe. Now, new episodes automatically download for free and you'll get a notification as they become available.
If you stop listening to a show for a while, Apple Podcasts might pause your subscription. The shows and downloaded episodes stay in your library, but new episodes might not be updated. To continue getting new episodes, subscribe again.
How to unsubscribe from a show
- Tap or click a show to see its information page.
- Tap or click the More button .
- From the menu that appears, choose Unsubscribe.
New episodes won't download to your device, but episodes that are already in your library won’t be deleted.
Download or delete episodes
To listen to podcasts when you aren't connected to Wi-Fi or cellular, download the episodes before you go offline. Episodes automatically delete 24 hours after you play them, or you can delete them manually.
How to download episodes
- Find an episode in your library, or browse or search for an episode.
- Tap or click the download button next to the episode's name. Or, if you see the add button , tap or click it, then tap or click the download button .
If you don't see the download button , the episode is already downloaded to your device.
Turn off automatic downloads
Podcast App For Mac Computer
- To turn off automatic downloads on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings > Podcasts > Download Episodes and choose Off.
- To turn off automatic downloads on your Mac, choose Podcasts > Preferences from the menu bar. Click General. Next to Automatically Download Episodes, choose Never.
How to delete episodes from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
- Find the show in your library.
- Tap the show to bring up its information page.
- Swipe left on the episode.
- Tap Delete.
How to delete episodes from your Mac
- In the sidebar, click Downloaded.
- Click the More button next to the episode that you want to remove, then choose Remove.
- Click Remove Download.
If you want episodes to automatically be deleted after you finish them, choose Podcasts > Preferences from the menu bar. Click Advanced, then select 'Automatically delete played episodes.'
Do more with Podcasts
If you're a frequent listener, here are some things you can do to make your Apple Podcasts experience even better.
Podcast App For Mac Free
Rate and review podcasts
In the Apple Podcasts app, search for the show, tap or click it, then scroll down to the Ratings & Reviews section. Tap or click Write a Review, or choose how many stars you want to give.
Sync your podcasts
By default, your podcast library syncs across your devices so that if you pause an episode on one device, you can pick up where you left off on another. But if you turned off syncing, you can turn it back on. Here's how:
- On your iOS device, go to the Settings app. Scroll to Podcasts, tap it, then tap Sync Podcasts.
- On your Mac, open the Podcasts app, choose Podcasts > Preferences from the menu bar. Click Advanced, then select 'Sync subscriptions across devices.'
Mark an episode as played
To remove an episode from your queue, mark it as played.
- On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to the Listen Now tab and find the episode that you want to remove. Long press it, then tap Mark As Played.
- On your Mac, find the episode that you want to remove. Click the More button , then choose Mark as Played from the menu that appears.
Learn more
- Listen to Apple Podcasts on your Apple Watch.
- You can also play Apple Podcasts with Alexa.
- On a PC, listen to podcasts in iTunes for Windows.
- Learn how to use Siri to play music or podcasts.
- If you're a podcast creator, you can submit your podcast through Podcasts Connect.
While you can always listen to the podcast on your web browser, having a dedicated podcast app on your Mac comes with its own perks such as better UI, offline downloads, bookmark manager, and much more. But which podcast app is best for Mac? Let’s find out.
Best Podcast Apps for Mac
1. Apple Podcasts
Best for: Seamless Switching between Apple devices
Starting with the native app for the Apple Ecosystem. Apple Podcasts is the app to get if you constantly switch between your Apple devices. You get native control integration that allows you to seamlessly adjust the volume, play pause the podcast with the keyboard shortcuts. Apple Podcasts also lets you save the Podcasts for offline listening.
On the flip side, it’s available on macOS Catalina and above. However, you can still subscribe and listen to podcasts with iTunes on older macOS. Apple Podcasts is free and it comes bundled with the operating system. Just search “podcasts” in Spotlight search.
2. Spotify
Best For: Spotify Exclusives
The only reason to listen to Podcasts with the Spotify app is for its exclusives. As Joe Rogan has signed an exclusive deal with Spotify, it is pretty evident that it is going to be a trend in the future. If you already have a Spotify subscription then you might as well listen to podcasts on that app.
You can discover new podcasts by genre or search your favorite with the search bar. The podcasts play just like the music player and you can control it in a similar way. However, if you don’t have a premium subscription then you can’t download the podcasts on the Mac app. The Spotify app is free on the App Store.
Install Spotify (free, subscription)
3. Mame Cast
Best For: Podcasts with Subtitles
Mame Cast is a decent podcast app that checks all the basic boxes. It lets you search for podcasts from within the app, it lets you subscribe by entering a URL or importing an OPML file which most podcast apps do. The player is clean and simple, the controls are well placed, and it lets you download the podcasts. However, the key feature is the transcription mode that uses macOS’ internal speech recognition system to generate subtitles for your podcast.
The app is free on the App Store but the transcription feature is locked behind an in-app purchase which you can unlock for $9.99.
Install Mame Cast (free, in-app purchases)
4. Mimir
Best For: Customizing every aspect of the podcast app
Mimir is a feature-packed podcast app that allows you to customize your podcast listening experience with the plethora of features this app offers. It offers a genre-based recommendation of podcasts that you might like based on your subscriptions and makes playback really simple. Just drag and drop a podcast tile to start playing, and it even chooses another podcast for you so that the playback doesn’t stop. The app also has features such as automatic silence snip which none of the above apps offer.
Mimir is a subscription-based app that offers a lot of nifty features if you’re an avid podcast user and the subscription would cost you around $2.99/mo. You also get a 14-day free trial to test the waters.
Install Mimir (free trial, subscription)
5. PocketCasts
Best for: Existing Pocket Casts Subscribers
Pocket Casts is one of the most popular podcast apps for smartphones. It offers a ton of features and intuitive features that make the subscription worth it. While you can listen to any podcast for free on the smartphone app, the mac app only works with Pocket Casts Plus which is a paid subscription.
The features include Standalone Apple Watch playback, cloud storage for personal podcasts, desktop app, and themes. Pocket Casts subscription costs around $1.17/mo.
Install PocketCasts ($1.17/mo)
6. PodcastMenu
Best for: Listening to Podcasts from the Menu Bar
The Menu Bar on the macOS is a really convenient place to put your app as it instantly becomes more accessible and doesn’t take a lot of space on the screen. PodcastMenu is an unofficial Overcast port for macOS. As Overcast is not officially available on the macOS, it makes sense to use this app for its sheer ingenuity.
The app sits on the Menu Bar and offers all the features of Overcast, you just need to log in with your app credentials to start using the app. The features include a sleep timer, voice boost, smart speed, etc.
If you like the Overcast app on your smartphone, you’d like it on your macOS as well. PodcastMenu is free but you may have to pay for an Overcast premium on the App Store for all the features.
Install PodcastMenu (free)
7. Downcast
Best for: Premium Podcast features without a subscription
Downcast is another well-known podcast app that is available for mac, officially. It offers different playback speeds ranging from 0.5x to 3x, chapters support, and an auto-download option. You can always create and edit smart playlists with podcasts and the even has support for password-protected podcasts. The app also offers seamless sync between iOS devices using iCloud.
However, the only reason I’ve included the app on this list is that it doesn’t implement a subscription model and charges a flat fee for the app, $5.
Install Downcast( $5)
Best Podcast App for Mac
These were a few of the best podcast apps that you can get for your mac computer. Do keep in mind, that each of the apps offers something unique apart from the standard features such as offline playback, playback speed, etc. Which app do you like the most? Let me know in the comments below.