Best Podcast Apps for Android You Never Heard of
There are many popular podcast apps on Android with millions of downloads fromSpotify,Amazon Music, Google podcasts to PocketCasts. But there are also some not-so-popular podcasts apps that come with interesting and unique features. These Android podcast apps are either new or completely underrated. Here are some of the best podcast apps for Android that you should try once.
Best Podcast Apps for Android
Let’s start with my favorite app on this list
Podify displays podcasts from Spotify. While the Spotify app combines music and podcast into one app, Podify offers a way to listen to Spotify podcasts without all the music suggestions you get all over the app. This makes the UI less cluttered.
You need to log in with the Spotify account, obviously. The app always stays in sync with the channels you follow on Spotify. you’re able to open any channel you follow and start listening to their podcast episodes. One major drawback is that you cannot search or follow any podcast directly from Podify. Think of it as a companion app.
2. Moonbeam
Moving to the Library section will reveal the regular podcast features we need. Here you will find all the channels you follow and select any episode from the same. The app also provides basic statistics like the number of channels you follow, podcasts you listened to, shows discovered, listening time, favorite genre, etc.
Snipd is just like Moonbeam and focuses on small clips from popular podcast episodes but with two major differences. While Moonbean brings the podcast clips forward and makes full episodes as a side feature, Snipd is a normal podcast app that also features a clips section. Just tap on the Discover tab to access clips in Snipd. The second major difference is the Snips feature which lets you create your own clips from a podcast.
But among all, my favorite feature of this app is live transcription. The app automatically transcripts and shows you text for the podcast in its player. Anyhow, the transcription only works with the English language. It also automatically generates chapters if the hosts are talking about more than one topic in the podcast.
4. Cast Box
Cast Box is one of the best podcast apps if you prefer to have a lot of features. The app supports all the basic features of a podcast app that you expect from the download option to sleep timer. As an added bonus, it adds an equalizer and volume boost for better audio control. Unlike other podcast apps, it also has a comment section where people can talk about that episode. It also has Chromecast support to stream the episode to your TV. To make this even more feature-rich, Cast Box actually allows you to record and create podcasts directly from the app itself.
Not many podcast apps support features like Chromecast. Unlike Cast Box, if you are looking for a simple app that also has all the necessary features that include Chromecast, you should definitely check out Acast podcast player. The app is fairly simple. You can search and follow channels. Those channels and their episodes will be available on the home page. Upon playing, you get all the options like downloading episodes, sleep timer, playback speed, Chromecast, etc.
The only downside of the app is that the search is a bit slow and even the search page feels clumsy to navigate.
6. Antenna Pod
The only downside is that it lacks a bottom bar. Using the hamburger menu to navigate can feel a bit confusing and inconvenient at times.
7. Player FM
Player FM is the podcast app for every dark mode enthusiast out there. It comes with a pitch-black background all around the app except for the player. Also, it is one of the most customizable podcast apps where you can manage swipe gestures, album size, style, fonts, themes, shortcuts, shake options, etc. You can also boost volume, skip silence in between podcasts, reduce noise, etc.
The only disadvantage is that the ‘Now Playing’ UI element isn’t much customizable, does not support theming, and has an ad placed at the top. But if you prefer to listen to podcasts just by using a mini-player, the experience can be much better.
8. Luminary
Luminary is awesome because the app has its own originals to offer along with podcasts available on other platforms. Apart from that, the app provides a clean and straightforward podcast listening experience. I personally liked the categories filter in the search. While most podcast apps recommend a small list of podcasts from each category, Luminary does a great job in listing the related channels into the respected categories.
But the key feature of the app is its originals. They are locked down under the subscription and only provide you with a 7-day free trial.
9. Podcast Republic
Also, the UI is clean and easy-to-use with options to create custom playlists, download, etc. Another good feature is car mode which changes the layout and features bigger icons for easier control while driving.
Underrated Podcast Apps for Android
There are even more podcast apps on Android to choose from. But most of them have ads all over the UI or miss out on basic features without offering anything of importance. If you are willing to try some more podcast apps, check out Podcast Addict, Podbeam, and Pocket Cast. These are some of the more popular podcast players than the ones listed here and are already preferred by many.
Ravi Teja KNTS
Tech writer with over 4 years of experience at TechWiser, where he has authored more than 700 articles on AI, Google apps, Chrome OS, Discord, and Android. His journey started with a passion for discussing technology and helping others in online forums, which naturally grew into a career in tech journalism. Ravi’s writing focuses on simplifying technology, making it accessible and jargon-free for readers. When he’s not breaking down the latest tech, he’s often immersed in a classic film – a true cinephile at heart.
