How to Listen to Podcast on Phone , Smart Speaker & Computer

Podcasts are digital audio files available on the internet. They can be downloaded to a computer or a mobile phone and are generally available in a series.

How to listen to podcast ? – There are four main ways to listen to podcast.

1. listen to podcast on a computer, desktop or laptop
2. listen to podcast on a smart phone, android or iPhone
3. listen to podcast on a smart speaker
4. listen to podcast In a Car ( You of-course use your smartphone to connect)

The podcasting community has grown over the years and there are so many of them available now. They cover a variety of topics and fields of interest. Millions of podcasts are searched, subscribed to and listened daily. Many people listen to podcast almost everyday.

If you are new to it then you can read our post What is a Podcast ? to get started.

Why should you listen to Podcast ?

To start with, you will be able to listen to What You Want. You have the complete control on what you listen, when you listen and how you listen to a podcast. You can listen to a large assortment of topics and develop new interests.

If you plan to start a podcast of your own, then listening to as many podcasts as possible is the best way to get started.

Your experience listening to podcasts will help tremendously when it comes time to create your own podcast show. By listening to variety of podcasts, you’ll get an idea of what you like and dislike.

You’ll also start to paint a picture on how you want to do your show. You can really learn a lot from people who are already making podcasts and doing great!

Above all else, you’ll have fun.

How to listen to podcast on your Computer

You will need a laptop or a desktop or a laptop with internet connection. You can use one of the below ways to get started.

How to listen to podcast Directly from the website

If you have already figured out whish podcast to listen to, then the best way is to load up the website of that podcast on your favourite browsers and navigate to the podcast of your choice. Most of the websites will have a podcast player built in, find it and hit the play button.

How to listen to podcast From podcast directory

You can also play the podcast on your computer by going to one of the popular podcasting directory sites. Just google podcast directories, go to the one you like. Find a topic of your interest and start listening.

How to listen to podcast on iTunes

You can also download the iTunes desktop app , find the podcast of your choice and start listening. If you have a mac then you can also use apple Podcasts app for this.

The main disadvantage of listening to a podcast on your computer is that you may get stuck in front of your PC for a long time.

If you have a Bluetooth speaker or a Bluetooth headphone connected to your laptop then you can carry on doing your work and listen to your favorite podcast. If you have a desktop computer with no Bluetooth, then you will need to connect wired speakers to listen to your podcast.

The best way to enjoy podcasts these days however, is on your smart phone. Android and iPhone both have a variety of apps to play your favorite podcasts.

Listening to Podcast on smart phone

Smartphones have become a device of choice for doing most of our daily work and listening to podcast is no exception.

How to listen to podcast on iPhone or listen to podcast on iPad

If you have an iPhone, you can use the Apple podcasts app to listen to podcasts. It is by far the best way to discover podcasts on apple devices.

Download and go to the Podcasts app. Open the Podcast app. You can discover podcasts based on your interest or directly search for your favorite one by pressing the magnifying glass icon.

Once you find your required podcast, press on the title or image. You will be taken to the home page of the podcast. Once you’re on the podcast homepage you’ll see a list of recent episodes. Tap on one to play it.

If you like the podcast, you can subscribe to it by hitting the subscribe button. This will mean that all the latest episodes are downloaded to your library and you can play when you want.

There are many other iOS only apps for podcasts such as Overcast, Castro 3, Downcast, PodCruncher,  iCatcher etc…

Here are our 5 picks for listening to Podcasts on iOS.

listen to podcast on Pocket Casts: Perfect balance of design and features

Pocket casts has the perfect balance of design and features. It’s got everything that you traditionally would want in a podcast listening app in a pretty good design.

It can feel kind of plain to many but times but it’s hard not to recommend this app if you’re serious about podcast because it does so many things so well.

For starters, the home screen is really well designed, which is just your podcast screen because not only Is there a search bar up at the top to search through your episodes which is a big, but you can completely change how your podcast appear.

You can sort the episodes by episode release date or recently updated. You can also turn on badges for each podcast to see how many episodes you’ve missed out. The app is dynamic, and it keeps things a lot more interesting and also helps you to remember some podcasts that you might have forgotten about.

The playback controls are also very good, and you can increase the speed to two, three times faster. And of course, you can also trim silence to shorten the play times. There’s a sleep timer too.

So, if you click on a podcast and click on the gear icon, you can then set defaults for each podcast.  There is a cool profile tab, which will show you how many minutes you’ve listened to, how many minutes you saved etc.

If you’re really going to get into your podcast and take them seriously, then you’ll love the ability to create custom episode filters.

The app is available on iPhone, iPad, Apple watch, Carplay, and there’s even a browser version. If you want to listen to this while you’re at your desk.

Here is the list of pocket casts features and devices that it supports.

• Cross Device Sync: You can sync across Android and iOS devises.
• Discovery
• Episode Search
• Android Auto and CarPlay
• Trim Silence
• Airplay and Chromecast
• Chapter Support
• Apple Watch dedicated features
• Themes: Dark or light themes.
• Play Without Subscribing
• Variable Speed Playback

Best Looking Podcasting app on iOS: Listen

There is a brand-new app called listen, which describes itself as the most beautiful podcast app. There are many podcast apps that do the job but don’t look great doing it. Listen is certainly a very good-looking app.

The queue management is amazing. The new episode section lists new episodes by day instead of giving you just an endless list and you can swipe left on episode to add it to the top or bottom of your queue.

We really like the way one can change how shows are sorted in your library, there are many ways in which you can do it. Recently updated, most listened, alphabetical Etc.

Now playing screen is also very cool. It is different and certainly pretty. If you swipe up on it, you’ll see your queue which you can then drag and drop to rearrange. In terms of playback speeds, you can increase your speed up to three times faster.

You will really appreciate that there is an import feature to get your podcasts from Apple Podcast app. It did not get all the podcasts imported in our case.

Basically, the listen app just nailed the interface. It’s gorgeous. It’s simple, its intuitive, the developers have tried to ensure that you can use the app one handed.

So unlike other apps, the play button is within reach of your thumb and there are lot of gestures. If you tap on find something new at the top of your home page, then you also get a gorgeous and well-organized search and discover page.

It has some top picks, some new podcasts, a trending section and a list of topics. You can just browse this app very almost perfectly without any hustle, but there’s one major thing that’s kind of missing, and that’s cross-platform support.

Listen is only available on your iPhone right now, but if it ever expands to the Apple watch and to Apple car play and if it can add a few of those more advanced features than it would be just about perfect.

listen to podcast on Overcast:

So many people love Overcast, It’s so popular. It is not the most good-looking app for sure, it is a bit clunky and not so intuitive. However, it certainly covers all the functional aspects.

You can import podcast from other apps which makes switching a little bit easier and searching for podcast is definitely quite a bit quicker here.

There’s also a bit of a social aspect here, you can connect your Twitter account to see recommendations by episode or by podcast and you will find that to be pretty useful.

You can also search within podcast for specific episodes and it’s great. Here is the list of main features for this app.

• Download podcasts for playing anytime, even when offline.
• Search and browse for new podcasts, plus get personalized recommendations.
• Create custom Playlists with smart filters and per-podcast priorities and rearrange the list whenever you want.
• Receive optional notifications when new episodes arrive.
• Subscribe to a podcast, or just add an episode: try new shows without committing.
• Download podcasts over cellular, set a sleep timer, or use Voice Boost to enhance and normalize speech volume.
• Adjust playback speed and use Smart Speed to shrink silences and pick up extra speed without distorting the conversation.
• Apple Watch app with standalone podcast playback
• Carplay support

Overcast is ad-supported and if you want an ad free experience and some other pro features then you can upgrade to the pro version. Current price for Overcast Premium is $9.99 USD per year and may vary from country to country.

listen to podcast Breaker: The Social Podcast App.

The next Super Innovative podcasting app that we want to share with you is called breaker. It’s a social podcast app, which is kind of its big thing.

So, you sign up with Twitter for instance then you can see what your friends are listening to and this is kind of cool. Inbox feature that lets your friends send you episodes that they think you’re going to like which is interesting as well.

It’s also nice to see the activity of friends, so I can see specific episodes they are listening to and who they’re following which in turn is kind of like a rabbit hole. You can just keep following it and discovering more stuff.

This app is actually designed to move away from subscriptions in the first place and to concentrate more on personalized and social podcasts discovery.

Here are some of the features for Breaker.

– ½x up to 3x speed

– Skip Silences to save time

– Dark mode and landscape mode

– Offline mode

– Download new episodes automatically

– Like and comment on episodes

– Discover hot episodes that everyone is listening to

– Chat about episodes with friends

– Create playlists and share them

– Create profile with your favourite podcasts

– Share on Twitter and Facebook

CASTRO:

Castro is a beautiful, full-featured podcast player that makes it easy to track and manage lots of podcasts at the same time. Only listen to the episodes you want and easily skip the rest, queue up hours of podcasts at a time and enjoy a seamless listening experience with carplay compatibility, chapter support, trim silence and much, much more!

If you’re unfamiliar with the app, Castro’s main feature is a GUI system involving an inbox and queue.

Considering that there are a large number of podcasters coming online and there are more great podcasts available more than ever before. If you subscribe to lots of shows, the standard episode management tools found in most other apps are just not sufficient.

With Castro, by default new episodes of shows land in your inbox and can then be sorted to the top or bottom of your queue and downloaded or archived if they’re not of interest to you.

It’s a great system that solves the problem of podcast overdose and makes your favourite episodes populate top or bottom of the queue as per your wish.

HOW IT WORKS

1. New episodes land in the NEW tab. Read their descriptions, add episodes you like to your queue, and clear the rest.
2. Press play to listen to episodes from your queue in order. Queued episodes are downloaded automatically.
3. Re-order your queue to plan your next few hours of listening at any time.
4. Browse your library to review the back catalogue, quickly access starred shows, and see your listening history.
5. Subscribing to a podcast is no longer a commitment to listen to every episode. You don’t have to manage a huge list of subscriptions or choose a few shows and miss the rest.

Playback Features:

• Drag and drop podcasts to plan your listening with Castro’s unique queue
• An elegant dark mode and thoughtfully designed sleep timer offer the best in night time podcast listening.
• CarPlay support makes it easy to pick up where you left off while driving.
• Apple Watch app to control playback and select another episode from your queue.
• Episode notifications include a summary of the episode to help you decide if it interests you. Play, queue or clear the episode directly from the notification without opening the app.

CASTRO PLUS

Castro Plus is an optional paid subscription available for $18.99/year (includes a one-week trial). Plus unlocks a range of advanced features:

• Trim Silence — With this option on, the app will analyse audio as it plays to detect silent parts and accelerate those parts. Get through more episodes faster.
• Enhance Voices improves the listening experience for many podcasts and makes it easier to hear in loud environments. Under the hood, Enhance Voices applies a dynamic compressor to increase volume just where it’s needed.
• Sideloading: Import audio files directly, just by dropping them in iCloud Drive
• Mono-Mix — Mixes a stereo podcast to mono, which makes it easier to hear podcasts that pan some guests on left/right channels.
• Chapter Support: Artwork, Skipping & Pre-selection.
• Custom settings per-podcast: Episode Limit, Trim Silence, Enhance Voices, Mono Mix, Skip Intros, Playback Speed.

How to Listen to podcast on Android Phone

The easiest way to listen to podcasts on our android phone is by using Google Podcasts app. Search “Google podcasts” in the play store app and install it on your phone.

Once you open the app, use the search box and type in the name of the podcast or interesting topic you want to find e.g. Yoga / football / movies etc.

Select the podcast you want from the results and tap , this should take you to the podcast’s homepage.

Once on the podcast homepage you should see a list of all the episodes with recent episodes on the top. Tap on one you like to play it.

If you like what you hear, you can subscribe to it by tapping the subscribe button. This will download the episodes and you can play them on the go. Your subscribed podcasts will appear on your app home screen.

There are many other apps on android for listening to podcasts such as Podcast Republic ,Podcast Addict , BeyondPod , Doggcatcher , Player FM , Podkicker , AntennaPod etc ..

There are many apps available on both android and iOS such as RadioPublic , Pocket Casts , Castbox , Podbean , Stitcher , Laughable , TuneIn Radio , Spotify.

You can use the speakers of your mobile phone to listen to podcast, but the best way is to use a headphone. Podcasts are all about vocals and a good set of headphones with bright vocals can make a lot difference to your listening experience.

You can also use a Bluetooth speaker or a smart speaker as well.

Many of the iOS apps are also available on android , however if you really want to enjoy the podcast listening experience on android then you can use the native app from google.

Listen to podcast on Google Podcasts

The discussion about best podcast apps for Android cannot start without the mention of Google Podcasts. It is certainly on of the best podcast apps for Android.

Google podcasts is more of a podcast hosting platform, but the player has some nice features as well. With deep integration with google assistant and Googles algorithm it finds the right podcasts that you may want to listen.

Features of Google Podcasts

With Google Podcasts, you can find and listen to the world’s podcasts for free.

Discover podcasts you’ll love

• Subscribe and listen to all your favourite podcasts.
• Explore show and episode recommendations just for you.
• Browse popular and trending shows in comedy, news, sports, and more.

Customize your listening experience

• Listen at faster playback speeds or skip over silences.
• Queue up episodes for a seamless listening experience.
• Easily keep track of your listening history, downloads, and subscriptions.

Listen wherever you are

• Listen on multiple devices – phone, laptop, smart speaker – without losing your place.
• Auto-download shows to listen offline and on the go.
• Discover podcasts using Google Search and Google Assistant

How to Listen to Podcast on a Smart Speaker

Smart speakers have become a household commodity these days , every two out of five American homes have a smart speaker.

How to Listen to Podcast on Alexa

You can listen to podcast on your smart speaker by connecting your phone via a Bluetooth or wired connection.

Some of the smart speakers have a tie-up with the podcasting apps and that makes it easy to play your favourite podcast directly by using Google assistant or Alexa or Siri.

The smart speakers have not really become very popular for listening to podcasts yet. The content discovery is still difficult and finding the right podcast to play without looking or reading any details about it is not easy.

How to Listen to Podcast in your car

The car has become by far the most popular space to listen to podcast. Most people spend a lot of time in car to and from office and it makes sense to use that time to listen to something interesting. Most often you are alone in the car and you can listen to what you want and like.

You can connect your phone to the car audio system by using a Bluetooth connection. Most modern cars come with Bluetooth as standard. Android auto and Apple car play are also common on most cars now. You can open the podcast app on your phone, tap the episode you want to listen and play it back on the car audio system.

You can set the speaker equalizer settings to Vocals to enjoy the podcasts in best possible way.

You can also use voice instructions and steering mounted controls in your car for better control on volume and playback.

If for some reason you cannot setup the Bluetooth connection or your does not have one, you can use the good old cable to connect. A 3.5 mm headphone jack to Aux cable should do the job.

If your phone does not come with a headphone jack, then you may have to use a Micro-USB or a USB type C to aux cable. Some of the phones also have a radio transmitter which can be tuned on the car radio to listen to the podcast. It’s a tricky way but does work reliably.

Final Words

Listening to podcast is all about having some fun while learning about subject of your choice. To truly appreciate a podcast, you should listen to it “your way.”

With a podcast, you’re not bound to your desk or your car radio. People listen to podcasts everywhere and anywhere. So, download the app, select a couple of shows and do whatever it takes to listen to it, where you want to listen, when you want to listen….

You’ll find there is something incredibly empowering about having information and entertainment come to you, instead of having to go to it. The daily commute to office will feel that much shorter. Traffic jams will stop bothering you anymore. Your time on the treadmill in the gym will change completely. Your daily train or bus travel will become more enjoyable. You’ll wish your dentist would keep you waiting a little longer so you can enjoy the end of a really great story.

So get going and start listening!!