This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (September 2021)

A podcast client, podcatcher, or podcast app, is a computer program or mobile app used to stream or download podcasts, usually via an RSS or XML feed.[1][2][3]

While podcast clients are best known for streaming and downloading audio podcasts, many are also capable of downloading video podcasts, newsfeeds, text, and pictures. Some of these podcast clients can also automate the transfer of received audio or video files to a portable media player. Although most include a searchable directory of podcasts (usually populated by either Apple Podcasts or Podcast Index), they generally allow users to manually subscribe directly to a podcast RSS feed by providing the URL.

The core concepts had been developing since 2000, the first commercial podcast client software was developed in 2001.[4][5]

Podcasts were made popular when Apple added podcasts to its iTunes 4.9 software and iPod portable media player in June 2005.[6] Apple Podcasts is currently included in all Apple devices, such as iPhone, iPad and Mac computers.

Podcast clients

Title Description License Operating system
Amarok Music player and podcast client GPL FreeBSD, Linux, macOS, Windows
AntennaPod Podcast manager for Android MIT Android
Apple Podcasts Podcast software developed by Apple, built into Apple devices Proprietary iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, Windows
Audacy Broadcast, Internet radio and podcast platform Proprietary Android, iOS, Web
Audible Audiobook and podcast app Proprietary Android, iOS, macOS, Windows
Breaker[7] Social podcast app Proprietary iOS
Castbox A podcast distribution network and player Proprietary Android, iOS, watchOS
Castamatic Freemium podcast client for Apple Watch, iPad, and iPhone Proprietary iOS, watchOS
Clementine A cross-platform fork of Amarok GPL Linux, macOS, Windows
CPod A multi-platform desktop podcast player Apache Linux, macOS, Windows
Deezer Streaming music and podcast app Proprietary Android, iOS, Windows, Web
doubleTwist Android music player with podcast directory and podcast support. Proprietary Android
Escapepod A simple, lightweight minimalistic podcast app MIT Android
Gnome Podcasts[8] Simple podcast client developed for GNOME desktop environment GPL Linux
Google Podcasts Podcast app developed by Google Proprietary Android, iOS, Web
gPodder[9] Open source podcast client written in Python using GTK+ GPL FreeBSD, Linux, macOS, Windows
Hypercatcher An interactive podcast app Proprietary iOS
iHeartRadio Broadcast, podcast and streaming radio platform developed by iHeartMedia Proprietary Android, iOS, Web
Liferea[10] News aggregator for online news feeds, features podcast support GPL FreeBSD, Linux, Solaris
MediaMonkey Media organizers with integrated podcast client Proprietary Android, Windows
MusicBee Music player with integrated podcast client Proprietary Windows
NetNewsWire An RSS and Atom newsreader MIT iOS, macOS
Overcast[11] Freemium podcast client for Apple Watch, iPad, and iPhone Proprietary iOS, watchOS, Web
Player FM A podcast discovery and offline player Proprietary Android, iOS, watchOS, Web
Pocket Casts[12][13] A cross-platform podcast client Proprietary Android, iOS, macOS, watchOS, Web, Windows
Podcast Addict Android podcast, audiobook and radio app Proprietary Android
Podcast Guru A mobile and web podcast player Proprietary Android, iOS, Web
Poddr A free desktop podcast player GPL Linux, macOS, Windows
Podfriend A desktop and browser podcast player Proprietary Web, Windows
PodLP[14] A free KaiOS podcast player Proprietary KaiOS
Podurama Free podcast player for mobile, desktop and web Proprietary Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Web
Rhythmbox Default music management application for GNOME GPL Linux
Stitcher Radio station and podcast client Proprietary Android, iOS, Web
Trebble A free mobile application podcast client Proprietary Android, iOS, Web
TuneIn An online radio and podcasts app Proprietary Android, iOS, Windows, Web, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
VLC Cross-platform multimedia player and framework, includes podcast functionality GPL Linux, macOS, Windows
Vocal[15] A podcast client designed for Elementary OS GPL Linux, Elementary OS
Winamp Commercial audio player with free Lite option, supports podcasts Proprietary Windows

See also

References

  1. ^ Herrington, Jack D. (2005). Podcasting Hacks. O'Reilly Media, Inc. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-596-10066-7.
  2. ^ Herrington, Jack D. (2005). Podcasting Hacks. O'Reilly Media, Inc. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-596-10066-7.
  3. ^ O'Sullivan, Bryan; Goerzen, John; Stewart, Donald Bruce (15 November 2008). Real World Haskell. O'Reilly Media, Inc. p. 505. ISBN 978-0-596-55430-9. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2016. The idea of a podcast client is simple. It is given a list of URLs to process. Downloading each of these URLs results in an XML file in the RSS format. Inside this ...
  4. ^ Ciccarelli, Stephanie. "History of Podcasting". Voices.com. Interactive Voices, Inc. Archived from the original on 27 August 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  5. ^ Macnamara, Jim (2010). The 21st Century Media (r)evolution: Emergent Communication Practices. Lang, Peter. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-4331-0936-2. Archived from the original on 2020-08-04. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  6. ^ Braun, Linda W. (January 2007). Listen Up!: Podcasting for Schools and Libraries. Information Today, Inc. p. 6. ISBN 978-1-57387-304-8. Archived from the original on 2020-08-04. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  7. ^ "Podcast app Breaker to be acquired by Twitter". Reuters. 2021-01-04. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  8. ^ "Apps/Podcasts - GNOME Wiki!". wiki.gnome.org. Archived from the original on 2022-09-08. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
  9. ^ cybernetnews.com. "gPodder – A Full Featured Podcast Client for Linux". cybernetnews.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  10. ^ "Liferea – the Free News Aggregator on your Linux desktop". lzone.de. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  11. ^ Summers, Nick. "Meet Overcast, a new iPhone podcast app from Instapaper founder Marco Arment". The Next Web. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  12. ^ Pierce, David. "Pocket Casts Is the Podcast App Every iPhone User Needs". Wired. Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  13. ^ Welch, Chris. "One of the best podcast apps, Pocket Casts, just got a big redesign". The Verge. Archived from the original on 27 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  14. ^ "PodLP–Podcasts for KaiOS and the JioPhone". PodLP. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  15. ^ "Vocal - Podcast client for the free desktop". vocalproject.net. Archived from the original on 2022-09-15. Retrieved 2022-09-08.

External links

Podcast clients
Categories