Podcasts are audio files. It can be heard online or downloaded. Podcasts are made as information-filled pieces of files. Sometimes they are also entertaining. Podcasts are a new-age trend. They are loved by many people in the current times. People see podcasts as a place where they can learn a lot.

Information on mental and emotional health is one of the reasons why people love podcasts. Motivational speeches are also available in the form of podcasts. Just put on headphones are hear them while you are on the way to work. Play them while you are cooking. Podcasts are a good companion for people who live alone. 

With so much love pouring into the podcast, there are separate apps that provide podcasts. These podcast apps are the places where podcasters upload their podcasts. You can download them, subscribe to your favorite podcast channel, and hear those podcasts. 

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Reasons Why You Must Hear Podcasts

Hearing podcasts is not only entertaining or motivational. They will benefit people in various ways. Reasons, why you must start hearing podcasts, are listed below,

Improves visualization

Visualisation is one of the important metacognitive skills. Humans can understand visuals easily. When you hear a podcast, only your ears are working. As you hear, your brain runs movies based on what you hear. This can help you to understand podcasts easily. Visualisation helps to improve planning ability and memory. 

Improves listening ability

If you are someone who cannot listen to someone for more than a minute, podcasts are your exercise. Not being able to listen for so long is not a bad trait. Because some people are great at the hearing and some are great at visually capturing. But if you want to increase your attention span for speeches, you can try podcasts. Just play it and mindfully hear and understand it. It can exercise your brain to improve your attention span while hearing. 

Improves Vocabulary

Podcasts are available in many different languages. If you want to improve your vocabulary, you can listen to podcasts. Take note of the words that you have never heard before. Search for its meaning and understand. Then, try to use it while speaking. 

Reduces Stress

As mentioned earlier, many motivational speakers and psychologists give podcasts. More than any other form of content, podcast platform has more on motivation and mental health. So you can solace yourself. 

Best Podcast Apps 

The podcast apps that are great and you must check in 2023 are listed below.  

Google Podcasts

Google podcast app is one of the best free podcast apps available. Google podcasts have been downloaded by more than 100 million people. It also has many famous podcast channels. It is pretty simple to operate as well. Even non-tech savvies can nail it in the first use. You can hear the podcasts online without much buffering time. The podcasts can also be downloaded very easily. Even the longest podcast files can be easily downloaded.

It is a basic app that has many well-known podcasts. It cannot be installed on the desktop. However, you can open the Google podcast in your browser and hear it. If you are in an idea to hear podcasts, google podcasts is one of the greatest options available. 

Available on: It is one of the free podcast apps available for Android and iOS.

Spotify

One of the famous apps. It is known for music streaming. There is a section on Spotify that is dedicated to podcasts. Not only for music artists, but Spotify is also the first preference for podcasters. Many big channels, publish their podcast earlier on Spotify and later on other platforms.

Many channels have an exclusive podcast to be posted on Spotify. Spotify is a very easy-to-use app. You can easily search and hear the podcasts. Podcasts can also be downloaded and heard without an internet connection. There is only one downside on Spotify for podcasts. The app will not notify you. You need to keep on checking the channel to be updated. Other than that, Spotify is one of the best podcast apps available. 

Available on: iOS and Android

Apple Podcasts

Apple podcasts are present in Apple products as a default app. It has a massive library of podcasts. It has around 7.5 lakhs podcast episodes. There are many motivational podcasts. It also has stories and educational topics. It is a completely free app.

Apple podcasts involved a feature that Spotify does not have. It can provide notifications. If you are subscribing to a podcast channel, you can turn on the notification. You will get regular updates on what they are posting. You will not miss any episodes. Thus, it is on the list of best podcast apps to use in 2023. 

Available on: Only iOS. It is the best podcast apps for iPhone. 

PodBean

Podbean is an app that will facilitate hosting as well as hearing podcasts. If you are a listener, Podbean is an easy app to use. You can see millions of podcast channels on Podbean. Podcasters use Podbean as a podcast distribution platform. Podcasts uploaded on Podbean can be distributed across famous podcast apps like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and many more. This app also provides analytics. This can help the podcasters get some insights into how their podcast channel is performing.

The basic version of PodBean is free. There is 3 more paid version. You can choose a version that will be suitable for your use. Hence, it marks a place for itself in the list of podcast apps to use in 2023. 

Available on:  iOS and Android

Laughable

It is yet another podcast app with great features. Laughable primarily focuses on comedy podcasts. It also hosts channels for many athletes, actors and so on. So if you prefer a fun-filled podcast, this is the app that you must check out. The app has an easy-to-use interface. The podcasts can be downloaded and heard without an internet connection. The best part about Laughable is the notification. You will be notified instantly when your favorite podcaster is posting. The app will notify you even when your favorite podcaster is appearing as a guest in any other podcast.

There is a sleep timer feature. You can play your favorite podcast with a set timer to turn it off. If you are someone who hears podcasts at night, this will be useful. It will automatically turn off the podcast once it’s time. The basic version of Laughable is available for free. There is a pro version as well. You can choose one.  

Available on:  iOS and Android

CastBox

CastBox is one such podcast app that everyone must try. It has a wide library of podcasts. You can find more than 95 million podcasts. It also has audiobooks, radio recordings and guided meditation as well. The guided meditation content provided in this app is excellent. It also has a Zen mode in the app. This can help you to de-stress and reduce anxiety. CastBox also has basic features like subscribing, downloading the content, playback and many more.

There are a total of three membership available in Castbox. You can also build a community on Castbox where you can share your interests and know others’ interests. One is a free version, which will have basic features. The other two are premium versions which are paid. Overall it is a great app. Thus, it takes place in the list of the best podcast apps. 

Available on:  iOS and Android 

Pocket Casts

It is a completely paid app. It has many great features that make it a favorite among podcast fans. With this app, you can sync podcasts. You can grab a podcast from another website or app and play it in this app. You can also sync the music player with the Pocket casts app and play podcasts in the music player. By itself, the app hosts many podcast channels. You can hear it. You can also download it.

The app is well-known for its customization effects. You can create your playlist. To the playlist, you can add your favorite icon as a cover. Once you hear them, they will be deleted automatically. It can be pro for someone and con for someone. It is a great app to own. Thus, it takes a place for itself in the list of best podcast apps in 2023. 

Available on:  iOS and Android. The Android version is very famous than the iOS version. Hence it is one of the best podcast apps for Android. 

Podcast Addicts

Podcasts addicts is another amazing podcast app. It is an easy-to-use podcast app. The playback controls are amazing. It has a volume boost feature. It can make the voice distinct from the background music. This feature makes this app a great app. Because we listen to podcasts to grab what the speaker says. The podcasts in this app are well-organised. You need to enter the keyword and you will be shown results. Search for health podcasts, you will be able to find the best health-related podcasts. It also has guided meditation and yoga instructions. Thus, it is on our list of top podcast apps. 

Available on:  Android

Podcast App: Player FM

Player FM is relatively the latest app when you compare it with the other podcast apps. The one feature that distinguishes this app from others is how you search. In other apps, you need to enter the channel name or keywords. In this app, enter the topics that you love to hear and the app will do the rest. This app can sync with your browser search history and provide you with the best podcasts recommendation. There is a volume boost feature. There is also a silence skip option. You can also customise the theme according to your taste.

Available on:  iOS and Android 

Antenna Pod

Antenna Pod is yet another huge podcast app. This app contains podcasts that are uploaded by independent podcasters. It also has podcasts done by big publishers like BBC, CNN and so on. There is powerful automation control. It will automatically download and delete episodes. There is a sleep timer. You can also put episodes in a queue or download them for hearing without an internet connection. This app is completely free to use. It also does not have annoying ads. Overall it is an amazing app. Thus it marks a place for itself in the list of podcast apps. 

Available on:  Android 

DoggCatcher

It is a paid app that is perfect for people who are listening to podcasts for a long time. The app’s build is a little outdated. But it still performs equally well as other apps. The app also has a customisation feature. Discovery of podcasts is also very easy. Based on your interest the app will recommend podcasts. You can make a diary of 100 podcasts. You can hear them whenever you want. There is an automatic download option available. You can also hear the podcasts offline as well.

Available on:  Android  

Soundcloud

This is a decent application. It is an app that is mainly built for hearing music. But there is a decent number of podcasts as well. This app is preferred by many podcasters. A good app to use for podcasts. Due to the presence of soundtracks and songs in the same place. Finding a podcast can be hard sometimes. In this app, you cannot download podcasts. We still prefer it if you are someone who loves to hear music and podcasts, but cannot have many apps. Thus it is one of the best podcast apps. 

Available on:  Android 

Podcast Player

It is a good app to hear podcasts. In this app, you can access audiobooks and podcasts. There will be many channels to which you can subscribe. The podcasts and audiobooks can be played online. You can also download and play podcasts and audiobooks offline. It also has won many awards. It is very basic yet one of the best podcast apps available. 

Available on:  Android 

GoodPods

GoodPods is an award-winning podcast app. The app’s interface looks really vibrant and energetic. You can hear podcasts, shows and also news in this app. Millions of content are available to hear in this app. In this app, you can build a community. You can interact with them. You can also join the group. This app also enables you to comment and chat with other podcast listeners. Hence it marks a place for itself in the list of best podcast apps of 2023. 

Available on:  Android 

Stitcher

It is a free podcast app. It has more than 2.6 Million podcasts. There are podcasts of many big shows like Newyork times, Earwolf and many more. This podcast app is loaded with many niches. You can see motivational podcasts, crime stories, comedy and many more genres. There is a sleep timer as well. It is one of the good podcast apps to use. 

Available on:  Android 

Conclusion

Podcasts are a great way to pass the time. They are audio files that may involve an interview. It may also involve a speech that explains a story or even a motivational speech. Podcasts are a great companion for those who travel. It can also be heard while cooking, doing laundry, and doing other chores. Many benefits can be reaped by listening to podcasts. It will improve the ability to visualize. It also reduces stress and anxiety. It will improve our vocabulary. Hence, it is a perfect option for those who want to learn or improve their fluency in any language.

Hearing podcasts will also help you to improve your listening abilities. There are many podcast apps in the market right at the moment. You may get confused to choose one. We are here to help you. We have listed the best podcast apps available in 2023. You can choose a podcast app from the list and hear podcasts at peace. 

FAQs

1. What are podcasts?

Podcasts are audio files. It can be heard online or offline. It can be an interview, speeches, shows and so on. 

2. Is google podcasts a good app?

Google podcast is a good app for those who are starting to hear podcasts. It contains many podcasts and is easy to use. 

3. Do downloaded podcasts expire?

It depends on the app. In most podcast apps the podcast does not expire. 

4. What is the best time to hear podcasts?

You can hear motivational podcasts in the morning to kickstart a day. Calm and soothing podcasts can be heard at night. Stories and shows can be heard whenever you want. 

5. What are the apps that have both music and podcasts?

Spotify and Soundcloud are apps that have both music and podcasts.

6. What is the best podcast app for Apple users?

Apple podcast is the best podcast app for Apple users.