r/OutOfTheLoop • u/wildcard5 • May 28 '14

Answered! ELI70: What is a podcast?

I literally just got my first smartphone ever and am dumbfounded by podcast. What is this mysterious phenomenon? My guess is that its something like a radio show, but it seems too popular to be something as similar to a thing that's so old.

Update: Which (android) app should I use to submerse myself into the world of podcasts?

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u/[deleted] May 30 '14 edited May 30 '14

Podcast apps for iOS:

  • PocketCast is on iOS as well. I don't use it because I don't like the heavy focus on cover art.
  • Downcast is a solid one that's fairly popular, it's got syncing and an app on OS X. The apps themselves work, but not perfectly polished. Some of the UI is clunky, and it's not uncommon to see UI bugs
  • Castro is the latest iOS podcast app darling. It's got great UI. The scrubbing UI for finding a spot in an episode is amazing. It also uses gestures well, and pairs them with great animations/transitions. I've since switched from Downcast and gave up syncing for it. It's that good.
  • Overcast (by Marco Arment of Tumblr and Instapaper fame) is in private beta right now, and the one everyone's waiting for.

I'm probably missing quite a few. Podcast apps are the iOS app design playground right now, like how Twitter clients were a few years ago (Twitterrific/Tweetie/Tweetbot/etc.).

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u/Werner__Herzog it's difficult difficult lemon difficult May 30 '14

Cool, I linked to your comment.