If you love listening to Podcasts, Windows 11/10 has a handful but some impressive apps that can give you a good experience. You can subscribe and download them offline, and with software like iTunes, going cross-device is even better!
Free Podcast Apps for Windows 11/10
A Podcast is an audio file that is made available on the web for listening. It could be a talk or discussion that users can download to their devices and listen to. If you are looking for apps that are (almost) free and which help you listen to Podcasts, take a look at this list.
- Grover Pro
- AudioCloud
- VLC
- Audible
- iTunes
Make sure to try each of them, and then figure what works best for you.
1] Grover Pro
It is the best app for Podcasts on Windows. It is clean and straightforward, making sure you enjoy your podcast without putting a lot of head into the UI.
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- Stream audio podcasts directly from the app
- Search and subscribe to podcasts using the search box.
- Option to automatically remove podcasts already listened
- Option to show system notification when there are new podcasts available
- Option to automatically download new podcasts
- Reorder the podcasts catalog (Drag / Drop)
- Themes Light and Dark.
If you use iTunes on Windows 10, it can also use the iTunes database. It also has integration with OneDrive. The app costs $2.99, and it is available here.
2] AudioCloud
If most of your podcasts are hosted on SoundCloud, the AudioCloud app is what you should be using. It supports playback, playback speed control, sleep timer, drag-and-drop playlist management, Cortana voice commands, and Live Tile integration.
That said, there are two restrictions because of Sound Cloud API limits.
- Not all tracks are available for listening due to third-party app restrictions.
- The app respects the no-caching and no-downloading policy as per SoundCloud API Terms of Use.
Download it from the Microsoft Store.
3] VLC for Windows
It is a media player full of surprises. The player is inbuilt with support for Video, Audio, and Podcasts.
- Open VLC Media Player > Click the View menu > Select Playlist > Internet > Podcasts
- Here, you can click on the + button and subscribe to a podcast by copy-pasting its URL into the window.
It is good enough to stream podcasts online but might not be the only podcast app for you. One primary reason is that it doesn’t find new episodes to search for, and secondly, there is no way to cache the episodes for offline listening.
Read: How to create an interesting Podcast
4] Audible from Amazon
Audible is from the Amazon company. While it is known for listening to ebooks, it offers a feature called Channels. It provides tons of podcasts that you can follow, subscribe to, and listen to even in offline mode. That said, you will need an Amazon Prime subscription to use it.
Download Audiobooks for Audible here.
5] iTunes for Windows
If you hold an Apple device, love to listen to podcasts on the go, and want to have the same thing here. iTunes makes sense for you. Available for Windows.
You can download individual podcast episodes, subscribe to new episodes, and it can automatically download for you when they become available. When in the iTunes Store, click on the Podcasts menu item and browse through the categories or search. Once you find your podcast, you can listen, subscribe, or get one particular episode—download iTunes from apple.com.
Windows 10 has a limited number of Podcast apps, and so the choices are pretty restricted. However, apps like Grover Pro make a lot of difference. Let us know which one you are using.
Now read: Free Podcast Directories to listen to popular Podcasts.
Can an MP3 player play podcasts?
The meaning of MP3 players has come a long way. iTunes, VLC Player, and Windows Media Player are all MP3 players. Most modern MP3 players support podcasts and should be able to play without a problem. However, they may lack some features compared to dedicated Podcast apps.
How do I download a podcast?
You will need to use a dedicated Podcast app such as Google Podcasts. It allows you to download any podcast you are subscribed to and can be configured to download for offline listening automatically.
Is Spotify podcast free?
Podcasts on Spotify are available like any other music; however, if it’s open to listening for free is a different question. Some of the podcasts are behind subscriptions, while others are free. Look for a lock icon next to know about It.
I’ve been trying to get Android users to listen to my podcast. Many people in the Windows and Android world are still new to the podcast idea so it is taking awhile. I wish Apple would just come out with an Android version of their app.
I implore you—be careful what you wish for lest it come true! You should not wish such evil upon the world. This iTunes for Windows is no delight; I use that thing as infrequently as I can so that I might preserve my own sanity.