Bookmarks for Podcasts?

August 5, 2018 7:36 PM

Is there a good iPhone app that provides similar features to Audible for podcasts and mp3 files?

I subscribe to Audible and listen to many audiobooks. I also recently started listening to Dan Carlin's Hardcore History podcasts - both through iTunes for recent podcasts and by purchasing mp3 files from his website.

His podcasts are so long, I really wish I had a way to bookmark where I am. I keep inadvertently rewinding to the beginning of podcasts and have a very hard time finding my place again. I also really like having the timed rewind (ex. 15 seconds) in Audible linked to my bluetooth headphones, and would like this feature as well.

I can skip the iTunes podcasts and just download the same episodes for free from his website, so what I need most is an app that will play mp3 files and allow me to save bookmarks and rewind & fast forward in timed increments. If iTunes or the Podcast program already have both these features and I am just missing them, I would love to know that too.

Thanks for your help!

posted by The Architect to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

Best answer: Overcast has been a revelation that saved podcasts for me after even the last big update of Apple's built-in Podcasts app didn't improve enough. It has customizable forward/rewind times in seconds, and you can either subscribe to podcasts through the built-in directory or subscribe to them separately.

From what I can tell after a cursory look through the app just now, there isn't bookmarking per se, but if you use the "Share" button, you can choose "Share episode at current time", then send that to an assortment of other apps or simply copy the link to paste elsewhere.

That said, it always keeps perfect track of where I stop and start episodes, even if I switch to other episodes or even other podcasts. (There's even a cool feature you can turn on that will automatically back up the episode ~15 seconds if you disconnect from Bluetooth so you don't miss anything.)

Anyhow, that might be sufficient for your needs. It's free with unobtrusive adverts, or if you're like me and love it, you can do the annual subscription for no ads.
posted by Celsius1414 at 8:08 PM on August 5, 2018 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Overcast, which is the best podcast player IMHO, will also let you upload your own mp3 files with a premium subscription ($10/year). There's no bookmarks, but there is a timed rewind and fast-forward; you can even specify how long you would like them to be. These can also be setup to function with bluetooth headphones/speakers as well.

The iPhone Podcast app is a piece of crap and even if you dont use Overcast, I would suggest using just about anything else.
posted by cgg at 8:08 PM on August 5, 2018 [5 favorites]

Best answer: Bookmobile has both bookmarks and timed rewinds. You can slow down or speed up the playback as well. It starts back up exactly where I left most of the time. It used to jump back more but I got better about stopping it before unplugging from my car. If you have podcasts on your phone right now, it might be able to import them.
posted by soelo at 8:26 PM on August 5, 2018 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks all. Overcast and Bookmobile look like good options. I'll give them both a try.
posted by The Architect at 9:03 PM on August 5, 2018