Replacement for Overcast
October 25, 2018 4:45 PM Subscribe
I recently switched from Apple to Android, and the one thing I haven't figured out is a replacement podcast player app. I've tried Podcast Addict and Stitcher, but I'm having a few specific problems. Can you recommend an app that will meet my requirements?
1) Must be able to have multiple playlists with automatic download. I want Criminal and MBMBaM to download new episodes to Arctic's Playlist, and StoryPirates to download new episodes to Kid's Playlist.
2) Arctic's Playlist must be able to contain downloaded episodes of all targeted podcasts, so as new episodes of Criminal and MBMBaM are published, they'll autopopulate there, but when I go into the back catalogue and pick a few episodes from three years ago, they show up in my playlist too. And non-downloaded episodes will not.
3)Must be able to order oldest-to-newest. If I don't listen to Thunder Bay for a couple of weeks, I want to hear Episode 3 before Episode 4.
Podcast Addict is pretty good, but doesn't allow multiple playlists.
Stitcher is good for playlists, but it lets me choose either "downloaded episodes only" OR "oldest-to-newest," and not both. So when I order it oldest-to-newest, I see non-downloaded episodes from years ago, and I have to scroll forever to get to the eps I want.
Spotify doesn't have My Dad Wrote a Porno, so it's out of the running.
Pocketcasts seems highly recommended here, but I can't tell from the website if it has playlists.
I will happily pay for an app that does what I need it to.
1) Must be able to have multiple playlists with automatic download. I want Criminal and MBMBaM to download new episodes to Arctic's Playlist, and StoryPirates to download new episodes to Kid's Playlist.
2) Arctic's Playlist must be able to contain downloaded episodes of all targeted podcasts, so as new episodes of Criminal and MBMBaM are published, they'll autopopulate there, but when I go into the back catalogue and pick a few episodes from three years ago, they show up in my playlist too. And non-downloaded episodes will not.
3)Must be able to order oldest-to-newest. If I don't listen to Thunder Bay for a couple of weeks, I want to hear Episode 3 before Episode 4.
Podcast Addict is pretty good, but doesn't allow multiple playlists.
Stitcher is good for playlists, but it lets me choose either "downloaded episodes only" OR "oldest-to-newest," and not both. So when I order it oldest-to-newest, I see non-downloaded episodes from years ago, and I have to scroll forever to get to the eps I want.
Spotify doesn't have My Dad Wrote a Porno, so it's out of the running.
Pocketcasts seems highly recommended here, but I can't tell from the website if it has playlists.
I will happily pay for an app that does what I need it to.
Another vote for pocketcasts!
posted by some chick at 5:33 PM on October 25, 2018
posted by some chick at 5:33 PM on October 25, 2018
I use Pocketcasts and it does all the things you're looking for. Instead of "playlists" the app uses filters, and by applying various rules to your filters you can essentially create the sort of smart playlists that you're talking about. I'm not aware of any other podcast apps for Android that approach Pocketcasts in terms of flexibility and granularity.
On preview: I'll just second everything Mo Nickels said.
posted by theory at 5:38 PM on October 25, 2018
On preview: I'll just second everything Mo Nickels said.
posted by theory at 5:38 PM on October 25, 2018
By the way, one of the winning features of Pocket Casts is the desktop web browser version. http://play.pocketcasts.com So easy to add podcasts while browsing on the internet. Then they sync to your phone. No having to send yourself feed URLs or any of that nonsense.
posted by Mo Nickels at 5:39 PM on October 25, 2018
posted by Mo Nickels at 5:39 PM on October 25, 2018
Response by poster: Ok, I bought the Pocketcasts app for my phone and... it seems perfect. In just a handful of minutes I've subscribed to 30+ podcasts, set up several filters, and downloaded some back catalogue too.
I see the web app costs extra. Is it worth it?
posted by arcticwoman at 6:23 PM on October 25, 2018
I see the web app costs extra. Is it worth it?
posted by arcticwoman at 6:23 PM on October 25, 2018
Does the web app cost? I don't think I've ever paid for it. Maybe I was grandfathered in? In any case, the web app is worth it if you want to have access at your various desktops.
posted by Mo Nickels at 6:45 PM on October 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Mo Nickels at 6:45 PM on October 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
I believe player fm will also do what you ask. It plays episodes in the canonically correct order and has playlists, though I've never had a use for them personally.
posted by wierdo at 9:22 PM on October 25, 2018
posted by wierdo at 9:22 PM on October 25, 2018
Response by poster: It's been a month and I'm really happy with Pocket Casts. It doesn't download podcasts automatically, no matter how many times I set it to do so, but that's a small matter and I've gotten used to just requesting a download every morning. Otherwise, I love it and I'm happy to have bought it.
posted by arcticwoman at 10:39 AM on November 27, 2018
posted by arcticwoman at 10:39 AM on November 27, 2018
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2. I'm not sure I understand this one but I think Pocket Casts does what you want. To restate it to see if I'm getting the gist:
You have a filter that shows all automatically downloaded new episodes for certain podcasts. But sometimes you want to go into the deep catalog to listen to an older episode of one of the shows that is set to appear in that filter. So you go into that particular podcast's listing (not into the filter) and then choose the old episodes you want for downloading. They automatically appear in your filter.
HOWEVER. There is a catch (as is often the case with automatic playlists wherever you use them). If you have a maximum set for a podcast where you tell it "keep only the last {n} episodes," AND you already have {n} recent unplayed episodes before you download the old ones, those old ones will not appear in the filter list.
This is easily rectified. For a podcast in which you may want to go back and get older episodes (for me these tend to be evergreens like music shows and DJ mixes), go into the podcast listing, choose the settings icon (it looks like a gear) then choose "auto cleanup" and turn it to "off." Then any old episodes will always show. You'll have to manually manage the episodes from then on out, or once in a while go back into those very same settings and set it to some non-zero number, which will make Pocket Casts clean out all the excess beyond your setting.
The other cleanup strategy — again, common on a lot of podcasting apps — that lets you have automatic pruning AND add old episodes once in a while, is to make sure that when you are done with an episode, you manually mark it as finished. Especially problematic are all those episodes where you bailed rather than listen to two minutes of credits and commercials and the end; the podcasting app thinks you're not done and keeps them until you or automatic pruning deletes them.
And yes, non-downloaded episodes do not usually show up in filters. Where they might occasionally show when they are not downloaded is when there is a download error, or when you have the app set to download only on WiFi but it knows about new episodes and can't download them yet because you're still on cellular data.
3. To change the play order, go into a filter, go to the three-dot menu in the upper right corner, choose "filter settings," then choose "sorting," then make your date-order selection. From then on, when you are in a filter and choose "play all," it will play in the order you've set.
The Pocket Casts support is pretty good: https://support.pocketcasts.com/android/.
posted by Mo Nickels at 5:31 PM on October 25, 2018 [6 favorites]