Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that podcasts are all the rage right now.
Everyone’s listening to podcasts right now, and there’s a type of podcast for every genre, interest, and person.
Podcasts are essentially online radio shows that can be accessed from the Internet through a web browser or streaming app.
Podcasts are very different from blogs, vlogs, or other types of Internet content.
They’re generally much more conversational, although educational content does exist.
This article looks at how you can listen to podcasts on any device.
Do You Watch Podcasts or Listen to Them?
In the earlier days of podcasts, they were made purely for listening.
Podcasts were recorded using microphones with no video whatsoever.
However, nowadays camera friendly podcast creators will often record sessions with both audio and video.
When distributing the podcast, video and audio formats of the episode are uploaded on both video streaming platforms like YouTube and audio streaming platforms like Spotify.
It’s really up to personal preference how you choose to listen to podcasts.
Watching podcasts allows you to see the speaker’s facial expressions and body language as they speak.
On the other hand, listening to podcasts gives you the freedom to complete habitual tasks, like home chores, as you listen.
Do I Need An App to Listen to Podcasts?
Not necessarily, but it’s helpful.
Most podcasts are available on various platforms, including but not limited to apps.
You can listen to apps on a web browser via websites like YouTube or Spotify Web Player.
For some podcasts, episodes may be available on the podcast’s main website.
That said, it is generally a lot easier to listen to a podcast via Spotify or your podcast app of choice.
Does Listening to Podcasts Cost Money?
Most podcasts are free to listen to, but some require you to pay for access.
Generally speaking, podcasts make money through advertisements and sponsorships, so podcasts with pain are hard to come by.
Alternatively, sometimes you’re asked to pay for the podcast app instead of the podcast itself.
Apps like Spotify charge for an ad-free experience and have a freemium version available with ad breaks throughout the podcast.
How Can I Listen to Podcasts for Free?
There are plenty of podcast apps where you can listen to podcasts.
Most podcast apps offer a freemium tier that allows users to listen to podcasts for free but with additional ad breaks in the podcast.
Google Podcasts
The Google podcast app might be the perfect app for listening to podcasts for Android users.
Not only is the Google podcast app completely free to download.
It’s also 100% ad-free, so your podcast listening experience is completely uninterrupted.
Google podcasts app can be downloaded on Android devices and Apple iPhones but isn’t available on iOS computers or laptops.
Additionally, Google podcasts can be accessed on any web browser.
Youtube
YouTube is not just a go-to platform for free video content.
Plenty of podcasts are also broadcasted on YouTube.
Youtube gives the additional flexibility of adding video to your podcast.
Those who prefer to watch the podcast host talk and assess their facial expressions and body language tend to prefer YouTube.
Although YouTube is free, they also offer premium tiered service without ad breaks.
YouTube Premium also comes with Background Play, which allows you to listen to podcast episodes without the video.
How to Listen To Podcasts
There are currently millions of podcasts on the Internet and hundreds of ways to listen to them. Let’s look at the best ways to listen to a podcast based on your device.
How to Listen To Podcasts on Android
Plenty of podcast apps are available for download on the Google play store.
However, these are our favorite ways to listen to podcasts on an android.
Download the Google Podcasts App
The Google Podcasts app is a free application available on all android devices, some Apple devices, and the browser.
Download the app from the Google play store and sign in with your Google account.
Once you are signed in, you’ll have ad-free access to thousands of podcasts.
Download Spotify
Spotify is not just for music. Spotify has much audio-based content, including music, podcasts, and audiobooks.
Download Spotify from the Google play store and create an account.
They may prompt you to purchase a subscription or even offer a free trial.
Although the subscription is unnecessary, it gives you additional free access to millions of audio content like music, podcasts, and audiobooks.
Once you’re signed in, you can use your search bar to search up specific podcasts or even browse through their catalog to find a podcast you like.
How to Listen to Podcasts on iPhone
Most applications that are available on android devices are also available on iPhones.
With that said, iPhones have a few extra podcast apps. Additionally, iPhones tend to get new apps before androids.
Play Shows in Apple Podcasts
Apple podcast is an application that comes preinstalled on all iPhone devices.
To use this app, you must open up an Apple podcast on your device, agree to the terms and conditions, and start browsing.
Once you’re browsing, you’ll find a massive inventory of popular podcasts.
You can also save certain podcasts to your library and get notifications for new episodes.
Download Spotify
As mentioned before, Spotify is a fantastic resource for listening to podcasts and other audio content like music and audiobooks.
You can download Spotify from the App Store.
Like for android devices, once you open Spotify, you’ll need to create an account and choose a plan before you can listen to podcasts.
Once your account is ready, you can search for specific podcasts from the search bar or browse through their podcast collection.
Download Podcast Apps
As mentioned before, hundreds of podcast apps on iOS devices allow you to listen to podcasts from your iPhone.
Pocket casts, Castro, overcast, and Google podcasts or among the most popular podcast apps.
But there are plenty of apps available where you can listen to podcasts.
How to Listen to Podcasts on a Computer
Listening to a podcast on your computer can be tricky because many of the podcast apps available on iOS or android devices do not have web browser access.
Luckily, plenty of computer applications and websites still allow you to listen to podcasts on the computer.
Listen With iTunes
All podcasts available on Apple podcast are also available for download on iTunes.
Suppose you have iTunes downloaded on your computer.
In that case, you can download episodes of your favorite podcasts to listen to on your computer.
With that said, you only need to use iTunes to listen to podcasts if you have a Windows computer.
All Mac devices now come with Apple podcast built-in.
Listen With Spotify
There are two ways to listen to podcasts on Spotify from your computer.
The first and easiest option is to open your web browser and go on the Spotify web player website.
The website will prompt you to sign in or create an account.
Once you have done this, you can listen to podcasts ad-free.
Spotify web player has no ads, so you won’t be prompted to select a subscription tier.
Alternatively, you can download the Spotify computer application onto your computer.
You can download the Mac or Windows version of the Spotify computer application from the Spotify website.
After setting up the application, sign in or create an account and start listening.
Listen on Youtube
YouTube is a great place to listen to and watch podcasts.
It’s easy to use and includes visuals that are helpful to see your podcast host and speakers’ facial expressions and body language.
On the other hand, YouTube does have some drawbacks.
YouTube does have ad interruptions, but fortunately, most ads can be skipped after five seconds.
Additionally, YouTube does not have well-organized podcast categories you can browse through.
Lastly, not all podcasts are available on YouTube.
That said, podcasts available on YouTube offer an enhanced listening experience thanks to the addition of visuals.
How to Listen to Podcasts in the Car
If you want to listen to podcasts in your car, you’ll need to use an external device to help you do so.
In most cases, you can use your cell phone to help you listen to podcasts in your car.
Pair Your Phone With Bluetooth
As long as you have a relatively recent phone and car, you should be able to pair your phone to your car stereo via Bluetooth.
To pair your phone to the car stereo, make sure that the car stereo is ready to pair, go to your device’s Bluetooth settings, and pair your cell phone to your car’s name.
Suppose your car is relatively older or doesn’t have Bluetooth capabilities. In that case, you can purchase a Bluetooth transmitter.
This small device lets you connect your car stereo to your smartphone via Bluetooth.
Bluetooth transmitters generally to your stereo with an auxiliary cord, but some may require you to go to a specific radio station to hear the transmission.
On the other hand, some newer cars come with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which brings your entire smartphone to your car’s stereo screen.
You can connect to CarPlay or Android auto via Bluetooth and then navigate to your Podcasts app on the stereo’s touch screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s take a look at some common questions regarding how to listen to podcasts in 2022, shall we?
What is the best way to listen to podcasts?
Ideally, the best podcast platform would be one that can be used on every device, including your phone, computer, and possibly even your TV.
The answers will vary depending on which devices you own.
That said, Spotify, Apple podcasts, and Google podcasts are the most seamless podcast apps for listening from device to device.
Is subscribing to podcasts free?
In most cases, yes. Subscribing to a podcast isn’t the same as subscribing to a software or service you need to pay for.
Instead, subscribing to a podcast is like subscribing to a newsletter.
It’s a good way to ensure that the podcast episode is delivered to you when your episodes are released.
Happy Listening!
Listening to podcasts is a great way to learn about new topics or skills from experts, get entertained, or share new stories.
Thanks to the many free and premium podcast platforms, you can listen to podcasts from almost any device imaginable.
Let us know what you think are the best podcasts and how you like to listen to podcasts in the comments below.
