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Apple Offers New Dedicated Podcast App for iOS

Tuesday June 26, 2012 11:33 am PDT by Jordan Golson
PodcastEarlier this month, it was reported that Apple would be launching a standalone podcast app in iOS 6. Instead of waiting for the next version of iOS, Apple posted the Podcast app on the App Store today. [App Store]
Podcasts app is the easiest way to discover, subscribe to and play your favorite podcasts on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Explore hundreds of thousands of free audio and video podcasts from the Podcasts Catalog, and play the most popular podcasts, organized for you by topic, with the all-new Top Stations feature.

Features:

- Enjoy all of your audio and video podcasts in a single app
- Explore hundreds of thousands of podcasts including shows in over 40 languages
- Try the innovative new Top Stations feature to find new podcast series in a variety of topics, including arts, business, comedy, music, news, sports, and more.
- Browse by Audio or Video podcasts, or see what's most popular in Top Charts
- Tap subscribe for your favorites and automatically receive new episodes for free as they become available
- Stream episodes or download to listen while offline
- Skip forward and back using simple playback controls
- Turn on Sleep Timer to automatically stop playing a podcast while listening in bed
- Share your favorite episodes with friends using Twitter, Messages and Mail
- Optionally sync your favorite episodes from iTunes on your Mac or PC
- Sync your episode playback for seamless transition between devices
screenie
The app supports streaming or downloading of episodes and offers syncing of episode playback between devices. This means that users can, for example, start listening to a podcast on their iPhone and finish on the iPad.

Update: Some users have noticed a redeem button within the Podcast app suggesting the possibility of paid podcasts down the line.

Podcasts is a free download for the iPhone and iPad on the App Store. [Direct Link]

[ 402 comments ]


Top Rated Comments

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ToomeyND
87 months ago

Why does everything have to have a separate app, most of us, well, a lot of us have upwards of 150 apps on our iOS devices I don't what good another app is going to do... iTunes as first released on iOS looked just great...anyway bs inconsequential moves by apple that aren't anything to write home about or could even be considered a step back, we should start getting used to them...


I wonder if this is a move by Apple to slowly transition to separate apps on the computer. A lot of people complain that iTunes is too bloated, maybe this will allow Apple to break it up and keep it lean.
Rating: 14 Votes
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SamSmith
87 months ago
Support for podcast subscriptions!!!:D
Rating: 12 Votes
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fishmoose
87 months ago

No iPod Touch support makes me sad :(


It works on the third-generation iPod Touch and later.
Rating: 11 Votes
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vtstarck
87 months ago

You better believe that the Podcasts app will come standard on future shipping iPhones and iPads.


Like iBooks or Cards or Find My Friends?
Rating: 11 Votes
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mertyz
87 months ago

No iPod Touch support makes me sad :(


It supports 3rd and 4th generation iPod Touches?

Edit: fishmoose beat me to it...
Rating: 7 Votes
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UnseenLlama
87 months ago

Wow wow wow!!! The new podcasts app isn't just good, it's the best podcasting app ever made ON ANY PLATFORM. EVER. I'm loving the seamless resume playback on all my devices. The UI is absolutely beautiful. Here's another nail in the coffin of Android. If you love listening to podcasts, owning an IOS device just became absolutely essential. Incredible work from Apple once again!


Calm yourself... :D
Rating: 7 Votes
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FoxMcCloud
87 months ago
I like how this App has its store built in. First iBooks, then iTunes U and now this.

Hopefully it's a sign of things to come and Music app will have its own iTunes store built in, as well as Video app.
Rating: 6 Votes
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motulist
87 months ago

If I were a podcaster, I'd be worried. Now users have to download a podcasting app if they want to explore podcasts. It's less likely that people will stumble upon podcasts because they won't be integrated into a native iOS app that comes with the iPhone/iPad.


On the iPad music/podcast player the podcast section was hidden inside the "more" menu, so I have to imagine that at least on the iPad this'll greatly improve the discoverability of podcasts.
Rating: 6 Votes
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phillipduran
87 months ago

I wonder if this is a move by Apple to slowly transition to separate apps on the computer. A lot of people complain that iTunes is too bloated, maybe this will allow Apple to break it up and keep it lean.


Would make a lot of sense. I hope this is the case
Rating: 6 Votes
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topmounter
87 months ago

Thanks for the heads up, I won't be installing this app.....ever.


It didn't remove podcasts from mine... they are still showing up in both places.
Rating: 5 Votes

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