Independent podcast network Relay FM today launched its first iOS app, giving Relay FM listeners a dedicated spot to listen to their favorite podcast shows. The app is designed to allow users to discover new podcasts to listen to and then subscribe to their favorites, with push notifications sent whenever a show is streaming live.

Relay FM's new app has a clean, vibrant look with eye-catching animated artwork. Relay FM lets users listen to podcasts live and catch up on recent episodes, but it's not a complete podcast client. As noted by TechCrunch, there's no way to subscribe to shows within the app or listen to past episodes.

relayfm
Also new in the world of podcasting apps is an updated version of Marco Arment's popular Overcast app. Overcast 2 has gone free, with all of the app's features available at no cost, but there is an monthly patronage option for customers who want to support the app. Overcast 2 also includes streaming for a better listening experience.

Episodes can now be played immediately without waiting for them to download, and new episodes can be listened to through streaming instead of via download in order to save storage space. A built-in storage manager lets users see how much space downloaded podcasts are consuming and it includes options to delete downloads and stream episodes on demand.

overcast
According to Marco Arment, Overcast 2's streaming architecture has improved battery life and made all playback faster to start and more reliable. Features like Smart Speed and Voice Boost have been enhanced, with Smart Speed adapting dynamically to quieter voices.

There are also 3D Touch launch shortcuts, better search, improved communication with the Apple Watch app, and more. A full list of features is available on Marco.org.

Relay FM can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Overcast can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tags: Relay FM, Overcast

Top Rated Comments

nutmac Avatar
nutmac
91 months ago
Overcast 2.0 is amazing. My favorite feature, which received only a brief mention, is 3D Touch Quick Action. It shows a couple of latest episodes on different playlists, recommend current podcast, and most importantly pause/resume for current podcast. That last quick action is worth the upgrade alone (and Patron IAP as a thank you). Add streaming (which works the way it should work) and chapter stops, I think 2.0 is just about perfect.

If I were to nitpick, I was really hoping for ability to review "recommended" podcasts.

As for Relay FM, I love these guys, but I just don't see myself using it. At the very minimum, it needs IRC.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dalcorn1 Avatar
dalcorn1
91 months ago
Is anyone having issues with the Overcast watch app? Mine is crashing on launch. Tried reinstalling, still not working.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dumastudetto Avatar
dumastudetto
91 months ago
Did you read his blog post? He explains that he didn't like the subpar experience of the app with no IAP. This free thing is an experiment.
He didn't like that 80% of his users were getting the subpar free experience. It is unfortunate that so few people upgraded. He's betting that those who love the app will be willing to make a monthly donation to help subsidise those majority who will never pay.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
danielbroad Avatar
danielbroad
91 months ago
I only listen to a couple of podcasts but I find Overcast indispensable because of the smart speed feature. It really saves time. I haven't tried many other podcast apps but do any of them have something similar?
RSSRadio has a similar feature, I compared both in a video:

http://www.doradasoftware.com/blog/2015/10/12/comparing-podcast-silence-removers
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

USB C Over Lightning Feature

EU Passes Law to Switch iPhone to USB-C by End of 2024

Tuesday October 4, 2022 3:30 am PDT by
The European Parliament today voted overwhelmingly in favor of enforcing USB-C as a common charging port across a wide range of consumer electronic devices, including the iPhone and AirPods, by the end of 2024. The proposal, known as a directive, forces all consumer electronics manufacturers who sell their products in Europe to ensure that a wide range of devices feature a USB-C port. This...
Read Full Article • 299 comments
General iOS 16 Feature Yellow

10 New iOS 16 Features Coming Later This Year

Monday October 3, 2022 2:41 pm PDT by
iOS 16 was released to the public three weeks ago with a customizable Lock Screen, the ability to edit iMessages, improvements to Focus modes, and much more. And in the coming months, iPhone and iPad users have even more new features to look forward to. We've rounded up 10 new features coming to the iPhone and iPad later this year, according to Apple. Many of the features are part of iOS...
Read Full Article • 87 comments
ipad pro m1 feature

Gurman: Apple Event This October Remains Unlikely, No Touch ID for iPhone 15

Sunday October 2, 2022 6:41 am PDT by
Apple is developing new iPad Pro, Mac, and Apple TV models, and at least some of these products will be released in October, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. However, Gurman continues to believe that Apple is unlikely to hold an event this month. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman said "the big iPhone 14 unveiling last month was probably it for Apple in 2022 in...
Read Full Article • 188 comments
iOS 16

Apple Preparing iOS 16.0.3 With More Bug Fixes Following iPhone 14 Launch

Monday October 3, 2022 7:53 am PDT by
iOS 16.0.2 was released last month with several bug fixes for iPhone 14 issues, excessive copy and paste permission prompts, and more. Now, evidence suggests that Apple is planning to release iOS 16.0.3 with additional bug fixes. Evidence of an upcoming iOS 16.0.3 software update has shown up in MacRumors analytics logs, which have been a reliable indicator in the past. There are several...
Read Full Article • 103 comments
Apple SIM Card

Apple SIM No Longer Available for Activating New Cellular Data Plans on iPads

Sunday October 2, 2022 8:04 am PDT by
As of October 1, Apple SIM is no longer available for activating new cellular data plans on supported iPad models, according to an Apple support document. Introduced in 2014, the Apple SIM was designed to allow iPad users to activate cellular data plans from multiple carriers around the world. Initially, the Apple SIM was a physical nano-SIM card, but it was embedded inside later iPad Pro...
Read Full Article • 61 comments
maxresdefault

Video: AirPods Pro 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort II

Monday October 3, 2022 12:50 pm PDT by
Apple on September 23 officially launched the second-generation version of the AirPods Pro, introducing updated Active Noise Cancellation, Adaptive Transparency, improved sound, and more. Right around the same time, Bose introduced new QuietComfort II earbuds with many similar features, so we thought we'd compare the two to see which has the edge. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for ...
Read Full Article • 87 comments
General YouTube Feature 1

You May Soon Need to Be a YouTube Premium Subscriber to Watch 4K Videos

Monday October 3, 2022 4:29 am PDT by
YouTube may make watching videos in 4K quality on the platform exclusive to only YouTube Premium subscribers, according to screenshots posted by users on Twitter and Reddit. On Reddit (1,2) and Twitter, some users have started to recently notice that on iOS, and presumably across other platforms also, YouTube is now saying that in order to watch videos in 4K, the user must be a paying...
Read Full Article • 270 comments
dynamic island alan dye

Apple Executives Talk About iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island in New Interview

Sunday October 2, 2022 10:48 am PDT by
In a new interview, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, and Apple's vice president of human interface design, Alan Dye, sat down to discuss the thinking behind the iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island and how it was developed. During the interview with the Japanese magazine Axis, Federighi, who oversees the development of iOS, said Dynamic Island represents the...
Read Full Article • 183 comments