| Apple Podcasts | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Screenshot of the Podcasts app iniOS 26 | |
| Developer | Apple Inc. |
| Initial release | iOS:June 26, 2012; 13 years ago (2012-06-26) tvOS: January 26, 2016; 9 years ago (2016-01-26) watchOS: September 17, 2018; 7 years ago (2018-09-17) HomePod: February 9, 2018; 7 years ago (2018-02-09) macOS: October 7, 2019; 6 years ago (2019-10-07) Amazon Echo: December 13, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-12-13) Web app: August 19, 2024; 15 months ago (2024-08-19) |
| Stable release | iOS 15.1 / October 25, 2021; 4 years ago (2021-10-25) |
| Operating system | iOS 10 and later iPadOS 10 and later watchOS 5.1 and later tvOS 9.1.1 and later macOS Catalina and later Windows (as part ofiTunes) Web app andvisionOS 1 and later |
| Predecessor | iTunes (macOS) |
| License | Freeware |
| Website | www |
Apple Podcasts (known as simplyPodcasts in Apple operating systems) is an audiostreaming service andmedia player application developed byApple Inc. for playingpodcasts. Apple began supporting podcasts withiTunes 4.9 released in June 2005 and launched its first standalone mobile app in 2012. The app was later pre-installed with iOS beginning October 2014. The Apple Podcasts directory features more than two million shows.[1] Apple Podcasts is available oniOS,iPadOS,macOS,watchOS,tvOS,CarPlay,visionOS,Microsoft Windows operating systems,web browsers, and onAmazon Alexa devices.
Apple was an early promoter of podcasts (the term is aportmanteau of Apple'siPod music player and "broadcast"),[2] and added playback functionality toiTunes 4.9 released in June 2005 and built a directory of shows in itsiTunes Music Store, starting with 3,000 entries.[3][4] In April 2020, Apple Podcasts surpassed one million shows.[5] In June 2021, Apple launched the option for podcast creators to implement paid subscriptions through podcast channels.[6]
Apple Podcasts had an estimated 28 million American monthly listeners and 23.8% market share in March 2021, the first month it fell behindSpotify Podcasts as the top podcasting platform in the United States. This was a decrease from Apple's 34% market share in 2018.[7]
In 2025 it was reported that Apple Podcasts had regained market share and had a 37.4% market share in the U.S. based on views and downloads of the top 250 podcasts in the U.S. This placed it ahead of Youtube (23.2%) and Spotify (15.2%) with all three combined having a 75.8% market share. Though it was also noted that Apple Podcasts Auto-downloads by default.[8]
A standalone Apple Podcasts app was announced at the 2012Worldwide Developers Conference as a feature ofiOS 6. Apple released the app early on theApp Store on June 26, 2012. It adds a new "stations" feature for discovering new podcasts.[9] It is a standard app onCarPlay.
A standalone Apple Podcasts app was brought to 2nd and 3rd generationApple TVs on September 24, 2012, with the Software 6.0 update.[10] ThetvOS-based 4th generation Apple TV launched in October 2015 without the ability to play podcasts. This was despite a Podcasts icon appearing on the home screen in commercials, in-store demo loops, and developer documentation.[11] Apple Podcasts was added with tvOS 9.1.1 released on January 26, 2016.[12]
Apple Podcasts was added to theApple Watch withwatchOS 5 on September 17, 2018.[13]
On theWWDC 2023 (June 5, 2023) theApple Vision Pro was announced and with thatvisionOS 1 with Apple Podcast.[14]
On March 5, 2024, Apple added transcripts to the Podcasts app on iPhone and iPad withiOS 17.4 andiPadOS 17.4. Transcripts are available for English-, French-, Spanish-, and German-language podcasts[15]
Apple Podcasts formacOS andMicrosoft Windows was initially available as part of the iTunes app, which added support for podcasts in version 4.9 in June 2005.[16][17]
Apple announced atWWDC 2019 that iTunes for macOS would be split and replaced by theMusic,TV and Podcasts apps with the release ofmacOS Catalina.[18] Apple Podcasts remains available through iTunes on Microsoft Windows.[19]
On August 19, 2024, 19 years after the initial launch of Apple's podcast directory on iTunes, Apple finally released a web interface for Apple Podcasts, expanding access to users without iTunes installed on their computers, and computers running operating systems other than Apple macOS and Microsoft Windows.[20]
UnlikeApple Music, there is currently no Apple Podcasts app available for Android.
Apple'sHomePod family supports Podcasts using avoice user interface. Support for Apple Podcasts was added to theAmazon Echo line in December 2019.[21]
| # | Year | Show of the Year | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2022 | Slow Burn | [22] |
| 2 | 2023 | Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus | [23] |
| 3 | 2024 | Hysterical | [24] |
Critical reviews of the Apple Podcasts app have generally been mixed. In 2012,Engadget stated it "offers an opportunity to break through the clutter of iTunes".[25] In 2017,Slate criticized it for glitches and low-quality audio.[26] In 2019,Vulture called the app "a bummer" and "bare-bones and fairly clunky, even when it comes to basic functions like subscribing."[27]
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