Apple Offers New Dedicated Podcast App for iOS

[zeppiecr]

Is the auto download only over wifi?

 

[UnseenLlama]

Do you work for Eddy Cue or something? Are you able to import podcasts via URL like you can do with podcaster and downcast? If not than big FAIL.

You can subscribe to a podcast via RSS.

 

[bassanoclapper]

Questions before I irreversably screw anything up:

* Does it still support 2X and 1/2X speeds, like the Music app does for Podcasts and Audiobooks?

Yep, Tortoise & Hare modes and many more functions like sleep timer

 

[ipedro]

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.

I believe this is exactly what they're doing. Mountain Lion will bring iOS and OSX even more in step with each other and it will be a natural progression to release the iOS apps Music, Video, and Podcasts for OSX Mountain Lion.

The app store (for Mac) already exists. Consolidating the iOS app store into the Mac App Store app is likely in this scenario as is then releasing a new iTunes app for the music and video store.

The final piece of the puzzle is already being unfolded: iCloud for iOS device sync. An iCloud app on OSX and Windows could be released to extract this function from iTunes for those who don't want to use iCloud for device sync and backup.

 

[Krevnik]

At first glance -- downloading a few podcasts and monkeying around with the UI -- I still way prefer Downcast:

* Global settings with individual settings for individual podcasts.
* Limitation on number of podcasts it keeps.
* Distinguishes downloading vs. streaming.
* Does a great job syncing multiple devices.
* Better UI.

When Apple moves into a space where third-party apps are already doing a great job, Apple needs to raise the bar. They didn't raise the bar.

For free, I don't think Apple should be raising the bar on these guys, who are trying to bring in income. As far as I see it, Apple's app is setting a minimum bar, and leveling the playing field a bit. The built-in functionality was pretty terrible, partly because it was so heavily tied to the music app.


It's a decent, if fairly basic app (although it does support limiting the number of podcasts it keeps, if a bit hidden). It gets the job done and will get folks like my girlfriend listening to more podcasts. It also leaves the market open for more robust apps like Downcast/Instacast/PocketCasts/etc. Mission accomplished.

 

[blow45]

Umm, actually I'd argue that this is a big step FORWARD, not back. Problem with the Music app on iOS, especially on anything other than iPad, is you have limited screen real estate to play with. As a result you have just four shortcut links on the bottom of the screen with everything else off in a separate 'more' screen. Yeah, you can put whatever you like down there but how many people actually change from the default? Plus the title of the app, 'Music', suggests that things like audiobooks and podcasts aren't to be found there anyway.

By putting distinct categories in their own app you're effectively using the homescreen as the first 'selection' pane for media. Better still you can completely customise the individual apps around different content without having to constantly change the look and feel of a single all-encompasing app and potentially producing some very confusing user interface design.

If anything having separate apps actually encourages discoverability by users who don't necessarily know what podcasts are or haven't used them before. After all if an app is pre-loaded (and I'm guessing it will be on iOS6) a new user is much more likely to tap it from the homescreen than go diving through menu options in the music app.

Thanks for the reply and opening up this discussion with me. There are 100,000 though ways to rationalise some solution as being superior to the other, with very plausible arguments too. And I think you are doing just that, rationalising.

No, a new user will soon forget even the existence of the app as opposed to having it inside iTunes, and real estate isn't an issue with the iPad, even on the iPhone, uttmg it down there means an extra touch, having it separate will mean some users will never check and like I said eventually forget about it. Apple alone has what, 20 apps of their own that come preinstalled, on average a user has at least another 50, and that's minimum.

You know how many apps I have that I d love to use, but I forget about? Apple should be integrating instead of separating here. And find creative ways to integrate.

Btw no one told apple to change the name to music, and yeas it was moronic to call music an app with audiobooks and podcasts. Two wrongs don't make a right, that's not an argument. If I rename my tea and coffee shop instead of Joel's healthy drinks to Joel's coffee house, then I have to get the tea out cause no one expects it there...

 

[akm3]

Nope. Downloadable Apple apps must be separately downloaded. Look at all their other downloadable apps.

And this is smart, because it trains people how to use the App store, and gets them in the habit of doing it.

 

[Antoni Nygaard]

Click the album cover and more options comes up and nice tape animation in the corners

 

[Rogifan]

You can subscribe to a podcast via RSS.

I can do that through this new app?

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Awww what the hell is all this now... between three apps on iOS, the iTunes store, music, & podcasts, "redeem" (?), burying it on a "more..." tab for no reason, then "top stations", "catalog" with no clear way to subscribe, search fields that don't search, Hidden commands, subscriptions that don't carry over from OS X,... how Apple has gone from a simple & effective ui for the simplest means of distributing audio files to this freakin quagmire...

The day Tim Cook decides to subscribe to one and discovers the screwey birds nest his company has made of it, he's going to explode in a SJ-like rage and fire the first hundred people he sees.

 

[Undecided]

I don't understand. Once installed, should you delete your podcasts that are in the music and videos apps?

 

[M-O]

Paid podcasts is awfully close to a-la-cart tv shows.

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I don't understand. Once installed, should you delete your podcasts that are in the music and videos apps?

they will go away with iOS 6.

 

[iMacDragon]

You can subscribe to non itunes podcasts in it, feed:// links in safari for podcasts now open in the new podcast app.

 

[MacHiavelli]

Personally, dislike the skeuomorphic tape deck.

Can still get podcasts in both the new podcast app and in music on the iPad.

 

[CavemanUK]

Awww what the hell is all this now... between three apps on iOS, the iTunes store, music, & podcasts, "redeem" (?), burying it on a "more..." tab for no reason, then "top stations", "catalog" with no clear way to subscribe, search fields that don't search, Hidden commands, subscriptions that don't carry over from OS X,... how Apple has gone from a simple & effective ui for the simplest means of distributing audio files to this freakin quagmire...

The day Tim Cook decides to subscribe to one and discovers the screwey birds nest his company has made of it, he's going to explode in a SJ-like rage and fire the first hundred people he sees.

I agree. First impressions are this app is a mess. I should say by the way that I'm using it on ios6 and that could be part of the problem I'm seeing a lot of mess. Searches don't seems to work. Audio apps are in the video section and vice versa. There's no iCloud syncing of subscriptions that I can see and it took a while to actually find the subscription settings. Very messy.

 

[Undecided]

You can subscribe to non itunes podcasts in it, feed:// links in safari for podcasts now open in the new podcast app.

So this can replace RSSRadio? That might be nifty, though I like how it can set what 2x means - that is, you can set that the 2x button actually does 1.2x, for example.

 

[I WAS the one]

Maybe Podcasts are not what Apple had in mind back in the days. Maybe this is a 'classic' move. Get it? First they put the word 'classic' on the side as Podcast Classic and then is OUT of here! $20 dollars that this is a move not to help but to erase this option from their menu.

Think about this: Apple is not getting money from Podcast.

The next big thing: the iStream
Definition: the same thing as Podcasts but with Apple ads and a agreement of 60/40% you don't need to sell your own ads, Apple will doit for you.

$100.00 joining fee yearly.
You put a price on your iStream show.

Apple got you by the balls.

Nice?

 

[UnseenLlama]

I can do that through this new app?

You need to go to that particular podcast's page in Safari, then click on the RSS link if there is one.

 

[ZepFloyd]

finally! havent read through the thread but is anyone finding that you cant subscribe to some podcasts?

i think its just on apples end the subscribe button will pop up but then disappear. went back to a few of them a min later and i could subscribe. hopefully that all gets sorted out

this is excellent. i mean i used stitcher for awhile, then like just last week found out tune in radio offered podcasts streaming, so was using that. but now this will take over

 

[CupertinoRat]

WARNING: this app can be dangerous to your iPhone. I wanted to smash mine on the pavement upon installation of this steaming pile of junk.
Apple couldn’t have possibly coded this trash. No push notifications? No settings? Only podcasts from within the walled garden of iTunes? Is this the post-Jobs Apple everyone is talking about?

 

[Natesac]

My eyes have seen the glory........



I have been waiting for this app for a very long time. I am going to do some testing first. This app might get me to switch to icloud backups and stop syncing witht he PC for good.


bye bye iTunes(PC)............

 

[OddyOh]

reel to reel?

The animated reel-to-reel tape machine is pretty funny...as if any podcast is recorded on analog tape! The kids won't know what the hell that's supposed to be.

 

[charlituna]

I actually tend to feel the reverse: I think of the iTunes icon for music and movie rentals.

That would be because it is. iTunes is the icon for the store. MUSIC was the icon for all forms of audio playback. 'was' because now Podcasts is for Podcasts. Which is more intuitive and logical, especially for newer users. And as nutty as it sounds it almost makes sense to pull out the podcast stuff in the storefront since you can download it without even needing an Apple ID, something many users didn't know since the app store is the opposite.

In fact I wouldn't be surprised if come iOS 6 the unified iTunes store app disappears and you access them via the store links in the player apps. I hope not in a way because that screws with fortuitous finds but then again how often do those really happen with the screwed up meta data they are using. So perhaps it wouldn't be an issue to split it up.

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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.

how many folks were actually exploring them anyway. Remember that that requires the store, not the player and there's no promise that folks were hitting anything more than music, movies or TV shows since they know what those are.

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

You mean like how iBooks and iTunes U already do.

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IVideo, books, audio, and apps have all been split into their own stores/management apps.

Nope. Books and apps have their own stores, especially books because the files are useless if you don't have the app anyway

but movies, tv shows and music still have one common store app.

 

[Mike Oxard]

I LOVE Downcast, but will give this a go. The one thing I've never got working particularly well was the syncing across devices.

I've been using instacast and never managed to get that to sync between devices.

 

[Natesac]

well I downloaded the app to my phone, opened the app. It recognized all the podcasts I already had on the phone. I went through and subscribed to all of them and set my settings for how many to keep.

They still appear in my music app, I don't get that message about the podcasts app.

I downloaded the app on my iPad (that did not have podcasts synced to it previously) I open the app and there is nothing. I expected it to reflect the subscriptions I had on my iphone. Is this not the case?