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There are countless ways to listen to podcasts, including many dedicated podcast apps that provide a decent experience. However, I use Spotify to listen to podcasts and think it’s the best option for fans of the format. Here are my reasons why.
1I Already Use Spotify to Listen to Music
The most obvious answer as to why I use Spotify to listen to podcasts is that I already use the app on a daily basis. I have used Spotify to listen to music since it launched,adding a Spotify subscriptionwhen the free option stopped providing what I needed. I can’t remember the last time I bought music, so I rely on Spotify for my aural needs.
While that’s a known problem associated with the streaming era, Spotify is also the obvious choice for listening to podcasts. I have a Spotify account, I havethe Spotify appinstalled on my phone, I know my way around it, and I can dip in and out of podcasts without needing to install yet another app that is only good at doing one thing.
2Spotify Helps You to Discover New Podcasts
While it isn’t a dedicated podcast app/player, Spotify has sought to make its app a robust option for listening to podcasts. Your content library has a dedicatedPodcastsoption, allowing you to strip music away and focus on podcasts alone, and so does theSearchtab. Once you click thePodcastsoption on that, you’ll find hundreds of podcasts to listen to.
Podcasts are organized into categories, including new releases, comedy, true crime, educational, sports, and history. Clicking into one of these breaks the categories down further, meaning you have easy ways of filtering podcasts until you discover exactly what you’re looking for. There are also several charts ranking podcasts by category and country,
3Spotify Saves Your Listening Progress
While Spotify is now my preferred podcast player, I have tried others for various reasons. A podcast I enjoyed a decade ago isn’t available on Spotify, for example, so I had to download and usePodbeaninstead. While that’s decent, it isn’t as good as Spotify at various things, one of which is the ability to track your progress through a podcast’s back catalog and specific episodes.
The podcast episodes you’re listening to are laid out in order, and you’re able to sort by newest to oldest or vice versa. You can also add a filter only to display downloaded or unplayed episodes. You can also see how far you are through each podcast, with Spotify informing you whether you have finished an episode or, if not, how long you have left to listen to.
Once downloaded, it’s easy to find podcast episodes you can listen to offline. Just click theYour Library tab > Podcasts and courses > Downloads. Every podcast episode you have downloaded will be easily accessible without an internet connection. You can also see whether you’ve downloaded an episode at a glance by the appearance of a greenDownloadedbutton.
5You Can Share Podcast Episodes With Others
Spotify makes it very easy to share podcast episodes with other people. All you need to do is click on the podcast you want to share (whether or not you’re already listening) and tap theSharebutton (three circles with lines connecting two of them). Spotify will offer you the option to share the episode via a range of ways, including a direct link, an SMS text message, WhatsApp, and Messenger.
As well as the option to share a full episode, you can also share a certain part of an episode. Say you’re in the middle of listening to an episode and want someone to hear that particular part, click the sameSharebutton, and Spotify will add the option to share from the moment you have reached. Slide the slider across and share as normal, and when the recipient clicks the link, the podcast will start at that exact moment.
6The Sleep Timer Helps You Listen In Bed
I have a bad habit of listening to podcasts in bed. Not hours before I go to sleep, mind—literally as I drift off. And without meaning any offense to the podcasters involved, I usually get 10 minutes into an episode before I’m out for the count. This is why Spotify’s Sleep Timer feature, enabled by tapping theStopwatchicon while listening to an episode, is an absolute Godsend for me.
Spotify’s Sleep Timer allows you to set an episode to stop automatically after a certain amount of time has passed. The options range from 5 minutes to one hour, or you can select “End of Episode” to ensure Spotify doesn’t play the full catalog. And while I knowother podcast appsshare the same feature, this is just another reason why Spotify is my preferred podcast player.
7You Can Now Comment on Episodes
Last but not least, a new feature (launched in July 2024) that allows podcast listeners to comment directly underneath episodes. Once a podcaster has enabled the feature, listeners can leave comments saying whatever they want to say about a podcast in general or an episode specifically.
This is good for podcasters, who can interact with their audience without switching away from Spotify to whatever social media platform they reside on. It’s good for listeners, too, as they’ll be able to connect directly with the podcasters producing the audio entertainment they choose to listen to above everything else.
While you may have a different preference for listening to podcasts, Spotify is definitely worth considering for the reasons outlined above. Especially if you already use Spotify daily, and pay for the privilege of doing so. Essentially, by switching from your current podcast player to Spotify, you’ll be making more use of your Spotify subscription.
