Apple Podcasts
| Name | Apple Podcasts |
| Logo |  |
| Screenshot |  |
| Caption | Screenshot of the Podcasts app in iOS 26 |
| Developer | Apple |
| Released | iOS: tvOS: watchOS: HomePod: macOS: Amazon Echo: Web app: |
| Latest Release Version | iOS 15.1 |
| 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 of iTunes) Web app and visionOS 1 and later |
| Replaces | iTunes (macOS) |
| License | Freeware |
| Website | apple.com/apple-podcasts |
Apple Podcasts (known as simply Podcasts in Apple operating systems) is an audio streaming service and media player application developed by Apple for playing podcasts. Apple began supporting podcasts with iTunes 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. Apple Podcasts is available on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, CarPlay, visionOS, Microsoft Windows operating systems, web browsers, and on Amazon Alexa devices.
History
Apple was an early promoter of podcasts (the term is a portmanteau of Apple's iPod music player and "broadcast"), and added playback functionality to iTunes 4.9 released in June 2005 and built a directory of shows in its iTunes Music Store, starting with 3,000 entries. In April 2020, Apple Podcasts surpassed one million shows. In June 2021, Apple launched the option for podcast creators to implement paid subscriptions through podcast channels.
Market share
Apple Podcasts had an estimated 28 million American monthly listeners and 23.8% market share in March 2021, the first month it fell behind Spotify Podcasts as the top podcasting platform in the United States. This was a decrease from Apple's 34% market share in 2018.
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.
Application platforms
iOS, tvOS, watchOS and visionOS versions
A standalone Apple Podcasts app was announced at the 2012 Worldwide Developers Conference as a feature of iOS 6. Apple released the app early on the App Store on June 26, 2012. It adds a new "stations" feature for discovering new podcasts. It is a standard app on CarPlay.
A standalone Apple Podcasts app was brought to 2nd and 3rd generation Apple TVs on September 24, 2012, with the Software 6.0 update. The tvOS-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. Apple Podcasts was added with tvOS 9.1.1 released on January 26, 2016.
Apple Podcasts was added to the Apple Watch with watchOS 5 on September 17, 2018.
On the WWDC 2023 (June 5, 2023) the Apple Vision Pro was announced and with that visionOS 1 with Apple Podcast.
On March 5, 2024, Apple added transcripts to the Podcasts app on iPhone and iPad with iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4. Transcripts are available for English-, French-, Spanish-, and German-language podcasts
macOS and Windows versions
Apple Podcasts for macOS and Microsoft Windows was initially available as part of the iTunes app, which added support for podcasts in version 4.9 in June 2005.
Apple announced at WWDC 2019 that iTunes for macOS would be split and replaced by the Music, TV and Podcasts apps with the release of macOS Catalina. Apple Podcasts remains available through iTunes on Microsoft Windows.
Web version and other platforms
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.
Unlike Apple Music, there is currently no Apple Podcasts app available for Android.
Smart speakers
Apple's HomePod family supports Podcasts using a voice user interface. Support for Apple Podcasts was added to the Amazon Echo line in December 2019.
Apple Podcasts Award
| # | Year | Show of the Year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2022 | Slow Burn | |
| 2 | 2023 | Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus | |
| 3 | 2024 | Hysterical | |
| 4 | 2025 | The Rest Is History |
Reception
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". In 2017, Slate criticized it for glitches and low-quality audio. In 2019, Vulture called the app "a bummer" and "bare-bones and fairly clunky, even when it comes to basic functions like subscribing."
See also
References
- Apple leads the next chapter of podcasting with Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, September 30, 2021, Apple Newsroom, en-US, October 8, 2021, live
- Podcast Production § HGSE Multimedia Lab Knowledge Center, July 10, 2012, July 16, 2022, Harvard
- 2005-06-28, Apple Takes Podcasting Mainstream, 2023-03-27, Apple Newsroom, en-US, November 4, 2021, live
- 2005-06-28, iTunes 4.9 with podcasting available for download -- still no formal announcement, 2023-03-27, Engadget, en-US, March 27, 2023, live
- Binder, Matt, April 24, 2020, It's official: There are now a million Apple podcasts, September 30, 2021, Mashable, en, January 4, 2022, live
- Spangler, Todd, June 15, 2021, Apple Launches Podcast Subscriptions Worldwide, After a Delay, September 30, 2021, Variety, en-US, November 29, 2021, live
- Spotify podcast listeners to top Apple's for the first time in 2021, forecast claims, September 30, 2021, TechCrunch, March 2, 2021, en-US, September 26, 2021, live
- 2025-04-02, The biggest podcast app in the US for consumption - 2025, 2025-10-14, podnews.net, en
- Apple releases dedicated Podcasts app for iPhone and iPad, Ingraham, Nathan, June 26, 2012, The Verge, en, October 27, 2019, September 12, 2021, live
- About Apple TV (2nd and 3rd generation) software updates, Apple Support, en, October 27, 2019, December 27, 2021, live
- Apple TV (2015) review, November 19, 2015, iMore, en, October 27, 2019, December 25, 2021, live
- Apple Releases Apple TV Update With New Podcasts App, TechCrunch, January 26, 2016, en-US, October 27, 2019, May 4, 2023, live
- How to Use the Apple Podcasts App on Your Apple Watch, Whitney, Lance, September 27, 2019, PCMAG, en, October 27, 2019, January 6, 2020, live
- Einführung in die App "Podcasts" auf der Apple Vision Pro, 2025-05-11, Apple Support, de
- Apple introduces transcripts for Apple Podcasts, 2024-03-05, Apple Newsroom, July 14, 2024, live
- Won't Someone Take iTunes Out Back and Shoot It?, Manjoo, Farhad, Slate, November 29, 2012, June 4, 2019, June 5, 2019, live
- iTunes 4.9 First Look: Apple takes on Podcasting, June 28, 2005, Macworld, en, October 28, 2019, December 17, 2017, live
- RIP iTunes as we know it. Apple breaks up iconic music platform, Murphy Kelly, Samantha, CNN, June 3, 2019, June 3, 2019, June 3, 2019, live
- Apple's iTunes Store, iTunes App for Windows Aren't Going Away, Spangler, Todd, Variety, June 3, 2019, June 3, 2019, November 24, 2021, live
- Apple Podcasts now has a web app - The Verge, August 19, 2024
- Apple and Spotify's podcasts come to Echo devices in the US, TechCrunch, December 13, 2019, en-US, December 14, 2019, May 4, 2023, live
- November 29, 2022, Slate's 'Slow Burn' is the winner of Apple's first podcast award, November 30, 2022, techcrunch.com
- December 5, 2023, Apple Podcasts Announces 'Wiser Than Me With Julia Louis-Dreyfus' as 2023 Show of the Year, December 5, 2023, MacRumors
- December 4, 2024, Apple's show of 2024 is Hysterical, December 4, 2024, Podnews
- Apple Names ‘The Rest Is History’ Podcast Of The Year, White, Peter, December 4, 2025, Deadline Hollywood, January 19, 2026
- Apple's Podcasts app for iOS hands-on, Engadget, June 26, 2012, en, October 27, 2019, May 2, 2019, live
- Apple Has Ruined Its Podcasts App, Pesca, Mike, December 6, 2017, Slate Magazine, en, October 27, 2019, December 21, 2019, live
- Picking the Best Podcast App (and a Guide to the Rest), www.vulture.com, October 3, 2019, October 27, 2019
Category:Podcasting software
Category:IOS software
Category:WatchOS software
Category:MacOS software
Podcasts
Category:IOS-based software made by Apple Inc.
Category:TvOS software