While all the other apps listed here are dedicated podcast apps, it would have been remiss not to mention Spotify — especially since, about the same time that Google announced it was sunsetting Podcasts, Spotify announced it was adding new podcast-specific features , including additional transcript capabilities, chapters to allow listeners to browse through a cast more easily, and additional content on the podcast pages. (Of course, most of this depends on how a podcast is coded by its creators.)

While I have used Spotify for music listening, I have not used it for podcasts until now. A button on top of the home page on the Android app takes you to Podcasts & Shows, where there is a series of suggested casts. There is a search button on the bottom; tap that, and you can either browse through suggested podcasts or do a search. Once you find the podcast you want, you follow (Spotify’s version of subscribing) to it.

Each podcast page allows you to add specific episodes to your playlist, download that episode, get notifications of new episodes, and other features. The settings for each let you decide whether to automatically download an episode or mark all the past episodes as played. On each podcast’s Now Playing page, you can back up 10 seconds, go forward 30 seconds, switch the speed, or trim silent sections. And, as with Pocket Casts, Spotify syncs across platforms.

In short, Spotify has a fairly impressive set of podcast features — however, you still have to specify Podcasts & Shows if you want to pick them out from all the music in your Spotify library.

Spotify’s Premium plan adds offline music listening (you can download podcasts on the free plan), removes ads, and increases the sound quality. It costs $10.99 a month for individuals, $5.99 a month for students, $14.99 a month for two accounts, and $16.99 for up to six accounts, including Spotify Kids.

Of course, if you feel that using a single app for podcasts, music, and other media is an advantage, you may want to wait and see if YouTube Music will actually work for you — unless you already use Spotify. But if you are more attuned to using an individual podcast app and want to avoid both ads and payment, then Pocket Casts or AntennaPod may be worth a try.

Update January 22nd, 2024, 5:05PM ET: This article was originally published on September 29th, 2023, and has been updated to give more information about Google’s sunsetting of its Podcasts app.