Podcasting isn’t quite new, the format has been around for over a decade now, but it has only been in the last couple of years that it’s become popular. Today, there are more than 380 million podcast listeners globally. While the number may be increasing day by day, people who are joining the podcast scene often find themselves asking questions like “What is A Podcast?”, “Where to listen to podcasts?”, “How to discover podcasts?”
Knowing how to listen to a podcast can be a little tricky if you are new to the scene. I have written this comprehensive guide to help people discover and listen to podcasts on their Smartphones, Laptops, Tablets, and even On smart speakers.
So without further due, let me show you how you can listen to and discover podcasts easily on any device for free.
How To Listen To Podcasts On iPhone or iPad
Follow these steps to listen to podcasts on your iPhone or iPad:
- Open your Apple app store and search for Podcast apps.
- We recommend going for “Apple podcasts” as it has a large library of podcasts to choose from.
- After downloading the app, “Sign up” if required or continue to the next step.
- Once you are inside the podcast application, look for the search option. You can identify it by looking for the “magnifying glass symbol.”
- Click on it and enter your search term to find the podcast you wish to listen to. E.g., Enter “The Joe Rogan Experience” in the search bar and tap on the magnifying glass symbol to initiate the search for the podcast titled “The Joe Rogan Experience.”
- This should take you to the podcast’s home page. There you can see a list of all the latest episodes from the show. Click on anyone to play it.
- If you like the show, you can choose to subscribe by clicking on the subscribe button.
- Wish to know more about Apple Podcasts? Click Here
Note: you can go for other podcast listening platforms as well if you don’t wish to listen on Apple Podcasts. The Apple app store also has other popular apps that let you listen to podcasts for free. Some of them are
How To Listen To Podcasts On Android Device
Follow these steps if you wish to listen to podcasts on devices running on Android OS.
- Visit the Google Play store on your android device.
- Search for “podcasts.”
- You will get a list of apps that offer podcast listening for free. Some of the most used ones are:
- On Android, we recommend going for Either Spotify or Google podcasts as they have huge podcast libraries to offer to listeners.
- Once you install the application, sign in if required.
- Once inside the application, Look for the Search option with the symbol of a “magnifying glass.”
- Enter your search term and find the show you are looking for.
- Once you are on the podcast’s home page, you will see all the latest episodes uploaded by that show.
- Click on anyone and give it an ear.
- If you like what you listen to, subscribe to the show!
How To Listen To Podcasts On A Mac
Listening to podcasts on Mac is really simple; here is how you do it:
- All Macs have iTunes pre-installed on them.
- Launch the iTunes app.
- Click on the “Listen Now” option. It will be located on the sidebar of the app.
- Search for the podcast you want to listen to and hit the play button.
Here is a screenshot showing how you can pause, play, and skip forward or backward the podcast on Mac.
How To Listen To Podcasts On Windows PC
Windows computers don’t come with a pre-installed podcast app. The best option is to Download Spotify’s application on the computer.
You find the download file on their official website. Click HERE to get there instantly. After installing the Spotify app on your Windows computer, follow these simple steps to listen to podcasts.
- Launch the Spotify App and look for the “Search Option.” It will be marked with the magnifying glass symbol as always.
- Enter the name of the podcast you wish to listen to and hit the enter key to initiate the search.
- Once you are on the podcast’s home page, you can click on any one episode you wish to listen to, and it will start playing.
- Again, subscribe to the show if you like the content.
How To Listen To Podcasts On Smart Speakers (Amazon Echo, Google Homes & Others)
People using smart speakers are growing rapidly. It is very easy to listen to podcasts on your favorite smart speaker. You just have to give the command and say the name of your favorite podcast. The Smartspekar will start playing it.
We are taking “The Joe Rogan Experience” as the search term for the examples below.
How to command Amazon Echo devices:
Say, “Hey Alexa, play The Joe Rogan Experience.”
How to command your Google Devices:
Say, “Hey Google, Play The Joe Rogan Experience”
How to command Apple HomePod Devices:
Say ‘Hey Siri, Play The Joe Rogan Experience”
How To Listen To Podcasts On Web Browsers
Yes, it is possible to listen to podcasts without downloading an application. Here is how you do it:
- Launch your web browser.
- Search for “Google Podcasts Online” or get redirected by clicking HERE.
- You should be on Google Podcasts’ official website by now.
- Look for your favorite podcast title in the search bar.
- Play the episode you want! That’s it.
Here are more Websites where you tune into your favorite podcast:
You can also listen to a podcast on its official website. Almost all podcast shows have their official website nowadays. If you Google the title of the podcast you wish to listen to, you will likely find the official website of that podcast in the first five results.
You will find all the latest episodes from the podcast on its official website, as well as other material from the podcast host.
How To Watch Podcasts
Podcasts are mostly audio, but one of the most popular platforms to consume a podcast Nowadays is YouTube. The video-sharing platform is seeing an increase in the number of podcasters uploading visual versions of their episodes.
Some podcasters upload a full-fledged video of them, while some choose to just give a thumbnail image with the audio playing in the background.
How To Find Podcasts To Listen To?
There are plenty of interesting podcasts available on the internet that you can listen to anytime you want. But the real question is that how do you find these podcasts? The best way to find an interesting podcast is to go to the explore page of the app you’re trying to listen to a podcast. If you are interested in listening to a specific podcast category, such as comedy, storytelling, sports, politics, science, and mental health, then you can simply search for the best podcast in that category on the podcast app.
After searching the category, you will easily find the best podcast in that particular category. If you still don’t find a relevant podcast to listen to, then you can ask your friends for recommendations or search for the best podcast to listen to on Google. You can also check podcast websites for the best podcast recommendations.
You can simply Google “Best Science Podcast,” “Best True Crime Podcast,” or “Best Startup Podcast.” There are many blogs out there that curate a list of such things.
Another easy way to find podcasts to listen to is through ranking charts. For e.g., THIS website shows you trending podcasts on Spotify. You can also filter out the results base on countries and genres.
Ultimately, you are going to need some quality headphones if you wish to listen the highs and lows well. And if you are thinking of starting a podcast of your own, you need the best headphones for your podcasting journey.
Related Read:
Conclusion: How To Listen To Podcasts In 2024
This was my guide on listening to and finding podcasts on any device. If You have any queries, shoot them in the comments below. I will try and answer all your questions ASAP.
Happy listening, folks!
