There are plenty of top-notch podcast apps out there. You’ve probably got your favorite way to access all the most popular podcasts, and we’re not going to try and convince you otherwise. (Though for the record, our favorite is Overcast.)
One thing we can wholeheartedly recommend, however, is to try and mix up your podcasting diet. There are apps out there that provide a unique range of listening material that you simply won’t find with the usual mainstream podcast players.
Here, then, is a selection of podcast apps that provide exclusive audio content.
Luminary
Luminary is a subscription-only podcast network that provides original shows and music from massive names in the world of entertainment. There are podcasts from the likes of Dave Chappelle, Lena Dunham, and Russell Brand that you simply won’t get access to any other way.
On top of that, Luminary also gives you access to millions of the usual free podcasts and shows. In essence, with its mixture of original and widely available content, Luminary is the closest thing to a Netflix of podcasts out there.
BBC Sounds
The name kind of gives it away – BBC Sounds is, to all intents and purposes, the official podcast app for the British Broadcasting Corporation. This means that it grants you access to a whole heap of exclusive, high-quality audio productions, from in-depth podcasts to the UK national broadcaster’s extensive roster of ‘live’ radio stations.
With those latter productions, you can pause and rewind live broadcasts, as well as browse and listen to previous productions. No other podcast app can guarantee quite the same level of sustained quality as BBC Sounds, nor the range.
Curio
Curio essentially takes quality long-form journalism and repackages it as a series of podcasts. The app takes stories published in more than 30 of the world’s most trusted publications – such as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, WIRED, Financial Times, and The Guardian – and narrates them to you. And yes, those are real human voices, not AI.
Considering much of this content exists behind a paywall when consumed in written form, Curio’s low monthly subscription cost is a bit of a steal. But it’s that idea of getting high-quality journalism pumped directly to your ears that really helps it to stand out from the crowd.
Apollo Podcasts
Apollo is an app that’s dedicated to fiction podcasts. That is, it’s a way to browse and listen to audio fiction. Its library is jam-packed with fiction across all major genres, including drama, sci-fi, crime and mystery, fan fiction and much more, all narrated to you.
Just like regular podcast and music streaming apps, you’ll find playlists curated by real experts in the field to help you discover new audio fiction content. All that and Apollo is completely free to use, with no login required.
