Pocket Casts Opens Web, Mac, and Windows Apps Free for All

Pocket Casts Web, Mac, and Windows Apps Now Free

As podcasting becomes more accessible through platforms like YouTube, Pocket Casts has announced that its web, Mac, and Windows apps are now free to use without requiring a subscription. Previously, access to these apps required a 'Plus' ($3.99 per month or $39.99 annually) or 'Patron' ($9.99 per month or $99.99 annually) subscription.

Key Changes:

• Web Player: Now accessible to all users at play.pocketcasts.com, following Apple Podcasts’ launch of a web app last August.
• Desktop Apps: The Mac and Windows apps have been redesigned and are now free to use. Users can browse and play podcasts without signing in, but creating an account allows for syncing playback progress, managing queues, and saving preferences.

Reasons Behind the Change:

Podcasting was originally built on open, decentralized standards like RSS, allowing anyone to create and share content freely. However, major platforms are moving towards proprietary systems that limit distribution and control discovery through algorithms. By making the web player and desktop apps free, Pocket Casts aims to reinforce the belief that podcasts should belong to the people, not corporations.

Plus Subscription Benefits:

For those who still want additional features, the Plus subscription offers:

• Folders organization
• Smart Shuffle
• Bookmark creation
• Chapter Preselection
• Apple Watch and Wear OS app access
• 20GB of cloud storage
• More app customization (themes + icons)

Other Updates:

• Android App: A new header design has been introduced to modernize the app, which recently went edge-to-edge. However, a Material 3 redesign is still on the horizon.