Wikipedia

User:ObserveOwl/Pocket Casts

< User:ObserveOwl

Pocket Casts
Developer(s)Shifty Jelly
Initial releaseJanuary 27, 2011; 13 years ago (2011-01-27)
Operating systemAndroid, iOS, macOS, watchOS, Wear OS, Web, Windows, Windows Phone
TypePodcast aggregator
LicenseMozilla Public License 2.0 (Android and iOS)
Websitepocketcasts.com

Pocket Casts is a podcast application.

History

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Pocket Casts was created by independent Australian mobile app developer Shifty Jelly, founded by Russell Ivanovic and Philip Simpson.[1] Previously working as enterprise Java developers, Ivanovic and Simpson switched to mobile app development with the announcement of Apple's App Store, starting by creating a weather forecast app.[2] With Nathan Swan and Simon Sams working as designers,[3] Pocket Casts launched for iOS and Android in 2011,[4][5] eventually releasing for other platforms.

In May 2018, it was announced that the app would be sold to a group of public radio entities comprising NPR, WNYC Studios, WBEZ Chicago, and This American Life.[1][6][7] Shifty Jelly's team stated that they accepted the offer due to their nonprofit operations and "collaborative" ethos.[8] Ivanovic and Simpson remained in the app team, and former iHeartRadio executive vice president Owen Grover was named chief executive officer (CEO) of Pocket Casts.[6][7] BBC Studios was declared an investor in March 2020.[1][9]

A January 2021 article by Current newspaper reported that the companies owning Pocket Casts agreed to sell it after NPR's financial statement claimed a loss of over US$800,000 throughout 2020 due to the app.[1][10] It was sold to Wordpress.com's parent company Automattic in July 2021. The company soon announced embed integrations of Pocket Casts into Wordpress sites.[10][11] Ivanovic and Simpson were kept in leadership roles,[1] and, at the time of acquisition, John Gibbons was the CEO of Pocket Casts.[12] In October 2022, the Android and iOS apps were made open source, with the source code released under the Mozilla Public License 2.0.[13]

Android and iOS version history

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Pocket Casts received its first launch on January 27, 2011 for iOS, becoming available for Android on March 8.[4][5] Before 2013, the Android version of Pocket Casts was ported from the iOS app.[14] After six months of development,[15] the Android app received a 4.0 version update in 2013 with additional features such as cross-device syncing and a redesign compliant with Google's guidelines.[16][17] At the time, development focused on the Android version due to increased usage as compared to the iOS version.[17] In the following year, version 4.5 introduced Google Cast support for streaming to connected televisions and an Up Next playlist feature,[18] followed by a Material Design update in 2015.[19]

The iOS app was rewritten in the Swift programming language with the launch of version 6.0 in July 2016, introducing interface changes and features such as multitasking, automatic volume boosting and silence trimming.[20][21] In October of the same year, Pocket Casts for Android received a 6.0 update, which also incorporated automatic audio settings.[22] The Android and iOS apps were both updated for version 7.0 in November 2018.[23] Changes include human and algorithmic podcast curation,[24][25] a major redesign, and iOS Siri Shortcuts integration.[23][26][27] In the following year, version 7.6 enabled player toolbar customization and a separate Up Next screen.[28]

In other platforms

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Pocket Casts was launched for the Windows Phone in April 2014 and as a web application in October.[29][30] It was one of the initial apps available upon release of Android Auto in 2015, and support for Apple's CarPlay was added in 2016 with the iOS app 6.1 update.[31][32] Pocket Casts is compatible with Sonos speakers[26] since a July 2017 beta release,[33] and it was integrated into Amazon Alexa as a skill in February 2019.[34] Standalone support for the Apple Watch was added in June 2020,[a] and for Wear OS watches in July 2023.[35][36] There are macOS and Microsoft Windows desktop apps; both had a version 2 update rewritten in Electron in June 2024.[37]

Features

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Pocket Casts features a navigation bar located at the bottom, which includes tabs that serve various functions.[38] Users can browse podcasts online on a "Discover" tab through a search bar, a feed including popular and featured shows,[8][39] or categories based on genre or region.[40] Subscribing to a show makes it accessible from the main "Podcasts" tab.[41] Filters are available to organize specific episodes;[25] these can also be placed onto a "Up Next" queue,[8] which can sync across devices, or be downloaded manually or automatically.[42]

While a podcast is playing, the user is provided with settings such as playback speed,[43] automatic voice volume boosting and silence trimming, skipping the audio some seconds forward or backward,[42] and a sleep timer.[42][44] The player toolbar also includes the ability to connect to an output device via Google Cast or Apple AirPlay.[44] There are options to star or archive an episode.[42] The app offers statistics about the user's listening time and episode history.[23]

Business model

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Users were formerly required to pay to download Pocket Casts; its price varied with the platform.[45] Upon NPR's announcement of the Pocket Casts purchase, a spokesperson told Variety that the app's leadership team would revise the revenue model.[7] In November 2019, a freemium model was introduced to the app, making it free to download with an optional monthly subscription with additional features, Pocket Casts Plus.[45][46] The premium plan allowed for cloud storage, exclusive themes, and access to the macOS, Windows and web apps.[47]

Pocket Casts CEO Grover said the change was made to conform with an "open-access philosophy of our public media ownership."[45] The original announcement stated that users who had previously paid for the app would be offered three months of Pocket Casts Plus, but following consumer backlash, free lifetime access was given instead.[48][49] The Apple Watch and Wear OS app launches were limited to Plus users.[35][36] The app includes a Patron subscription level featuring additional cloud storage and early access to features.[42][43]

Reception

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Upon the Android app 4.0 update in 2013, Andrew Martonik of Android Central wrote that Pocket Casts had a "clean and useful interface backed up by a strong feature set." Martonik highlighted the app's compatability with varied screen sizes and cross-device syncing.[16] Engineering & Technology's Bryan Betts and Kris Sangani remarked that it was an optimal podcasting app for efficiently managing mobile data and storage when searching for recent episodes, describing it as being faster than most RSS readers.[50]

In a 2015 The Verge article, Chris Welch considered the main advantage of the Android app its design, which featured "fluid animations" and shifting color schemes. He praised its "seemingly endless array" of settings, despite its speed and volume functions not being executed "as well as some other apps."[51] Jill Duffy from PCMag argued that the variety of settings, such as its skip options, were the highlight of the app.[52] The podcast discovery experience was deemed "slightly above average, but nothing to write home about."[53]

Wired writer David Pierce stated that Pocket Casts became the best iOS podcast app with the 2016 6.0 update, which brought it "into full-fledged modernity." Podcast search was praised for its ease, and Pierce favorably contrasted the presence of certain specialized settings with the "simple" interface.[21] Reviewing the iOS app's 6.5 version in 2017, Glenn Fleishman of Macworld deemed the app fresh and fast with decent podcast recommendations on the Discovery tab. Fleishman appreciated how the "straightforward" Up Next queue was integrated into the main screen focused design, but remarked on the lack of support for separate lists.[54]

By its NPR 2018 purchase, Pocket Casts had over 500 thousand downloads on Google's Play Store[7] and, as reported by podcasting analytics company Podtrac, accounted for about 2% of podcast downloads and streaming.[6] That year, the app's design and "comprehensive" features were praised by Engadget's Billy Steele, who highlighted the ease of podcast searching and settings navigation.[26] Carrie Marshall of MacLife complimented the filtering and syncing functions of Pocket Casts 7.0 and found the design simple and attractive, despite criticising the interface on the iPad.[27] Vulture podcast journalist Nicholas Quah regarded the user experience as smooth, easy to use and recommended for casual listeners, placing Pocket Casts as the best podcast app.[41]

Ban

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Notes

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  1. ^ Before this, users had the option to use Pocket Casts on the Apple Watch as a companion app (without offline support).[23]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e http://archive.today/2024.07.01-141002/https://www.vulture.com/2021/07/pocket-casts-new-owners-wordpress-automattic.html
  2. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20180513124528/https://www.imore.com/iterate-43-pocket-casts-and-going-android-first (event occurs between 0:40 and 1:52)
  3. ^ https://gizmodo.com.au/2011/03/developers-cubed-celebrating-aussie-developers-7/
  4. ^ a b https://web.archive.org/web/20120302082738/https://blog.shiftyjelly.com/2011/01/27/introducing-pocket-casts/
  5. ^ a b https://web.archive.org/web/20130411035041/http://blog.shiftyjelly.com/2011/03/08/can-android-and-ios-co-exist/
  6. ^ a b c http://archive.today/2018.05.03-210536/https://www.wsj.com/articles/public-radio-organizations-buy-pocket-casts-1525366680
  7. ^ a b c d https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/npr-this-american-life-pocket-casts-acquisition-1202797289/
  8. ^ a b c https://www.engadget.com/2018-05-03-npr-this-american-life-pocket-casts-podcast-app.html
  9. ^ https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/2/21161094/pocket-casts-podcasts-spotify-bbc-studios-investment-npr-american-life
  10. ^ a b https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/16/22580023/automattic-pocket-casts-podcast-app-tumble-wordpress
  11. ^ https://www.techradar.com/news/adding-podcasts-to-wordpress-sites-just-got-a-lot-easier
  12. ^ https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/25/22900145/amazon-music-my-favorite-murder-podcast-deal-hot-pod
  13. ^ https://techcrunch.com/2022/10/21/podcast-app-pocket-casts-goes-open-source/
  14. ^ https://www.theverge.com/2013/2/27/4030650/best-new-apps-pocket-casts-android
  15. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20140830204258/http://www.androidcentral.com/pocket-casts-4-hit-google-play-february-and-it-s-awesome
  16. ^ a b https://web.archive.org/web/20140709011034/http://www.androidcentral.com/pocket-casts-4
  17. ^ a b https://www.theverge.com/2013/2/27/4035556/pocket-casts-4-0-android-podcast-app-hands-on
  18. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20140317121100/https://www.androidcentral.com/pocket-casts-45-adds-chromecast-support
  19. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20160823023545/http://www.androidcentral.com/one-our-favorite-podcatchers-gets-material-design-update
  20. ^ https://9to5mac.com/2016/07/27/pocket-casts-6-update/
  21. ^ a b https://www.wired.com/2016/07/pocket-casts-podcast-app-every-iphone-user-needs/
  22. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20170525024415/http://www.androidcentral.com/pocket-casts-nougat-multi-window-update
  23. ^ a b c d https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/14/18094835/pocket-casts-7-app-features-redesign-podcasts-ios-android
  24. ^ https://9to5mac.com/2018/11/14/pocket-casts-update-shortcuts-more/
  25. ^ a b https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/podcast-app-pocket-casts-relaunches-hoping-to-make-podcasts-less-excruciating-to-find/
  26. ^ a b c https://www.engadget.com/2018-11-14-pocket-casts-podcasts-app-redesign.html
  27. ^ a b https://www.pressreader.com/uk/mac-life/20190205/ ("Pocket Casts 7", p. 62)
  28. ^ https://www.engadget.com/2019-12-18-pocket-casts-2019-top.html
  29. ^ https://www.windowscentral.com/pocket-casts-windows-phone-now-available-supercharge-your-podcast-experience
  30. ^ https://thenextweb.com/news/pocket-casts-opens-web-based-podcast-player-heres-need-know
  31. ^ http://archive.today/2015.05.04-030204/http://www.androidcentral.com/pocket-casts-brings-podcasts-your-ride-android-auto
  32. ^ https://9to5mac.com/2016/08/18/pocket-casts-podcasts-carplay/
  33. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20170720044834/https://blog.shiftyjelly.com/2017/07/20/pocket-casts-sonos-support-beta/
  34. ^ https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/27/18243069/podcasts-pocket-casts-alexa-skill-features
  35. ^ a b https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/16/pocket-casts-apple-watch/
  36. ^ a b https://9to5google.com/2023/07/13/pocket-casts-wear-os-app-release/
  37. ^ https://9to5mac.com/2024/06/27/pocket-casts-desktop-app-v2-launches-for-mac-and-windows-with-streamlined-experience/
  38. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20181121043300/https://www.androidcentral.com/pocket-casts-7-update
  39. ^ https://www.imore.com/how-manually-add-podcasts-apple-podcasts
  40. ^ https://www.techradar.com/audio/audio-streaming/google-podcasts-is-now-officially-gone-here-are-my-favorite-iphone-and-android-alternatives
  41. ^ a b http://archive.is/2024.07.24-125547/https://www.vulture.com/article/best-podcast-apps.html
  42. ^ a b c d e https://www.theverge.com/23891397/google-podcasts-youtube-spotify-alternatives-pocket-casts
  43. ^ a b https://uk.pcmag.com/mobile-apps/145239/the-best-podcast-player-apps-for-2023
  44. ^ a b https://web.archive.org/web/20200414120729/https://www.androidcentral.com/pocket-casts-76-brings-custom-toolbars-new-next-screen-and-indigo-theme
  45. ^ a b c https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/17/20870656/pocket-casts-plus-podcast-app-subscription-update-price
  46. ^ https://venturebeat.com/business/pocket-casts-goes-freemium-but-resists-paywalled-podcasts/
  47. ^ https://www.engadget.com/2019-09-17-pocket-casts-podcast-app-free-version.html
  48. ^ https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/19/20873611/pocket-casts-plus-premium-web-desktop-apps-changes-rollback
  49. ^ https://www.windowscentral.com/pocket-casts-backtracks-will-now-give-paid-customers-lifetime-access-pocket-casts-plus
  50. ^ https://digital-library.theiet.org/content/journals/10.1049/et.2013.0733
  51. ^ https://www.theverge.com/2015/6/4/8725311/best-podcast-app-android-pocket-casts-doggcatcher-stitcher
  52. ^ https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/pocket-casts-for-iphone
  53. ^ https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/pocket-casts-for-android
  54. ^ https://www.macworld.com/article/229681/pocket-casts-65-review-ios-podcast-app-emphasizes-graphics-and-simplicity.html
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