Apple Podcasts now supports web browsers. The audio streaming service, which debuted in iTunes in 2005, is finally a cross-platform service.
You may be aware that Apple Music and Apple TV are already available for web browsers, and so is iCloud, and there are Windows apps for all three services. The Cupertino company surprised everyone when it announced Apple Maps on the web last month. Speaking of which, Apple Maps on the web now supports Firefox, which it didn't when it launched.
Access Apple Podcasts in your browser
This time, there are no such issues. Apple Podcasts supports all major web browsers, including Firefox, Chrome, Edge and Safari. I tested it on Firefox and Brave, and it worked just fine. The audio streaming service is available through the Podcasts app on macOS, but accessing it via a browser can offer a better experience.
So, how to access Apple Podcasts in web browsers? Just head over to https://podcasts.apple.com/. Use the search bar on the left to find a show to listen to. Or you can browse the library, or use the Top Charts to discover podcasts that you may be interested in.
You can listen to episodes without signing in, but there are some limitations. For example, you will need to sign in to your Apple account to listen to episodes that contain explicit content. Signing in is useful for syncing your between devices. If you are already subscribed to some shows (on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac), you will be able to access them quickly via the web app, when you sign in. The only thing that I missed in the web app were the transcripts that are available in the Podcasts app.
Note: Apple Podcasts requires the Google Widevine plugin to be installed in your browser, if you don't have it, then the playback will fail.
When I tried playing some episodes, I ran into a message that said, "An Error occurred. Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and try again." I thought it was uBlock Origin that was causing the problem, but Firefox's Enhanced Protection Tracking turned out to be the culprit, and the website worked fine after I disabled it.
Apple Podcasts on the web is fantastic, while it may be particularly useful for people who have don't have a Mac, i.e. if you have a Windows or Linux computer and an iPhone or iPad, you can also use it even if you don't have an Apple device at all. That's the important thing here, Apple has opened the service for more users. It is worth mentioning that not all podcasts are ad-free, some of them may come with ads. Apple doesn't insert ads in episodes, the podcast's host may embed ads directly in the feed, which is why some shows may contain ads. I couldn't find a way to add podcasts via RSS feeds, but you could probably add it through the Podcasts app on your iPhone or Mac, and then access it via the website.
If you want a standalone desktop app to listen to podcasts, and download episodes, gPodder is a good choice. It is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. Or, if you prefer a browser extension, there is the podStation add-on for Chrome. Android users may want to check AntennaPod on Google Play or F-Droid.
What is your favorite podcast player?
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