Listening to Spotify podcasts: everything you need to know

From Mel Robbins to The New York Times and everything in between, the seemingly unstoppable podcast train pulls through stations like there’s no tomorrow (we even have our own SoundGuys podcast). While not for everyone, they are increasingly popular and allow listeners to get closer to their favorite celebrities. They can also serve as educational resources on everything from cooking to politics. Much of the mainstream success of podcasts is owed to the intuitive and versatile user experience of popular streaming platforms. While there are many podcast services, Spotify is second only to YouTube. Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of it for all of your audio-visual needs.

What are Spotify podcasts?

Spotify is best known as one of the most popular global music streaming services. However, on May 20, 2015, the company expanded its offerings beyond music by adding podcasts and video clips to the platform. Available on Windows, Android, iOS, and more, fans can discover, stream, download, and enjoy over 6 million podcast titles. Notably, the interface is revered for its seamless integration with many devices.

Who are Spotify podcasts for?

Spotify has a dedicated app that works on desktop, mobile, and tablet across most major operating systems. These include Android 7.0+, iOS 15+, macOS X 11.0+, Windows 10 (64-bit), and Windows 11+. The app is also available in some cars, TVs, gaming consoles, and smart watches, although this differs from one device to the next. Smart home devices like the Amazon Echo and Google Nest also benefit, as do digital media players like Roku. However, it is always worth checking with the manufacturer for compatibility information.

Those without the app can stream their favorite podcasts from Spotify’s Desktop Web Player. This is currently supported in the Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, and Safari browsers. While not an officially supported platform, you can also install Spotify on your Linux device. The experience will likely differ from Spotify Desktop on Windows and Mac. However, you can download and install Spotify on the Ubuntu Software Center, from the command line with snap, or as a Debian package.

How can you find good shows on Spotify?

Spotify offers a head-spinning selection of shows and has recently shifted away from exclusivity deals with major podcasters. For example, Spotify announced that Alex Cooper’s popular $60 million Call Her Daddy show would be available on all platforms six months before the end of the deal term. While exclusivity helped Spotify get ahead of rivals like Apple in the past, the company seems eager to leverage competition from advertising demand (aka, streaming volume).

Fans can use Spotify’s Search tab to browse shows based on popularity, current events, or genre. There are also podcasts tailor-made for children, although strangely, these are not available on the company’s dedicated Spotify Kids app. Selecting the Podcasts tab on the app’s Home page offers personalized recommendations based on your listening history. You can also tap the Podcasts tab on the Search page to select shows by category. These are broken down into sections like Podcast Charts, New Releases, Video, Comedy, and more.

It is worth noting that Spotify’s search functionality takes some getting used to. This is especially true, given the company recently replaced term matching with Semantic Search. For example, you cannot browse for shows by words uttered in specific episodes. Instead, you need to know the podcast and episode title or keywords in the description to avoid scrolling through an entire catalog. Mercifully, you can filter downloaded or unplayed podcast episodes and sort them by newest or oldest to find your next stream. You can also mark episodes as “finished” or “not finished” to refine your results or tap “More like this” to discover similar podcasts.

How do you stream Spotify podcasts offline?

You can download podcasts for offline play with Spotify Free and Spotify Premium. The process on the Spotify app and Desktop Web Player is the same and is pretty simple:

1. While online, navigate to the podcast episode you want to download.
2. Tap the hollow downward arrow icon.
3. Wait for the icon to turn solid green.

By default, Spotify uses WiFi to save mobile data usage. However, you can follow these steps if you need to download your podcasts with mobile data:

1. Open the Spotify app and select the Home tab.
2. Tap your profile picture at the top.
3. Select Settings and privacy from the menu.
4. Navigate to Data-saving and offline.
5. Under Downloads and streaming, switch Downloads over cellular to on.

You can manage your downloaded content in a few ways. For example, you can view your saved podcasts by selecting the Library tab in the Spotify app and tapping the “Podcasts and courses” or “Downloaded” filters. Episodes are saved to your device in the “Your Episodes” folder. You can also download future episodes by navigating to your chosen podcast, tapping the cog icon, and enabling Auto-download episodes. Downloaded episodes can be removed by selecting the podcast and tapping Remove download.

How much do Spotify podcasts cost?

Most Spotify podcasts are free, no matter which subscription tier you use. This includes Spotify Free, where you can listen to unlimited episodes of unlimited shows and download podcasts for offline listening at no extra charge. However, you will still receive adverts that you would otherwise avoid with a paid-for Spotify subscription.

That said, some podcast creators charge designated subscriptions to access their shows. These are independent from Spotify premium subscriptions, allowing fans to support their favorite podcasters by purchasing exclusive content. Some often-included perks are ad-free listening, bonus content, early episode access, and archived shows. Spotify highlights these subscription-only podcasts with a padlock icon. If desired, you can sign up by doing the following:

1. Navigate to the podcast show page.
2. Find the subscribe link in the show description.
3. Enter your details and tap Subscribe.

You can then unlock and listen to the podcast by tapping Activate on Spotify or copying the private RSS link and pasting it into a third-party podcast app. Payments automatically renew at the end of the subscription period unless you cancel before the renewal date. If you decide to cancel, check your emails for Spotify’s monthly cancellation link. Content you’ve already paid for will remain available until your next renewal date.

What are some alternatives to Spotify podcasts?

Many compelling alternatives to Spotify have come and gone over the years. For example, the once-popular Google Podcasts was discontinued on April 2, 2024, in a drive to consolidate its audio offerings within YouTube Music. However, while fans can stream their favorite podcasts from the app or via RSS feeds, many complain of YouTube Music’s unintuitive interface and lack of high-end features.

Pocket Casts is a long-time favorite among iOS and Android users and combines a simple UI with a comprehensive list of podcasts. While fans previously needed a Pocket Casts Plus subscription to stream from the web or desktop app, the company made this free on March 11, 2025. Creating a free account allows you to synchronize playback progress across devices, manage podcast queues, and save subscriptions and preferences. Conversely, opting for the paid subscription unlocks 20GB of cloud storage, Up Next Shuffle, Preselect chapters, bookmarked episodes, folders to organize your podcasts, and more.

iPhone owners who use Apple Music as their default streaming service will enjoy Apple Podcasts. This app delivers a comprehensive library of streamable and downloadable content and works seamlessly with AirPlay to cast podcasts to an Apple TV. Unfortunately, there’s no built-in silence trimming feature. Similarly, some of Apple’s discovery features are cluttered, and the app is known for promoting shows that collect ad revenue.

Podcast Addict remains one of the most popular free podcast apps for Android and iOS. It contains an enormous library of podcasts, audiobooks, live-streaming radio, and more. The app also supports YouTube and Twitch channels and features variable playback speed, skip silence options, and Chromecast and SONOS support. The UI is a little outdated. However, it has many playlists, playback, and organization features. It is worth noting that the free version of the app contains advertising. To avoid this, you can pay for a subscription that unlocks additional features, including real-time updates, a playlist widget, and a custom opening screen.

Frequently asked questions about Spotify podcasts