
Overcast – A powerful yet simple iPhone podcast player - haraball
https://overcast.fm/
======
autodidakto
Managing your podcasts can be a complicated thing.

Shows and episodes can exist in different states and use cases. Do I listen to
every episode of this show? Most episodes? Just dip in and out every once in a
while? How can a UI accommodate this?

Do I download? Stream? Per episode? Per show? Sometimes one, sometimes the
other? What about tools to manage my download queue? Maybe I have lots of
bandwidth at the office, but I have 1mpbs at home. I've yet use a podcast app
(I think I've used them all) that has a playlist setting to exclude certain
shows. I've been unable to to create a playlist that has the "All Shows" feed
from popular networks, doesn't make other playlists (based on episode state)
unmaintainable.

Settings at the global level. Settings at the playlist level. Settings at the
show level. Settings at the current playing episode level...

Downcast, with it's Windows-like feature set and UI, has given me the most
power. I have complaints with it (Bloated UI; I want PocketCasts's playback
speed slider and "skip first X seconds" feature), but every other app seems to
go in the "less is more... until it's not enough and I go back to downcast"
direction.

Overcast has some smart features. (What about an "alert me of any appearance
of my favorite guest, whatever the show" feature)? I hope it convinces people
that there is still room to grow.

~~~
berberich
I've also found that Downcast has given me the most control over my podcasts.

One thing I haven't found yet, though, is a client that offers a playlist or
podcast level setting where I can say I want to download the oldest unplaced
episode for a show. iTunes has such a sync setting for TV shows, for example,
and it would be very handy for podcasts where I'm working my way through an
archive.

There is probably a limited audience for such a feature, however, so I'll
probably have to keep waiting.

------
solutionyogi
I really love the no-nonsense FAQ:
[https://overcast.fm/skeptics_faq](https://overcast.fm/skeptics_faq)

I wish everyone would write such clear and concise FAQ. I especially love the
answer to question 'Why is the app free?'

I loved the Instapaper app and will definitely buy this app. The current
podcasts app on iOS platform are terrible. The only app I am able to tolerate
is 'Downcast'.

~~~
jonny_eh
I think PocketCasts is pretty awesome. So far Overcast isn't doing that much
more for me than PocketCasts.

~~~
rogerbinns
Is the iOS version of PocketCasts as bad as the Android version? The Android
version does fundamentally work, but isn't robust. For example it will
randomly stop playing mid podcast for no reason, forget that it is playing a
sequence of podcasts, play two hours after pressing the play button, forget
play position and revert to an earlier one, not sync play status between
devices reliably and the list goes on. None of these are a big deal if you
have the app in your pocket but are awful if you are driving since they
require interaction to fix.

~~~
julianz
Weird. I use Pocket Casts on both an ipad and an Android phone every day with
50 subscribed podcasts and haven't had any of those things happen. Literally
not a single one of those things. Several of those sound like a dodgy
headphone connection though.

The only thing I don't like about it is that it's getting a bit unresponsive
on the ipad 2 when you switch back to the app - takes a few seconds to respond
to buttons.

~~~
rogerbinns
I always connect via bluetooth to my car or to a jambox. The most recent time
it randomly stopped playing was yesterday afternoon while driving - right in
the middle of an episode on a long straight on the highway. For the record I
have never had Google Music randomly stop playing using the same device(s) to
the same car and jambox.

The position loss usually occurs with Dan Carlin's Hardcore History podcast
where each episode is 3 - 5 hours long. I listen to about 30 minutes each time
on the same device and sometimes it just resumes from a previous stop point
rather then the most recent.

To demonstrate it forgetting about playing a list of items, start playing from
an episode filter choosing Play All. Stop playing and then come back later.
The lock screen will show that current playing episode as does the bottom of
the UI. Press play in that. It will then play till the end of that episode and
then stop - ie it forgets you were doing a Play All.

------
skywhopper
Be sure to check the FAQ[1] and the Privacy Policy[2], which clearly explain
the design of the app, the reason for the data that's collected as well as how
the data will be used. I'll be buying the full license right away just to
reward the good behavior. Thanks Marco!

[1] [https://overcast.fm/skeptics_faq](https://overcast.fm/skeptics_faq) [2]
[https://overcast.fm/privacy](https://overcast.fm/privacy)

------
mladenkovacevic
Smart Speed - here is what I thought it was, or what I wished it was: The app
knows how long your commute will be and it attempts to shorten or lengthen the
podcast in an unnoticeable way so that you can fit whole episode(s) into a
single drive/bus ride. I have an annoying habit of sitting in my driveway
waiting for a natural break in the podcast so that I can turn it off with a
clear conscience.

~~~
parm289
Great idea. To start, why not have the app find episodes that match the user's
commute time? For other episodes, an app like Overcast could first apply
SmartSpeed and then speed up the entire episode (ie 1.1x) to match the commute
time. I'm finding myself looking for good (financial) news podcasts that are <
20 mins per episode.

------
solutionyogi
Just bought the app.

Smooth.

That's the only word I can use to describe the experience. Creating an account
and adding my favorite podcast was accomplished in less than a minute. It is
unbelievably polished for version 1. A must buy if you enjoy podcasts.

~~~
supercoder
I wouldn't say unbelievably polished....

In my first 5 minutes of use it: \- Complained no podcasts could be played. \-
Crashed on opening the second time. \- Once I could start playing then (post
crash?) complained that there was no space left on the device when there was.

------
MBCook
Glad to see this is out, it looks nice. If you look at Federico's
review/interview [1] you can find clips of the voice enhancer and gap
shortener, they sound quite good. I know a few people who will probably jump
on this.

I fight with the Podcasts app (and podcasts in iTunes) on a weekly basis. I
would _love_ to replace it with something by a developer with a good track
record like Marco, but I do about 80% of my podcast listening on my Mac and I
don't think the annoyance factor is high enough for me to switch to using only
my iPhone yet.

At the end of Federico's interview Marco says he's considering an iPad or
maybe Mac app in the future, I can only hope.

[1] [http://www.macstories.net/reviews/overcast-
review/](http://www.macstories.net/reviews/overcast-review/)

~~~
k-mcgrady
In the FAQ it mentions a 'basic web app'. I haven't looked into it but you may
be able to play on your desktop through that.

[https://overcast.fm/skeptics_faq](https://overcast.fm/skeptics_faq)

~~~
MBCook
I saw that, but I'm not sure it will fit my needs. More than anything else, I
want to be able to use the "play/pause" key on my keyboard to pause the
podcast. I also really like the idea of the voice booster and I'm guessing
that the web site won't get that (being 'basic' and all).

~~~
mitchell209
Don't expect the web app to become any serious Mac app competitor anytime
soon. Based on Instapaper's website, Marco dislikes working on them. It will
keep basic functionality but his main focus will be on iOS for the foreseeable
future.

~~~
k-mcgrady
I was looking at his twitter earlier and he was asking about Web Audio API's
so maybe he does have plans to improve it.

[https://twitter.com/marcoarment/status/489513461261430786](https://twitter.com/marcoarment/status/489513461261430786)

------
eddyg
The lack of streaming is a bummer. I subscribe to quite a few podcasts and
pick-and-choose which episodes to listen to by streaming them on-demand
instead of downloading everything.

~~~
jonikanerva
"Streaming coming soon"

[https://twitter.com/OvercastFM/status/489448132556509184](https://twitter.com/OvercastFM/status/489448132556509184)

~~~
eddyg
That's good to hear. Thanks for pointing it out. I wonder if streaming will be
a "free" feature or a "premium" feature? For now, it's back to Pocket Casts.

------
geuis
Some feedback. I'm a heavy Downcast user.

1) Didn't import all of my subscriptions. Specifically The Patch from
Roosterteeth. Considering the opml file contains the URL, I don't see why this
happened.

2) At least one or two podcasts I deleted a long time ago got imported. I
haven't examined the opml file but Downcast doesn't show them anymore. So
either Downcast is doing something wrong or the import is.

3) I read the Skeptics FAQ. That's really helpful.

4) Despite the FAQ I still don't see why the account is needed. I very nearly
didn't create an account. If not for knowing who Marco is I never would have.
I feel _very_ strongly about this with apps. Unless there is a clear and
compelling reason to need to signup for a service then I don't.

The design is nice. But there's nothing compellingly different about this app
compared to Downcast. It also has voice speed. It has lots of fiddly bits if
you want to tinker with individual settings. Pay a couple dollars and get
Downcast and you don't need an account.

~~~
robmcm
> 2) At least one or two podcasts I deleted a long time ago got imported. I
> haven't examined the opml file but Downcast doesn't show them anymore. So
> either Downcast is doing something wrong or the import is.

Would you care to hazard a guess as to how Overcast could be getting that data
if it's not in the Downcast export :p

~~~
geuis
I can't even guess without looking at the OPML file.

~~~
nicky0
Seems pretty obvious that it must be in the OPML file. Bet you $100 it's in
there.

~~~
NickWarner775
Bet you $200!

------
mitchty
Normalization! FINALLY

The amount of times I have to touch volume buttons on non normalized podcasts
is nuts.

As long as this works decently or close to downcast in overall use I'll throw
the $5 at this easy.

~~~
autodidakto
Hmm. Normalization means you don't have the change the volume between
podcasts, but better than that would be dynamic range compression. A podcast
with both loud music/effects/screaming and quiet/normal dialogue would be
"evened out". You wouldn't have to adjust volume even within a podcast. I
don't know of any audio player (desktop or mobile) that has this feature. It
would be perfect for podcasts/audiobooks.

~~~
mitchty
I'm just more happy that the quiet people and loud mean I don't need to have
my ears blown out as much.

------
arrrg
It’s a really nice app and I bought it instantly. The App Sore’s podcasting
landscape is filling out nicely, with a diverse selection of high-quality apps
for many different tastes. I wish there were as good a selection of apps for
many other purposes.

There are Instacast, Downcast and Pocket Casts with tons of features, though
all with slightly different approaches to UI and graphic design. A nice
selection for anyone who wants every feature and everyone who has a very
particular and personal way of listening and organising podcasts that doesn’t
fit with the way simpler apps organise the podcasts. For me their design (both
UI and graphic design which in many cases is just awful) is a bit too noisy
and loud and while they do have customisability the developers don’t seem to
have put as much effort into making the experience map well to typical
listening scenarios right out of the box, making you do all the work. For me
personally they are a bit to complex and confusing, but for people who need
the features they are great.

On the other end of the scale is Castro with its simplicity (and excellent
graphic design) that makes it very streamlined to use – if your approach to
listening to podcasts fits with what they designers had in mind. For me it
just fits perfectly. (I really need nothing besides a list of podcasts and a
list of unplayed episodes. That’s perfect for me.) Plus, background downloads
work very well, even if they do consume a bit more battery. I can understand
going with a server component, but it wouldn’t have been an absolute
necessity.

Overcast fits somewhere between the Instacast-Castro complexity spectrum (with
some cool extra features no one else has), filling that gap.

Sadly, Marco Arment doesn’t have the graphic design prowess of the people who
made Castro, and since my demands are very simple I will stick with Castro for
the time being. But I’m always up to switching it up and I can imagine it
being a great app for many people.

(Those boxes I put those apps into aren’t hermetically sealed. In some
respects Overcast actually is simpler than Castro in very thoughtful way, for
example. But in general those categories work well for me.)

~~~
nicky0
I can see why some people would say Castro's design is better, but to me
Castro is "over-designed". The visual slickness gets in the way of actually
using it. I'd say Overcast is actually better designed, because it is more
usable.

~~~
arrrg
I don’t think it does get in the way and I wouldn’t see how …

But point taken. It uses less standard controls, certainly. I have nothing
against standard controls, my issue with Overcast is more with alignment and
layout (especially the alignment and layout of the podcast images, up there in
a corner).

In the end my willingness to trade usability for graphic design might be
slightly higher than that of many other people (at least those who care).

~~~
zw
As an example (I'm not the guy who you responded to), I've been frustrated in
Castro a number of times while looking at an episode in show's feed because
the native swipe-back gesture takes you back to the list of shows rather than
than that show's feed, and it gets especially annoying considering the lengths
of the transitions involved. It's obnoxious, and something one would get used
to, but I seem to keep forgetting it. It's one of a few elements of navel-
gazing "over"-design… of course the user would follow the steps, they're the
steps! They're right there in the design.

~~~
arrrg
Ha, of course! That’s an issue I also have run into. Luckily it’s not often
that I browse my podcasts that way, but if you do, that clearly sucks.

------
ing33k
Love the Onboarding screen
[https://i.imgur.com/VcBZ4rD.png](https://i.imgur.com/VcBZ4rD.png)

------
isamuel
I've been looking forward to this and was planning on a day one purchase, so
I'm pleasantly surprised to learn that there's even more here than I expected.
Things like Smart Speed and Voice Boost are features I haven't seen anywhere
else, and if they work as advertised, are major innovations.

They're also bred of listening to a lot of podcasts. Marco seems like he's
scratching his own itch with these features, which is always great.

~~~
nicky0
Just as a FYI, RSSRadio has had both silence removal and voice boosting for
some time ([https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/rssradio-podcast-
downloader/...](https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/rssradio-podcast-
downloader/id386600664?mt=8))

------
ZanderEarth32
Easily the best user on-boarding experience of any podcast app I've used.

I was afraid I was going to have to manually subscribe to all my feeds again,
but they were imported smoothly. Creating an account couldn't have been easier
either.

I also really like that there is a "Delete Account" option front and center,
letting me know I won't have to jump through hoops to get rid of my account.

------
voxmatt
I feel a bit bad being so superficial, as the app has real merits, but the
design is really painful. The app icon is just awful and, unfortunately, it is
only a hint of what's to come upon launching the app. I hope it's successful
enough to allow Marco some funds to hire a designer.

~~~
chipotle_coyote
Each to their own, of course, but I find the design pretty good on the whole.
The app icon was designed by Pacific Helm, so he _did_ hire a designer (and a
pretty well-respected one); I'm not sure what the argument against it is.
(Other than the subjective one, obviously.) And most of the interior is just
typography, in a style that, at least to my eye, is pretty reminiscent of the
UI for _The Magazine._ (Surprise.)

I suppose if you hate orange, you're going to find the whole thing pretty
hideous. (But if you hate orange how can you bear Hacker News?)

------
rglover
Awesome that there's a category called "Turns Out" in the Add Podcast list.

~~~
frou_dh
Made me laugh. IIRC that's Merlin Mann's characterisation of material based on
surprising factoids and "everything you think you know about x is wrong" type
stuff.

BTW you should all strongly consider listening to the _Roderick on the Line_
podcast. The latest episode is a good one.

------
w4
I've never seen the tab bar put in the navigation bar before, and I really dig
it. I'm actually in the process of designing an education app that plays
audio, and have been debating how to avoid a hamburger/basement menu or
gestures since the main audience for the app is older, and assumably less tech
savvy. Putting the tab bar on top is a clever, and in hindsight incredibly
obvious, compromise, since it provides for a now playing status bar on the
bottom of the screen without hiding menu options. Nice.

~~~
k-mcgrady
>> "I've never seen the tab bar put in the navigation bar before"

I don't think it's a tab bar in the navigation bar. It just seems to be four
buttons on a UIToolbar equally spaced.

Edit: Strange that this was down voted...care to explain why? It's almost
certainly not a tab bar. A tab bar switches view controllers. The buttons on
this bar present new ones modally leaving the current view controller in
place.

~~~
nicky0
My guess: because you used "just", which has the linguistic effect of
belittling this four-button-toolbar innovation. I guess you didn't mean to do
that, but you did anyway. I didn't down vote you BTW.

------
hodgesmr
At first glance, it doesn't look like it currently supports video podcasts.
This is a bummer. Hopefully shows up in future versions or IAP

~~~
smackfu
I'm surprised anyone still distributes their own video podcast, rather than
just putting it up in a channel on YouTube. The bandwidth bill seems like it
would kill you.

~~~
hodgesmr
Some of the videos I subscribe to are produced my large media companies (Cable
News). So I could see how content ownership would be important.

~~~
dublinben
I'm surprised any large media companies are distributing any video content for
free these days. Everything seems to be locked up onto proprietary video
platforms, or sold piecemeal in stores like iTunes.

~~~
hodgesmr
Most of the major news outlet in the US (NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, FOX) offer
many of their programs for free. It's nice to get morning news when I wake up
or drive to/from work.

------
incision
Looks great.

I've actually been looking forward to this after hearing about it on ATP for
months now. I was wondering what could be done to differentiate and I'm
pleasantly surprised - smart speed and voice boost are killer features if they
work as described.

Perhaps in a few years there will be an Android port I can buy and use to
listen to Marco talk about how no one buys Android apps.

------
smackfu
Ok, the live levels display is adorable. And it displays even when you go back
to the list. I am delighted, dammit.

------
pinder
Being able to import from the ios Podcasts app would be useful. Who knows the
RSS urls for podcasts any more?

------
jeffcox
Really liking the smart speed and voice boost features. Feels like a huge
improvement on my favorite podcast (Gear Geeks Live) which typically has audio
quality issues.

Don't like getting hit up for an email address right off the bat, but Marco
has a pretty solid track record.

~~~
robmcm
Yes it would be nice to avoid this until you are sold.

It would also be nice to have an explanation as to why it's needed (web client
etc).

~~~
slig
From the faq [1]:

> Why an email address instead of a username?

> Password resets.

> I tried usernames with Instapaper at first, but people forgot their
> passwords and got locked out of their accounts all the time. It was by far
> the top support problem. Email addresses fix that. (Nothing’s stopping you
> from entering a fake address, but if you forget your password, I won’t be
> able to help.)

[1]: [https://overcast.fm/skeptics_faq](https://overcast.fm/skeptics_faq)

------
goeric
I really like this. Can you please add the ability to stream a podcast (play
while downloading). That would sell me on this completely.

~~~
pfranz
[https://twitter.com/OvercastFM/status/489448132556509184](https://twitter.com/OvercastFM/status/489448132556509184)
\- Streaming coming soon

------
eberfreitas
Maybe a little off-topic but which podcasts do you guys listen to? Any good
tips on entrepreneurship / hacking podcasts?

------
rimantas
"About" screen is a very nice touch. I don't think I saw another up doing it
this way.

------
supercoder
I can't believe it lacks streaming support. The download model is far
outdated.

~~~
skrause
Why? My client automatically downloads all new podcasts when I'm at home using
WiFi. Later I walk or drive through areas where the cell phone reception is
not really reliable, steaming podcasts would stop all time. The download model
is still the best by far.

------
caiob
The feature list make this purchase a no-brainer. Excellent App.

------
brownie
Anyone know if it does episode bookmarking/favourites?

~~~
nicky0
No, it doesn't seem to. EDIT: actually it does seem to have some kind of
"star" feature but hitting the star asks me to sign in to Twitter.

------
pflats
Overcast's settings page encourages you to try Marco's competitors if you
don't like his app, right above the export option. Ballsy and classy.
([http://i.imgur.com/xO09x8d.png](http://i.imgur.com/xO09x8d.png))

It's a shame his two tentpole features (Smart Speed, Voice Boost) are locked
behind the paywall, though. I'd have liked to try them out before dropping a
sawbuck. Not sure if that's part of Apple's "no time-limited demos" policy, a
business decision, or both.

edit: apparently I should have tried the effects menu before posting; they are
apparently available for 5 minutes at a time without paying. (I say apparently
because I already unlocked the app and can't easily verify the replies below.)

~~~
untog
_Ballsy and classy._

To me it feels a little haughty. Basically, "if you think anything in this app
is wrong, you are incorrect, and should go elsewhere"

Don't get me wrong, it's Marco so he has earned the right to dictate how an
app is. It strikes me as more funny than anything else, but I wouldn't want
people to see this and think they can replicate it without having a big name
to back it up.

~~~
rsynnott
> Basically, "if you think anything in this app is wrong, you are incorrect,
> and should go elsewhere"

To be honest, that isn't a terrible approach to take with this sort of app.
Sure, there'll be some problems that he'll want to fix, but it's the sort of
thing where people have differing personal preferences, and you're never going
to please everyone.

EDIT: Also, I think I remember him talking before about how he implemented
things due to user demand on Instapaper that ultimately didn't really fit, and
which he regretted. Was on a podcast, unfortunately, so no link.

------
mentos
I clicked the page, scrolled up and down, did not see visually what this was
and left.

~~~
tizzdogg
A powerful yet simple iPhone podcast player?

