Overcast

The best thing about Overcast are its Smart Speed and Voice Boost features. Instead of the standard way to speed up playback, which makes people sound like chipmunks, Smart Speed dynamically shortens silences to speed playback without distortion.

I’ve used Overcast as my main podcast player since 2014, and it claims that Smart Speed has saved me 36 hours. Voice Boost normalizes audio, which is great when listening to podcasts with varying degrees of volume.

Overcast is a universal app, so it works on both iPad and iPhone, and even has a browser-based player. Overcast shines with an overall finish that reflects an attention to detail, the app is elegantly designed and easy to navigate.

However, Overcast is really built for those who listen to a select list of podcasts’ every episode. Even with smart playlists, it isn’t easy to prioritize episodes to only download the ones you want to listen to.

Overcast’s best features, Smart Speed and Voice Boost, save playback time and make podcasts sound better.

Overcast is best for people who subscribe to every episode of a podcast, rather than individual episodes.