Pocket Casts: Create Playlists for Your Favorite Podcasts

Pocket Casts Introduces Podcast Playlists

Pocket Casts, the podcast application developed by Automattic – the company behind Tumblr – has unveiled a new functionality. This allows users to construct personalized podcast playlists, enabling them to arrange their preferred episodes in a desired sequence.

Users have the option of building playlists manually or leveraging Pocket Casts’ automated playlist generation capabilities.

Enhancing the User Experience and Growth

The introduction of playlists is strategically designed to refine the listening experience for Pocket Casts users. This initiative supports the app’s objective of expanding its subscriber base and strengthening its competitive position against larger podcasting platforms.

Currently, Pocket Casts boasts 60,000 paying subscribers, while Spotify reports a significantly larger figure of 281 million.

Versatile Playlist Applications

This new feature simplifies the process of assembling curated collections centered around particular subjects or themes.

It also provides a convenient method for listening to content from a favorite podcast guest appearing on various different shows.

Furthermore, playlists are ideal for preparing listening queues for extended travel or daily commutes.

Creating and Managing Playlists

To initiate the creation of a manual playlist, users should navigate to the Playlists section on the main screen.

On mobile devices, select the “+” icon; on the web version, choose “New playlist.”

From there, you can browse your subscribed podcasts and select the episodes to add to your custom playlist.

Smart Playlists for Automated Organization

For those preferring automation, Pocket Casts provides Smart Playlists.

Selecting the “Smart rules” button allows the creation of custom criteria for automatically collecting episodes.

For instance, a rule can be established to include only episodes shorter than 25 minutes.

Alternatively, playlists can be filtered to display only unplayed or downloaded content.

This functionality is particularly beneficial for individuals with limited free time who wish to maximize their listening opportunities.

Platform Availability

The Playlist feature is currently accessible on the web version and desktop applications.

A rollout to Android users is already in progress, and availability on iOS devices is anticipated shortly.

Strategic Move Towards Accessibility

This update follows Pocket Casts’ recent decision to offer its web player free of charge to all users.

This move further solidifies Pocket Casts’ position as a robust competitor within the podcasting landscape, particularly against major platforms that restrict content behind subscription paywalls.