As a podcasting fan and enthusiast since its inception in the early 2000s, I've used a lot of podcasting apps. Most recently Downcast on MacOS and iOS. I loved the interface, the way that syncing between the Mac and the iPhone was flawless, and the configurability. However, unfortunately, it seems that Downcast is no-longer being actively maintained. There are bugs in the macOS version that make it impossible to get into the settings, iCloud syncing is broken, and there have been no updates for almost a year nor any communication from the developer.

I set about building a replacement. SOmething with the power, configurability and simplicity of Downcast, with a native MacOS and iOS interface. The app is written in Swift with platform-specific optimisation so the interface feels at home on MacOS and iOS, not like an iOS app that just happens to run on a Mac.

I'm looking for beta testers. I'm waiting for APple to approve the initial builds and I can then make TestFlight links available. I'm looking for both MacOS and iOS testers. Please note this is a first beta so there will be some bugs, but I have been using and enjoying the app daily for a few weeks. Any and all feedback will be appreciated. I am looking for Voiceover testers on both platforms, and feedback on the UI from those who are able. If you are interested, please post in the thread or eMail me via my Applevis profile. I will either invite people directly or provide public testflight links, though I am leaning towards the former for the first beta.

The app runs on iOS 17+ and macOS 14+. Here is an overview of some of its features:

Podcast Playback

Mini-player bar and expandable full-screen player
Skip back / forward with configurable durations (5 s – 120 s)
Chapter-aware skip - snap skip buttons to chapter boundaries instead of a fixed duration
Variable speed from 0.25× to 3.0× in 20 presets; tap to cycle common values
Per-episode speed memory - the rate you set is restored next time you open that episode
Swipe-to-scrub in two modes: Steps (fixed seconds per swipe) or Speed (proportional drag)
Catch-Up - rewinds a few seconds after a configurable pause so you don't lose context
Previous / next episode navigation; double-tap previous to restart the current episode

Sleep Timer

Preset durations: 15, 30, 45, 60 minutes
End of Episode - stops when the current episode finishes
End of Chapter - stops at the end of the currently playing chapter
Stop at a specific clock time, e.g. midnight
Custom duration - dial in any value from 5 to 480 minutes in 5-minute steps
Add 15 minutes to any running timer with one tap
Optional fade-out over the last N seconds before stopping

Queue

Drag-to-reorder queue inspector
Add episodes from any list view
Configurable auto-play strategy when the queue empties: next episode, in-progress, random unplayed, a specific radio station, or stop
10 strategies total including per-podcast random modes

Sharing

Share episode from any episode row or context menu - generates a share sheet with the audio URL, title, and a pre-written message
iOS swipe action for one-step share
Separate option to copy or send only the bare episode URL

Video Episodes

Full-screen video player
Auto-open full-screen when a video episode starts
Expandable video fill mode

Radio

Radio Browser API - hundreds of thousands of live stations searchable by name, country, language, genre, and bitrate
Paginated directory with configurable page size (20 / 50 / 100)
Top-stations chart; genre and country listings
Manual station URL entry for any HTTP/HLS stream
BBC station filter toggle
Radio stream cache with configurable validity (6 h – 144 h) and one-tap clear
Save stations to Favourites; organise into folders with custom name, icon, and colour
Smart folders - auto-populate by rules on name, country, genre, or bitrate; rules combine with AND / OR
Grid and list display modes
Recently Played carousel showing the last 15 stations - tap to resume instantly
Stop at a specific clock time during radio playback
Real-time ICY / Shoutcast metadata - track title and artist on the Lock Screen and mini-player
Configurable buffer duration (5 s – 120 s)
Continue Streaming on Pause - keeps the connection open for instant, gap-free resume

Library & Inbox

Podcast library in grid or list with configurable card density (Compact / Regular / Spacious)
Toggle card details: author, episode count, last-updated date
Sort by title, author, genre, subscription date, or most-recently played
Live text search across the full library
Per-podcast settings override any global default
Inbox aggregates new episodes from all subscribed podcasts
Continue Listening section surfaces in-progress episodes
Live Items - Podcast 2.0 live stream badges for currently broadcasting shows
Inbox filter: All / Unplayed / Downloaded / Partially Played / Marked for Streaming
Inbox sort: Newest, Oldest, Shortest, Longest, Top Podcasts
Global episode limit (configurable; default 100)
Per-podcast "Include in Inbox" toggle
Podcast detail: sticky header with artwork, subscribe, play, download-all, and settings
Episode list with search, three sort orders, and five filter modes
Bulk selection - tick episodes then Mark Played, Download, or Add to Queue in one action
Trailer badge; live item banner with join button
Podroll section linking to related shows
Cast & crew (Podcast 2.0 person tags)

Discovery

Apple Podcasts / iTunes Top Charts by region and genre
Configurable chart size (up to 100 entries)
For You - on-device personalised recommendations based on your most-listened genres; no account required
Full-text search via iTunes Search API and Podcast Index
Scope filter: All / Title / Author; language filter

Playlists

Manual playlists with drag-to-reorder
14 sort orders: manual, date, duration, podcast name, author, genre, play count, and more
Played-episode strategy per playlist: Keep, Delete, or Move to another playlist
Hide-played toggle per playlist
Smart playlists with a rule engine (Match All or Match Any)
Rule targets: Title, Author, Podcast, Genre, Description, Duration, Publish Date, Download Status, Playback Status
Rules re-evaluate live - the playlist always reflects current library state
Auto-Feed Rules - nominate podcasts as sources; new episodes are added to the playlist automatically on sync

Audio Engine

Voice Boost

Dynamic range compression - raises quiet speech, tames loud peaks
Three strength levels: Light, Medium, Heavy
Per-podcast override; separate setting for radio streams

Graphic Equaliser

3 / 5 / 7 / 10 / 12-band EQ (band count configurable per context)
Built-in presets: Flat, Bass Boost, Vocal Boost, Treble Boost, Electronic, Classical, Pop
Custom band editor - drag sliders and save as a custom preset
Per-podcast override; separate setting for radio streams

Smart Speed (Silence Skipping)

Detects and shortens silence in real time
Configurable threshold (−60 dB to −20 dB) and maximum silence duration (0 – 1 s)

Streaming Effects

Voice Boost and EQ can optionally apply to streamed podcast content and radio stations

Downloads & Storage

Auto-download new episodes per podcast (global default + per-podcast override)
Configurable per-podcast episode limit (1 / 3 / 5 / unlimited)
Episodes to keep on device (5 / 10 / unlimited); older files pruned automatically
Delete-when-played - downloaded file removed after the episode completes
WiFi-only download option
Background URLSession keeps downloads running with the app in background
Live download size display (audio and image cache separately)
Max image cache size limit (100 MB / 500 MB / 1 GB / 5 GB)
One-tap clear for audio downloads or image cache (both require confirmation)
iCloud Drive download option - stores files in the app's iCloud container
Move podcast files to a custom folder before unsubscribing
Automatic iCloud backup on a configurable schedule (daily / weekly) - full Simulcast Package archives

Statistics & Insights

Total time listened and peak day summary for the selected range
Streak counter - consecutive days with any listening activity
Bar chart of daily listening: Last 7 Days / Last 30 Days / Last Year / All Time
Calendar heatmap - GitHub-style full-year grid with quartile shading
Top 5 podcasts by total time in the selected range
Weekly listening goal with a circular ring gauge; configurable target (30 min – 10 hours)
Year in Review - total hours, active days, longest streak, top podcast; shareable summary card

Notifications

Per-podcast notification opt-in (global default + per-podcast override)
Priority flag to break through a silenced global setting
Quick actions without opening the app: Play Now, Add to Queue, Mark P...

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Message History

Delivery option(s)