Apple's launched its own Podcast app that lets you explore popular 'casts, and sports a tape-deck style interface. Apple Podcast app goes live, with cryptic 'redeem' button - CNET X ...

Apple has announced that Apple Podcasts is getting a few new notable features with the launch of iOS 17 this fall. ... With iOS 17, listeners tap the Playing Next button to see the next episode.

Apple has, for years, been the de facto app on which people listen to podcasts, partially because of its pre-installation on iPhones. That is, up until Spotify entered the fold in earnest in 2019.

The announcement of the new service, Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, follows shortly after an industry report suggested that Spotify’s podcast listeners would top Apple’s for the first time in 2021.

Apple Podcasts has, and still does, support private RSS feeds, meaning people can publish on Patreon, Supporting Cast, ... But that choice comes at a cost: a lack of an in-app button.

Of all the iPhone users who listen to podcasts, 80% use Apple’s built-in Podcasts app. ... Or, on iPhone X, invoke gesture magic and hold the Podcasts app card until the red button is revealed.

Simply click the “Play” button to do so, but you won’t get any sort of playback controls. In addition to the new interface, Apple Podcasts also now use a dedicated podcasts.apple.com URL.