Podbean Podcast App & Player Reviews

by EWillie10

*I used PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer as a listener only*

tldr: not user friendly/unintuitive app that works for listening… sometimes.

PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer overall is not convenient/easy to use. It’s not intuitive, you have to find and figure out the weird ways to use it and get what you want from the podcast app. It’s particularly annoying that you have to make your own podcast page, when you have no intention of creating a podcast, just to listen or become a patron. The patron program is especially aggravating. Signing up isn’t easy and canceling is impossible. I shouldn’t be surprised since PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer has never been user friendly.

The basic point of the podcast, listening, is inconsistent too. At times an episode just won’t play or won’t save your place mid episode. I’ve also noticed that there will be parts of my podcasts that are soundless… I thought it was an issue with the upload or creator but then I realized it was happening during several different podcasts. When I listened to the episodes on a different app, there was no break/silence and I was hearing parts of the episode I missed before.

I was using PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer because my favorite podcast was hosted here and used Podbean for their patron program. I am SO excited they are moving to a different app with an easier/better patron program and host site so I don’t have to use PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer again.

by OtherGh

Glitchy- If I press pause or hit the back button more than once or twice during a podcast, it will stop playing. Won’t go back, won’t go forward, won’t play. I’ve closed and reopened PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer . Tried starting a different podcast, then gone back to the one that stopped- no change. The only way it will start again is to close PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer for several days (ridiculous) or if I delete and reload PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer . Due to this issue I would never use it, but a favorite podcast has bonus content only on Podbean so I listen only to that podcast on PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer .
Difficult to navigate- I’ve probably got about 30 podcasts saved on my Podcast app. My list of shows and episodes comes up immediately and is easy to navigate and toggle through. Using Podbean is like “50 First Dates”- I’m greeted with a generic home screen with no mention of my listening history and recommendations that clearly aren’t relevant. I have to search for the ONE show I listen to every. single. time. Once you finally get to the show you want, you have to go into a menu to have your episode list refresh- otherwise you’d never know that another episode had been released. Glitchy, not intuitive, cumbersome.

by Sarahebeth

I originally posted 5 stars after switching to Podbean. I did love several of the features of PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer that I didn’t have with others, and it never crashed. It also downloaded episodes quickly (I didn’t have mine set to auto download, just chose the individual episodes I wanted), and the downloads deleted immediately after they finished playing space and time. HOWEVER, I just deleted PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer . Podcasts I listened to daily would disappear from my feed. I would have to search for them again to follow and listen. I thought it was me at first, maybe an accident with my touch screen. But then it did again, more than once, it happened with more than one show. I reached out to customer service, but the response was completely useless. Even if they didn’t/don’t have a fix or answer at the moment, the response could have been handled better. I would have preferred them not to answer at all than what I received. I was too annoyed at that point to keep trying. Promptly deleted.

by KellyK376

I really want to enjoy PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer. But everything about it feels backwards, and there’s no option to sort the locked episodes in with the standard ones based on date, which makes keeping up to date super difficult. For some reason downloading episodes is also separate from the original location, and I have no option to have it automatically deleted after I listen to it from that different location, which makes me spend a lot of time on the unsorted list, rather than just seeing the ones I have left to listen to. Clicking on an episode automatically begins the recording, rather than popping up with options about it. What happens when you tap the wrong episode? Now it’s redirected you to a new page, and you’ve got to backtrack to get to the right one.

It’s exhausting, honestly, and if I didn’t have to use it to reasonably access the bonus content I get, I would just delete it. I wonder if they’ve got an access link that I can punch into Overcast.

by JB_Smithwick

As many have gone into, PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer’s interface makes No sense. There are multiple ways to search for new content, but what I really need is to get to and view the podcasts I’m already listening to and their episodes.

The episode list is Infuriating. Every podcast I’ve listened to likes to list and play in reverse order...so, for example, when I finish Episode 5, it will autoplay Episode 4, which I just heard. To make matters worse, the episode lists start with only recent episodes shown and then an option to “see more” - which will let you see the next 5-10. Well, God help you if you’re starting to listen to a Podcast with 100+ episodes, as you’ll have to get used to tapping “See More about 25 times at the start of every listening session.

Two stars because it works and many podcasts are available - now just take the time to redo the interface/menus. I’s say ‘fix’ instead of redo, but this steaming pile of hot refuse is beyond repair.

by TDawz

I like PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer because the podcasts I listen too are available on it. What I don’t like is that when I attempt to scrub forward by sliding the little marker ahead, on any podcast, there is always a long buffer period where the “play” button turns into the spinning circle. This goes on literally every time I attempt to jump ahead in a podcast. Doesn’t matter if I’m on wifi or not. As I’m writing this review, I’ve been waiting for my podcast to start playing after I attempted to jump to a random mark in the show.

I contacted support months ago when I first got tired of this issue but the round and round led me to believe they had no idea what I was talking about as they wanted me to send them an example of the issue...so a screenshot?!?!! How would that help?!!?

Hopefully it gets fixed because the “other” podcast app is barely usable either with it’s constant “can’t connect right now errors”..

by Attachment_issues

When I mentioned it in conversation, a friend asked, "Podbean? I don't know that app." I said, "Just a podcast app with the name BEAN in it so you know it must be wholesome!!!" Then I actually __*thought*__ about our relationship. Why did I put up with it?! The constant "no connection" message, even when connected to WiFi. The difficulty rewinding, which left me waiting for many long minutes for the audio to randomly reload-- like the anxiety for a text response from a date, you fear, is just not that into you. Pressing backup 30 seconds several times only to end up at the same minute mark! Talk about poor communication. Or opening PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer with anticipation only to see the Discover page with suggestions that made me feel like you didn't even know me. Sometimes, Podbean, I don't even know why we did this. I think you just seemed so good, so genuine, but now I see that you don't nourish or support me at all. You'll call me a sell out, but I need to go with someone bigger; more reliable. Thanks for the memories; I wish you well.

by Spicey90

I love PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer with all it's features, especially the control that you have over playlists, and batch managing podcast episodes. It's perfect for someone like me who listens to nearly 20 episodes a week of different podcasts.
However, there are a couple of small bugs that keep me from rating it five stars. When I'm connected to a Bluetooth device, the first time I try to play from PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer , it will stop immediately. I have to press play a second time for a podcast to play. Second, PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer will not always delete played episodes from a playlist. And third, PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer will often disappear from the lock screen when paused.
Edit: I dropped my review from four to three stars because PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer stopped automatically playing the next episode, even after turning the option off and back on and restarting PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer .

by ABamaBelle

Well, I had high hopes that the new update would fix the ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ podcast, which hasn’t worked for quite a good while. Unfortunately it is still not working..will not download or play at all. If you look at the comments on the podcast, you will see that others are complaining about this as well. I would appreciate it if you could look into this and get it back up and running again. Please and thank you.
I received your email reply to my review, which stated:
“Thanks for your feedback. We checked the ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ podcast. It is password-protected content. That's why you could not play it.”
Ok...and the solution to the problem is...what??What do I have to do to have the right to make it play again, because it used to work for me just fine?? Thanks.

by TEP1115

The features I love about PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer are:
-Very easy to make playlists (the main thing I couldn’t find on several other free apps!)
-Keeps listen history so I can easily return to a podcast I didn’t follow or save to a playlist
-Customizable order in which episodes and follow list appear (oldest, newest, etc)
-In general just very easy to keep track of the podcasts I want to listen to

Thankfully, all of the bugs/ features I don’t like are pretty minor, but it would definitely improve the experience if they were fixed:
-Often pauses immediately after I click play, so I have to hit play again. I listen on Bluetooth and saw another review mention this same problem.
-Audio controls disappear from lock screen if you pause for more than a couple seconds (saw this in another review as well)
-When I’m browsing PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer and the episode is paused, clicking anywhere on the bottom bar to return to the episode (not just the play icon in the bottom right) automatically plays it. I think there should be a way to return to the episode while keeping it paused, and it should only play if I hit a play icon.
-The green downloaded icon does not always appear by recently downloaded episodes, so I frequently have to double check
-The skip 15/30s doesn’t work when the episode is paused
-It would be nice if the catalog of shows/categories was more extensive in order to discover more new shows.

by Holbytla-ess

First off, I’ll start w the bug. When streaming content (I know your default is downloading a new episode, and sometimes I end up listening to old ones), the time/progress bar doesn’t work. Both ends say “00:00” and the red line doesn’t move. This means that the step-back and step-forward buttons do crazy things when you push them. Pls fix? (Note: downloaded episodes don’t do this - they work as expected)

The great thing is this is the only other app I’ve found (than Apple’s out-of-box) that allows you to reorder the episodes from old to new, so if you miss a couple days, you can start w the oldest and just listen! I love the look and feel, as well. Thanks soooo much for making a great app!

by Big Squash

Really good podcast, especially when practitioners are interviewed (like a Wes Beavis). The celebrity Christian interviews aren’t that helpful (IMO) from a practical standpoint since it’s like visiting a another church at a conference— what worked in one place doesn’t necessarily work in another. Also, Steve said a couple inconsistent things in his recent cast with Brendan Reed. Steve said integrity was important to him but he later related two examples where he purposely lied to the elders and purposely preached a poor sermon, both to try and “correct” his personal thought and behavior. Really? I get wanting to see personal growth in oneself and leadership team, but does the end justify the means? Seems to make an idol out of “managing leadership anxiety” over against the need for God’s people to hear the good news of Jesus. Anyway, still a great show and I look forward to it. Peace.

by RaveynAngel

I LOVE PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer . I only have two issues with it. I listen to one podcast while driving and that is the only one that I want to download. How can I stop ALL of the other podcasts that I follow from downloading too? If I choose to download another one, let that be my choice please.

The other is that if I hit a “dead zone”, or if I have to pause the episode for more than a few seconds, it stops playing completely, I can’t get that episode to restart. Exiting out of PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer and fully closing it, nope, doesn’t work, switching to a different episode sometimes works and other times they won’t play either. Then I have to wait up to TWO DAYS to be able to get the original episode to play again. I have noticed others who have the same issues… please fix this.

by Seancasm

This company has taken all of the guesswork out of podcasting and created a one stop shop for podcasters. No need to get a website and server space because Podbean has reasonably priced monthly options, with a free option to try it out with. Easily post episode links to any social media account, or email them. It integrates with Apple Podcasts so you can post both places. (Podbean is a better app experience since Apple updated the podcast app, and Podbean is cross-platform) I cannot recommend Podbean enough, and no..I’m not an employee, just a client with a Twenty One Pilots inspired podcast where we discuss the meanings behind their songs. It’s called the All My FRENS podcast.

Stay alive FRENS. |-/

by T-aroma

I am as technologically challenged as you will find anywhere, but ours is a small congregation and I need to make sermons available to people who cannot attend services. I not only deliver the message, but function as what may only euphemistically be called tech support. Our research disclosed Podbean has the best reputation and they turned out to be the ideal solution for us. Getting started was practically painless, even the part about getting the podcasts on iTunes and Google Play. I have only contacted support twice, but the responses were prompt and immediately resolved my issues. I highly recommend the company and plan to continue the association when we move into video recording our material.

by Ahines1

Overall ability to create a podcast is very easy and very clear. search is a bit confusing and inconsistent. Disappointed in conversions from followers to subscribers but overall customer service has been fantastic and extremely responsive and marketing has been extremely responsive. I am pleasantly surprised at the overall online service and very excited about the future. That said it would be great if there were online seminars that people could dial into about how to monetize your podcast or other subjects based on industry expert advice and information that way we could all learn from each other.

by LRC123!!

I have 5 or 6 podcast apps on my phone and have used all at least a bit. I have been using Podbean almost exclusively for the past month+ because there are some many easy to find podcasts. I often work all night on my computer for my business and to keep my mind from wandering, I need to have talk radio or a podcast playing. Although I don’t hear everything I do pick up a lot. And Incan only have a specific type of voice and cadence that doesn’t irritate or distract me. Needless to say, I burn through a LOT of podcasts! And Podbean is the only app I have been able to continually use and find the ‘right’ podcast to play - for hours at a time! Love it!

by Mhfykfkydykdyj

Slowing PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer down just adds an echo or delay. Talk about a grating, unsatisfying, crude, low-tech approach! If, however, you are one of the 99 percentile then you use PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer to speed up your podcast & this idiosyncrasy isn’t an issue.

For 50% speed just say everything twice: I I can’t can’t stand stand this PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer app but but it’s it’s all all I I have have on on my my iPhone iPhone that’ll that’ll play play .80x 80x!!

Why slow down speed? Comprehension & retention. Technical podcasts are how to follow at high speeds. Trying to recall & share a partially understood podcast is impossible. Whether the subject matter is Covid-19 or nutri-genomics, politics, sociology, psychology, physiology, or comedy if you want to understand it enough to intelligently share: slow-it-down ...but without the annoying echo!

by Sbowers9

Podbean is the only podcast app that I've found that when I press the back button on my Bluetooth device, it takes me back 30 seconds on my current podcast. When I press the back key on all the other apps, it takes me to the previous podcast. I don't want to leave my podcast, I just want to re-hear the last 30 seconds because I either didn't understand something that was being said or I was distracted and just want to hear it again. All the other apps - Apple, Stitcher... are designed for music and think you want to go back to the prior song. It's really frustrating because I have to look at my phone, while I'm driving to hit the back 30 seconds button. But with Podbean, I keep my eyes on the road and just tap the back button on my Bluetooth device and I can simply rewind the last 30 seconds - perfect!

by GuckyV

I have constant buffering problems on PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer . At home, at work, everywhere. I know the automatic response is going to be “It’s your connection.”, but it isn’t. It’s not a WiFi issue, because Podbean is the ONLY issue I have on my phone. The worst thing is that if I have to pause a long podcast, I know when I go back to it that it will try to start where I left off but will never play. It just buffers. Right now, as I type this, I’ve been waiting for 15 minutes hoping that an episode of “Something to Wrestle” will start back up but it won’t. I’ll have to shut off and restart my phone just for PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer to work again.

I liked PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer at first but it has become absolute garbage in the last couple weeks. I’m never using Podbean, again.

by Dubstep_JET-Life

So I’ve used PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer for about 2 years, and I even switched to Apple podcast between that time, and let me tell you, I’m so impressed with PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer. The 2 other apps I used including Apple really weren’t up to even the basic podcast app standards. Just take my word for it, this is the only app for Pods I’ll ever use again, now about the bad, there really isn’t a lot, but the occasional crash was happening to me for a while, but it hasn’t happened in a while, but just something to keep in mind. Another thing is that it seems like a couple of my shows I listened to don’t seem to update as fast as the Apple app did for me. But now you know, PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer is really great, but I can’t give it 5 stars knowing the little things wrong with it.

by Tibbys

I appreciate sorting the episodes in order by date, I like to go the beginning of where it started. Two annoying things worth mentioning. It stopped automatically playing the next episode ***(I’m listening to Radiolab only right now so I don’t know if it’s other podcasts. I just texted it before replying to you. Finished listening to an episode from last night. Made sure my setting was still to auto play the next one and sure enough, nothing happened)***. I don’t know why. I had the setting to do so, and it was working fine, then it stopped. I checked the settings and it hasn’t changed so not sure what to do. And two....Once I’ve listened to, let’s say 30 episodes (a lot is the point here), since the next episode isn’t playing automatically, I go to the list and have to painfully scroll down until I find the next episode. Ok a third. Commercials are annoying.

by Chikita11

I have used the Apple podcast app for several years and have been frustrated by many things with it. A friend recently told me about PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer and I love it! It is so much more user-friendly. I love the ease at which I can stop and pickup in the middle of a podcast. I love that I can save a list of episodes for me and a separate list for my kids. I love that I can easily speed up or slow down the playback speed. I especially love that it automatically downloads new episodes into specific folders, which means I can just start listening instead of having to get my queue ready each time I open PodbeanPodcastAppPlayer .

by Revelroads

I feel so blessed to have recently discovered your t.v. show and now your podcast. It came at the perfect time in my life when I’m seeking to expand and enrich my spiritual journey. My daughter and I watch your show and we’re coming to your April event in Encinitas. (We are San Diego natives btw, so welcome!) We’re over the moon about even the remotest possibility of getting messages from our loved ones.
We think you are amazing, thank you for sharing your gifts...and your connections! (I’ve requested a session with your friend and Angel messenger “B”, I’m so excited.)
Thank you for the love and light you bring to our lives.
~Nicole