Shifty Jelly, makers of superior podcast app Pocket Casts, have taken the wraps off a web-based version of their service. For those who signed up to gain early access to the beta, invites are now being sent around.
The interface is consistent with their Android app and syncs with your existing Pocket Casts account. Your list of podcasts is automagically populated in the web interface, and the sync works extremely well between your mobile device and the web app. I’ve tested this listening to a podcast en route to work, then picking up where I left off on the web app.
As you’d expect when something like this goes “public” with a beta, there’s a few things that aren’t quite right or missing compared to their mobile apps. There are a few minor playback issues which the team at Shifty Jelly are aware of through the Alpha Testing group, the playback speed alteration which I use on my phone is missing from the web app (there’s plans to introduce it though). The ease of adding a new podcast to your subscription list is a good counter balance to these minor aggravations.
If this is starting to sound like something you might like to play with , you can sign up for access to the beta here: https://play.pocketcasts.com/register/beta and longer term if you like the look of the Web App and want to have access once the beta has finished it will cost you a once off $9.00 fee.
If you’re a podcast listener who sits in front of a PC all day, this is something that’s definitely worth the time investment to check out the functionality.
Will you jump on the Pocket Casts Web App? Let us know what would make it a must have for you.
This is SO GREAT. I’ve been using Airdroid to listen to podcasts and it’s a nightmare, you have to open a html page to get the name of the mp3 file which is something like “a12010210210fkkach.mp3” then listen to it through airdroid without being able to fast forward or rewind, so too bad if I’ve listened to half of it on my phone already, or download it to my computer and then listen to it. This is awesome.
I’m In !! received the “Early Adopter” email tonight when I got to work (Irony is SO ironic), but managed to give it a quick but careful look over. GREAT STUFF !! There was all my podcasts that I am used to on my Android tablet and phone, in all there up to date glory. Great looking layout and you have to love that “Add Podcast” icon which after being clicked rotates back FROM a + icon to a X icon. Smooth stuff Shift Jelly Guys. I like the cut’er ya jib mateys. It appears through careful reading between the… Read more »
I’ve already paid for the access. I like it a lot, will be great to see the development in coming months.
The UI is great, it’s familiar to anyone that’s used the mobile app but makes better use of the space.
Until they add the ability to change the playback speed I think I’ll be sticking with the mobile app though.