Overcast (app)

Overcast is a podcast app for iOS that was launched in 2014 by founder and operator Marco Arment. Since its launch, Overcast has received positive reviews.

Overcast

The main podcast subscription screen of Overcast
Original author(s)	Marco Arment
Developer(s)	Overcast Radio, LLC (Marco Arment)
Initial release	July 2014; 10 years ago (2014-07)[1]
Stable release	2024.8.1 / 10 August 2024; 3 months ago (2024-08-10)[2]
Platform	iOS iPadOS watchOS CarPlay MacOS VisionOS Web
Size	14.7 MB
Available in	English
Type	Podcast player
License	Proprietary
Website	overcast.fm

Founder and operator

Arment was also the Chief Technology Officer of Tumblr and founder of Instapaper^[3] before founding Overcast, and he had created his own podcasts before launching the app.^[4] In March 2023, Arment told The Vergecast how he built and maintains Overcast by himself, and that he uses ad banners promoting podcasts to cover the costs of the free app.^[5]

Features and reception

In 2014, Overcast received positive reviews from MacWorld^[6] and iMore.^[7] In 2015, The Verge^[8] and The Sweet Setup^[9] each named it the best podcast app for iOS that year. In 2017, Discover Pods gave an endorsement citing the "smart speed" feature, which shortens quiet gaps in a podcast.^[10]

In April 2019, Overcast introduced a feature that allowed users to share clips from podcasts to social media.^[11] In January 2020, Overcast was updated to allow users to skip the intros and outros of podcasts.^[12][13]

In March 2021, Lifehacker writer David Murphy reviewed Overcast positively, citing its Apple Watch integration.^[14] In 2022, Bradley Chambers of 9to5Mac said Overcast was his favorite iOS player, alongside Pocket Casts, and that Overcast was notable for its audio quality.^[15]

References

1. Arment, Marco. "Overcast". Marco.org. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
2. "Overcast on the App Store". apple.com. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
3. Bilton, Nick (September 23, 2010). "Instapaper Goes From Hobby to Start-Up". The New York Times. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
4. Viticci, Federico (16 July 2014). "Overcast Review". Retrieved 5 July 2023.
5. Cranz, Alex (20 March 2023). "One of the best podcasting apps you know is built by a single person". The Verge. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
6. Snell, Jason (16 July 2014). "Review: Overcast is a winning podcast app". MacWorld. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
7. Ritchie, Rene (16 July 2014). "Overcast for iPhone review: Podcasts reconsidered". iMore. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
8. "The best podcast app for the iPhone". The Verge. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
9. "Our favorite podcast client for iOS". The Sweet Setup. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
10. "I Finally Made the Switch from Apple Podcasts App to Overcast". Discover Pods. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
11. Perez, Sarah (29 April 2019). "Overcast makes it easy to turn clips from podcasts into viral clips". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
12. Statt, Nick (31 January 2020). "Podcast app Overcast adds automatic intro skipping and overhauled Voice Boost feature". The Verge. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
13. Fingas, John (2 February 2020). "Overcast can skip podcast intros and outros". Engadget. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
14. "Overcast Is Now the Best Podcast App for Apple Watch, Too". Lifehacker. 1 March 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
15. Chambers, Bradley (26 March 2022). "What's the best podcast app for iPhone? (Updated for 2022)". 9to5Mac.com. Retrieved 5 July 2023.

External links

• Overcast on the App Store