Podcasts are surging in popularity. And why not? They give you new ideas, expand your horizons in personal and professional growth, and allow you to learn new things in your areas of interest.

Many people listen to podcasts on mobile. If you use a Windows PC, your best options are to use a desktop client. Here are some of the best desktop apps to listen to a podcast on Windows 10.

1. iTunes

iTunes Podcast section in Windows 10

iTunes is a popular podcast client for Windows 10. The Store has an extraordinary selection of podcasts in every category. Its vast catalog and intuitive management features make the app invaluable.

To see the catalog of podcasts, choose Podcasts from the Media Picker, then click Store. In the search field located at the window’s top-right corner, type in your podcast name and press Enter. Click Subscribe to get periodic notifications as and when new episodes are available.

If you’re just getting started, it shows you the best podcast for each category, like news, sports, technology, and more. As you start listening, right-click and choose Love to get better podcasts recommendations.

Pros

  • A vast collection of teaching and learning resources. You can subscribe to podcasts in your language, listen to language courses for free, learn grammar, and practice for IELTS or TOEFL.
  • Options to manage episodes from the podcast library. You can sort episodes, download or delete played items automatically, and more.
  • Create a station to group different types of audio or video podcasts. By default, iTunes includes only the most recent episodes, but you can tweak this.

Cons

  • If you don’t own any iOS devices, using iTunes just for podcasts is overkill. It consumes both CPU and RAM. The user interface still looks old, and you’ll not see many improvements.
  • The smart playlist option automatically chooses songs based on your conditions and trigger. Unfortunately, it’s not available for podcasts. You can only create simple/custom playlists.

Download: iTunes from Apple Website or Microsoft Store (Free)

2. Grover Podcast

grover podcast app for Windows 10

Grover Podcast is an easy-to-use podcast player for Windows 10. The app features a standard split-view menu to allow quick access between My Podcasts, Playlist, Unplayed, and Downloaded.

To subscribe, click the +Subscribe button and paste the podcast feed URL. Check Requires Authentication and type in your credentials for listening to premium (member-supported) podcasts. Or, click the Get podcast in Store button and access the extensive library (use iTunes API) online.

If you’re planning to migrate from iTunes, you can bulk import podcast feeds (Settings > Import and Export) through OPML. You can sort podcasts by alphabet, release date, and tweak podcast settings as well.

Pros

  • Set a sleep timer to stop playing a podcast after a certain period or when the current episode ends.
  • Choose a custom folder to save your downloaded episodes. The settings to download new episodes or delete the ones you played are a click away.
  • Adjust the playback speed, and listen to audio on another device by using Cast to Device.

Cons

  • No automatic download feature or episode notifications for specific podcasts.
  • Create multiple playlists to segregate episodes by favorites, liked, or cataloged manually.

Download: Grover Podcast (Free) | Grover Pro ($3)

3. Moon FM

moonfm podcast client for WIndows 10

Moon FM is a beautiful podcast client for Windows 10. The dual-pane interface features a cutting-edge theme, background, and buttons. To the left, you’ll see the usual podcast options like Discover, Subscriptions, Favorites, and History.

The main view feature podcasts scraped from Podcast Index and iTunes API. Click a podcast to see episode details, change the sort order and QR code to share it with others. Hover your mouse over an episode to play or options to see show notes and shuffle playback order.

Pros

  • Variety of light/dark themes and keyboard shortcut support. And import OPML files from other podcast apps.
  • Built-in live radio with the selection available from US and UK. You can even group podcast subscriptions (Subscriptions > Group Management) into folders.
  • Customize playback layout with the press of a key and configure playback speed.

Cons

  • Lack of built-in sync service. You have to spend time setting up CouchDB or IBM cloud to sync subscriptions between devices.
  • Playlist management is severely lacking. The interface does not guide you in setting up playlists.
  • The ability to download/delete episodes per podcast is absent.

Download: Moon FM ($9.99)

4. MusicBee

musicbee music organizer and podcast client for Windows 10

MusicBee is a music organizer and podcast player for Windows 10. The interface looks a bit text-heavy, but it’s configurable (Menu > Arrange Panels). There are plenty of built-in skins to change the app’s look and feel. The left panel consists of the podcasts, and the main view lists all the episodes and descriptions if any.

Right-click anywhere in the left panel and choose Add Subscription Link. From the dialog box that appears, paste the feed URL and credentials (optional). Or, choose Search Podcast Directory to search your podcast in iTunes Store, Digital Podcasts, and Podcast Index.

Pros

  • Import subscriptions through OPML files and even export them for backup purposes. You can even group subscriptions by folder.
  • Customize the folder structure and naming template for podcasts. Head to Preferences > Library and use the reorganize button to apply changes for downloaded podcasts.
  • Download new items automatically, clean played episodes, and create custom playlists for podcast episodes.

Cons

  • Many podcast-related options are not discoverable in the first place. You’ll find it scattered everywhere. Also, the location of the menu items is not apparent.
  • No sorting option available or variable playback speed. Also, the show notes are just plain text and lack proper formatting.

Download: MusicBee from Microsoft Store | Website (Free)

5. VLC Media Player

subscribe to podcast with VLC media player

VLC is an all-in-one media player to watch videos and listen to music. But did you know that it has an integrated podcast feature among its many hidden features? To subscribe, open the app and choose View > Playlist (Ctrl + L) to activate the playlist interface. In the left panel, scroll to Internet > Podcasts.

Click on the Plus (+) button to open a new Subscribe box. Enter the feed URL of your podcast and click OK. In most cases, you’ll find the link to the podcast feed on the website itself. Wait for a few moments to retrieve the list of episodes. Now right-click an episode and click Play.

Pros

  • If you use VLC for all media-related activities, it makes sense to use the built-in podcast feature.
  • Download the episode for offline playing. Right-click the item and choose Save. From the dialog box that appears, select Dump raw input.

Cons

  • VLC isn’t the most user-friendly option for listening to podcasts. There’s no integrated search feature, and it doesn’t automatically download new episodes.
  • It does not show you the podcast artwork, configure the playback speed, nor let you configure automatic download/delete episodes.

Download: VLC Media Player (Free)

6. gPodder

gpodder podcast client

gPodder is an open-source podcast client for Windows 10. With it, you can play audio and video files from RSS, YouTube, and SoundCloud. The built-in gPodder.net service keeps your subscriptions and playback progress in sync. The dual-pane interface consists of the podcast feeds towards the left and episode details on the right.

To subscribe, navigate to the Subscriptions > Add podcast via URL and paste the URL of your feed. gPodder uses its own database and search engine. Click the Discover new podcasts to search your podcasts by OPML, trending shows, SoundCloud, and more. To play, right-click an item to stream or download for offline playing.

Pros

  • Supports password-protected feeds. To configure, right-click the podcast name and choose Podcast settings. Under the Advanced tab, enter your credentials.
  • Add YouTube feed as “yt:username” and SoundCloud as “sc:username.” Make sure to check Youtube-dl in the Extensions tab.
  • Download new podcasts or cleanup played episodes automatically. Go to Preferences > Updating to configure actions.
  • Built-in extensions have useful options. Check the Desktop Integration to show download progress on the taskbar. And Stream to Sonos to stream audio on Sonos speakers.

Cons

  • The sync service is buggy and may not work. Also, the catalog does not have a variety of shows when you compare it with iTunes.
  • If you’re getting started, you have to spend some time setting up this app and learning how to use it.

Download: gPodder (Free)

Get Podcast Recommendations Easier in Windows 10

Ultimately, your decision on how to listen to podcasts will help you choose the podcast app. Many people prefer iTunes for its integration with the iOS device and rich database. Some users may like VLC for its minimal and lightweight approach to podcasts.

Otherwise, the Grover podcast app works great for casual users. If you want to discover new podcasts that you’ll enjoy listening to, then try out these podcast recommendation apps and services.