14 DAY TRIAL // Marco Arment is one of the best known independent developers in the AppStore. He left Tumblr to launch Instapaper, the best read later app for iPhone and iPad. He later sold that app and The Magazine and now he is back with another great addition – Overcast.
Marco Arment launched the app along with a long explanatory blog post. He makes the case for a podcast app created by a podcast maker and a long time podcast listener. "Podcasting doesn’t have a content problem. More great podcasts are always welcome, but there isn’t a lack of great podcasts holding back the medium."
Arment has been working on and off at this app for almost two years and he started with two ideas: Smart Speed and Voice Boost. The first one works in such a way that it shortens just the silent parts of the discussion. Voice Boost is described as a combination of dynamic compression and equalization that will help the listener by making the shows more listenable in loud environments like cars.
He admits the ideas are not original, but this was his way of starting to create a better podcast app. It began as a prototype named Castaway and it went to the current version of Overcast.
In the spring of 2013, after having sold Instapaper and The Magazine, he started working again on that prototype. Today, the app is in the AppStore. Overcast brings the original two ideas and Smarter Playlists to help you listen to more podcasts.
The app is a Free download, but some of the features are limited. You can unlock all of them with an in-app-purchase.
The in-app-purchase costs $4.99 (3.69 euro) and it will get you Cellular Downloads, Variable playback speed, Smart Speed, Voice Boost, Per-podcast effects settings, sleep timer, unlimited playlists and unlimited episodes in playlists.
One other cool feature found in the Settings is that the app recommends other Podcast players from the AppStore, like Pod Wrangler, Instacast, Castro, Pocket Casts and Downcast.
You can also find a great selection of Shows available within the app. Arment has 14 different categories of podcasts that he recommends to its listeners.
Marco Arment says he has a basic web app and the iPad is in the works. He also has plans for a Mac Podcasts app.
Apple is going to add their Podcasts app as a default, non-deletable one in iOS 8. Most developers see this as an opportunity for them to work on their apps even more and have the users pay for extra features.