Stitcher attempts to be the audio equivalent of a newspaper. It will put podcasts you subscribe to in a playlist which can be navigated easily. You don't need to pay for the premium option in order to subscribe and listen to podcasts. If you allow the app to give you notifications, it will suggest podcasts based on what you listen to. By default, it will place them in a playlist called "Favourites.” Unless you specify otherwise, episodes will be streamed rather than downloaded.
Useful gestures for this app:
- One finger touch and drag: explore the screen
- Swipe right or left: select the next or previous item
- One finger Double-tap: activate the selected item
- Two-finger double-tap: answer or end a call; play or pause in Music, Videos, Voice Memos or Podcasts
- Two finger scrub: while touching with two fingers slightly apart, move back and forth to move back a screen
How to subscribe:
- There are four tabs at the bottom of the screen: “Home,” “My Podcasts,” “Premium” and “Search.” Double-tap the "Search" tab found on the bottom right of the screen.
- From the top of the screen swipe right until you find “Search Shows & Episodes” and double-tap on it.
- This brings up a form where you can enter the name of the show you're interested in subscribing to. Find the “Search” button on the bottom right of the virtual keyboard and double-tap it. Search for your favourite AMI podcast like Double Tap Canada, for example.
- Flick right to go through the results and double-tap on the show name. This will take you to a screen with more information about the show. Look through this to make certain this result is what you want. Towards the top of the screen, you'll find an "Add to Playlist" button. Double-tap this. Nothing obvious will happen, but the podcast will have been added to your “Favourites” playlist. New episodes will now appear in your playlist when they become available.
How to listen:
- Double-tap on the “My Podcasts” tab found at the bottom of the screen; second from the left. From the top of the screen, flick right until you get to the “Favourites” button and double tap on it. The default view for this new screen is to view episodes. You can easily change it to shows by double-tapping on the “Shows” button. For now, swipe right until you find an episode that you would like to listen to. Swipe right until you get to the “Listen Now” button and double-tap to start the audio.
- You may encounter an advertisement at this point. To get out of this screen, you’ll have to swipe until you get to the “Close” or “X” button. Double-tap and you’ll be brought to the player screen. Once an episode is playing, you can double-tap with two fingers to pause or resume playback; also referred to as the “Magic Tap.” This can also be done through the control buttons on the playback screen which will be present. Should you be using a Bluetooth keyboard, AirPods or another headset having remote controls, these can be used to pause, resume, or move to previous or next episodes.
Final notes:
- This app has a few accessibility issues; such as unlabelled buttons and improperly labelled items, but it is still usable as a podcast listening app. The “Home” tab is an invaluable feature where you can find podcasts that may appeal to your listening pleasure. If you prefer a friendlier interface, other apps mentioned on our page might be a more viable option.
Was this helpful? We want your feedback. Tell us what you think about these platforms. Are they accessible? Do you enjoy using them? Is there another app you use to download podcasts that you prefer?
Email us at feedback@ami.ca or reach out to us on Twitter @AMIaudio and let us know what you think!