No renewal, no monthly charge, no questions asked. That purchase before the podcast app’s new model was billed as providing “lifetime” usage and many were upset at a downgrade to only three years. Update: 9/19: In response to “loud and clear” feedback about yesterday’s Mac, Windows, and web app update, Pocket Casts will now offer lifetime Plus access to anyone that previously bought the $10 desktop client. The last benefit is exclusive app icons and themes. If you previously bought the $9 desktop client, you’ll receive three free years of Pocket Casts Plus. The subscription will also provide access to macOS, Windows, and web apps. This locker can be used to listen or watch episodes before publishing, or storing audiobooks, lecture notes, and other long-form audio to play anywhere the client is available. It offers 10GB of cloud storage to upload and save custom files. That said, Pocket Casts Plus now exists at $.99 per month or $10 annually. Pocket Casts will continue to add new features for free, and today’s announcement coincides with the ability to play custom audio and video files. This includes current dark theme options, cross-platform playback sync, audio effects like trimming silence and sorting. Fortunately, the free Pocket Casts will “retain all of the existing features that listeners know and love.”

One common concern with paid apps dropping price tags completely is features becoming tiered behind a subscription. Previously $3.99 for Android and iOS, the podcast player is now free to download. Today, Pocket Casts is going free and adding a “Plus” subscription. NPR and a public radio consortium last year acquired Pocket Casts to offer its own experience and already released a major update in March with version 7.0. The podcasting industry is booming with heavy investment from large players like Google, Apple, and Spotify.

Pocket casts free