Do you still use iTunes for podcasts?

I haven’t used iTunes for podcasts in 18 months. Today I relaunched iTunes and was reminded how glad I am that I no longer use it. Oh, the old days when iTunes would stop downloading a podcast because I haven’t listened to any episodes recently.

I found myself having to manually update all 90 podcasts that I subscribe to. Yipes.

And then on top of that, my iPhone wouldn’t download new episodes. Over the course of a month, my playlists with 90 podcasts would only show a couple episodes. I’d call that pretty broken.

Since April 2018, I’ve been using Downcast–both on iOS and MacOS. I love it. I’ll have to write a complete review of Downcast sometime.

It seems the great majority of people continue to use iTunes for podcasts. During episodes, podcasters are often asking listeners to leave reviews on iTunes—how vastly important it is to leave a review, because they get so many more listeners with iTunes ranking them better.

I haven’t looked at the iTunes charts since last year. I guess people still do that? I fire up the old iTunes to see what they have.

The “New & Noteworthy” section did have an interesting recommendation. “How To! With Charles Duhigg“. I’ll give that shot.

Their about description:

Solving life’s problems, one question at a time.
What if Dear Abby were an investigative reporter? Each week, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Charles Duhigg (The Power of Habit) takes on listeners’ toughest problems and, with the help of experts, finds the answers to questions you’ve always wanted to ask but couldn’t. Until now.

A taste of their latest episodes:

How To Fire a Bad Employee
It’s not as easy as you think. It takes preparation, compassion, and a strategically located box of tissues.

How To Give Your Mom a Kidney
Mary’s mother needs a new kidney—as long as it doesn’t come from Mary. What’s a good daughter to do?

How To Rob a Bank
Can someone who robbed more than 30 banks teach us how to plan the perfect heist—and getaway?

How To Withstand Pain
Can a runner learn how to complete a grueling ultramarathon with the help of the “Iceman,” a Dutch extreme athlete who sits in freezing water for fun?

How To Be Funny
What happens when Jesus, an Oklahoma pastor, and a New York comedian walk into a studio?

Sounds like a cool podcast. Maybe iTunes still has a function after all.

And for fun, here’s a screenshot of my current iTunes podcast library. It feels dated.

And for comparison, here’s my podcast playlists in the Downcast MacOS app. I’ll do a review of Downcast some day!