Hey Product Hunt 👋
I'm Jeff, and I make Spool, an indie podcast app for iPhone and iPad.
Spool started as SidePlay, an older app of mine for playing sideloaded audio files and audiobooks. Over time I realized podcasts were what I actually listened to, so I started over from scratch. The only thing I kept was the icon, a cassette tape with a robot face. I couldn't let it go.
What Spool does:
A real queue, plus an Inbox. You decide whether each show's new episodes go to the top of your queue, the bottom, or the Inbox to review later. You can also set Priority shows that will stay at the top of the queue until listened to.
Trim Silence (experimental) cuts the dead air out of pauses instead of speeding through them, so voices never sound sped up.
Voice Boost makes quiet hosts easier to hear in the car or on the bus.
Push notifications when new episodes come out, so you don't have to wait for a background refresh.
Members-only feeds from Patreon, Supporting Cast and similar services work too. Just paste the private feed URL.
Share any episode with a link. Anyone with Spool can play it right away (or it will play in the browser).
iCloud sync between iPhone and iPad, plus OPML import and export so you're never locked in.
Every listening feature is free for everyone. There's an optional Spool Supporter subscription that unlocks alternate app icons and accent colours. It's mainly there for people who want to help fund development.
I'd love to hear what you think, especially from people coming from Overcast, Pocket Casts or Apple Podcasts. What's the one feature you'd need before you'd switch?
Thanks for checking it out :)
