AntennaPod — Open-Source Podcast Manager for Android

Introduction

AntennaPod is a free, open-source podcast manager for Android. It lets you subscribe, stream, and download podcasts with no account required and no tracking. The app is community-maintained, ad-free, and available on F-Droid and Google Play.

What AntennaPod Does

• Subscribes to podcasts via RSS feed URLs, iTunes search, or OPML import
• Streams episodes online or downloads them for offline listening
• Supports variable playback speed, skip silence, and chapter navigation
• Syncs subscriptions and playback progress across devices via gpodder.net or Nextcloud
• Manages automatic downloads with configurable rules for Wi-Fi, storage, and episode count

Architecture Overview

AntennaPod is a native Android app built with Java and Kotlin. It uses an RSS parser to fetch and update podcast feeds, ExoPlayer for audio playback, and a local SQLite database for subscription and episode state. The sync module supports the gpodder.net open protocol and Nextcloud's gPodder Sync app for cross-device progress tracking.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Install from F-Droid for the fully open-source build without Google dependencies
• Install from Google Play for automatic updates with Google services integration
• Import existing subscriptions via OPML file from any other podcast app
• Configure auto-download rules under Settings to control storage and bandwidth usage
• Set up gpodder.net or Nextcloud sync for multi-device playback synchronization

Key Features

• Privacy-first design with no ads, no tracking, and no account requirement
• Variable playback speed from 0.5x to 3.0x with skip-silence support
• Chapter support for navigating within episodes that include chapter marks
• Sleep timer with shake-to-reset for bedtime listening
• Full OPML import and export for easy migration between podcast apps

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Pocket Casts — polished commercial app with cross-platform support; AntennaPod is free, open source, and privacy-focused
• Google Podcasts — discontinued; AntennaPod provides a long-term community-maintained alternative
• Podcast Addict — feature-rich but ad-supported; AntennaPod has no ads
• gPodder — desktop-focused open-source client; AntennaPod is mobile-native and syncs with gPodder's server protocol

FAQ

Q: Is AntennaPod available on iOS? A: No. AntennaPod is Android-only. For iOS, consider open-source alternatives or use the gpodder.net sync protocol with a compatible iOS client.

Q: Can I sync my subscriptions across devices? A: Yes. AntennaPod supports syncing via gpodder.net or a self-hosted Nextcloud instance with the gPodder Sync app.

Q: Does it support video podcasts? A: Yes. AntennaPod can play video podcast episodes with a built-in video player.

Q: How do I import my podcasts from another app? A: Export an OPML file from your current app and import it in AntennaPod under Settings > Import/Export.

Sources

• https://github.com/AntennaPod/AntennaPod
• https://antennapod.org/