57 Comments

"..since only perverts click on footnotes anyway"

PERVERT FOR FOOTNOTES t-shirt, now available in the merch store (which according to Katie we should avoid like the plague.)

Expand full comment

Need to bring Trace on the pod again to explain the very un-Furry-like anti-dog takes he’s been posting on Twitter.

Expand full comment

My favorite thing about this is how you didn't need to sign it, Jesse. I immediately heard it inside my head in your voice! And then confirmed it was written by you when I clicked on the "My Taskmaster" link and saw the delightful photo of dreadlocks Katie.

Expand full comment

Good to know. I'm still stubbornly clinging on to Google Podcasts for the time being, but, unfortunately, any day now, for some stupid reason, Google is going to drag it out back and shoot it in the head and bury it in a field.

Expand full comment

Does it actually still work?? Mine died at the end of March, just displays a nasty message.

(also, I hate the way Spotify does podcasts, so I switched to Podcast Addict)

Expand full comment

Pocket Casts is pretty good too.

Expand full comment

It's also occasionally a pain to add new private podcast URLs, sometimes taking multiple tries to work...

But Pocket Casts is still my go-to: Convenient folder organization, syncs playback and queue state well between phone/desktop/and Sonos controller, and allows private URLs.

(On that last point: Spotify has long refused to support premium podcast URLs, seemingly because they want to position themselves as the gatekeeper for paid podcast content. I'm sure they see this deal with Substack as a stepping stone along that path.)

Expand full comment

Have you figured out how to get B & R premium feed in Pocket Casts? I can for my other premiums but not this one. Thanks

Expand full comment

I did it by going to https://play.pocketcasts.com/podcasts and entering the private RSS URL in the "Search or enter URL" box.

It's sometimes taken multiple tries for Pocket Casts to successfully resolve new Substack feeds entered in that box, in my experience. I just kept trying (and reloading the page) until it eventually worked. Fortunately, once it was set up it's been working consistently.

Expand full comment

Thank you so much. I will give it a try when home and let you know how it worked.

Expand full comment

I paid for the lifetime paid version a while back and regret it, because it's the one podcasting app that takes FOREVER to sync. New episodes sometimes take hours to show up. For "normal" people unlike me that's probably not an issue, but I often want to listen as soon as it comes out.

Expand full comment

Oh I’ve had that issue actually.

Expand full comment

I hate Spotify's UI for queuing and inbox and mixing music with podcasts. Switched from Google to Antenna and it's excellent.

Expand full comment

Yeah I can't stand the Spotify UI. Last time I tried it it was really hard to work out what was downloaded locally versus what would stream, which is important if you're going to be listening while you walk around. It amazes me that they have invested so much in podcasts but it's a horrible way to listen to them.

Expand full comment

Still works for me, but it gives me a message saying it will no longer work after June 23.

Expand full comment

Oh, I see the same message now. I don't know how long it's been there; I only just noticed it.

I'm a bit annoyed because GP is good and simple. But Google wants us to use YouTube for everything now, which I will absolutely not do. So I'm open to suggestions (that also, ideally, aren't Spotify).

Expand full comment

Antenna Pod. No ads, open source, i.e. free. Easy UI

Expand full comment

Thanks for setting this up. Been waiting for the Substack <> Spotify integration for a long while.

Expand full comment

All hail.

Expand full comment

I figured it out so thank you

but holy hell that seems way more complicated than it needs to be lol

Expand full comment

I've tried a ton of podcasting apps and have yet to find one that satisfies all my needs. It'd be nice to have music and podcasts work in Spotify, but I've hated how they've resisted giving us RSS feed access. Hopefully all my other paid substack podcasts take this step.

Expand full comment

Have you tried Castro or Overcast? Those are my two faves.

Expand full comment

Oh, I see, those are for Apple? I'm an Android guy.

Expand full comment

Oh whoops, yes they are.

Expand full comment

I haven't, thanks for the idea, I'll take a look!

I've been using AntennaPod. It's almost everything I need, except no online syncing.

Expand full comment

Thank you for this mea culpa. I thought I was losing my mind.

Expand full comment

THIS IS GREAT! THANK YOU!

Expand full comment

Finally.

Expand full comment

Done! Hardest part was remembering which email account was associated with my Spotify account!

Expand full comment

Glad to hear, but Spotify’s podcast experience sucks.

Expand full comment

Since you set this up, I no longer get Premium episodes on Apple Podcasts. I still have access through email (substack?) but only the short versions on Apple. Any ideas?

Expand full comment

A bit lat but... thank you for your work.

Expand full comment

who needs spotify . . . only those stuck listening on substack. Why the hell can't they add a podcast meme to their interface instead of spending their time making partnerships with spotify. i suppose its possible to walk and chew gum at the same time, but substack can't do either. the only thing they have is good content and they don't do that (I'll give them credit for staying out of the way).

all i want is a friggin app that will start playing a podcast where i left off (substack couldn't find a needle in a needle stack, constantly loses track of where I was) and keep playing episodes sequentially without my reading fine print to figure out what the next episode is–often while driving which is why i'm listening to a podcast in the first place. is that so goddamn hard? fine maybe there can be a setting if i heard the subsequent episode already it jumps to the next one in line that i haven't heard but you have to be able to turn that off because maybe you lost focus and want to relisten.

But I will use the app that puts up simple BIG four way arrows where left and right take you to the previous and next full podcast in the show you're listening to and the down arrow takes you to previous listening stop in the last different podcast you were listening to and the up arrow takes you to a prediction of what podcast in your library you haven't listened to but want to catch up on. simple BIG navigation arrows that take you to the previous or next episode would work. But the substack feed is hopeless. interleaving written material and sound shorts so next doesn't have the meaning it does in a real podcast feed and there is no easy way to filter the feed for full episodes.

and while we're kvetching, the 15 second rewind and skip buttons need a modification for bigger jumps

But no joy in mudville, spotify has gotten worse, not better, lately; so I don't know if I can be bothered doing the chicken dance to listen to barpod premium there. It's complicated.

Expand full comment