Getting off of Apple Podcasts

I've recently deleted everything off of Apple Podcasts. Keep in mind - I've used this app for years on a daily basis. It used to be reliably on my home screen - the first one, mind - at the bottom so I could reach it as quick as can be. But, no longer. Having determined to take myself fully off of all iCloud services (and Google as well), I had to find a way to remove it.

And I did.

Enter Audio Book Shelf - a brilliant FOSS package which lets you not only set up your own podcast server, but audio books server as well! Well hey…look at that. Two for the price of one - three, if you count the fact that I also have an inordinate amount of older BBC Radio Dramas, so that's three libraries total. That, and I can offer kids books to my niece and nephew to listen to as well, sandboxing them into a separate library of their own. Whodathunkit? Far better than just one app for podcasts alone.

Setting up was rather easy. The "hard" part was just reconfiguring every podcast to download a certain amount before replacing the oldest one on a scheduled basis - all of which took me about five or ten minutes to do via the web interface (which looks rather lovely). I also took the time to cull a lot of podcasts I haven't really listened to in quite a while (I did have rather a lot of those). The result: a much nicer interface, I have to say. Plus, all four libraries readily available on all of my devices, and synchronized. Who needs Apple Books and Apple Podcasts? Not me, I warrant.

The UI for the iOS and iPad App is similarly quite nice. You wouldn't believe that I've really switched other than slight differences in where some buttons are (the audio output button is on the top right instead of the bottom now - easily adaptable in my flow of things). I'm quite engaged with it and have been re-listening to Unruly by David Mitchell. I forgot how rip-roaringly funny it is. Quite a fantastic book and delivery (he reads it himself).

Things are looking up!