Google Listen Brings Podcasts To Android Phones
Aug 20th, 2009 | By James Lewin | Category: Audio Podcasting, Mobile Podcasting, Podcasting Software 
Google has quietly launched Listen, a free new app that brings podcasts to Android phones:
Listen from Google Labs brings podcasts and web audio to your Android-powered device. It lets you search, subscribe, download and stream.
By subscribing to programs and search terms it will create a personalized audio-magazine loaded with fresh shows and news stories whenever you listen.
In this release Listen is indexing thousands of popular English-only audio sources.
Install instructions are available here.
If you’ve tried Google Listen, leave a comment with your thoughts!
via RRW
App provides lot of option and the wonderful thing is that it is free.
I’m disappointed with it, first I see no way to adding RSS feeds. Everything seems to be based on episodes, not programs. I think Google missed the mark completely, I wonder if anyone at Google has a clue what a podcast is.
If you do find a podcast based on the episode, you can then subscribe to the actual program. If you can’t find the episode, you’re not going to find your favorite podcast to subscribe to it. Kind of sucks at this point but hopefully it will improve.
All you need to do is click on subscriptions and then add rss feed by pasting the link and pressing enter.
[…] Google Listen […]
I find app very handy in usage. You may have everything on your doorstep with help of this thing. Disappointment in its functioning gives rise to a vexed question – if you can use it in the right way!
Listen is very easy to use, but searching for existing Podcasts needs some work. I would love to see searching podcasts by categories. Ideally if it would show the top 50 podcasts in each category and if I didn't see the Podcast then allow me to search in the category then I would be very happy all the way around with Listen. Overall, I am very pleased with Listen, but would like to see an improvement in Searching to see podcasts are available. I know I can look at some of sites that show master lists of podcasts, but it would be ideal if Listen provided this capability.
I've been waiting for an "official" google app for podcasts thinking it would work best with the environment, but at this moment I am quite disjointed in the implementation of "Listen".
The search is limited and having no way of entering an RSS just lacks the basic functionality that's required of the application. Hopefully this will be updated soon and improve but at the moment it's not as useful as downloading the MP3s, dragging them onto the phone and listening normally because I can't find what I need.
I've been waiting for an "official" google app for podcasts thinking it would work best with the environment, but at this moment I am quite disjointed in the implementation of "Listen".
The search is limited and having no way of entering an RSS just lacks the basic functionality that's required of the application. Hopefully this will be updated soon and improve but at the moment it's not as useful as downloading the MP3s, dragging them onto the phone and listening normally because I can't find what I need.
Android is a desperate need of a good podcast App that can manage audio and video. To me Google Listen is coming up short on all features. You would think it would have some connection to your Google Account. It would be great to add podcasts via the web and Android would sync the files.
Hopefully someone from the Listen team at Google listens to Android users and makes some updates.
Phiero: it now syncs with your Google Reader: http://androinica.com/2010/02/18/google-listen-android-podcast-app-now-syncs-with-google-reader/
love google listen, easy to subscribe to rss via website link.
I am very happy with Googlers Listen. For being a simple sync app. that takes up no permanent memory at all. I wish the sync would rember where pauses were put when you come back later. I found the forward and backward function slips because of no physical download. It would be nice if the sync download was a option, and then he app. Would erase the feed after it was listened to. I. Am waiting for a video podcast tool from Google.
i have used itunes with the itouch. so i was happy to find a app that will let me listen to podcast. since you must search to find i have had no luck finding podcast names i listened to thru i tunes
can someone please explain is their a way to view genes of different podcast that are available ! i really do need the help. i am also looking to find audio books on podcast that might work
please advise
jimloftin@yahoo.com
Had to restart the phone after the install to get Listen to listen. Surprised to see the immaturity of it, but as the initial setup screen says, Googlers think this is a just a playground. May be they will eventually get to a product for other people.
What?
Ungrateful young’uns! Why, back in my day, when a mobile app was released, we were grateful!
Why, I remember when we had to run around outside looking for a cell signal. Uphill both ways!
IN THE SNOW!