Episode chapters now available in Metacast podcast app
Are you ready for some magic? We've added chapters to podcast episodes.
Table of Contents
TL;DR
- Easily jump between episode segments using a "table of contents" style chapters.
- Metacast uses chapters provided by podcasters or generates them automatically using the transcript.
- Feature is available to free and Premium users.
What are podcast chapters?
You're probably familiar with "chapters" from YouTube. Most videos have a "table of contents" that you can use to jump around the video to only watch specific topics you're interested in.
It's common for podcasters to provide chapters for their episodes as either time codes in the description or a special chapters file that can be read by podcast apps. It is also possible to generate chapters using AI.
New Metacast feature – chapters for any episode
In Metacast v1.17, we are launching support for chapters on iOS and Android in beta. Web will follow within a couple of weeks.
If an episode has chapters:
- You'll see the name of the current chapter just above the player controls.
- Tap on the chapter name or icon to see the full list of chapters for the episode.
- The list of chapters shows chapter names and durations. Tap any chapter to play it.
- Tap the "next" button to jump to the next chapter. This is very useful for skipping long intros and ads when they're identified as their own chapters.
When an episode has time codes in the descriptions, in most cases, they'll match the chapters list. You can tap the time code directly in the episode description to jump to it. You can even do this when you're viewing episode info outside of the player, e.g. when you're browsing a podcast.
When a podcast doesn't have chapters, or even description, Metacast will generate chapters automatically from the AI-generated transcript. AI-generated chapters are identified by a disclaimer. Even though we found AI-generated chapters to be mostly accurate, there may be errors. If you see any, please report on our subreddit r/metacastapp or send us an email at support@metacast.app.
Metacast vs. other podcast apps
How does this compare to other podcast apps out there?
We've tested a few popular apps with our podcast Builders Gonna Build that has a mix of episodes with and without chapters.
| Podcast app | Chapters provided by podcaster (in RSS feed) | Chapters from time codes in description | Auto-generated chapters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metacast | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Apple Podcasts | ✅ | ☑️ | ❌ |
| Spotify | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| YouTube Music | ❌ | ☑️ | ❌ |
| Pocket Casts | ✅ | ☑️ | ❌ |
| Overcast | ✅ | ☑️ | ❌ |
| Snipd | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Legend
- ✅ – Chapters available in a separate easy-to-use "Chapters" feature
- ☑️ – Time codes can be tapped, but you have to find them in episode description
- ❌ – Chapters not available
A note on user experience
Except Snipd, we had an impression that chapters are a second-class citizen in the other apps. As a special mention, we challenge you to find chapters in Apple Podcasts (it takes some trial and error). If you figure out where chapters are in Spotify, feel free to send us a note and we'll be happy to correct the table.
Our users deserve better than this, that's why we built Metacast to beging with.
Are podcast chapters available to free users?
Yes, but with a caveat.
- When chapters are provided by the podcaster or an episode already has an AI-generated transcript, you'll see chapters.
- If an episode doesn't have a transcript, the transcript and AI-generated chapters will only be generated for Metacast Premium users.
If you're a free user hesitating to upgrade, we have a generous 2-week trial that gives you access to all premium features, including full transcripts, bookmarking, and unlimited playlists.
How do I try this?
Metacast is available for free on Apple App Store and Google Play Store.