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I mean, look at these things! My mouth is watering already. ↩︎
At long last, Castro has been updated. To call me underwhelmed would be an understatement. It took them over a year to give it a slight visual refresh? Whereās the promised syncing between devices? Whereās the iPad app?
Iām so glad I switched back to Overcast.
A Quick Castro Update
On June 14, I wrote an entry that discussed several issues with my preferred podcast player app. It seems so long ago now; so many things have changed. Weāve all grown a little older and, I hope, a little wiser. To the second point, Iāve decided to cease an activity thatās proving itself to be a waste of my time.
I donāt want to bury the lede any further: Iāve stopped using Castro entirely and have returned to Overcast.
Iāve also canceled my long-held subscription with Castro because I no longer feel that my money is being used to support the development of this app. Instead, it appears that my money is being taken from me with nothing given in return.
Since writing the initial entry, Iāve followed up every subsequent month with a short update on Twitter. Normally, I wouldnāt care to use that place for anything, but itās historically been where Castroās developers have been most available. I figured that a mention there could make its way to their eyes. So far, Iāve been proven 100% wrong.
Not only has there been no communication with me, but thereās been no communication from them with anybody. By all appearances, the Castro podcast app has been abandoned. Thereās been no official announcement about this, so take what Iām saying with a grain of salt, but the app hasnāt been updated in over half a year. Additionally, itās been nearly two years since there was any mention of their iPad app and sync service. What else should I conclude from this behavior?
I acknowledged in my original entry that software development is an inherently time-consuming and difficult process. I would never demand that any developer finish large projects in an unreasonable amount of time; we all have personal lives to live. What irks me is the complete lack of communication from a company that provides a product to the public. Castroās developers used to update and communicate regularly, and now they do not. I donāt find that acceptable when other peopleās money is involved.
Iām saying goodbye to Castro and hello again to Overcast. Its developer, Marco Arment, has not only proven himself to be capable of regular app updates, but more importantly, heās open to communication in several different places. I feel confident that if anything were to ever happen to Overcast, then he would tell everybody.
I see more commitment to and progress made on Overcast than Iāve seen on Castro in a long time. More importantly, I donāt feel like my subscription to his app is being taken advantage of.
This is a damn shame. Not because I donāt like OvercastāI doābut because I really liked what Castro did for listening to podcasts. The episode triage system worked especially well with my listening behavior and it was a well-made app. Unfortunately, itās become riddled with bugs, the developers have fallen off the planet, and itās completely missed the boat with the recent iOS 16 launch. Even if they came out with an update tomorrow and renewed their interest in communicating online, I wouldnāt use Castro again. What assurance would I have that they wouldnāt fall back into their bad behaviors sometime in the future?
There comes a time when a person should stop foolish endeavors and accept whatās already there for them. Expecting an untrustworthy company to completely change forever is like expecting chocolate chip cookies to not be delicious. Itās just not going to happen.1
I expect to be done with these entries forever unless a Castro update magically appears, and even then, donāt bet on it. In the meantime, Iāll be busy listening to podcasts on Overcast.
Tales of Castro Woe
Castro, the podcast player app, is the third-party iPhone app I use the most. Podcasts are a major part of my life, and Castro presents them in a way I find most pleasant. Iāve played around with the others,1 but this one has stuck the longest.
Unfortunately, over the last year, Castro has become one of the buggiest apps on my phone.
The quality of the app, its relentless pace of innovation and keeping up with modern iOS technology, and the communication from the development team have become lackluster. I was disappointed to find myself casually looking for replacement apps and just as disappointed to discover that none of them manage podcasts in quite the same way.
I have a few glaring issues with the app. Iām sure Iām not the only one with issues, so this list isnāt exhaustive and may not be typical.
Lack of developer communication
On the companyās Twitter page, which had long been a reliable source of information, youāll find that their last communication was on March 29. Well over a month ago, as of this writing. Their support account is similar.
Their last app update was released four months ago, according to the version history of their App Store page. It was a small bug fix update (which is, of course, always welcome).
I understand that app development is inherently complex, time-consuming, and challenging. Their lack of communication is surely attributable to the upcoming iPad app and sync service. I imagine (and hope) that theyāre hunkered down and making it happen.
However, to allow the currently released app to quietly degrade and not manage the growing number of issues is disheartening. To stop communicating with their users borders on unacceptable. It makes me feel like Iām paying a subscription for an app thatās been abandoned.
This is an unfortunate turn and makes talking with them feel like shouting into a void.
Missing podcast artwork bug
Over the last several months, the main artwork for a growing handful of the podcasts I subscribe to has disappeared. What started with a single show has now infected three. I counted seventeen podcasts with missing artwork while browsing through my History page in the app.
It doesnāt matter if itās a free show or if Iām paying for it. There was no warning, and there appears to be no way to fix it. Iāve tried power cycling my phone. Iāve tried unsubscribing and re-subscribing to the shows. Iāve tried deleting the app and downloading it again. All that greets me from some shows is missing artwork.
Other podcast players don’t have this issue. Overcast, for instance, shows the artwork in all its glory; Castro only shows a dark square.
Disappearing episode/settings toggle bug
At the top of the playing screen, thereās a toggle to switch between the playback controls and playback settings for the current episode. Itās an easy way to travel between those two screens.
While a podcast is playing, slowly pulling down the shade to show the Queue/Inbox/Library/Discover pages will cause that toggle to shift itself upwards, hiding and making it difficult to interact with.
Pulling the shade all the way down and then moving it back up to show the playing screen again will put the toggle back in its place.
Spacing issue with icons in the top bar of the Inbox screen
At the top of the Inbox screen, thereās a handy row of shows that have episodes awaiting triage. Several of those shows have shifted themselves to the left, obscuring a portion of the small artwork icon. Itās as if the margin between those items isnāt being respected.
This also happens, and more egregiously, in the History screen of the app.
This has been a long-standing issue with the app, or at least my downloads of it, and has followed me over several new devices. Iām beginning to lose hope that itāll ever be remedied.
Slowing development pace
I mentioned earlier that app development is a complex and time-consuming process. I donāt expect large-scale updates or even small issues to be completed in an unreasonable amount of time.
I want the developers of Castro to live full lives outside of their app work. They shouldnāt be tied to their computers all day, every day.
However, itās hard to look at an app like Overcast, which received a major redesign a couple of months ago, and not feel a bit envious. While the developer, Marco Arment, has made major improvements and continued fixing bugs, the team behind Castro has done neither and not talked about it.
According to the Credits page in Castro, the development team currently has three people working on the app. I donāt think itās unreasonable to imagine that three people should be able to accomplish things faster than a single person.
I wouldnāt think of demanding anything from the developers of the apps I use. Theyāre human beings and deserve time and respect in their work and personal lives. They will never owe me service, coddling, or even a development timeline, even if I am paying for their app.
What Iām ultimately asking for is better communication from the developers of Castro. If itās slow going with the sync service, fine. Let us know. If the iPad app is proving troublesome, fine. Let us know. If there are bug fixes on the way, fine. Let us know.2 If youāve got a cool idea for the app or everything is going swimmingly, great! Please tease us with some scant details.
A vaguely passive-aggressive tweet shouldnāt be sufficient. A company that deals with the public shouldnāt be averse to sharing with the public.
I love Castro and I want to continue using it, especially on all of my devices. In the meantime, I feel that many of its users, myself included, would appreciate, at the very least, bug fixes and some sort of indication that itās not going to be left to wallow in the Museum of Once-Amazing iPhone Apps.
I sure do wish the creators of Castro, my preferred podcast app, would debut the iPad app theyāve been working on for at least the last year. I understand that itās hard, time-consuming work, but as Harry told Sally,
When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.
Despite having to finish the edit on a new podcast episode, today has felt like a rare Monday off.
To celebrate, Iāve gone out and gotten one of the new iPads for my mom. Iām also planning to catch up on some tv that has been waiting for me. Cheers!
It being more āindustry standard,ā I frequently try to give Logic Pro a fair shake for my podcast editing. Iām not sure whatās wrong, but it just never sticks. I always find my way back to the comforts of Ferrite Recording Studio.š
Iāve been a fan of the podcast, Reply All, for a long time, having started listening to the show since nearly their first episode. The quality has always been excellent and many of their stories have stuck with me since listening to them.
But that appreciation was shaken a couple of years ago when Gimlet, the company that produces Reply All, responded to its staffās unionization efforts by, essentially, giving them the middle finger. At the time, I didnāt stop listening to the show because I felt that the union would eventually be recognized. This feels like a mistake now, especially since theyāre still fighting for recognition. I could and should have supported the Gimlet Union in ways other than continuing to subscribe to a Gimlet show. My presence in their podcast analytics would suggest that Gimletās actions are acceptable.
Then this episode popped up into my podcast feed this morning:
Given Gimletās actions, it wasnāt a surprise. Is it much of an apology? Eh, kind of. I appreciate that theyāre taking time to evaluate themselves, but it also sounds like hosts/producers P.J. Vogt and Sruthi Pinnamaneni are just being allowed to lie low until the heat of this story wears off.
I wanted to investigate this further, so I followed the story, being led to a Twitter thread by former Gimlet employee, Eric Eddings. I encourage you to click through and read it all.
Last week I got an email from Sruthi about Reply Allās Test Kitchen series. I had been avoiding listening but once I did I felt gaslit. The truth is RA and specifically PJ and Sruthi contributed to a near identical toxic dynamic at Gimlet. This will be a longer thread, apologies.
ā Eric Eddings (@eeddings) February 16, 2021
This is a moving and frustrating story by someone who was ignored, passed over, and insulted by Gimlet and some members of its staff. Itās sad to know that Eric wasnāt the only one who had to deal with this institutional bullshit at Gimlet.
Iāve since unsubscribed to Reply All. Itās the most meager action I can take, but it is something. If playing a part in hitting them where it hurtsātheir subscriber numbersāis what I can do, then Iāll happily do it. Thereās also this post, which I hope will encourage others to look into the wild power imbalance at Gimlet, understand how their people of color and pro-union employees are treated, and hold Gimlet and its founders, Alex Blumberg and Matthew Lieber, accountable for their abhorrent actions. Throw in Gimletās parent company, Spotify, as well. They certainly donāt appear to be doing anything to help the Gimlet Union. I also encourage you to follow the Gimlet Union on Twitter. Theyāre doing good work.
I enjoyed Reply All, but I canāt continue to support it when its success was built off the backs of the unrecognized and spurned. What I will continue doing is try to learn more about that of which Iām ignorant, such as I was about the toxic culture at Gimlet. And Iāll always appreciate help with that endeavor from people who know more than I do.
I watched The Pirate with my fiancĆ©e this last weekend for my podcast. What a fun and silly movie. Gene Kelly and Judy Garland were delights, as always. š„šæ
I recently watched Mars Attacks! for my podcast and now I have Itās Not Unusual by Tom Jones stuck in my head. I donāt know whether to be upset about this or start dancing.
I watched Predestination again for my More Movies Please! podcast. If thereās a more peculiar yet very watchable sci-fi story out there, I canāt think of it right now. Give it a watch. I think itās worth a viewing. š„šæ
I watched The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou again last week for More Movies Please! I don’t recall how many times I’ve seen it, but it’s always excellent and fun. It’s an unusual Wes Anderson film, but it’s still worth watching. š„šæ
I watched both Elizabethtown and Zodiac for an episode of my More Movies Please! podcast. One continues to be a brilliant film about a serial killer and the other continues to be too long.
I watched both Heat and About Time over the last couple days for my More Movies Please! podcast. Theyāre both wonderful movies with wildly different stories and tones. I recommend them wholeheartedly. š„šæ
I watched Demolition Man for the first time since I was a (probably too) young kid. This was for an upcoming episode of the podcast. It’s an incredibly campy movie, but dang was it a fun ride. It looked like it was an absolute blast to film. š„šæ
I watched Her again for the podcast earlier this week. Itās such a prophetic, sad, resplendent film. The story is wonderful and the cinematography by Hoyte Van Hoytema (my absolute favorite DP) is perfect. š„šæ
Levels levels. LEVELS LEVELS!
From a recent newsletter I published:
Last week, I did a small bit of venting about what I believe podcastsātrue podcastsāto be. Iām not typically one to get quite so dogmatic about much, but I suppose I feel really passionate about what does or does not constitute a podcast.
I stand by everything I said and will take it all to my grave!
While I may have some firm feelings about podcasts, I also believe theyāre something anyone can do. Yes, anyone. And why not? All a podcast needs to be is someone recording themselves talking into a microphone and then uploading that audio to a podcast host somewhere online. Thereās no great magic to it. Weāre not trying to replicate Avengers: Endgame in audio form here. Although, if you think you can do that, then I canāt wait to hear what you cook up.
A quick and dirty guide to getting started
Your podcast idea
I do think it helps to have some idea of what you want to present to the world. Having a unique point of view can always help make something more captivating. Throwing in a decent amount of your particular energy while recording is a great cherry on top of your podcasting sundae.
While you can certainly publish a podcast consisting entirely of you reading from the stack of take-out menus sitting next to your phone, that doesnāt mean anyoneās going to want to listen to it. Having some sort of story to tell or a fun viewpoint on a topic is what will help bring in the listeners.
Put some effort into thinking of something that other people want to listen to. Are you crazy passionate about gardening? Talk about the best ways to cultivate various plants in different climates. Love movies? Do a movie trivia podcast with a friend or two (and see about getting your listeners involved). Find yourself traveling all over the world for work? Make it a point to find the best ramen place in every city you visit and give your reviews.
There are loads of ideas out there.
Your microphone is the most important tool
Could you get away with recording a podcast using your computerās microphone or the inline mic on your earbuds? Sure. Is it going to sound good? Definitely not. Iām not suggesting you go out and spend several hundreds of dollars on the fanciest microphone you can find. There are no shortage of expensive options (like this one or this one), but you donāt really need any of those if youāre not recording professionally.
You can get some amazing audio with a simple and inexpensive USB microphone. Some people may insist that those sorts of microphones are going to get you bad audio. I disagree. You may not be able to get professional grade, studio quality sound from a USB mic, but you can get good results nonetheless.
One of the most recommended microphones that many people (including me) start off with is the Blue Yeti condenser microphone. Another inexpensive USB microphone that I strongly recommend is the Audio-Technica 2100x-USB dynamic microphone. Either one will get you good audio, although Iām a big fan of the Audio-Technicaās sound.
The key to using these sorts of microphonesāseriously, this is the most important thingāis that you MUST get your mouth very close to the microphone. If you want to get good sound from these mics, then this is non-negotiable. Get a stack of books tall enough to put the microphone right in line with your mouth. Do whatever you have to do to get it up there. Anyone you see speaking at a microphone sitting on a desk a foot or two away from them is doing it wrong. Full stop.
I would also strongly recommend getting some sort of pop filter (or at the very least, a windscreen) to attach to the microphone. Since youāre going to need to speak close to the microphone, youāre going to end up popping some serious Pās. Those doesnāt make for a pleasant listening experience.
Your recording program
Since weāre using a USB microphone, all we need to capture our audio is something you probably already have: a computer. Again, you donāt need to spend a lot of money to be able to capture good audio here. You donāt need something expensive like Logic or Pro Tools to make your recording work.
If youāre on a Mac, then youāve likely already got a great and free program installed: GarageBand. If youāre working on a Windows machine, then consider using something like Audacity. That oneās never been the prettiest looking program, but it gets the job done.
Plug in your microphone, make sure the program recognizes the mic as the input, and hit that record button!
Hosting your masterwork
What good is a podcast if nobody can listen to it? I guess you could copy those audio files to a flash drive and start handing those out to everyone you see, but itās 2020! We donāt need to do anything so barbaric.
A podcast host is a place online for your finished podcasts to live and be accessed by podcast directories and players. When you stream or download a podcast episode, the podcast player uses the file stored on your podcast hostās servers. We need to use podcast hosts because our home computers arenāt really equipped to do the hosting for us.
One of the biggest hosts out there is Libsyn. Theyāve been in the game for a long time and are very reliable. My podcast, More Movies Please!, is hosted on their servers and Iām very happy with them. Their plans start at $5 a month.
Another option is Simplecast. They offer great hosting, amazing analytics, and a very modern web experience. Iām planning on testing them out for any future podcasts I record. Their plans start at $15 a month.
Thatās really all you need
Once you cover those basics, itās all about recording your shows regularly and getting the word out about them. Take advantage of the social media following you may already have to get those first listeners and recommendations in. If youād rather do it the old fashioned way, then start talking to people about your new hobby. Youāre already doing a lot of talking for the podcast, so whatās a little more?
Good luck and have fun!
I finished watching Inside Man again to talk about on Wednesday. Itās always a fun watch. Spike Leeās filmography is fascinating. Heās got this one and Malcom X? Do the Right Thing and Oldboy? š„šæ
I watched The Shape of Water again this last week for my podcast. I canāt recall a better example of one of the most unique and beautiful films made in the last couple decades. Except maybe any other Guillermo del Toro movie. š„šæ
Another one of the truly great episodes by Reply All. I donāt think I like the song theyāre trying to figure out as much as everyone else did when the episode came out. The story is damn good, though.
I watched Snakes on a Plane with a friend so we could talk about it on our podcast. That movie was better than I thought it would be, but wow, it was also not great at all. How the heck does a trash movie like that get a budget of 33 million dollars? š„šæ
I watched The Proposition again last night to prepare for a podcast. What a truly brutal, stark, and sometimes beautiful movie that one is. Youāve probably never seen the Australian Outback depicted like this. š„šæ
I finished watching John Q yesterday in preparation for talking about it on my podcast. Itāll be an interesting chat because that was a boring, unrealistic, and ridiculous in a bad way movie. Iām so glad I only rented it. š„šæ
I watched This Is Where I Leave You yesterday in preparation for recording a podcast about it tonight. The movie was certainly fine and told its story. The only thing holding it up was the strength of the acting. š„šæ
I just had a good time recording a podcast with a friend about the movie I watched a couple days ago, BlacKkKlansman. The recording went well, but man that movie is still heavy. And I think I need new headphones. Mine give me headache. š„š