As of 12 October 2026 Macdio searches the 4.7 million podcasts of the Podcast Index and plays them in the same app as 60,000+ radio stations, on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch and CarPlay. Transcripts are made on the iPhone, iPad or Mac you listen on by Apple's speech recognition; the audio is never uploaded and there is no account. The whole podcast side is part of the one-time purchase, with no subscription.
Transcripts made on your device
Apple's speech recognition turns each episode into text on your iPhone, iPad or Mac, in the episode's language where the device supports it. Nothing leaves the device. How transcripts work
Search inside every episode
Type a word and Macdio finds the sentences that contain it across every transcript in your library, then jumps to that second.
Chapters and a summary
Publisher chapters when the show provides them, generated chapters and a written summary when it does not, made from the transcript.
Songs in the episode
The songs a music podcast plays are identified from the audio and listed with timestamps, and saved to Tracks when you heart them.
Highlights to your notes
Mark a moment with a button, with Siri or from the watch. The second and the sentence go to Apple Notes, Notion, Obsidian, Bear, Craft or Readwise. How highlights work
Up Next with live radio
Queue episodes and a station together. A station plays for the time you give it, then hands over to the next episode.
What else the podcast side does
- Episode downloads for listening offline, and a show's repeated segments learned from two downloaded episodes so they can be skipped.
- OPML import and export, so subscriptions move in from Overcast, Pocket Casts or any app that exports OPML, and out again whenever you want.
- New episode alerts on the iPhone for the shows you follow.
- Charts of the popular shows in your country, and a search across the whole Podcast Index.
- Playback speed per episode; Macdio has no effects such as trimmed silence or volume boost.
- Everything synced through your own iCloud: shows, episodes, transcripts, highlights and progress, with no account.
On each device
Transcripts, chapters, summaries, song lists and highlight export are made on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Apple TV plays episodes and shows the transcripts, chapters and songs that synced from your other devices through iCloud. Apple Watch plays podcasts on its own Wi-Fi or cellular connection, with no iPhone nearby, and can mark a moment. CarPlay has a Podcasts tab with Continue Listening, your shows and their episodes.
Macdio next to the podcast apps you may know
| Feature | Macdio | Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Overcast | Snipd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transcripts | Made on your device, any episode | Yes, provided by Apple | Yes, with Plus | Mentioned in release notes | Yes, made on Snipd's servers |
| Highlights sent to a notes app | Apple Notes, Notion, Obsidian, Bear, Craft, Readwise | Share a moment from the transcript | Bookmarks inside the app | Not stated | Notion, Readwise, Obsidian, Glasp, Bear, Logseq, Markdown |
| Live radio in the same app | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Native Mac app | Yes | Yes | Yes | iPad app on Apple silicon | No |
| Apple TV | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Apple Watch on its own | Yes | Yes | Companion | Yes | Not stated |
| Account needed | No, iCloud | Apple ID | Yes, for sync | Not stated | Yes |
| Price | 14.99 USD once | Free | Free with ads; Plus 39.99 USD a year | Free with ads; Premium 19.99 USD a year | Free; Premium 6.99 USD a month |
Based on each app's own site and US App Store listing, read on 12 October 2026. "Not stated" means the page did not say, not that the feature is missing. Features and prices change; check the App Store for current details.
Each one also has its own page: the Overcast alternative, the Pocket Casts alternative and the Snipd alternative. For the live radio side, see the guide to the best internet radio apps.
Common questions
Does Macdio play podcasts?
Are the transcripts really made on the device?
Which languages do transcripts work in?
Can I move my subscriptions from another app?
Does the podcast side cost extra?
Can I listen offline?
Try it
Macdio is on the App Store as a one-time purchase. The comparison with Apple Podcasts goes deeper on transcripts, and the pricing page explains the single price.