Podcasts not showing up on Android/Sonos controler

I have been annoyed by this issue as much as you guys. I have a solution which is hardware based, and allows you to continue podcasts that you were listening to in your car, or on the subway, on your Sonos when you are home. It requires that you have a Play 5 upon which you're not already utilizing the line-in.

The solution is to add a Chromecast Audio (https://store.google.com/product/chromecast_audio) to your system. It's a pretty modestly priced item, currently selling for $35 on the Google Play Store.

First, connect the Chromecast Audio to the unused line-in on your Play 5. Then simply use PocketCast, or whatever Podcast app you are already using. When you are in your home, open the Sonos app, and select the line-in that you've connected the Chromecast Music. Next, open up your podcast app, and cast it to the Chromecast Audio, and you're good to go.

I realize that not everyone has a Play 5, or those that do have one are possibly already utilizing the line-in, but for those like me that weren't in either of those positions, it's a pretty simple way to make the Sonos a lot more usable for listening to Podcasts on your Android or iOS device. Or I guess your Windows or Blackberry phone, if you're still that guy.

And as a bonus, once you start interacting with your Sonos in this way, you realize that it has many advantages to using the Sonos App. You just use the Spotify app on your phone or tablet, which is just more feature rich than the integration with the Sonos App is. You're no longer limited to whatever is integrated to Sonos directly; any service or means of playing audio on your phone or tablet is now available to you on your Sonos, and you never have to worry that Spotify or Audible or PocketCast is going to release a new version that makes those services broken on Sonos. As long as it plays on your phone or tablet, it plays on Sonos.

 
Sonos needs to remove Pocketcasts from their list of applications that work with Sonos. There are zero Android podcast apps that Sonos supports. Their saying otherwise is dishonest.

I have been going back and forth with their technical support and have received contradictory advice over the course of the same thread: store your podcasts in the root podcast directory, store them in the music directory on the phone, look for them in the music directory on the Sonos app, look for them in the podcast directory on the app, etc.

Clearly the app is not supported. I'm frustrated that Sonos advertised support for Android's Pocketcast. Also, if Sonos tech support doesn't know the solution, they should just admit it and stop wasting our time with guesses. Perhaps they should buy an Android phone and attempt their purported solutions before asking us to.

I have the same problem with BeyondPod on my HTC One X+. Any help, Sonos-guys?
Dominique -

This whole topic is very frustrating and needs to be solved by Sonos!  This just doesn't seem that hard but it's clear that it doesn't work and all this rebooting/copying file stuff is no good.  If I were giving requirements to Sonos, I'd say there are a few:  start by allowing us to tell Sonos what our podcast player is.  Then look to the default location where that service stores it's Podcasts (I believe they're all published).  Then every time the UI comes up on the device, it needs to check the current Podcast repository on the phone.  

I realize that this is tricky because all the services are stored/accessed/run from the Sonos player and not the device but it shouldn't be too hard to do.

We look forward to hearing back from Sonos on this soon!

For those who are using Podcast Addict I finally fixed this issue.
Please update to the new v3.9 (only available in beta for now but will be released in a couple of days), then go into Settings/Download and enable 'Share with other apps'.
New downloaded episodes should then be visible in the SONOS app.
Please let me know if you want to try the beta

I've used BeyondPod for over a year, and started back when it used to be 'supported' on Sonos. Apparently, now it isn't (which isn't surprising, since it never really worked well on Sonos). I'm considering switching to PocketCasts, but it sounds like that won't work much better.

I can get the Sonos controller to 'see' my podcasts downloaded by BeyondPod (by switching the download directory and enabling playing in 3P apps - no problems with sub-directories or anything). But the Sonos controller is only able to see file names, many of which are gibberish. So it's impossible to tell which episode I'm trying to play. And there's no good way to access playlists or any of the useful features that BeyondPod offers like SmartPlay.

My ideal scenario would be for a podcasting app to 'cast' the audio stream to Sonos speakers, just like you can cast to your TV with Chromecast. (I actually can cast from BeyondPod to my TV and then play the audio through Sonos with the PlayBar, but it is a pain to have to turn on the TV to make this all work.)

Google Music can 'cast' directly to Sonos speakers and lets me manage Sonos audio through their app - this is a great implementation. Can we get the same from a podcast app? This seems like it would be better for Sonos too, as you wouldn't have to deal with supporting all of these podcast management features like correctly reading metadata. Just let us use an app that already manages podcasts well, and stay out of the way.
I can see podcasts from beyondpod after rebooting the phone and re scanning from the sonos app. The reboot may be the only thing needed!

Download SD Scanner (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gmail.jerickson314.sdscanner&hl=en). Run it everytime you have downloaded a new podcast, then open Sonos and it should show up. I am wondering why Sonos can't implement this in the app, so it scans the library everytime you access the podcast directory in the Sonos app.

Wow - the SD Scanner app works....

It's somewhat ridiculous this functionality isn't part of the Sonos app.

Hello Darin,

Do you store your podcasts on the device directly or on an SD card that is located in the device? 

If you use an SD card, as a quick troubleshoot, please shut down the phone, remove the card, and then open the Sonos application. Does the Sonos application see any of the Podcasts? 

If you go into advanced settings in BeyondPod, you can change the default folder application- this  will auto-generate its directory so when you look at a file manager you will have \Podcasts\BeyondPod\Podcasts\(actual podcasts). Please verify through a file manager application that your podcasts are truly resting in this folder. Then I want you to close all running applications, force quit Sonos and power cycle your Android device.

After the device reboots, please check the Sonos controller and see if your podcasts have come through. 

I have the same issue - Moto RAZR Maxx with latest OS and BeyondPod. The storage folder is unselectable in my settings and is listed as "/storage/emulated/0/BeyondPod/Podcasts". I am confused because I've seen parts of the list (I currently can see about 12 podcasts under "This Device") but it's only a partial list.

 I have the same issue with Nexus 5 and Casts Pocket. Sonos please advise

I have the same problem with BeyondPod on my HTC One X+. Any help, Sonos-guys?

 
I tried this, and it does not work. I have a 2014 moto x (ergo no separate sd card storage)and the pocket casts app. For the love of god can someone give me a simple step by step guide as to how to get my podcasts to play through the sonos app. This is incredibly frustrating. It really should not be this difficult to use a piece of equipment that is as expensive as the sonos system is.

I have the same problem with BeyondPod on my HTC One X+. Any help, Sonos-guys?
According to your own website, updated in October, BeyondPod is listed under "Podcasts Apps that Don't Work."

https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2198/~/playing-podcasts-wirelessly-from-your-andr...