Podcasts not showing up on Android/Sonos controler

I've given up on Sonos for podcast support. I've had success playing podcasts from BeyondPod to Sonos using BubbleUPnP. I have paid versions of both, but I think free versions will do the job. First setup Sonos as a local renderer in BubbleUPnP. Then from BeyondPod, long-press an episode and Play in External Player. The episode should be added to the BubbleUPnP queue and, depending on your settings, start playing.

It's not a seamless experience, but it works.

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!

Hello. I bought the pocketcasts app yesterday (loving podkicker and had to abondon it) just so i could get it to work. now I find out I have to reboot my phone every time I download a podcast episode? thats not "working with sonos" it is works a bit with sonos. I am dissapointed"

I have the same problem with BeyondPod on my HTC One X+. Any help, Sonos-guys?
There is only one problem that support constantly avoids mentioning: Sonos Android CANNOT find files in sub folders . Easy enough bug to locate & fix instead of all this wasteful back & forth with unhappy customers.

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've tried jimjmc's solution above and it works quite well with Pocket Casts. It's certainly a lot easier than constantly copying the files from one folder to another.

1) install the BubbleUPnP app from the play store.
2) Open the BubbleUPnP app and click on the menu button
3) Add your sonos speaker as a new Local Renderer
Steps 1-3, you only need to do once!
4) Open Pocket casts. When you see the podcast you want to play, long-click on the play button (the same button that is also used as the download button), and select  "Play in external player".
5) Select BubblUPnP as your player.

The one annoying issue is that if you listen to only half the podcast and then want to listen to the rest of it another day, or in the car, it goes back to the start again. This would not be an issue if Sonos allowed apps such as BeyondPod and Pocket Casts to cast directly to Sonos. Please, please, please, Sonos, allow that to happen!

I am also having this same issue with pocket casts. Sonos people, is downloading a 3rd party app our only solution? Your site claims that pocket casts is compatible. I have checked the setting that says "allow sonos and Google play to see" is there anything else I should do? Please help. I'd love for this to work seamlessly, and I'm sure that by compatible you don't mean downloading a 3rd party app or manually moving files (a "solution" in which the file names of my podcasts are ridiculously complex), so what do you suggest I do? Thanks. JQ

I am also having this same issue with pocket casts. Sonos people, is downloading a 3rd party app our only solution? Your site claims that pocket casts is compatible. I have checked the setting that says "allow sonos and Google play to see" is there anything else I should do? Please help. I'd love for this to work seamlessly, and I'm sure that by compatible you don't mean downloading a 3rd party app or manually moving files (a "solution" in which the file names of my podcasts are ridiculously complex), so what do you suggest I do? Thanks. JQ

So I bought the pocket casts app based on Sonos' specs which state that this app will allow me to play the podcasts through the sonos app. And it is false information, it simply does not work, not in any way, shape or form, and Sonos is accountable for wasting my time and money on this so far. Please fix, and do not point me to the obvious share settings in pocket cast app, the Podcast root folder or any other such evident stuff. 

By the way, thanks a lot for the bubbleUpnP tip, User319995 and jimjmc ! Works quite well for now.