When you find a podcast you really like, but want a little music to play as background either to set the mood or enhance the listening experience, the easiest way to do this is through a computer.
Computers do not have an audio focus setting that allows all audio of your choosing to play at once. If you want Spotify to play at the same time as YouTube, that’s no problem.
But for mobile devices, you will have to change the settings on your device and/or your app.
Related: 10 Best Podcast Apps for your Listening Pleasure.
Contents
How to Listen to Two Audio Sources at Once on an iPhone
The iPhone currently as of 2022 does not have the capability to play two audio sources at once, or one layered on top of the other. Users open to jailbreaking their phone can find solutions this one that will allow them to mix audio together, or suppress the iPhone function. But there is no official way from Apple that allows a user to do this.
How to Play a Podcast and Music at the Same Time on an Android Device
Listening to podcasts and music at the same time may be tricky if you’re not listening on a computer.
To listen to podcasts and music simultaneously on an Android phone, you will also need to work around what the phone itself offers. The good news is that you won’t need to jailbreak your phone to do so on Android. One app that allows you to listen to two audio sources concurrently is Podcast Addict. Once the podcast is installed, click on Settings, then Player, then scroll to the bottom, and click “Ignore Audio Focus requests.” This will ensure that when you are playing two sources of audio it won’t suppress one audio for another. That way, you can play a podcast on Podcast Addict and a song from another app at the same time.
How to Play Audible and Music at the Same Time
Much like playing any two apps at the same time, listening to Audible and music at the same time is only an option on the computer without a manual workaround. Finding an app like Podcast Addict will allow you to suppress the audio focus of the app so that its audio won’t be muted when another audio source starts to play.
Related: How to Connect Multiple Bluetooth Speakers to Your iPhone
Conclusion
Though the option of having both music and a podcast play at the same time may be appealing to some listeners, the solution for this may be hard to come by. Listening on the computer is one way to do it, and altering settings on your device or downloading a new app with special controls will assist you in trying to listen to both music and podcasts.
Related: IEMs vs. Earbuds: How to Choose the Right One for You
