We're a small team that loves podcasts. When we started building earsay, we knew there were already apps that promised to skip ads. We also knew we weren't comfortable with how most of them worked.
So we tried a different approach. It took longer and required solving some hard technical problems, but we think the result is worth it.
How other ad-skipping services work
Most podcast ad-skipping services work by downloading episodes to their servers, analyzing them, and then either modifying the audio files or telling your app exactly when to skip. Some re-host modified versions of episodes with ads stripped out entirely.
This approach has problems we couldn't ignore.
First, there's the copyright issue. Podcast episodes are copyrighted content. When a service downloads that content, modifies it, and serves altered versions to users, they're creating and distributing derivative works without permission. This isn't a gray area. It's infringement. The fact that many services operate this way doesn't make it legal. It just means they haven't been sued yet.
Second, there's the privacy problem. For these services to work, they need to know what you're listening to. Every episode, every podcast, logged on their servers. Your listening habits become their data, which can be sold, breached, or subpoenaed. Even services that claim to protect your privacy still require you to tell their servers what content you want processed.
Third, there's the sustainability question. Services that modify and re-host content are expensive to run. They need servers, bandwidth, and storage for processing millions of episodes. That's why they charge monthly subscriptions, and why they may need to find other revenue sources if those subscriptions fall short.
How earsay works
We don't download your podcasts to our servers. We don't modify audio files. We don't create altered versions of copyrighted content. We don't even know what you're listening to.
Here's what actually happens. When you play a podcast in earsay, the audio streams directly from the podcast's original source, the same RSS feed the creator publishes. Your iPhone or iPad runs our on-device AI to detect ads in real time as you listen. When an ad is detected, you can choose to skip it, listen through it, or let earsay handle it automatically.
The content is never touched. The original audio plays exactly as the creator published it. earsay gives you controls for how you listen, the same way you might manually tap the skip button. We just made it smarter.
Why on-device processing matters
Everything in earsay happens on your device. The ad detection AI runs locally on your iPhone or iPad. No audio is uploaded anywhere. No listening data leaves your phone.
This isn't just a privacy feature. It's fundamental to how earsay works legally and ethically.
Because we never touch the content, there's no copyright issue. You're streaming the original, unmodified podcast directly from the source. earsay is a player with smart controls, like a TV remote that can detect certain patterns and skip for you.
Because we don't need to know what you're listening to, there's nothing to track. We couldn't build a profile of your listening habits even if we wanted to. We simply don't have that data. There's no account to create, no login required, no server storing your information.
Because we don't run cloud infrastructure for processing, we can offer earsay as a one-time purchase instead of a subscription. Pay once, use it as long as you want. No recurring fees, no pressure to find additional revenue from your data.
The Sponsors Tab
We built earsay because we love podcasts, and we know creators depend on sponsor support. That's why we created the Sponsors Tab.
When earsay detects an ad, it extracts the sponsor information, including brand names, promo codes, special offers, and website links, and displays them as visual cards. You get the information from the ad without the interruption. When you tap a sponsor link, creators benefit from the trackable attribution.
This approach respects everyone involved. Listeners get to control their experience. Creators still get credit when their audience engages with sponsors. Sponsors reach people who actually want to learn more. And the original content remains exactly as published.
Other features
Beyond the ad handling, earsay includes features that make podcasts easier to hear.
Voice Boost enhances speech clarity, making dialogue easier to understand even with inconsistent recording quality or noisy environments.
Silence Skip automatically trims long pauses and dead air, saving time without cutting any actual content.
Variable Speed lets you listen from 0.5x to 2x while keeping voices sounding natural.
All of this processing happens on-device. Your audio never leaves your phone.
Pricing
earsay is free to download. The full version, with unlimited podcast subscriptions and all features, unlocks with a one-time purchase of $7.99.
No subscription. No monthly fees. No tiers. Pay once, keep it.
We chose this model because it's straightforward. You know what you're paying, and we're focused on making the app better rather than finding ways to charge you more later.
Try it
earsay is available for iPhone and iPad. If you've been looking for a podcast app that handles ads without the tradeoffs other services require, we'd appreciate you giving it a look.
