Forecast
Free Mac app from Overcast that encodes podcast MP3s with chapters, artwork and metadata.
Updated · AppBreakup editorial · macOS
Is Forecast free?
Yes, free to use
Switch from Forecast to
All 5
AuphonicFree plan + paid
Hindenburg PROPaid
FissionPrice: $35 USD
- Verified facts
- 5 of 5
- Alternatives ranked
- 5
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About Forecast
Forecast is a free macOS utility from Marco Arment, the developer of the Overcast podcast player, for the last step of podcast production: turning a finished WAV file into a publish-ready MP3. It encodes with the LAME MP3 encoder, spread across all of the computer's processor cores for speed, and embeds the episode title, description and artwork. Its main feature is chapters: it reads and writes the MP3 chapter standard with titles, links and images, and imports markers from your audio editor as chapters, so you mark sections while editing and they carry over. It can also autofill details from consistent file names, warn about long accidental silences, copy duration and file size for your podcast host, and export sponsor segments as separate files. It's free with no account, ads or catch. It only runs on Mac and only outputs MP3, and it's still labelled a pre-1.0 version. It suits independent podcasters who edit elsewhere and want fast, chapter-rich MP3s.
Best for: Mac podcasters who want fast MP3 exports with chapters, artwork and metadata, for free.
Forecast pricing (checked Nov 8, 2026)
Each line is quoted from Forecast's own site, with the page it came from.
| Plan or term | What it says | Checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Nov 8, 2026 | overcast.fm |
Pros and cons
What works
- Completely free with no account needed
- Imports markers from your audio editor as MP3 chapters
- Multi-core LAME encoding is fast
- Warns about long accidental silences before you publish
Why people leave
- Mac only
- Outputs MP3 only, no AAC or other formats
- Still a pre-1.0 version with infrequent updates
- Not an editor: you still need a separate app to edit audio
Forecast vs Auphonic, Hindenburg PRO and Fission
From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.
| Attribute | Forecast | Auphonic | Hindenburg PRO | Fission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan + paid | Paid | Paid |
| Verified price | — | — | — | $35 USD |
| Free plan | Free app | 2 hours of audio per month | No | No |
| Open source | No | No | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No | No | No |
| Platforms | macOS | Web | Windows, macOS | macOS |
Top Forecast alternatives
See all 5- 1Auphonic68.8
Web service that adds chapters and metadata and also levels loudness and cleans up audio, on any OS.
- 2Hindenburg PRO64.8
Podcast-focused editor that handles chapters and export in the same app you edit in, on Mac and Windows.
- 3Fission61.8
Fast Mac audio editor from Rogue Amoeba for trimming and exporting episodes without re-encoding losses.
- 4
Audacity57.5Free cross-platform editor that cuts the episode and exports MP3 with title, artist and album tags in one go, though without chapters.
- 5
Kid351.2Free, open-source tag editor for Mac, Windows and Linux that can add ID3 chapters and artwork to an MP3 you already encoded.
Why people left Forecast
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Reviews
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Forecast: common questions
What is Forecast?
Forecast: Free Mac app from Overcast that encodes podcast MP3s with chapters, artwork and metadata. Best for mac podcasters who want fast MP3 exports with chapters, artwork and metadata, for free. Available for macOS.
Is Forecast free?
Yes, Forecast is free to use.
How much does Forecast cost?
Forecast is free to use. Price: Free. Checked on Forecast's own site, November 2026.
Is Forecast open source?
No, Forecast is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Audacity and Kid3.
What platforms does Forecast run on?
Forecast is available for macOS.
What are the best alternatives to Forecast?
The highest-ranked Forecast alternatives right now are Auphonic, Hindenburg PRO and Fission. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.
Forecast vs Auphonic: what's the difference?
Forecast is free to use; Auphonic is free with paid plans. Only Forecast runs on macOS. Only Auphonic runs on Web.