How Do I Download from Apple Podcast App to My Computer?

[ChrisBryant]

Hello, I hope I am in the right place. I am in the Apple Podcasts app and am trying to download an episode and it says I have done so, but I cannot locate it anywhere on my computer, which is a very new Macbook Pro. I am used to iTunes, but no longer have that app. I see it has downloaded within the app, but this doesn't give me access to it on my computer, that is, without having to first open the app.

Thank you

 

[chown33]

I did a search in DuckDuckGo for the keywords:
where does apple podcasts app store files

One of the top results is this:

Where are the Podcast files on MacOS loca… - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

Basically, it stores files in an obscure location, and doesn't keep the original names. You can, however, drag podcasts out of the Podcast app and drop them onto a Finder folder window or the Desktop.

 

[0128672]

(deleted ... chown33's response is much better!)

 

[ChrisBryant]

Thank you for your response, but this is very confusing to me. Because (A) I go to drag, but it doesn't pick it up (and so I can't drop it anywhere). Perhaps I am not dragging the right thing or from the right place.

And (B) I cannot find the cache folder. I don't know where to look within the finder.

Thank you.

 

[chown33]

Sorry, I'm out of suggestions. I don't have a Mac with Podcast app on it, so I can't try this out here.

Maybe someone who has the Podcast app can try this and report back.

Unfortunately, the User Guide for the Podcast app doesn't say anything about dragging podcasts out of the app. I could have missed something:

Apple Podcasts User Guide

Learn how to use Apple Podcasts on your Mac to find, listen to, and organize your podcasts.

support.apple.com

You could help others help you by telling us your macOS version and Mac model, so others know whether what they have is close to yours or far different.

 

[ChrisBryant]

Yes, thank you. It is a MacBook Pro from 2019 and it runs on the Big Sur program. I hope the others, if they exist, respond. I have nowhere else to go. Thank you chown33.

 

[0128672]

I just tested trying to drag a podcast out of the app, and it doesn't work. Maybe it did when podcasts were part of iTunes, but it doesn't work in the standalone Podcast app. The files themselves are not meant to be user-accessible, but you can still access them by copying the path mentioned in that link above:

~/Library/Group Containers/243LU875E5.groups.com.apple.podcasts

Then in the Finder, go to the Go menu > Go to Folder, and paste in that link. That will take you some folders, and there should be a couple of Cache folders there. Open the Cache folder and look for files with an .mp3 extension.

Mine looks like this (for a single downloaded podcast):

If I double click on that MP3, it plays a podcast. If this is something you may do often, copy that file path into a Notes document so you have it handy for next time. Or in the title bar of that window, click on the folder name and drag it to your sidebar so it creates a shortcut.

Hope that helps.

 

[chown33]

I just tested trying to drag a podcast out of the app, and it doesn't work. ...

Which view did you try dragging the podcast from?

The User Guide I linked above has this screenshot:

I would expect dragging from the Search Results view shown would NOT work, because few or none of those files would be present on the Mac. Also, a Podcast in that view represents a series of episodes (files), not just a single audio file.

However, if one first selects Downloaded in the sidebar, so only files that have already been downloaded appear, then dragging might work. That's just a guess, though.

Since I don't have this app on any installed OS, I'm guessing that selecting Downloaded will show only the downloaded files. That guess is based on the User Guide's description of how to delete downloaded files here:

Remove saved or downloaded episodes in Podcasts on Mac

In Podcasts on your Mac, remove saved or downloaded episodes.

support.apple.com

Several descriptions mention selecting episodes as individual items (find the word "select" on the page) for deletion, so it may be that selecting an episode is necessary in order to do other things with it like dragging.

 

[chown33]

I'm also going to flip the original question around, and ask this:

What is the goal of having the audio file outside the Podcast app?​

Do you intend to edit the audio file? Copy it somewhere else?

In other words, if we knew the reason for having the audio file visisble outside the Podcast app, maybe we could suggest other ways to achieve that goal.

 

[0128672]

Which view did you try dragging the podcast from?

I tried it from Downloaded, Saved and Browse.

 

[chown33]

I tried it from Downloaded, Saved and Browse.

Thanks.

Did you try cmd-clicking on the items in Downloaded?

 

[NoBoMac]

Or Latest Episodes view doesn't allow drag/copy/etc

Get Info in Finder might return information on the downloaded podcasts.

The command mdls sometimes returns value that allow hunting down which episode is which.

However, it's generally a bit of a task to narrow down which episodes are which.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/podcasts-files-in-macos-catalina.2227947/post-28335939

EDIT: Nope on cmd-click working.

 

[0128672]

Thanks.

Did you try cmd-clicking on the items in Downloaded?

cmd-click/option-click opens up a detail view. I tried all the other possible key combinations too.

 

[0128672]

I downloaded an old episode and dragging to the Finder still doesn't happen. By the way I'm using the podcast called MacGameCast featuring as a co-host our MR member @casperes1996.

MacGameCast

Games Podcast · 58 Episodes · Updated Monthly

podcasts.apple.com

I'm still unclear where the idea about dragging downloaded episodes to the Finder came from. I don't see it in that link early on in this thread from @chown33. Regardless I'm taking a break from a project and don't mind goofing off by testing some mythical functionality.

 

[chown33]

Well then, it looks like the thread linked by NoBoMac shows some possible options:
Easier: Use Retroactive and install iTunes
Harder: "[Write] a program to sort out the mess..."

 

[casperes1996]

I downloaded an old episode and dragging to the Finder still doesn't happen. By the way I'm using the podcast called MacGameCast featuring as a co-host our MR member @casperes1996.

MacGameCast

Games Podcast · 58 Episodes · Updated Monthly

podcasts.apple.com

I'm still unclear where the idea about dragging downloaded episodes to the Finder came from. I don't see it in that link early on in this thread from @chown33. Regardless I'm taking a break from a project and don't mind goofing off by testing some mythical functionality.

Yep, unfortunately there's no easy way of getting the downloaded file from the Podcasts app like just dragging it out. Pretty sure that did indeed work for iTunes back in the day, but as you also observe, not the Podcasts app.
Thanks for using MacGameCast as your example though. Hope you like the show

 

[Tagbert]

Hello, I hope I am in the right place. I am in the Apple Podcasts app and am trying to download an episode and it says I have done so, but I cannot locate it anywhere on my computer, which is a very new Macbook Pro. I am used to iTunes, but no longer have that app. I see it has downloaded within the app, but this doesn't give me access to it on my computer, that is, without having to first open the app.

Thank you

If you use the Overcast podcast app on iOS/iPadOS is has a share option to export the current audio file to the file system.

 

[MacGizmo]

You can find your podcast files in your User folder:

~/Library/Group Containers/243LU875E5.groups.com.apple.podcasts/Library/Cache

Unfortunately, the files are named with random letter/number combination. The good part is that many of them will have the Podcast poster art as the icon to help find what you're looking for. And if you interact with a specific podcast in the Podcasts app, then go to the folder and sort by Date, it should be easy to find what you're looking for.