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> If I upload a podcast to Apple, it's physically inaccessible unless you have a Mac or an iOS device. Unless I am misunderstanding your claim, this is not tru

> If I upload a podcast to Apple, it's physically inaccessible unless you have a Mac or an iOS device. Unless I am misunderstanding your claim, this is not true. You can listen to Apple Podcasts using iTunes for Windows. You can also listen to them on Android. But dealing with it on Android is indeed annoying, because it requires downloading podcasts in itunes on your desktop, and then manually transferring them to your Android phone after finding the locally stored files. However, it is easy to sidestep all of that if the podcast creator just uploads to multiple podcast hosting platforms.

tshaddox 4y ago
You can also listen to it on the Apple Podcasts website, e.g. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily/id1200361736?itscg=10000&itsct=pod-ovp-galsho-apl-ref-22_0413 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily/id1200361736...
- bastawhiz 4y ago
  The podcasts in question can't be played in the browser. It always forces you to open Apple Podcasts. Here's an example: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/test-podcast/id1667708685 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/test-podcast/id1667708...
makeitdouble 4y ago
> requires downloading podcasts in itunes on your desktop, and then manually transferring them to your Android phone after finding the locally stored files. TFA says they're DRMed, are they still readable on a random android client just by moving the files ?
- filoleg 4y ago
  That part of TFA confused me as well, because I just tested it out on my Win10 desktop, and it worked effortlessly. I didn't even have to search for the local files. iTunes had a nice "Show in Windows Explorer" button next to the episode I downloaded, which opened a directory with the mp3 audio file for the episode (neatly tagged and named and all). I opened it with VLC and confirmed that the playback works perfectly fine. Disclaimer: I haven't tested the part with transferring the file to an Android device specifically. But if an mp3 audio file plays fine in any third-party media player on Windows, I think it is safe to assume that it would play fine on Android as well.
  - tcarn 4y ago
    Wow, this is a great workaround then to the author's issue.
    - makeitdouble 4y ago
      For sure, it's nice to know there's an out for people willing to work it out. TBF, I'd assume the author knows there would be workarounds, like de-DRM the iTunes files. Or go full analog loophole style and rerecord the podcast audio etc. The point was probably how shitty of an experience it stayed for people outside the Apple bubble (podcasts are really about convenience. I only started seriously listening to them once I got an iPhone, because of the sheer inconvenience of having to plug and drag files from my desktop for every new episode)
      - filoleg 4y ago
        > The point was probably how shitty of an experience it stayed for people outside the Apple bubble Could be, but they made it sound like those workarounds are required everywhere outside of Apple devices (which would include Windows as well). Which is painting a pretty different picture from what the reality is, as none of the workarounds are required on Windows, it is click and play just like on any Apple device.
    - jonp888 4y ago
      If I understand the comment chain correctly, they first tried a random "not hosted by Apple" podcast and could get the MP3, as expected. They were then directed to a "hosted by Apple" podcast and could not get an MP3. So the workaround does not work.
  - bastawhiz 4y ago
    Here's an example show, I'm curious if it works for you: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/test-podcast/id1667708685 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/test-podcast/id1667708...
    - 4y ago
bastawhiz 4y ago
You cannot download these podcast episodes as a file because they are protected with DRM. Seriously, find one of these shows and try getting a file from it
- filoleg 4y ago
  Are all podcasts protected this way or just some specific ones? Because I picked a random one from the front page of the podcast section in iTunes on Win10, and it worked for me with zero issues[0]. If you can find a podcast on Apple Podcasts for which the method I described in my other comment doesn't work, please post it here. Because it would feel kinda strange if Podcasts app applied DRM like this only to some specific podcasts and not all of them. 0. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34524966 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34524966
  - bastawhiz 4y ago
    No: this isn't just any random podcast from the iTunes homepage. It only applies to podcasts which are hosted by Apple, not ones which Apple lists in its directory. This is a very small percentage of shows. Here is an example. Curious if you can get it to work on Windows, because I physically cannot save the audio to a normal file on Mac. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/test-podcast/id1667708685 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/test-podcast/id1667708...
    - mrkstu 4y ago
      Do you have an example that would be findable via iTunes on PC? This one doesn't seem reachable/searchable there.
      - witheld 4y ago
        My suspicion is that iTunes for PC won’t even show listings for DRM protected podcasts, which is why you can’t find it.
        4y ago

tshaddox 4y ago

You can also listen to it on the Apple Podcasts website, e.g. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily/id1200361736?itscg=10000&itsct=pod-ovp-galsho-apl-ref-22_0413 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily/id1200361736...

bastawhiz 4y ago
The podcasts in question can't be played in the browser. It always forces you to open Apple Podcasts. Here's an example: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/test-podcast/id1667708685 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/test-podcast/id1667708...

makeitdouble 4y ago

> requires downloading podcasts in itunes on your desktop, and then manually transferring them to your Android phone after finding the locally stored files. TFA says they're DRMed, are they still readable on a random android client just by moving the files ?

filoleg 4y ago
That part of TFA confused me as well, because I just tested it out on my Win10 desktop, and it worked effortlessly. I didn't even have to search for the local files. iTunes had a nice "Show in Windows Explorer" button next to the episode I downloaded, which opened a directory with the mp3 audio file for the episode (neatly tagged and named and all). I opened it with VLC and confirmed that the playback works perfectly fine. Disclaimer: I haven't tested the part with transferring the file to an Android device specifically. But if an mp3 audio file plays fine in any third-party media player on Windows, I think it is safe to assume that it would play fine on Android as well.
- tcarn 4y ago
  Wow, this is a great workaround then to the author's issue.
  - makeitdouble 4y ago
    For sure, it's nice to know there's an out for people willing to work it out. TBF, I'd assume the author knows there would be workarounds, like de-DRM the iTunes files. Or go full analog loophole style and rerecord the podcast audio etc. The point was probably how shitty of an experience it stayed for people outside the Apple bubble (podcasts are really about convenience. I only started seriously listening to them once I got an iPhone, because of the sheer inconvenience of having to plug and drag files from my desktop for every new episode)
    - filoleg 4y ago
      > The point was probably how shitty of an experience it stayed for people outside the Apple bubble Could be, but they made it sound like those workarounds are required everywhere outside of Apple devices (which would include Windows as well). Which is painting a pretty different picture from what the reality is, as none of the workarounds are required on Windows, it is click and play just like on any Apple device.
  - jonp888 4y ago
    If I understand the comment chain correctly, they first tried a random "not hosted by Apple" podcast and could get the MP3, as expected. They were then directed to a "hosted by Apple" podcast and could not get an MP3. So the workaround does not work.
- bastawhiz 4y ago
  Here's an example show, I'm curious if it works for you: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/test-podcast/id1667708685 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/test-podcast/id1667708...
  - 4y ago

bastawhiz 4y ago

You cannot download these podcast episodes as a file because they are protected with DRM. Seriously, find one of these shows and try getting a file from it

filoleg 4y ago
Are all podcasts protected this way or just some specific ones? Because I picked a random one from the front page of the podcast section in iTunes on Win10, and it worked for me with zero issues[0]. If you can find a podcast on Apple Podcasts for which the method I described in my other comment doesn't work, please post it here. Because it would feel kinda strange if Podcasts app applied DRM like this only to some specific podcasts and not all of them. 0. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34524966 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34524966
- bastawhiz 4y ago
  No: this isn't just any random podcast from the iTunes homepage. It only applies to podcasts which are hosted by Apple, not ones which Apple lists in its directory. This is a very small percentage of shows. Here is an example. Curious if you can get it to work on Windows, because I physically cannot save the audio to a normal file on Mac. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/test-podcast/id1667708685 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/test-podcast/id1667708...
  - mrkstu 4y ago
    Do you have an example that would be findable via iTunes on PC? This one doesn't seem reachable/searchable there.
    - witheld 4y ago
      My suspicion is that iTunes for PC won’t even show listings for DRM protected podcasts, which is why you can’t find it.
      - 4y ago