How to add podcasts to iPod from MacBook?

[Connor Shannon]

Hi I just got a new Macbook and I can't tell how to put podcasts on my iPod. I know that iTunes is gone and the Apple website says to use Finder and other apps to sync an iPod. I opened the Music app and my iPod shows up there and I can drag music to it. But when I open the Podcasts app it doesn't show the iPod so I can't drag podcasts to it. In Finder I can go into Manage Storage and delete podcasts from the iPod but I don't see any way to add them. There is a Sync Podcasts box but if I check that it wants to take everything off my iPod and put new stuff on it! How do I put the podcasts I want? Thank you.

[Jolly Roger]

Connect the iPod touch to the computer, open a new Finder window, select
the iPod in the sidebar, then click Podcasts and follow the prompts.

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

[Connor Shannon]

Thank you very much for responding Jolly Roger but I'm afraid I don't see any prompts. In Finder if I click on my iPod and then Podcasts there are no prompts and it doesn't list the podcasts on the ipod like it did in iTunes. If I click on Manage Storage it lists the podcasts but I don't see a way to add one. If I click on Sync Podcasts I get a scary message that says "Are you sure you want to remove existing music and audiobooks from this iPod and sync with this library?" I don't want to remove whats on the ipod!

I thought maybe I could drag files in the Finder so I downloaded some podcasts and found them in the Mac Library and when I dragged one to the iPod in the Finder sidebar I saw a plus sign but then the podcast doesn't show up in the Manage Storage list and when I disconnected the iPod and connected headphones I couldn't find the new podcast on the iPod.

Why can't I just do this all in Podcasts app on my Mac like I can with Music??

[Bob Campbell]

First let me say that I have no answer for this. I have more iPads,
iPhones and iPods than you can imagine. But I have always done this using
iTunes on a Windows PC. Because that’s where my files are. I have a Mac,
but it does not have 10TB of storage yet.

Anyways, there is nothing special about podcasts. They are just MP3 files
and can be treated as such. I have loads of podcasts in iTunes on
Windows, and drag and drop them just like any other MP3 file using iTunes
on Windows.

I do not understand why Apple thinks podcasts need their own app. I would
suggest using the Music app. You should be able to drag your podcasts to
your iPod.

[Calum]

On 21/10/2022 22:10, Bob Campbell wrote:

> I do not understand why Apple thinks podcasts need their own app. I would
> suggest using the Music app.

Because a good podcast app is way better than any music app for
subscribing, playing, and managing podcasts. Music apps don't need to
support chapters, variable speed playback, or show notes, they don't
need worry about all the things you might want to do when a new episode
of your favourite podcast is released, and so on. (All of which is why
listening to podcasts on Spotify is a miserable experience.)

[Jolly Roger]

On 2022-10-21, Connor Shannon <cshann...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thursday, October 20, 2022 at 7:50:03 PM UTC-7, Jolly Roger wrote:
>> On 2022-10-20, Connor Shannon <cshann...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
>> > Hi I just got a new Macbook and I can't tell how to put podcasts on
>> > my iPod. I know that iTunes is gone and the Apple website says to
>> > use Finder and other apps to sync an iPod. I opened the Music app
>> > and my iPod shows up there and I can drag music to it. But when I
>> > open the Podcasts app it doesn't show the iPod so I can't drag
>> > podcasts to it. In Finder I can go into Manage Storage and delete
>> > podcasts from the iPod but I don't see any way to add them. There
>> > is a Sync Podcasts box but if I check that it wants to take
>> > everything off my iPod and put new stuff on it! How do I put the
>> > podcasts I want? Thank you.
>>
>> Connect the iPod touch to the computer, open a new Finder window,
>> select the iPod in the sidebar, then click Podcasts and follow the
>> prompts.
>

> Thank you very much for responding Jolly Roger but I'm afraid I don't
> see any prompts. In Finder if I click on my iPod and then Podcasts
> there are no prompts and it doesn't list the podcasts on the ipod like
> it did in iTunes.

Are you sure you opened a Finder window and selected your iPod from the
sidebar? You should see the Podcast synchronization settings like this,
where you can tell it which podcasts to sync from the computer to your
iPod:

<https://i.imgur.com/kw3ONtk.png>

If you want to sync Podcasts from your Mac to your iPod, you need to be
sure you are following Apple's directions:

<https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210611>

> If I click on Manage Storage it lists the podcasts but I don't see a
> way to add one.

There is no "Manage Storage" button in the Finder window I am talking
about above.

> If I click on Sync Podcasts I get a scary message that says "Are you
> sure you want to remove existing music and audiobooks from this iPod
> and sync with this library?" I don't want to remove whats on the ipod!

That's because the Finder window discussed above is currently set to
sync music and audiobooks from your Mac to the iPod. You can change
those settings in the Finder window discussed above.

You can choose one:

* Sync podcasts from your Mac to your iPod (through the Finder window
discussed above)

* Download podcasts directly onto your iPod (through the Podcasts app or
a third-party podcasts app on your iPod)

> I thought maybe I could drag files in the Finder so I downloaded some
> podcasts and found them in the Mac Library and when I dragged one to
> the iPod in the Finder sidebar I saw a plus sign but then the podcast
> doesn't show up in the Manage Storage list and when I disconnected the
> iPod and connected headphones I couldn't find the new podcast on the
> iPod.

I wouldn't bother dragging files around the way you are suggesting.
That's both laborious and unnecessary.

> Why can't I just do this all in Podcasts app on my Mac like I can with
> Music??

Why not just do it in the Podcasts app on your iPod and be done with it?
Otherwise, read Apple's directions (linked above) and learn how to
configure your synchronization settings to do what you want.

[Bob Campbell]

While I’m sure all of that might be important to some people, none of it
ever occurs to me. They are MP3 audio files and I treat them as MP3 audio
files. I just play them like music.

[Your Name]

Maybe podcasts should be included with the audio books. ;-)


I wonder if now that the iPod is basically dead, if Apple will change
the name to "Phonecasts" / "Padcasts" or maybe "Airpodcasts"?? ;-)

[Connor Shannon]

I'm sorry to be so stupid but I'm not seeing the same things on my Mac! Also for Bob I wish I could put podcasts on my iPod from the Music app on my Mac but podcasts don't show up in the app like they did in iTunes. Somehow the Apple software knows theyre different, like on my iPod when I switch from "All Songs" to "Podcasts."

I can't add apps to my iPod it's just the little square iPod. All it does is play things.

Yes my Finder window looks pretty much like yours JR. When I click on Podcasts in the Finder the podcasts I've followed in the Podcasts app show up where your Podcasts list is empty. But they're greyed out so I can't choose eps to put on the iPod. Maybe they wouldn't be grayed out if I clicked that "remove and sync" option but I don't want to do that.

And I don't know why but I do have a Manage Storage button its to the right of where it says "My iPod." So my Finder does look pretty much like yours except it has that button that lets me list Music or Podcasts or Audiobooks in the new Manage Storage window. Then if I click on a song or an episode a Delete button comes up in that window. So I can remove things from the iPod but I can't add them! (Except music from the Music app.)

Where do I change the settings so the Podcasts app on my Mac will see my iPod and I can drag eps onto the iPod like I can in Music??

Thank you everyone for your ideas maybe my kind of iPod just doesn't work with the new Podcasts app. :(

[Your Name]

On 2022-10-22 17:35:26 +0000, Connor Shannon said:
>
> And I don't know why but I do have a Manage Storage button its to the
> right of where it says "My iPod." So my Finder does look pretty much
> like yours except it has that button that lets me list Music or
> Podcasts or Audiobooks in the new Manage Storage window. Then if I
> click on a song or an episode a Delete button comes up in that window.
> So I can remove things from the iPod but I can't add them! (Except
> music from the Music app.)

"Manage Storage" is for you to use to delete things you no longer need
when your device is getting too full.

> Where do I change the settings so the Podcasts app on my Mac will see
> my iPod and I can drag eps onto the iPod like I can in Music??

The only option is to use syncing, which either syncs everything or
syncs specific groups podcasts, e.g. "not listened to". I don't know if
that includes "selected" in the pop-up menu of options (I don't have a
new version of MacOS to check).
<https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210611>
<https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/sync-podcasts-to-your-device-mchlc60ece64/mac>


To get the functionality you want, you may be better off using
something like iMazing, but that's not free (about US$30, or you can
pay a silly annual subscription).
<https://imazing.com>

Maybe iTools, which is free, has the same function.
<https://www.itools4.com/itools-mac.html>

[Connor Shannon]

Okay thanks I guess I'll listen to the podcasts that are on the iPod now and then pick some new ones in the Podcasts app and let Finder replace all the old ones. I hope it doesn't wipe out all my music too but maybe it will just wipe out the podcasts. I sure miss itunes!

[Connor Shannon]

On Monday, October 24, 2022 at 5:28:09 PM UTC-7, Connor Shannon wrote:

> Okay thanks I guess I'll listen to the podcasts that are on the iPod now and then pick some new ones in the Podcasts app and let Finder replace all the old ones. I hope it doesn't wipe out all my music too but maybe it will just wipe out the podcasts. I sure miss itunes!

p.s. I wonder if ipods show up in Music b'cuz it's basically iTunes I bet they started with iTunes and turned it into Music, but then Apple made a Podcasts app that doesn't display iPods b'cuz Apple doesn't make iPods anymore so when they made a new app they didn't care about them.

[Your Name]

When you plug you iPod into a Mac, you can open it up as a Finder
window, and across the top of the window are various categories you can
click on to sync.

[Jolly Roger]

iTunes wouldn't be any different in this respect.

If you want to keep the music that is on your iPod (which you placed
there from a different computer), you'll need to use one of the programs
mentioned above to copy the music to your computer before you sync
anything new to the device - otherwise it will be deleted and replaced
with music from the new computer. It has always been this way with
iPods.

[Connor Shannon]

Yes I know but when I try to sync it asks me if I want to erase everything that's already there! With iTunes I could just drag new songs or podcasts to the iPod and they would be added.

[Connor Shannon]

All the music is already on my computer. It got there when I got the new computer and told the startup software to copy from my old Time Machine backup. I'm really impressed with how it kept all my browser settings and everything! My old iTunes stuff went into Music and Podcasts. And I can drag new songs from Music to my iPod but I can't drag new podcasts to it b'cuz the iPod doesn't show up in Podcasts like it does in Music. In iTunes I could drag anything over to the iPod. Now I have to use the Finder for podcasts and it wants to erase everything. I don't even know if it will just erase the podcasts or if will also erase all my music!

I just don't see why Apple wants me to have to erase everything and copy everythign over to the iPod again when all I want to do is add a couple of things!

[Jolly Roger]

> All the music is already on my computer. It got there when I got the
> new computer and told the startup software to copy from my old Time
> Machine backup. I'm really impressed with how it kept all my browser
> settings and everything! My old iTunes stuff went into Music and
> Podcasts.

If that's the case, I'm not sure I understand why you are so hesitant to
replace what is on the iPod with what's on the computer. What do you
think you are going to lose by replacing the iPod's contents with what's
on the computer exactly?

I suppose if you are so paranoid about it that you can't get past it,
you can purchase a single-device license of iMazing and make a backup of
the iPod first so that you have the old content backed up on the
computer.

> And I can drag new songs from Music to my iPod

That's a *really* laborious way to do it. If you instead follow Apple's
instructions to set the iPod to sync music, podcasts, etc in the Finder
and click Sync, you won't have to drag anything anymore. It will be
copied from your computer to the iPod based on your settings each time
you click Sync.

> but I can't drag new podcasts to it b'cuz the iPod doesn't show up in
> Podcasts like it does in Music.

All the more reason to follow Apple's instructions to sync the content
from your computer to the iPod.

> In iTunes I could drag anything over to the iPod. Now I have to use
> the Finder for podcasts and it wants to erase everything. I don't even
> know if it will just erase the podcasts or if will also erase all my
> music!

Look at each tab in the Finder window - that's what will be erased on
the iPod, but it will be *replaced* with what is on the computer. If all
of your music is on the computer, and you have podcasts downloaded to
the computer, then I don't see why you would worry about this. The whole
point is you tell it what to sync (all music, all podcasts, or selected
items of each), then just connect the iPod to the computer and click
Sync whenever you want to update the iPod based on what is on the
computer.

> I just don't see why Apple wants me to have to erase everything and
> copy everythign over to the iPod again when all I want to do is add a
> couple of things!

Because as a condition of allowing Apple to sell digital music
legally,the music industry forced Apple to make it a one-way trip: from
the computer to the iPod, and they also forced Apple to restrict how
many computers iPod users could sync content from - all in the name of
"preventing piracy". So by contract, Apple has to limit these things to
doing it this way.

But again, if the computer has everything on it, there's no danger in
setting the Finder to sync the content you want on the iPod and clicking
that Sync button. The idea of deleting content may *seem* distasteful,
but in reality, it's just a formality since everything you want is on
the computer anyway.

As Nike says: Just Do It. You'll be happier in the long run. ; )

[Your Name]

Syncing doesn't "erase everything". It simply matches the two devices
to have the same list of files. If the file already exists, then it
won't be deleted or copied again.

[nospam]

In article <tjhuq2$12cg$1...@gioia.aioe.org>, Your Name

<Your...@YourISP.com> wrote:

> > I just don't see why Apple wants me to have to erase everything and
> > copy everythign over to the iPod again when all I want to do is add a
> > couple of things!
>
> Syncing doesn't "erase everything". It simply matches the two devices
> to have the same list of files. If the file already exists, then it
> won't be deleted or copied again.

further proof you don't have nor have ever had an ipod or ios device.

it *will* ask to erase the first time, and only do so with confirmation.

[Connor Shannon]

Well I finally listened to all the podcasts I had on my Shuffle and tried to put new ones on but I can't figure out how to do it! I read everything every body said here again but it just isn't working. I can get music from my new MacBook to the ipod but not podcasts. If I go into the Podcasts app and select some podcasts to sync and I sync then when I disconnect the iPod and try to play it it says "Please use iTunes to sync music." So I went into Music (there isn't any iTunes on my new Macbook) and synced some music and that got on okay but still no podcasts! I hold down the little silver button that's supposed to switch between music and podcasts but all I get is music. There just aren't any podcasts on the iPod!

Somebody said the podcasts are just mp3 files so I tried dragging one to my iPod in Finder. The little + sign showed up like it was copying but when I listened to the iPod it still just said "All Songs" no "Podcasts." I even clicked through the songs in case the podcast got mixed in with them but I didn't find it.

I think Apple just didn't care about ipods when they made the Podcasts app and now I can't use mine for podcasts any more . :(

[nospam]

In article <36e38d37-71f0-4641...@googlegroups.com>,

<https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/sync-podcasts-to-your-device-m
chlc60ece64/mac>

<https://support.apple.com/guide/podcasts/listen-to-podcasts-on-all-your-
devices-pod5c911347/mac>

[Connor Shannon]

On Sunday, December 4, 2022 at 3:15:17 PM UTC-8, nospam wrote:

> <https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/sync-podcasts-to-your-device-m
> chlc60ece64/mac>
>
> <https://support.apple.com/guide/podcasts/listen-to-podcasts-on-all-your-
> devices-pod5c911347/mac>

Thank you but that's what I've been doing at least five times! I choose the podcasts I want and click Apply and the button changes to Sync so I click that but there isn't any progress bar. If I wait a few minutes and then remove the iPod and put it back on the headphones its still just All Songs, no Podcasts.

[Connor Shannon]

Hey, guess what! I just changed my MacBook to Ventura and now I can add podcasts to my iPod. They must of fixed something with macos or the Podcasts app or something. (Probably macOS b'cuz like everyone said now you sync ipods in Finder.)

It still isnt quite right b'cuz it said it synced 10 podcasts but when I press the button that tells me what's on the iPod it only says Podcast 1 and Podcast 2. But at least now I have some podcasts to listen at the gym and I can put new ones on later.