Download podcast – How to download on Apple, Spotify & Co.
There's no question: Podcasts are the ideal tool if you want to educate yourself from home, enjoy real crime stories or, for example, learn more about the hidden mechanisms of human psychology.
On platforms like Apple or Spotify , you can easily stream podcasts online at any time—assuming you have a stable internet connection, of course. But what if you want to enjoy your favorite podcast offline —like on an airplane or on a hike in the deepest jungle?
In this case, the episodes should be saved on your smartphone or tablet in advance. Therefore, in this article, we'll explain step-by-step how to download your podcast —whether from Apple, Google, or Spotify. So you can continue listening even without internet access!
Downloading a podcast – a step-by-step guide
Want to download a few episodes of your favorite podcasts? Or the entire podcast? It's no longer a problem – if you know how! Of course, podcast downloads work a little differently on each platform.
To save you time searching, we've compiled a few simple step-by-step instructions below that show you how to easily download your podcast episodes on the most popular platforms . Let's get started!
Download podcast from Apple Podcasts
Let's start with the help guide for all Apple enthusiasts! Here's a short step-by-step tutorial on how to download podcast episodes to your iPhone or iPad :
- Open the Podcasts app on your device.
- Select the program you would like to download.
- Press and hold the episode you want to download.
- Tap “Load episode.”
Nice to know: If you follow a podcast, new episodes are automatically downloaded to your device.
Saving a podcast vs. downloading a podcast – what’s the difference?
You may have already noticed that Apple Podcasts offers two options:
" Save podcast " and " Download podcast ." But what's the difference?
In principle it’s quite simple!
- " Save podcast " means that the episode will be saved to your media library, so you can access it anytime, as long as you have an internet connection. The episode will not be saved on your device, but will simply appear as a favorite in your library.
- “ Load Podcast, ” on the other hand, saves the episode directly to your iPhone or iPad so you can listen to it offline even without an internet connection.
However, Apple devices usually have the " Save on Download " setting preset. This means that podcast episodes will be downloaded at the same time you tap "Save Podcast."
You can disable this setting at any time. To do so, simply go to "Settings" on your Apple device and then "Podcasts." There, you can swipe the "Save on Download" slider to the left.
Download podcast from Google Podcasts
Google Podcasts officially shut down on August 30, 2024, as Google plans to focus primarily on YouTube Music in the future . If you still have an active Google Podcasts subscription, you can transfer it to YouTube Music by opening the Google Podcasts app and tapping "Export Subscriptions" at the top.
Download podcast from YouTube Music
To download a podcast from YouTube Music , you need a Premium subscription . Only then can you listen to videos, music, and podcasts offline.
It doesn’t matter whether you are an Apple or Android user .
- Install the “YouTube Music” app on your device.
- Log in (you need a premium subscription).
- Open the podcast of your choice.
- Click on the download icon with the down arrow to download individual episodes.
- The episodes are saved offline in the media library under “Downloads”.
Small note: The Smart Download function is not yet available for podcasts.
Download podcast on Spotify
Spotify remains the undisputed number 1 among music streaming providers. With Spotify Podcast, you can not only enjoy your favorite music, but now also discover a huge selection of podcasts.
Of course, you can also download podcasts, shows, or individual episodes from Spotify. Simply follow these 4 steps:
- Open the Spotify app and search for the podcast or show you want.
- Select the episode you want to download.
- Tap the download icon right next to the episode.
- Wait until the download is complete and enjoy the episode offline in your library.
Nice to know: If you don't go online to Spotify for 30 consecutive days, downloads will be deleted.
Download Spotify podcasts – only as a Premium subscriber?
Generally, a Spotify Premium subscription is required to download music and albums. Podcasts, however, are fortunately an exception – you can download most of them with the free version !
Download podcasts via third-party apps
In addition, there are now a variety of third-party apps, such as Pocket Casts and Overcast. These apps also generally offer various download and management functions.
Basically, downloading with these third-party apps usually works quite similarly. You simply search for the podcast or episode you want, tap the corresponding download icon, and the episode is saved to your device. No magic!
Managing downloaded podcasts – what you need to know!
Now you know how to download podcasts quickly and easily so you can listen to your favorite shows offline.
But even after downloading, there are still a few things you should keep in mind:
- Delete old episodes: To avoid overusing your device's storage space, you should regularly delete old podcast episodes that you no longer listen to.
- Create playlists: Playlists are ideal for sorting your favorite podcasts by topic and keeping track of them.
- Automate podcast downloads : Many apps offer a “smart download” feature – that is, the automatic download of new episodes!
Finally: 3 tips for an optimal listening experience
And finally, we would like to give you 3 tips to help you get the most out of your podcast listening experience !
- Adjust the audio quality of your downloads : Higher quality sounds better, but also takes up more storage space!
- Activate notifications: So you always stay up to date when a new episode of your favorite podcast is released!
- Create a backup regularly : This ensures that you don't lose your downloads if something happens to your device.
So now you're perfectly equipped for your next vacation—even if you find yourself without an internet connection. Enjoy podcasting!
