2 years, 10 months ago
What is the best way to backup my iTunes podcast subscription list?
I have a very large list of podcast subscriptions. Most of the help on the Internet concerns backing up the actual podcasts themselves.
I need a method of backing up the subscription list, so upon a Windows re-install I can avoid the tech horror of re-subscribing to dozens of podcasts all over again.
Thanks!
I need a method of backing up the subscription list, so upon a Windows re-install I can avoid the tech horror of re-subscribing to dozens of podcasts all over again.
Thanks!
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M$1 Answer
iTunes actually makes it really easy to export your podcast subscriptions!
Open iTunes and select the Podcasts tab in the sidebar. Right click (or CTRL+Click if you're on a Mac & have right-clicking disabled) on "Podcasts" in the sidebar, and select "Export...". Change the Format to OPML - it's a standard format for exporting and importing RSS subscriptions, and since podcast feeds are RSS feeds, OPML works great. Save the file and back it up somewhere. You've just exported an OPML file containing your subscription list (if you're interested, you can actually open it up in a text editor and look at your subscription URLs - it's an XML-variant).
Then, when you need to import your feeds back into iTunes, simply drag the OPML file onto the Library area in the iTunes sidebar. iTunes will ask you to confirm if you'd really like to import those subscriptions, and then upon confirmation, it'll start downloading the latest episodes.
It's important to note that this will not keep track of which episodes you've already listened to/watched. Upon import, it'll start downloading the latest episode of each podcast.
Open iTunes and select the Podcasts tab in the sidebar. Right click (or CTRL+Click if you're on a Mac & have right-clicking disabled) on "Podcasts" in the sidebar, and select "Export...". Change the Format to OPML - it's a standard format for exporting and importing RSS subscriptions, and since podcast feeds are RSS feeds, OPML works great. Save the file and back it up somewhere. You've just exported an OPML file containing your subscription list (if you're interested, you can actually open it up in a text editor and look at your subscription URLs - it's an XML-variant).
Then, when you need to import your feeds back into iTunes, simply drag the OPML file onto the Library area in the iTunes sidebar. iTunes will ask you to confirm if you'd really like to import those subscriptions, and then upon confirmation, it'll start downloading the latest episodes.
It's important to note that this will not keep track of which episodes you've already listened to/watched. Upon import, it'll start downloading the latest episode of each podcast.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
This question gets asked fairly often, so I created a Mahalo how-to page, complete with screenshots: How to Transfer Your Podcast Subscriptions. :)