Deleting Podcasts from iTunes Library

dhull1950 wrote:

I am baffled as to why people here keep suggesting that I look to Microsoft. Last I checked, iTunes was an Apple product.

I feel your pain.

Let's approach this from a different angle:

Your first screenshot actually shows the settings for Podcasts to your phone as opposed to what is in your Library. As it stands, no Podcasts are selected there for syncing to your phone, so there should be no Podcasts on it.

However, your Library is a different kettle of fish (yes, I'm going for maximum number of idioms...):

• • disconnect your phone from your iTunes Library. This is to prevent you becoming bogged down by unnecessary distractions. Since you have no Podcasts on the phone, you certainly don't need the phone in the way now
  • go to the Podcast Library in your iTunes (absolutely nothing to do with the iTunes Store!). See the screenshot below in order to make sure you're in the correct place:

• • so - make sure you're looking at your Library (1.) and then select Podcasts (2.) from the drop-down menu
  • you may now see the Library/Podcasts section in the sidebar (my arrow). If you want to see the sidebar, but cannot currently, click on View/Show Sidebar on the top bar menu
  • in my ringed area 3. you will see the Podcasts in your Library (well, sort of...). The first four titles are the Podcast headers
  • click on the arrow to the left of a header to expand the episode list (here's where it gets "Apple odd")
  • the episode list will insist on showing a load of junk! No matter which option I select in Show, iTunes tends to display everything. It's maddening! Study the screenshot below (you wouldn't believe how many attempts it took me to get the legends correct):

• • the cloud icon indicates that that particular episode is not on my computer (and yet, iTunes shows it in the "my episodes view"). The lack of cloud icon tells me that the particular episode is on my computer (we'll return to this in a moment)
  • the blue dot icon indicates that that particular episode has not yet been played. The missing blue dot tells me I have listened to the specific episode. You may see part-blue icons, guess what? That indicates you've played part, but not all, of that episode
  • note that the downloaded/not downloaded and the played/not played indicators are independent of one another. Episode UT 1195 (for example) has been played, but is not on my computer

Moving On (a sort of idiom):

• to find the storage location of an episode, right-click the episode and choose Show in Windows Explorer (yes, I know, that's Microsoft, not iTunes. Bear with me)
• the folder location for that episode will open up. It should be iTunes Media (or iTunes Music) / Podcasts/<Podcast title>/<episode title>

• • the only files in this folder (Ultima Thule Ambient Music) should be episodes from that specific Podcast that you're looking at
  • in Explorer, go back a folder, so that you're in the Podcasts folder, but keep an eye on the target folder (in my case, the Ultima Thule Ambient Music folder
  • in your iTunes Library, select the episodes you want to delete from your computer
  • either right-click/Delete from Library or (on the top menu) choose Podcast/Delete from Library. The episode will be deleted from your iTunes Library but- (more Apple oddness), it will not be deleted from the folder. However, I strongly recommend that you follow this order
  • once you have deleted the episodes from your Library that you no longer want, use Windows Explorer to delete either the episodes or (if you wish) the complete folder. Only now will you free up space on your computer

Things to understand:

• • why Apple does it this way. (There's no chance at all that we'll ever understand Apple's thinking on their "improvements" to Podcasts in iTunes. Once upon a time iTunes was great for Podcasts. Now, not so much... )
  • for some strange reason, iTunes will not delete, or ask you if you wish to delete, the original Podcast file when you select delete (inconsistent behaviour compared to music files)
  • episodes listed in your iTunes Podcast Library may not necessarily be on your computer. For example, in my screenshot, UT 1207 is not on my computer, even though it's listed in my Library (note the cloud icon). It is not using up space on my computer, so don't worry about it (even though it's immensely annoying)
  • if you delete the files in Windows Explorer, without first deleting them in your Library, the entry in your Library will still indicate that the episode is on your computer but it will not play. This will be even more untidy that Apple's attempts at chaos. Hence, my suggestion to do it my way (& My Way is a song title rather than an idiom) will make it easier to find the location of the folder that you will need to delete afterwards

Hi dhull1950, 

Thank you for using the Apple Support Communities. 

We understand that you want to delete Podcasts episodes from your library and we have some Apple Support articles below that can help.

Use Apple Podcasts on your iPhone or iPad

Download podcasts from the iTunes Store on PC

Delete songs and other items in iTunes on PC

Have a nice day. 

dhull1950,

The Apple Support article Download podcasts from the iTunes Store on PC states to delete a podcasts from iTunes "Select the podcast or podcast station, press the Delete key, then confirm its removal.  See Delete songs and other content."

We hope this helps.

Take care.

dhull1950,

To learn how to delete a file, follow the instructions found in the Microsoft Support links below.

Delete a file - Office Support

Delete files or folders in OneDrive - Office Support

Delete and restore files - OneDrive (home or personal)

Cheers!

dhull1950,

The Delete a file - Office Support article says if you want to delete a file, then you would need to "Select the file and press your Delete key, or click Delete on the Home tab of the ribbon."

If you need further assistance deleting files or folders from your PC, then we recommend you contact Microsoft: Contact Us - Microsoft Support.

Best wishes.

I forgot to mention:

If you have Podcast episodes on your phone, that came from your iTunes Library, unticking an episode in the library should cause it to be removed from your phone at the next Sync, although it will remain in your Library. You can untick episode without having the phone connected, the Sync should do the rest for you, that's its job.

In theory, if you delete Podcast episodes from your Library, and subsequently connect a phone, with those episodes on it, to iTunes, the Sync should remove the episodes from the phone.

Note my use of "should". The Sync process no longer works perfectly (as it once did). I doubt that it will ever be fixed now. A second Sync should sort out anomalies.

Oh! There's more...

Even though you manage to delete the episodes in your Library and delete the files for those episodes in Windows Explorer, you will see that the Podcast title remains listed in your Library.

In my first screenshot (Agatha Christie's radio Mysteries), I had already deleted the episodes and the files, before taking the screenshot, but as you can see, the header remains! Gggrrr!

Also in the first screenshot, I should have made it clear that the Podcast Ambient Noiseworks is also a Podcast header, but that the arrow facing down indicates that the episodes are listed below it (out of screenshot). When you click on the arrow, it toggles between facing sideways (no episodes shown) and facing down (episodes listed).

Apologies for the long (and three) post(s), but hopefully they will help you solve your issue. Post back if you require more information.

dhull1950,

If you would like further assistance with your iTunes library, then can contact Apple Support.

Kind regards.