iOS 7 Music app no longer able to play podcasts when Podcasts app is not installed.

sanityclause wrote:

UPDATE: It appears that changing the genre is unnecessary, only the "Media Type". It's probably best to do this only to the copies on the iPhone, so the files in your computer's library are not altered.

How do you change this "on the iPhone and not in the iTunes library itself"? I don't understand this. Could you elaborate?

Note carefully: my workaround works for me because I always have the option "Manually manage music and videos" enabled in iTunes. I also always have the Sidebar visible. Doing these things allows you to select individual sections of the iPhone's library, and individual playlists, tracks, etc.

So I organize my podcasts into playists on the iPhone (NOT in my computer's library), select the tracks, and change the "Media Kind" to Music. If all the selected tracks are of the same media kind (presumably "Podcast"), already, you can select them all and change them all at once with one operation. If they are not, iTunes will complain, and you will need to change each one individually.

I realize that most people allow iTunes to automatically sync their music and videos on their devices. I never do that, and never will. I suppose changing the "Media Kind" of the podcast files on your computer's hard drive might have the desired effect on the iPhone, but it will make all of the podcast files in your computer's library look like songs - which may not be desirable. I am NOT going to perform this experiment - I am NEVER going to automatically sync my music files with my devices. Someone else can do that and report back.

Note that you should be able to keep the Genre set to Podcast, even if you change the Media Kind of podcast files to Music, so you could still identify podcasts from within your music library by searching for the Genre.

Update to my situation. I have been able to play podcasts in my car without getting the dreaded "Unsupported" message within 60 seconds. However, it remains very difficult to access podcasts. My in-dash display will show the following menu items: Playlists, Albums, Artists, Songs. If I wish to find a new podcast, I have to scroll through hundreds of names in the Artists file. This much better than no access to the podcasts and a genuine First World Problem. Still, what is so hard about letting me see PODCASTS on my menu? And, as stated before, don't argue that the Music app is not for spoken word files. That's where Apple chooses to place my audiobooks.

Message was edited by: Obxboy107

For what it's worth, on my Audi, there is still a podcast menu option on my in-dash display, even after upgrading to iOS 7 on my iPhone 5. Everything works as it always has, which is good since I do most of my podcast listening in the car.

My cheap aftermarket Kenwood car stereo, several years old, can also see all my playlists and podcasts, as it always could, in iOS7, even WITHOUT changing their Media Kind to Music - although its behavior can be a little weird sometimes.

And of course in iTunes 11.1, I can see all the same files - as I always could before - in the sidebar.

I think this distills down to a single factoid: the Music app in iOS7 deliberately refuses to show you files that have a Media Kind of Podcast, whether or not you have Apple's Podcasts app installed (I don't). This is unlike iOS6, where the Music app honored podcast files as long as you didn't have the Podcasts app installed as well.

In other words, this bug is in the iOS7 Music app - not in iTunes.

Change the Media Kind to Music, and it will show them again. You'll have to navigate to podcasts by treating them as music - searching for Artist, Album etc., but this can be mitigated by organizing them into playlists - it's easy to find a playlist.

Whether or not you do this on the phone only, on the computer only, or both, is a matter of personal preference.

I like to listen to podcasts at double speed. If you change the media type to music, the iPhone doesn't allow you to play it at different speeds. However, you can if you change the media type to audiobook.

Incidentally, playing a podcast in the iPhone Podcast app seems to be faster than double speed in the Music app and it's too fast for me. However, the Podcast app does offer a 1.5x speed, which was ok.

Great tip - thanks! Then for me too, Audiobook is a better choice for Media Kind than Music. It worked for me as you describe.

I also like to manage my podcasts in iTunes and can't stand the podcast app

Now there is no podcast option in the music app. Very ordinary Apple.

I am left somewhat bemused and confused over the introduction of the Podcast App. I get all the talk on here about changing the properties of the podcast to music and all will be well in the world blah blah blah, but it should not have to come to that, you (and I) want to listen to their music and podcasts in the way they want to listen to them.

When I drive long a distance, I make playlist that contains podcasts and music, switch the blue tooth on and away I go.

The introduction of this app along with the iOS7 update has taken our choice away from us the customer over how we want to listen to our content. It is a shame that I can not un-update my iPhone 5 to regain the functionality that I used. If I could I would.

Apple needs to listen to us the customer over what we want from their products and if they cannot provide it we will move to other products.

I am fed up with trying to work arround this and I don't see why I should have to adjust this and that just to get what I used to have back.

Fix this Apple!!

One unhappy customer.

You guys should try Downcast. It works so well that I don't miss the podcast feature in the music player one bit. Also, it downloads new episodes over wifi without using itunes.