How to download podcast to macbook not to iCloud?

The cloud-and-arrow symbol is nothing to do with iCloud. It indicates that the episode is available to download from the author's server. iTunes can automatically download new episodes - check your settings (in the bottom right-hand corner when you are subscribed to at least one podcast):

Set 'Show' to 'Feed'; click 'Settings' and set 'Download episodes' to 'On'.

When you subscribe to a podcast which already has a number of episodes only the latest one will download automatically (on the assumption that you may not want to download what might be two or three hundred episodes) so you will have to download manually any other episode; but after that it should download the latest episode.

Hi Neil/Roger

I have been puzzling over this for months. I have the same problem but only for certain podcasts - the latest episode downloads for some subscriptions but only to the cloud. My settings (default) and for individual podcasts are as you have shown - download episodes on, limit episodes off etc. It still just downloads with a cloud symbol for certain podcast subscriptions.

I don't quite understand where you are seeing those settings for "Show" etc however - where is that?

If anyone else knows anything more, be great to hear

cheers

Kate in Oz

I'm having the same issue. I am subscribed to podcasts that have long lists of episodes, but the only way to get them on my iPod is to individually click on the cloud icon to download them, then sync the device. I have set the defaults as Roger shows above and my iPod Sync setting is to Automatically include all episodes of selected podcasts. I am using an iPod Nano (several years old), and am on the latest iTunes release, version 12.2.0.145.

I'd appreciate any further advice.

Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. It will download the latest episode and you will see all the previous episodes with a cloud icon indicating they are available for download. Click one to select it then hit command-A to select all. Control-click on any episode and select 'Save podcast'. Go and make a cup of tea while they download.

Thanks, Roger. That makes it easy to download past episodes, however, it sounds like I still have to individually download each new episode. Is there really no way for iTunes to automatically download new episodes of podcasts that I subscribe to? It also seems like the Download Episodes selection is useless since turning it on results in nothing being downloaded.

When you set it up as I indicated in my post above it should automatically download new episodes as they appear. If it's not doing that I can't explain it.

Perhaps I can explain it.

iTunes downloads of Podcasts are based on the theory that when iTunes checks for new episodes (of your subscriptions), only one episode is new since it last checked. Therefore, that's the one that's downloaded. This works perfectly if one checks once a week - but only when there is just one new episode per week. Okay, check once a day (I hear you say). There is still an issue - some Podcast providers produce more than one Podcast per day.

Once a week: The Les Adams Podcast used to produce one episode a week (of his Saturday night show), titled "Dancefloor Classics". However, a while ago, Les Adams was given a second show, on the Friday, but this one is titled "Two Hour Takeover". So in fact it's two different programmes (same music, but different format), and I prefer the Dancefloor Classics show. But if I check for the Podcast once the Saturday show has been uploaded, a further anomaly appears because it's the Friday show that is automatically downloaded. To get the Saturday show, I have to manually click on the cloud icon. Since these particular programmes are removed after a week or so, if I forget to manually download the one I want, I lose it. And I'm not the only one to have this problem.

The Today programme (BBC Radio 4): This programme produces between two and four Podcasts per day - "Best Of Today", which are the short inserts they add into their morning programme. Each day, after the programme ends at 9am, they add some of those inserts to their Podcast feed. As I finish typing this post (at 10:35am), they have so far placed just one Podcast from this morning's show. Again, if one assumes that iTunes will download all of the episodes from one day, one is mistaken. Either, one has to manually click on the additional episodes, or your iTunes has to set to check every hour. Even then, that may not catch every episode.

I don't think the BBC even know there's an issue. Les Adams has had complaints from his listeners about this issue, but on air, he was at a loss to explain why this was happening. As far as I know, that's still the position today. One further point, you will notice that I say that it's the older episode of the Les Adams programme that is automatically downloaded. I haven't experimented to see if this happens with all Podcasts, such as Today programme, but I suspect that a previous update to iTunes has caused the older episode to download, rather than the newer one.

As I've experienced this problem for years, but been unable to convince iTunes that there is an issue (despite feedback to them), I've simply dealt with it as best as I can. Also, as I still don't have 8,000 points (despite contributing to the Apple forum for many years), I have no access to the forum Lounge, other members of the community or to other forms of feedback to Apple.

If I remember correctly, originally iTunes used to check at 15 minute intervals. Now the minimum is 1 hour, and it would seem advisable to set it to do that. Of course if providers are going to shower the feed with episodes iTunes was never designed to cope with that. iTunes detects new episodes by reading the 'guid' tags (if present - otherwise the actual episode file URL) and one would think that it could be set to download every new episode since the last time it checked. As you've sent feedback there isn't really anything else you can do. Even if you had access to the Lounge it wouldn't make any difference as no-one, senior or otherwise, has direct access to Apple programmers, only to the Hosts who are concerned only with running the forums.

If I recall the automatic download options used to be none, most recent or all, whereas we now have download episodes on or off. Perhaps a feedback request is the way to go unless on acts as download all. I can't say I've paid too much attention lately.

tt2