How to import podcast subscriptions with OPML

You've decided to try a new podcast app. Maybe the old one got slower after an update, maybe a friend talked you into switching, maybe you just want AI summaries that your current app doesn't offer. Then you open the new app and remember: you follow 47 shows. Resubscribing one at a time sounds like a Saturday afternoon you'd rather spend doing anything else.

This is where OPML saves you. It's an unglamorous little file format that every serious podcast app supports, and it's the single fastest way to move an entire subscription list between players. This guide walks through how to export from your current app, import into your new one, and handle the two big apps that don't support OPML cleanly (Apple Podcasts and Spotify).

TL;DR

• OPML is a simple text file that lists every podcast you're subscribed to
• Pocket Casts, Overcast, Castro, Podtastic, and most independent apps let you export and import OPML in two taps
• Apple Podcasts can export OPML on a Mac but cannot import it
• Spotify does not support OPML at all; you'll need to resubscribe manually or use a third-party helper
• The whole move usually takes 15 to 30 minutes, not a Saturday afternoon

---

What is OPML, and why should you care?

OPML stands for Outline Processor Markup Language, which is a needlessly formal name for what's basically a list of podcast RSS feed URLs wrapped in a standard file format. Open an OPML file in a text editor and you'll see something close to plain English: show titles, feed URLs, and a bit of organizing metadata.

Every podcast app that takes itself seriously supports OPML. Export from app A, import into app B, and your entire subscription list comes with you. Your listening history doesn't always transfer (that's a separate problem), but your shows do.

If you've ever felt locked into a podcast app because the thought of resubscribing manually was too painful, OPML is the escape hatch you didn't know existed.

How to export OPML from your current podcast app

Each app hides the export option in a slightly different spot. Here's where to find it in the most popular ones.

Pocket Casts

Open Profile (the icon in the bottom right), then tap Settings → Import & Export → Export Podcasts as OPML. Pocket Casts generates an OPML file and hands it to your phone's share sheet. From there you can email it to yourself, save it to Files, or send it straight to your new app if that app lives on the same device.

Overcast

Open the app, tap the Settings icon in the top left, and scroll down to Export OPML. Overcast will email the file to the account you signed up with. Check your inbox, download the attachment, and you're set.

Castro

Tap Settings, then OPML Export. Castro generates the file and shares it immediately via the iOS share sheet.

Podtastic

Open Settings, then Data & Privacy → Export Subscriptions. The resulting OPML file can be shared to any other podcast app that supports import, and it preserves your full subscription list including podcasts you've marked as favorites.

Podcast Addict (Android)

Tap the menu icon in the top left, then Settings → Backup → Export OPML. Podcast Addict saves the file to your phone's storage and optionally uploads it to Google Drive or Dropbox.

AntennaPod (Android)

Tap the three-dot menu, then Settings → Import/Export → OPML Export. AntennaPod hands off to Android's share sheet, where you can save or send the file.

How to import OPML into a new podcast app

The import side is usually a one-screen operation. Open the new app, find the import screen, pick the OPML file, and wait a few seconds.

Importing into Pocket Casts

Open the OPML file on the device running Pocket Casts (tap it from an email or Files app). iOS or Android will prompt you with "Open in..." and Pocket Casts should appear in the list. Tap it and the app starts subscribing to each show. Large libraries (100+ shows) can take a minute or two.

Importing into Overcast

Overcast supports OPML import through its web interface. Visit overcast.fm, sign in, click Account, then Upload OPML File. Select the file and Overcast queues up every show in your list. Your iPhone syncs the new subscriptions the next time the app opens.

Importing into Podtastic

In Podtastic, go to Settings → Data & Privacy → Import Subscriptions and pick your OPML file. Podtastic processes the file on device, matches each feed, and subscribes you to every show. Because processing happens locally, even a huge library moves across quickly.

Importing into Castro

Tap the OPML file from any source and choose Open in Castro. Castro pulls each feed and subscribes you automatically.

Importing into Podcast Addict or AntennaPod

Both Android apps accept OPML through their Settings → Import screens. You can also open an OPML file directly from Gmail, Drive, or Files, and Android will offer to open it in whichever podcast app you've set as the default handler.

Dealing with Apple Podcasts

Apple Podcasts is the odd one out. It partially supports OPML on Mac and doesn't support it at all in iOS. This matters most if you're trying to leave Apple Podcasts for something else.

Exporting from Apple Podcasts on Mac

Open the Podcasts app on macOS, click File → Library → Export, and choose OPML as the format. The file saves wherever you pick, and you can then import it into any other app through the steps above. This is the most reliable way to get your Apple Podcasts list out.

Exporting from Apple Podcasts on iPhone

There's no native export. The workarounds:

• Use a Shortcut: the Apple Shortcuts app has community-built shortcuts that read your Podcasts library and generate an OPML file. Search "Podcasts OPML" in the Shortcuts gallery.
• Use a third-party tool: apps like Pod Importer read your Apple Podcasts subscriptions via Apple's APIs and produce an OPML file you can share elsewhere.
• Switch temporarily to a Mac: if you have a Mac, even briefly, the built-in Mac export is the simplest path.

Importing into Apple Podcasts

Apple Podcasts doesn't have an OPML import feature on either iOS or Mac. You'll have to resubscribe manually, or use a third-party helper that reads an OPML file and subscribes to each show through Apple's APIs. This is a one-way fence: OPML gets you out of Apple Podcasts more easily than it gets you in.

Dealing with Spotify

Spotify is the other major exception, and it's a stricter one. Spotify doesn't support OPML export or import at any level.

If you're moving from Spotify to another app, your options are:

• Manually rebuild your list by going through your Spotify library and searching for each show in the new app
• Use Spotifeed or similar third-party tools that generate RSS feeds from Spotify's catalog and let you export them (with limits — Spotify-exclusive podcasts won't work)

If you're moving to Spotify from another app, you'll subscribe to each show inside Spotify's app. The good news is that Spotify has a fast search, so working through a 50-show list takes under half an hour. The bad news is that Spotify-exclusive content stays locked inside Spotify regardless of what you bring with you.

For a more detailed walkthrough of platform migration, including handling Apple and Spotify gotchas, see our guide on how to switch podcast apps.

Troubleshooting OPML imports

A few issues come up often enough that they're worth naming.

Some shows didn't import

This usually means the feed URL in your OPML file has changed since you last subscribed, often because a podcast moved hosting providers. Check your new app's import log (most apps show which feeds failed) and resubscribe manually using the app's search.

The OPML file looks empty

Open the file in a text editor. If it contains podcast URLs wrapped in <outline> tags, it's fine — your app just isn't recognizing the file extension. Rename the file to end in .opml if it's currently .xml or similar.

Import worked, but playback positions didn't transfer

This is normal. OPML only carries subscription information, not listening history or playback positions. Some apps (Pocket Casts with its paid Plus subscription, Podtastic, Overcast) offer cross-device sync of playback state, but that's handled through account sign-in, not OPML.

The new app duplicated some shows

If the new app already had you subscribed to some of the podcasts in the OPML file, you may see duplicates. Most apps deduplicate automatically; if yours doesn't, unsubscribe from the duplicates manually. Our guide to managing podcast subscriptions covers cleanup strategies.

A good time to declutter

One underrated benefit of switching apps via OPML: you're holding your entire subscription list in one readable file, probably for the first time ever. It's the perfect moment to decide which shows still earn their place.

Open the OPML file in a text editor before you import, and delete any <outline> lines for shows you haven't listened to in six months. You'll arrive in your new app with a clean library instead of dragging 20 dead subscriptions across with you. If you'd rather do it after the import, our guide to decluttering your podcast feed walks through the same process inside the app.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an OPML import take?

For most libraries, a few seconds to a couple of minutes. Each show in the OPML file is an RSS feed URL that the new app has to fetch once, so import time scales with the number of shows and the speed of your internet connection. A 100-show library typically finishes in under two minutes.

Will my downloaded episodes transfer with OPML?

No. OPML only transfers subscription information. Downloaded episode files stay in the app that downloaded them. If you want offline episodes in your new app, you'll need to download them again after the import. Our guide to offline listening covers how to set that up efficiently.

Can I share my OPML file with a friend?

Yes, and it's a great way to swap podcast recommendations. Send the file via email, messaging, or AirDrop, and your friend can import it into their own app. They'll see every show you follow and can subscribe to whichever ones look interesting. Our guide to sharing podcasts with friends has more options if OPML feels like overkill for the moment.

Do I need an OPML file if I use the same app on multiple devices?

Usually not. Most podcast apps sync your subscription list across your devices through cloud accounts, so signing into the same app on a new phone or tablet brings your library with you automatically. OPML is specifically for moving between different apps, not different devices within the same app.

Listen smarter with Podtastic

Want a player that does the thinking for you? Podtastic is a fully featured podcast player for iOS and Android, built around Pod-telligence — a set of AI features that helps you get more out of every show:

• Smart Summaries — AI summaries of every podcast and episode so you know what's coming before you hit play
• Smart Topics — key topics surfaced across your favourite shows so you can jump straight to what matters
• Smart Playback — your queue fills itself based on what you actually listen to
• Jump Ahead — automatically tightens gaps and pacing so episodes flow naturally

Join the waitlist at podtastic.app to get early access.