How to import podcasts to a new app (without losing anything)

Switching podcast apps used to be a chore. You'd open a new app, remember a show, search for it, subscribe, then try to remember the next show, repeat. Most people gave up halfway through.

The good news is you don't have to. Every serious podcast app supports a file format called OPML, which is basically a portable list of your subscriptions. Export OPML from your old app, import it into your new one, and your library moves over in a single tap. This guide walks through how to do it for the major apps.

TL;DR

• OPML is the universal "podcast subscription list" file format.
• Export from your old app → save the file → import into your new app.
• Most apps support both export and import in their Settings screen.
• Apple Podcasts and Spotify each have quirks; details below.
• After import, the new app will start downloading episode lists for each show — give it a minute before the queue settles.

---

What is OPML and why does it matter?

OPML stands for Outline Processor Markup Language, which is a deeply nerdy name for a very simple idea: a plain-text file that lists every podcast feed (the RSS URL) you're subscribed to.

When you export OPML from your old podcast app, you get a file (usually called subscriptions.opml) that contains every show you follow. When you import that file into a new app, the new app reads the list of feeds and subscribes you to each one. Your full library, no manual re-subscribing.

It's the closest thing the podcast world has to a universal import / export format. Almost every podcast app supports it because the podcast RSS ecosystem itself is built on open standards.

Step 1: Export OPML from your current app

The export step is identical in shape across most apps: open Settings, find an "Export" or "OPML" option, save the file somewhere you can find it (usually Files on iOS, Drive or local storage on Android).

The specifics differ by app.

Apple Podcasts

Apple Podcasts is one of the few major apps that doesn't offer native OPML export. You have a few workarounds:

• iCloud Drive export (newest iOS): Settings → Podcasts → Sync Subscriptions exposes a Files-based subscription list in some recent iOS versions. If your iOS shows that option, save the file from Files.
• Third-party tools: apps like Podcast Republic on the Web read your Apple Podcasts library (with permission) and let you export it as OPML.
• Manual list and re-subscribe: if you only follow a handful of shows, sometimes it's quicker to just retype them in the new app.

Spotify

Spotify also doesn't export OPML — Spotify's podcast catalogue is built into the music service rather than the open RSS ecosystem. Your options:

• Most Spotify-distributed shows also have a public RSS feed that lives outside Spotify; you can search for each show in your new app and subscribe there.
• Some third-party services scrape your Spotify library (with your login) and produce an OPML file. Use sparingly and trust nothing that asks for your password — only OAuth-based services.

Pocket Casts

1. Open Pocket Casts → tap the Profile icon (bottom right).
2. Tap Settings.
3. Tap Import & Export → Export Podcasts.
4. Choose where to save the OPML file (Files, Drive, email it to yourself).

Overcast

1. Open Overcast → tap Settings (top left).
2. Scroll down to the Export section.
3. Tap Export OPML.
4. Share the file via AirDrop, Files, or email.

Castro

1. Open Castro → tap your name in the top-left.
2. Settings → Account & Privacy → Export OPML.
3. Save the file.

Podcast Addict (Android)

1. Open Podcast Addict → tap the three-dot menu.
2. Settings → Backup & restore.
3. Backup → OPML export.
4. Choose a save location.

Podtastic

1. Open Podtastic → Settings (cog icon).
2. Library → Export OPML.
3. Save or share the file.

Step 2: Import OPML into your new app

Importing is even simpler. Open your new app, find the import option, point it at the OPML file you just saved.

Apple Podcasts

Apple Podcasts does support OPML import (it's the export side that's missing). On Mac, drag the OPML file into the Podcasts app window. On iOS, opening an OPML file from Files and tapping "Share to Podcasts" usually works.

Spotify

Spotify doesn't support OPML import. You'll need to search each show manually inside Spotify and tap Follow.

Pocket Casts

1. Open Pocket Casts → Settings → Import & Export.
2. Tap Import.
3. Pick your OPML file from Files / Drive.

Overcast

1. Send the OPML file to your phone (via AirDrop, email, or Files).
2. Tap the file. iOS will offer "Open in Overcast" if Overcast is installed.
3. Confirm the import.

Castro

1. Email the OPML file to yourself.
2. Open it on your phone, tap Open in Castro.

Podcast Addict (Android)

1. Open Podcast Addict → Settings → Backup & restore.
2. Tap Restore from OPML.
3. Pick the file.

Podtastic

1. Open Podtastic → Settings → Library → Import OPML.
2. Pick the OPML file.
3. Wait while Podtastic subscribes you to each show and fetches the episode list.

On Podtastic specifically, after a bulk import on the free tier the app automatically enables Pod-telligence on your two most-recently-subscribed shows so you get Smart Summaries and Smart Topics on the ones you actually care about most. If you've upgraded, every imported show gets the AI features by default.

Step 3: Let the new app catch up

After import, your new app is going to do a flurry of background work. For each show on your list, it'll fetch the RSS feed, parse the episode list, and depending on settings start downloading new episodes.

Don't panic if the app seems busy for a minute or two — that's the import settling. Once it's done, you'll have your full library in the new app, with your subscription list intact.

What the import does not carry over:

• Playback positions. If you were halfway through an episode in your old app, the new app starts from the beginning.
• Starred / saved episodes. These are app-specific.
• Custom playback settings per podcast. (Speed, voice boost, etc.)
• Listening history. Most apps don't expose this in OPML.

Your subscriptions move; the metadata around them mostly doesn't.

When OPML doesn't work — three fallbacks

OPML covers about 90% of cases. The other 10% are mostly:

1. A show only available inside a closed platform. Spotify exclusives, Apple Podcasts subscriptions, paid shows on Patreon. These don't have public RSS, so they can't appear in an OPML file. You'll need to keep those open in their original app.

2. A show that's moved hosts. Sometimes a podcast's RSS URL changes when the show switches platforms. OPML files exported before the move can have stale URLs that don't fetch new episodes. The fix: search for the show fresh in your new app.

3. A show that's been delisted. Rare but happens. Your old app might still have a copy of the feed cached even after the show disappeared from public directories; that show won't show up in your new app after import. You'll need to live with it.

For everything else, OPML is the universal escape hatch. Get into the habit of exporting OPML from your current app once a month and saving it somewhere safe — if you ever need to switch apps urgently, you'll have a recent list to work from.

Frequently asked questions

Why doesn't Apple Podcasts export OPML?

Apple has never published a reason. The product just doesn't expose it. The workaround is third-party services or the recent iCloud-based subscription file. If you're switching to Apple Podcasts, the import side works fine; it's only the export that's awkward.

Can I keep using both apps after importing?

Yes — and that's actually how a lot of people switch over time. Import your library into the new app, give it a week, see which app you naturally reach for. If the new one wins, delete the old one. If it doesn't, your old library is still there.

What if I have hundreds of podcasts?

OPML handles arbitrarily large libraries — there's no practical limit. The slow part is the new app downloading episode lists for each feed, which can take a few minutes for very large libraries. Plug in to charge, kick off the import, come back after a coffee.

Does importing duplicate my subscriptions if I already follow a show?

Most apps deduplicate by feed URL — if you already follow a show, importing the same show again from OPML is a no-op. A few apps are less careful and will create a second subscription; if that happens, just unsubscribe from one.

Will my new app have all the same playback features?

Probably not exactly the same. If you're moving from Pocket Casts to Apple Podcasts, you'll lose Pocket Casts' silence trimming. If you're moving from Apple Podcasts to Podtastic, you'll gain Pod-telligence (Smart Summaries, Smart Topics, Smart Playback, Smart Jump Ahead) and Audio Enhancements (Skip Silence, Enhance Voices). Our guide to the best podcast apps compares the features side-by-side so you can pick the one that fits how you actually listen.

Listen smarter with Podtastic

Importing your library into Podtastic? Podtastic is a fully featured podcast player for iOS and Android, built around Pod-telligence (the AI features) and Audio Enhancements (deterministic DSP tuned for spoken-word audio):

• 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
• Smart Jump Ahead — auto-skips commonly-skipped sections of an episode (intros, recaps, asides), powered by AI topic detection plus aggregated listening data; a single tap on any control surface jumps you to the next Smart Topic on demand
• Skip Silence — auto-removes silences from speech so episodes flow without dragging
• Enhance Voices — a gentle EQ and compression preset that keeps voices clear in any room

Try Podtastic at podtastic.app — now $2.99/month on the annual plan.