Podcasts App on macOS Catalina: Full Guide

This guide walks you through using the Podcasts app on macOS Catalina (10.15). You’ll learn how to subscribe, download, organize, and play podcasts, plus how to sync with your iPhone and fix common issues. No prior setup is required — just a working Mac with Catalina installed and an Apple ID if you want to sync across devices.

What You’ll Need

• Mac running macOS Catalina (10.15) or later (the steps are similar on newer versions).
• An Apple ID (optional, but needed for syncing with iCloud and your iPhone).
• An internet connection to browse, stream, or download episodes.

Step-by-Step

1. Open the Podcasts app. Click the Podcasts icon in the Dock (purple icon with a microphone) or search for “Podcasts” using Spotlight (press Cmd+Space, type “Podcasts”, and press Return).
2. Browse the Listen Now tab. When you first open the app, you’ll see the “Listen Now” tab. This shows episodes from shows you follow, plus recommendations. If you haven’t followed any shows yet, it will show a “Browse” section with popular podcasts.
3. Find a podcast to subscribe to. Click the “Browse” tab at the top of the sidebar (or use the search bar in the top-right corner). You can browse by category (e.g., Comedy, News, True Crime) or search for a specific show by name.
4. Subscribe to a podcast. Once you find a show you like, click its artwork to open the show’s page. Then click the “+” button (or “Subscribe”) next to the show name. This adds it to your library and automatically downloads new episodes (if you have that setting enabled).
5. Play an episode. Click the episode title to start playing it. Use the playback controls at the top of the window (or the media keys on your keyboard) to pause, skip forward/back, or adjust volume. You can also click the “Play” button next to an episode to start it immediately.
6. Download episodes for offline listening. To save an episode to your Mac, hover over the episode row and click the circular download icon (a cloud with a down arrow). The episode will download, and you can play it without an internet connection. Downloaded episodes show a small down arrow icon.
7. Manage your library. Use the sidebar to navigate: “Listen Now” (new episodes from your subscriptions), “Shows” (all your subscribed shows), “Episodes” (all episodes from your shows), and “Downloaded” (only episodes saved to your Mac). You can also create custom stations by clicking “File” > “New Station” and setting filters like “only new episodes” or “only from shows I follow”.
8. Adjust settings. Go to “Podcasts” > “Preferences” (or press Cmd+,). Here you can set: how often to check for new episodes (e.g., every hour), whether to download new episodes automatically, and playback speed (0.5x to 2x). You can also enable “Sync subscriptions across devices” to keep your library in sync via iCloud.
9. Sync with your iPhone. If you’re signed in with the same Apple ID on your Mac and iPhone, and have iCloud sync enabled (in Preferences > General), your subscriptions and playback position will sync automatically. To manually sync downloads, connect your iPhone to your Mac, open Finder, select your iPhone, and check “Sync podcasts” under the Podcasts tab.
10. Unsubscribe or remove an episode. To unsubscribe from a show, right-click the show in the sidebar and select “Unsubscribe”. To delete a downloaded episode, right-click the episode and choose “Remove Download”. You can also delete the episode from your library entirely (but it may reappear if you’re subscribed).

Common Mistakes

• Confusing “Subscribe” with “Follow”. In Catalina, “Subscribe” is the only option. If you don’t subscribe, you can still play individual episodes, but they won’t appear in your library or update automatically.
• Forgetting to enable automatic downloads. If you expect new episodes to be available offline but they aren’t, check your preferences: make sure “Download new episodes” is set to “All” or “Recent” (not “Off”).
• Not using the sidebar. The sidebar is essential for navigating. If you hide it (by dragging the divider), you’ll lose quick access to your library. Use the “View” menu to show it again.
• Deleting an episode instead of removing the download. If you right-click an episode and choose “Delete from Library”, it removes the episode entirely. To just free up space, choose “Remove Download” instead.
• Expecting sync to work without iCloud. If you don’t enable “Sync subscriptions across devices” in Preferences, your Mac and iPhone won’t share your subscriptions or playback progress.

Tips

• Use keyboard shortcuts: Spacebar to play/pause, Left/Right arrows to skip 15 seconds (hold Shift to skip 30 seconds), and Cmd+R to mark an episode as played.
• Set a sleep timer: If you like falling asleep to podcasts, you can use the built-in sleep timer on your iPhone, but on Mac you can use the “Sleep Timer” feature in the playback controls (click the moon icon). It’s available in Catalina.
• Organize with stations: Create a station for “Commute” that only shows new episodes from your favorite news shows. Right-click in the sidebar and choose “New Station”.
• Control playback speed: In the playback controls, click the “1x” button to cycle through speeds (0.5x, 1x, 1.5x, 2x). For finer control, use the “Playback Speed” slider in the View menu.
• Search within an episode: In the player, click the “Transcript” button (if available) to see a text transcript and search for specific words. Not all shows have transcripts.

Troubleshooting

• Podcasts won’t play or download. First, check your internet connection. If it’s fine, try quitting and reopening the app (Cmd+Q). If that doesn’t work, sign out of your Apple ID in System Preferences > Apple ID, then sign back in. This often fixes sync and download issues.
• Episodes are stuck on “Waiting”. This usually means the download is paused. Click the pause icon next to the episode to resume. If it’s still stuck, delete the episode and re-download it.
• Podcasts app is not showing in the Dock. It might have been removed. Open the Applications folder and drag the Podcasts icon to the Dock. If it’s missing entirely, you can reinstall it from the App Store (it’s free).
• Sync with iPhone is not working. Make sure both devices are signed in to the same Apple ID and that “Sync subscriptions across devices” is enabled on your Mac (Preferences > General). Also, ensure your iPhone has Podcasts sync enabled in Settings > Podcasts (or in the Podcasts app’s Settings).
• Playback keeps stopping. If you’re streaming and the connection drops, try downloading the episode first. Also, check your battery settings on Mac — low power mode can pause background audio.
• App is crashing on launch. Try restarting your Mac. If it persists, reset the app’s preferences by deleting the file “com.apple.podcasts.plist” in ~/Library/Preferences (be aware this resets your settings).

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use the Podcasts app on macOS Catalina without an Apple ID? Yes, you can browse and play podcasts without signing in. However, you won’t be able to sync your subscriptions across devices or use iCloud features.
2. How do I manually add an RSS feed to the Podcasts app? In Catalina, you can’t directly add a custom RSS URL. You can only subscribe to shows listed in the Apple Podcasts directory. For custom feeds, you’ll need a third-party app.
3. Why are some episodes missing from a show? The show’s publisher may have removed older episodes, or they might not be available in your region. Also, if you’ve set a limit on stored episodes (in Preferences > Advanced), older ones may be automatically deleted.
4. Can I export my podcast subscriptions? Not directly from the Podcasts app. You can use a third-party tool like “Podcast Addict” or manually recreate your list. However, if you have iCloud sync enabled, your subscriptions are stored in your iCloud account.
5. How do I delete a downloaded episode to free up space? Right-click the episode and choose “Remove Download”. The episode will remain in your library but will stream when you play it. To delete it entirely, choose “Delete from Library”.
6. Does the Podcasts app support video podcasts? Yes, it does. Video podcasts will play in the app with a video player. You can switch to audio-only mode by clicking the “Video” button in the player controls.

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