podcast-dl is a command-line tool for downloading podcast episodes from an RSS feed and optionally tracking saved items in a JSON archive. Give it a feed URL or a local RSS file, choose where and how episodes are saved, then add filtering or post-processing only if you need it.
What podcast-dl does
The lightpohl/podcast-dl project describes itself as “A humble CLI for downloading and archiving podcasts.” It reads a podcast RSS feed, retrieves episode audio from usable links in that feed, and can save podcast and episode metadata alongside the audio. It is command-line software; the project documentation does not describe a graphical interface.
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This is the lightpohl project, not a separate similarly named utility. Its npm package metadata for version 11.1.1 declares MIT licensing and a Node.js requirement of >=18.17.0. Those details are specific to that package version; release and package details can change.
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What you need before downloading
- A podcast RSS feed URL, or a local copy of the RSS feed.
- An input feed that exposes usable episode audio links. podcast-dl cannot be assumed to access every podcast, closed platform, or protected feed.
- Either Node.js to use the documented npx route, or a binary from the project’s releases page.
- ffmpeg only if you want the documented audio conversion, bitrate adjustment, mono conversion, or embedded-metadata operations.
Respect applicable rights and the feed’s terms. The project documentation does not provide legal guidance about downloading particular shows.
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Start with an RSS URL or local feed file
The README documents two input options: --url for a remote RSS feed and --file for a local RSS file. Supply one of them. The simplest documented URL example, run with Node.js installed, is:
npx podcast-dl --url <PODCAST_RSS_URL>If you prefer not to run through npx, the README also points to downloadable binaries on the project’s releases page. The exact installation steps depend on the binary provided for your platform; the version-specific Node requirement above applies to the npm package metadata, not necessarily to every binary or future release.
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Choose an output folder and keep a JSON archive
Set the destination
By default, podcast-dl writes to ./{{podcast_title}}, using the podcast title to name the directory. Use --out-dir when you want a different destination. For example, the documented options can be combined like this:
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Add --archive to create or use a JSON archive. If enabled without a path, its documented default is ./{{podcast_title}}/archive.json. The tool checks that archive record before downloading an episode or writing metadata, so items it already records as saved are not processed again. This is duplicate tracking based on the archive record; the documentation does not promise recovery, file-integrity verification, or preservation beyond that behavior.
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For example:
npx podcast-dl --url <PODCAST_RSS_URL> --archiveControl which episodes are selected and how they are named
Feeds can contain many episodes, so podcast-dl provides controls for narrowing the selection and organizing filenames:
- Limit the number of episodes or set an offset into the feed.
- Filter by dates before or after a specified date.
- Include or exclude episode titles using regular expressions.
- Reverse feed order, or filter by season when the feed includes the documented iTunes season tag.
- Choose how the tool extracts audio URLs: enclosure first, then link, is the documented default, and the order can be changed.
Output templates can use podcast title and link information. Episode filename templates can use the episode title, release-date parts, episode number, audio URL, duration when available, and episode GUID. Filters can strip spaces, remove special characters, convert underscores and dashes, change case, or trim text. Episode numbers can also be zero-padded or offset. Which fields are useful depends on what the feed actually provides; for example, duration may be absent, and season filtering requires the relevant tag.
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Metadata, transcripts, and optional audio processing
Save available feed information
The README documents options to write podcast-level metadata JSON, per-episode metadata JSON, episode images, and transcripts. Transcript type preference is configurable. These options do not mean every feed supplies images, transcripts, or every metadata field.
Use ffmpeg only for audio operations that need it
Downloading an episode is separate from optional audio processing. The README says --embed-metadata, --audio-format, --adjust-bitrate, and --mono require ffmpeg. Listed output formats include mp3, m4a, aac, opus, ogg, flac, and wav. Install ffmpeg and enable the relevant option only when you want one of these operations; they are not implied by a basic download.
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Run a command after an episode downloads
The --exec option runs a command after each downloaded episode. Its documented template variables include file paths and the audio URL, allowing the command to pass those values to another program. Check the project’s README for the supported variable names and syntax before composing a command.
A practical workflow
- Get the feed. Copy the show’s RSS feed URL, or save the RSS XML locally if you want to use a file input.
- Choose the input and destination. Use
--urlor--file; add--out-dirif the podcast-title folder default is not where you want the files. - Decide whether to track downloads. Add
--archiveif you want the JSON record to help skip items already marked saved. - Narrow and organize the set. Add a limit, offset, date or title filter, then choose a filename template if the default naming is not suitable.
- Add optional outputs or processing. Request metadata, images, or transcripts as needed. Install ffmpeg before enabling the documented ffmpeg-dependent audio operations.
For a growing local collection, you may choose an external drive as the output destination or as a separate backup location. That is an ordinary storage choice, not a requirement of podcast-dl; the tool’s documented archive file is a tracking record, not a backup system.
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