gPodder downloads podcast episodes from RSS feeds and syncs them to MP3 players.

Install and set up gPodder

gPodder is a podcast client for Windows, macOS, and Linux, released as open source under the GNU GPL v3. On Windows, choose the installer or the portable build listed alongside it. Setup does not require an account, and the program includes no ads.

After installation, gPodder can take subscriptions from an OPML file exported by another podcast app, or you can add feeds by pasting their URLs. In preferences, set how often it checks feeds for new episodes and when downloaded episodes should be cleaned up. These settings help keep routine downloading and storage maintenance aligned with your listening habits.

Manage subscriptions and downloads

The program subscribes to podcast RSS feeds and can download new episodes automatically or when requested. Episodes are stored as files on your disk, so the workflow suits listeners who want local copies rather than streaming. gPodder does not include a built-in media player; when you open an episode, it passes the file to the media player already installed on your system.

Subscription lists can be exported as OPML as well as imported. This makes it practical to move a collection between podcast applications without adding each feed again by hand. An optional gpodder.net service can keep subscriptions in step across devices, but this is subscription syncing rather than built-in synchronization of playback position.

Copy episodes to a device

For an MP3 player that appears in Windows as a drive letter, gPodder can copy downloaded episodes to the device. It can also create playlists there and remove episodes that have already been played. This gives listeners a way to prepare files for a portable player while managing the relevant transfers from the podcast client.

Extensions provide additional tasks, including audio and video conversion with FFmpeg. Some extensions require FFmpeg to be installed separately, so conversion depends on that additional software being available. The extension approach keeps such tasks separate from the core feed and download workflow.

Everyday use and trade-offs

gPodder has been in development since 2005, and its main purpose remains focused: subscribe to feeds, retrieve episodes, organize local files, and transfer them to compatible players. It is suited to people who want control over saved episodes, need OPML portability, or use an MP3 player as part of their listening routine.

The interface is dated, and the program is not designed around streaming or a polished podcast discovery store. Because episodes open in another media application, listening requires that separate player rather than playback inside gPodder. Its optional service can synchronize subscriptions, but cross-device playback-position syncing is not provided out of the box.