Switch with OPML

Switch podcast apps without rebuilding your library

Export an OPML file from your current app, import it in The Podcast App under Settings → Manage Subscriptions → Import Subscriptions, then verify niche feeds before you re-download commute episodes on Wi-Fi. OPML moves your public RSS subscriptions; it does not copy downloads, playback position, queues, or playlists.

PieceMoves with OPMLRebuild in the new app
Show subscriptionsYes — public RSS feeds
Play position / playlistsUsually noYes — app-local
Offline downloadsNoDownload again on Wi‑Fi (unlimited offline is free here)
Premium / BrainNoOptional — Premium is Podcast Brain, not a download unlock

What can you verify in the app when you switch?

First-party paths — not a generic “easy import” claim. If a row fails on your device, this page is wrong for you.

Check In-app path Named outcome
Import signed-out Settings → Manage Subscriptions → Import Subscriptions → Select file / Browse files Public RSS subscriptions land with no account and no Premium gate
Empty Home CTA Import on empty Home → same sheet (/settings?focus=import) Same import flow as Settings — one sheet, not a second product
What OPML moves After import, open library Show subscriptions (title + public xmlUrl). New subs start with auto-download off
What OPML does not move Downloads, play position, queue, playlists/stations, Podcast Brain data, listen history
Offline after switch Download on Wi‑Fi in The Podcast App Unlimited offline downloads on free — Premium is Podcast Brain, not a download unlock
Spotify No first-party Spotify OPML/RSS export. Export from Overcast/Pocket Casts/Castro/AntennaPod if you used one alongside, or add shows/RSS in-app — not a silent full Spotify migrate
OPML import free No account to start Unlimited offline downloads on free
Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Free OPML import

No account required. Premium is not required to import or download offline.

Public RSS list only

OPML carries title + xmlUrl. Downloads, position, queues, and playlists stay behind.

No app-inserted ads

The player does not insert its own ads. Host-read episode ads may still play.

First-party evidence

How we tested the OPML switch

The import path, what the parser accepts, and what it refuses — read from the shipping importer, not from a competitor’s help page.

Home screen of The Podcast App with an imported subscription library
Store-listing capture of the shipped app, English build — web-converted August 8, 2026. Not a mockup.
What we checkedWhat we foundCheck it yourself
Import entry pointsSettings → Manage Subscriptions → Import Subscriptions, and the Import button on an empty Home, open the same sheet. It works signed-out and shows no Premium prompt.Fresh install, skip sign-in, open Settings.
What the parser acceptsStandard OPML 2.0 outlines carrying an xmlUrl (or type="rss"). Nested folders are walked, so a grouped export from Overcast or Pocket Casts flattens into one subscription list instead of importing the folder as a show.Import a foldered OPML; the count matches feeds, not folders.
What it refusesFeeds whose URL is not absolute http/https, or that point at localhost or a private-network range, are skipped and counted in the import summary as invalid — never silently added.Add a file:// or 192.168.x.x line to a test OPML; it shows up as skipped.
What does not travelOPML carries title plus feed URL. Play position, downloads, queue, playlists and history are not in the file — from any app, not only ours.Open your export in a text editor.
Leaving againExport writes standard OPML 2.0 from the same Manage Subscriptions screen, so the list you brought in can leave the same way.Settings → Manage Subscriptions → Export Subscriptions.

How this page was produced: Written by the operator from the app’s OPML importer source — the accept/refuse rules above are the code’s own checks — and re-read on September 11, 2026. Vendor export paths are linked in Sources, not paraphrased from listicles. The screenshot is from our store-listing capture corpus.

How to switch

How long should switching podcast apps take?

Usually under a few minutes for a typical library; large libraries can take longer while feeds refresh.

1

Export from your current app

Grab an OPML file from Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Overcast, AntennaPod, or another app that supports export. Need a file first? Use the OPML generator.

2

Import into The Podcast App

Open Settings → Manage Subscriptions → Import Subscriptions. If Home is empty, the Import CTA opens the same sheet. Confirm the feed count after the file lands.

3

Verify, then download on Wi-Fi

Check niche feeds before you re-download commute episodes on Wi-Fi. Auto-download starts off, so the library does not fill cellular storage on arrival. Then use the offline Wi-Fi path or the player.

What moves

What does OPML move when you switch apps?

OPML is a public RSS subscription list. It is not a full library backup.

What moves

Your public RSS list: each outline’s title and xmlUrl. That is the subscription set you can rebuild in one import.

What does not move

Downloads, playback position, queues, playlists, Brain data, and history stay in the old app. Rebuild those only if you still want them.

What gets rejected

Invalid URLs and private-network URLs are rejected. OPML does not transfer credentials, tokens, or login-gated feeds.

Export later if you leave

The same list format works in reverse. See OPML export when you want a portable copy of follows.

Common switches

What are the common podcast app switches?

Most people are leaving one specific app. Export there, import here, then verify niche feeds. Score the grid on compare podcast apps first if you have not picked a destination. The free podcast app stays usable without Premium.

Apple Podcasts

On Mac, use File → Library → Export Playlist / OPML (wording varies by macOS). iOS does not always expose a one-tap OPML export — use a Mac pass-through or a third-party exporter, then move the file to your phone.

Apple Podcasts alternative that keeps OPML

AntennaPod

Settings → export OPML / export subscriptions, then import the file the same way.

Spotify

Spotify has no first-party OPML export of shows. Workarounds only: keep a text list or screenshots of follows, then search those titles after you import everything else. That is a Spotify limit, not an import bug.

After you land

Start with the free player. OPML import and unlimited offline downloads are available without Premium. The player has no app-inserted ads; see the free no-app-ads player.

  • Listen on one device with no account.
  • Cloud sync needs a sign-in later. It is not required to import or listen on one device.
  • Brain is optional. Turn it on only if you want that layer.
Importno account Playerfree, no app-inserted ads Optionalsync or Brain later

Troubleshooting

Empty or wrong art usually means the feed has not refreshed yet, or the xmlUrl pointed at a thin or redirected source. Wait for the refresh, or re-add that show from search.

Duplicates appear when the same show is listed twice in the OPML, or when a feed URL and its redirect both imported. Unsubscribe the extra copy.

Still stuck? Contact support.

Check the xmlUrl

Private-network and invalid URLs are rejected. Credential-gated feeds must be re-added by hand.

Switch FAQ

Switch FAQ

Export an OPML file from your current app, then import it in The Podcast App under Settings → Manage Subscriptions → Import Subscriptions. An empty Home Import CTA opens the same sheet. OPML moves your public RSS subscriptions (title + xmlUrl). Verify niche feeds, then re-download commute episodes on Wi-Fi. Auto-download starts off.
No. OPML import is free and does not require an account. You can import and listen on one device without signing in. Cloud sync needs a sign-in later if you want it across devices.
No. OPML import is free. Unlimited offline downloads are available on the free app. Premium is not required for OPML import or offline listening.
OPML does not copy downloads, playback position, queues, playlists, Brain data, or history. It does not transfer credentials. Invalid and private-network URLs are rejected.
Spotify does not offer a first-party OPML export of shows. Workarounds only: keep a text list or screenshots of follows, then search those titles after you import everything else.
Usually under a few minutes for a typical library; large libraries can take longer while feeds refresh.
Further reading

Sources

Switch guide

Import once. Verify. Then download on Wi-Fi.

Free OPML import. No account to start. Unlimited offline downloads on free. No app-inserted ads in the player.

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In your language

The Podcast App, running in this language.

These are real screens from the app, not mockups. Every menu, button, and label is translated, so the app looks like this as soon as you install it.

  • The audio player screen — The Podcast App, running in this language.
    The audio player screen
  • The home screen — The Podcast App, running in this language.
    The home screen
  • The downloaded episodes screen — The Podcast App, running in this language.
    The downloaded episodes screen
  • The AI assistant screen — The Podcast App, running in this language.
    The AI assistant screen
Free. No account to start.

Get The Podcast App free.

Bring your subscriptions with OPML, then download on Wi-Fi. Unlimited offline on the free core.

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