Simple Podcast Manager

Simple Podcast Manager is a native macOS app for a plain RSS-to-MP3-player workflow:

plug in device -> click sync -> done

It is built for people who want to own their podcast subscriptions, download normal audio files, and copy MP3s to a standalone player without a hosted account or platform lock-in.

Install

Download the DMG from the latest GitHub Release, open it, and drag Simple Podcast Manager.app to Applications.

Current prerelease builds are not Developer ID signed or notarized yet, so macOS may ask you to approve opening the app manually.

What It Does

• Subscribe to podcasts with RSS feed URLs.
• Download episodes and convert non-MP3 audio with bundled ffmpeg in release builds.
• Review the full-device plan before changing your MP3 player.
• Copy managed episodes to the device and delete selected managed episodes from it.
• Remember downloaded and removed episodes.
• Cache parsed feed data locally for faster startup, then refresh feeds in the background.
• Export and import subscriptions, settings, and local history.
• Check GitHub Releases for updates.

The app is local-first: no backend service, hosted account, Spotify dependency, or Apple Podcasts library integration.

Help

New users should start with the User Manual.

For technical context, see Architecture.

Development

Run tests:

./scripts/swift-test.sh

Run from source:

swift run "Simple Podcast Manager"

Build a local DMG:

FFMPEG_PATH=/path/to/ffmpeg \
FFMPEG_SOURCE_URL=https://example.com/ffmpeg-source-or-build-recipe \
./scripts/build-release.sh

For public releases, set DEVELOPER_ID_APPLICATION and NOTARY_PROFILE to sign, notarize, and staple the DMG.

License

Simple Podcast Manager is available under the MIT License. Third-party components are licensed separately; see THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.