How to Download Podcasts on iPhone, Android, Mac, and PC in 2026

The easiest way to download a podcast is to use the built-in download option inside the app you already listen with. Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, and Audible all support offline listening, but the steps and rules are different on each platform.

How to download podcasts on Apple Podcasts

On iPhone or iPad:

1. Open the Podcast app.
2. Search or pick a podcast.
3. Tap the show to open its page.
4. Next to the episode, tap the download icon (a download arrow). Or touch and hold the episode, then tap Download Episode.

To find the downloads, go to Library > Download.

On Mac:

1. Open the Podcast app.
2. Find the show or episode you want.
3. Hover over the episode and click the download button, or click the More button > Download Episode.

To find the downloads, go to Library > Download Episodes.

If you want to save every new episode automatically:

• On iPhone/iPad: go to Settings > Podcasts to enable auto-download for new episodes.
• On Mac: go to Podcasts > Settings > General, and choose Automatically Download.

Note: Episodes you saved from Apple podcasts are not in MP3s and only inside the app.

On Windows PC:

1. Open Podcasts in iTunes
2. Search the store
3. Download a single episode with Get or subscribe so new episodes download automatically

How to download podcasts on Spotify

Spotify lets you save podcast episodes for offline listening for free. If you want to download podcasts without limits, you need a third-party downloader, such as MusicFab. We'll introduce it in a later section.

Where it works: iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac.

Step-by-Step (mobile or desktop):

1. Open the Spotify app.
2. Search for a show or open one from Your Library.
3. Find the episode you want.
4. Tap the download icon (downward arrow) or open the menu and choose Download.
5. Once downloaded, a green arrow will appear next to the episode.

To auto-download new episodes, go to a podcast's settings and toggle Auto-download.

Note: Spotify requires you to connect to the internet at least every 30 days to keep downloads active.

Spotify is one of the easiest cross-device podcast download options, especially if you already use it for music and shows in one place.

How to download podcasts from YouTube Music

YouTube Music now supports podcasts, but only Premium users can save them for offline listening.

Where it works: iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac.

Download a single episode:

1. Open the YouTube Music app.
2. Go to Library > Podcasts or open a podcast's page.
3. Find the episode you want.
4. Tap the download icon (download arrow) or the menu > Download. A check mark will confirm it's saved for offline playback.

Auto-download new episodes:

Open the settings menu and turn on Auto-download new episodes on a podcast's page.

How to download podcasts from Audible & Amazon Music

Where it works: iOS, Android

Audible:

1. Open the Audible app on your phone.
2. Go to the Discover>Podcasts section.
3. Select a show, then tap View all episodes.
4. Next to the episode you want, tap Download Episode.
5. Find your saved episodes in Library > Podcasts > Downloads.

Amazon Music:

1. Open the Amazon Music app.
2. Search for the podcast or open its show page.
3. Tap the download icon (download arrow) next to an episode.
4. Your offline episode appears under Library > Podcasts > Downloads.

Comparison Overview:Downloading Podcasts on Different Platforms

Downloading episodes on each podcast app or service is different. Here's a quick summary of their pros and cons.

• If you use an iPhone or iPad, start with Apple Podcasts.
• If you use a Mac, the built-in Podcasts app is the cleanest choice.
• If you use a Windows PC, use iTunes for Apple podcasts or Spotify for Spotify-hosted listening.
• If you use Android, Spotify, YouTube Music, and Audible are the easiest mainstream options

All podcasts downloaded from these apps are locked inside.   If you want more control, like turning them into MP3 files, moving them to another device, or setting up automatic downloads?  Tools like MusicFab can download and convert episodes so you can store them however you like. Once converted, you can keep podcasts forever, even if they get pulled offline later.

How to Download Podcasts as MP3 with MusicFab

MusicFab All-in-One is music and podcast downloader software that enables you to download podcasts and songs from mainstream platforms, saving them in MP3, FLAC, WAV and other formats in high quality up to 320 kbps. It lets both free and premium accounts download podcasts.

Instead of being limited by their limits, MusicFab gives you the freedom to:

• Download podcasts permanently from major platforms
• Save ID3 tags and metadata
• Convert episodes to MP3 or other formats
• Download a bunch of shows and episodes at once with just a few clicks
• Keep your library forever, even if an app deletes shows or your subscription ends

How to Use MusicFab to download podcast to computer (Step by Step)?

1. Download and install MusicFab

2. Choose the service you want, like Spotify, YouTube, Audible, or Apple Podcasts.

3. Sign in to your account and paste the podcast URL or search for it.

4. Click the download button in the bottom right corner. Then in the pop-up window, select MP3 or another format, and choose audio quality.

5. Hit the Download button, and MusicFab will save the podcast directly to your computer.

Only want to download from Spotify? For more info about downloading Spotify podcasts to MP3, kindly read this post.