# Podcast Scraper - Apple Podcasts, Charts, Episodes, RSS (`bachiembmt/podcast-scraper-apple-itunes-rss`) Actor

Podcast scraper for Apple Podcasts: search shows by keyword, read top charts by country and export podcasts with full episode lists from official RSS feeds. Audio URLs, duration, dates and publisher contact. For guest prospecting and podcast research. No API key.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/bachiembmt/podcast-scraper-apple-itunes-rss.md
- **Developed by:** [Ha Phan Thanh Hai](https://apify.com/bachiembmt) (community)
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.00 / 1,000 podcast scrapeds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Podcast Scraper: Apple Podcasts search, charts, episodes and RSS

Export **podcasts and episodes from Apple Podcasts and RSS feeds**: search by keyword, read top charts by country, and get audio URLs, durations and publisher contacts. No login, no API key.

### What does Podcast Scraper do?

- Search Apple Podcasts (iTunes Search API) by keyword and country.
- Read Apple top charts per country, optionally filtered by genre.
- Look up shows by Apple Podcasts URL/ID or directly by RSS feed URL (even shows not listed on Apple).
- List episodes from the show's own RSS feed: title, date, duration, audio URL, season/episode, explicit flag.
- Get the publisher contact published in the feed (`ownerName`, `ownerEmail`).
- Use `episodesSince` to fetch only new episodes.

### Why use it

- **Search, charts and RSS in one actor.**
- **Episodes come from the official feed**, not scraped HTML.
- **Low price**: $3 per 1,000 podcasts and $0.50 per 1,000 episodes.
- **No login, API key or proxy.**

### Use cases

- Podcast guest and sponsor prospecting with public publisher contacts.
- Niche and competitor research: shows by keyword and chart position.
- Episode datasets for transcription, search or analytics.
- Monitoring new episodes of selected shows.
- Chart tracking by country and genre.

### How to use

1. Open the Actor on Apify and click **Try for free** (or call it through the API).
2. Add **search terms**, Apple Podcasts URLs, RSS feeds or chart countries.
3. Click **Start**, then download the dataset as JSON, CSV, Excel or HTML, or read it through the API.

#### Input example

```json
{
  "searchTerms": ["history"],
  "podcastIds": ["https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily/id1200361736"],
  "feedUrls": ["https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"],
  "charts": {"countries": ["us", "gb"], "genre": "True Crime", "limit": 10},
  "country": "us",
  "maxPodcastsPerSource": 3,
  "includeEpisodes": true,
  "maxEpisodesPerPodcast": 5,
  "episodesSince": "2026-10-01"
}
```

At least one of `searchTerms`, `podcastIds`, `feedUrls`, `charts.countries` is required. `genre` accepts an Apple genre name or ID and filters the top 100 of that country.

### Output example

Records have `type` = `podcast` or `episode`.

```json
{"type":"podcast","id":1291579828,"title":"History That Doesn't Suck","author":"Prof. Greg Jackson",
 "feedUrl":"https://rss.amperwave.net/v2/feed/audacynetwork/e69da14a...","genres":["History","Education"],
 "country":"us","rating":null,"episodeCount":236,"lastReleaseAt":"2026-10-05T03:00:00Z",
 "website":"https://www.htdspodcast.com/","ownerName":"ProfGregJackson","ownerEmail":"contact@htdspodcast.com",
 "artworkUrl":"https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/.../600x600bb.jpg","appleUrl":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/...","chartRank":null}
{"type":"episode","podcastId":1291579828,"podcastTitle":"History That Doesn't Suck","guid":"ecc03e8e-834c-11f0-9425-238afe6c1670",
 "title":"214: D-Day, Part I","publishedAt":"2026-10-19T03:00:00Z","durationSec":3639,
 "audioUrl":"https://.../episode.mp3","description":"<p>...</p>","season":null,"episode":null,"explicit":false}
```

### Publisher contact (`ownerEmail`, `ownerName`)

These come from the `<itunes:owner>` tag of the RSS feed. Publishers put it there on purpose so podcast directories can reach them. It is public, but it can be a business or a personal address: use it for relevant business outreach and respect GDPR/CAN-SPAM and local law.

### Pricing

Pay per event, no subscription. You pay only for what is returned:

| Event | Price per 1,000 | 1,000 | 10,000 | 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| podcast | $3.00 | $3.00 | $30.00 | $300.00 |
| episode | $0.50 | $0.50 | $5.00 | $50.00 |

Example: 1,000 podcasts cost $3.00; 10,000 cost $30.00.

Example: 100 podcasts with 10 episodes each = 100 x $0.003 + 1,000 x $0.0005 = $0.80.

Platform usage (compute) is included in the event price; there is nothing else to pay for.

### Integrations & API

Run it from code with the Apify API. Replace `<APIFY_TOKEN>` with your API token.

**Python** (`pip install apify-client`)

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("<APIFY_TOKEN>")
run = client.actor("bachiembmt/podcast-scraper-apple-itunes-rss").call(run_input={"searchTerms": ["history"], "country": "us", "maxPodcastsPerSource": 3, "includeEpisodes": True, "maxEpisodesPerPodcast": 5})
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)
```

**cURL** (run synchronously and get dataset items)

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/bachiembmt~podcast-scraper-apple-itunes-rss/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<APIFY_TOKEN>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"searchTerms": ["history"], "country": "us", "maxPodcastsPerSource": 3, "includeEpisodes": true, "maxEpisodesPerPodcast": 5}'
```

Works with:

- **Make** and **Zapier**: use the Apify app/module to run this Actor and pass the dataset on.
- **n8n**: use the Apify node or an HTTP Request node with the API call above.
- **Google Sheets**: export the dataset as CSV, or use the Apify integration to append rows automatically.
- **Webhooks**: trigger your own endpoint when a run finishes; combine with Apify schedules for recurring jobs.
- **AI agents**: expose the Actor as a tool through the [Apify MCP server](https://mcp.apify.com).

### FAQ

**Can I scrape a show that is not on Apple Podcasts?**
Yes, pass its RSS URL in `feedUrls`.

**Why is `rating` null?**
Apple does not expose ratings in these public APIs.

**Is the owner email OK to use?**
It comes from the public `<itunes:owner>` tag that publishers set so directories can reach them. Use it for relevant business outreach and respect GDPR/CAN-SPAM.

**Do I need an account or API key for the source?**
No. The Actor needs no login or source API key. You only need an Apify account to run it.

**Is it legal to scrape this data?**
Only public Apple APIs and public RSS feeds are used. Publisher contacts can be business or personal addresses: follow GDPR/CAN-SPAM and local law. This is general information, not legal advice.

### Limitations

- Apple does not expose ratings in these APIs, so `rating` is `null`.
- `chartRank` is set only for chart results. Apple's chart API returns at most 100 shows per country and has no genre parameter (genre is filtered client-side).
- Episode data comes from the feed; some feeds list only recent episodes or block datacenter IPs. If a feed fails, up to 200 recent episodes are read from iTunes lookup instead (no season/episode numbers).
- `description` is the raw feed text and may contain HTML. Requests are limited to 1 per second per host.

# Actor input Schema

## `searchTerms` (type: `array`):

Keywords searched in Apple Podcasts (title, author, topic).

## `podcastIds` (type: `array`):

Numeric Apple IDs or URLs like https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily/id1200361736.

## `feedUrls` (type: `array`):

Direct podcast RSS feeds (any host, not only Apple-listed).

## `charts` (type: `object`):

{"countries": \["us","gb"], "genre": "True Crime", "limit": 10}. Genre (name or Apple genre ID) is optional and filters the top 100.

## `country` (type: `string`):

Two-letter storefront code used for search and ID lookup.

## `maxPodcastsPerSource` (type: `integer`):

Podcasts returned for each search term (iTunes caps at 200).

## `includeEpisodes` (type: `boolean`):

Also output episode records from each podcast's RSS feed.

## `maxEpisodesPerPodcast` (type: `integer`):

Newest episodes first.

## `episodesSince` (type: `string`):

Only episodes published on/after this date (YYYY-MM-DD or ISO datetime). Optional.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "searchTerms": [
    "history"
  ],
  "charts": {
    "countries": [],
    "genre": "",
    "limit": 10
  },
  "country": "us",
  "maxPodcastsPerSource": 3,
  "includeEpisodes": true,
  "maxEpisodesPerPodcast": 5
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `items` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "searchTerms": [
        "history"
    ],
    "charts": {
        "countries": [],
        "genre": "",
        "limit": 10
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("bachiembmt/podcast-scraper-apple-itunes-rss").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "searchTerms": ["history"],
    "charts": {
        "countries": [],
        "genre": "",
        "limit": 10,
    },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("bachiembmt/podcast-scraper-apple-itunes-rss").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "searchTerms": [
    "history"
  ],
  "charts": {
    "countries": [],
    "genre": "",
    "limit": 10
  }
}' |
apify call bachiembmt/podcast-scraper-apple-itunes-rss --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,bachiembmt/podcast-scraper-apple-itunes-rss"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/KmguCGYGyNrsMefQd/builds/LdPInpQEwWo4MM2kD/openapi.json