Itunes Podcast Search Scraper

iTunes Podcast Search Scraper — Apple Podcasts Shows and Episode Discovery

Discover podcasts and collect episode information from the Apple Podcasts directory. Search shows by keyword or retrieve episodes for specific podcast IDs, then export structured results as JSON, CSV, Excel, or other supported formats.

Overview

This actor collects podcast information from Apple's public podcast directory. Search for shows using keywords or retrieve episodes using podcast collection IDs.

Results from multiple searches or podcast IDs are combined into one dataset. Duplicate records are removed using their trackId, and the collection is limited by maxItems.

Features

• Search podcasts using one or more keywords.
• Retrieve episodes for known podcast collection IDs.
• Choose a country for localized podcast results.
• Collect show details, creator names, genres, artwork, and podcast links.
• Capture available episode information.
• Deduplicate records using trackId.
• Set a maximum number of records per run.
• Export results in JSON, CSV, Excel, and other supported formats.

Collection Modes

Podcast Search: Finds matching podcast shows using the supplied search terms.

Episodes: Retrieves available episodes for the supplied podcast collection IDs.

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
mode	String	Collection mode. Use search or episodes.
terms	Array	Search keywords used in search mode.
podcastIds	Array	Podcast collection IDs used in episodes mode.
country	String	Country code used to localize results, such as us.
maxItems	Integer	Maximum number of unique records to collect. Up to 1,000.
requestDelaySecs	Number	Delay between requests, in seconds.

Example Input

Podcast Search

{
  "mode": "search",
  "terms": ["marketing"],
  "country": "us",
  "maxItems": 50,
  "requestDelaySecs": 1
}

Episodes

{
  "mode": "episodes",
  "podcastIds": ["1200361736"],
  "country": "us",
  "maxItems": 50,
  "requestDelaySecs": 1
}

What Data Does This Actor Extract?

Available fields depend on the selected collection mode and the information provided by the directory.

Field	Description
wrapperType	Type of directory result.
kind	Content type, such as podcast or podcast episode.
collectionId	Podcast collection identifier.
trackId	Unique identifier for a show or episode.
artistName	Podcast creator or publisher name.
collectionName	Podcast show name.
trackName	Show or episode title.
collectionCensoredName	Collection name provided by the directory.
trackCensoredName	Track name provided by the directory.
collectionViewUrl	Link to the podcast listing.
trackViewUrl	Link to the show or episode listing.
feedUrl	Podcast RSS feed address, when available.
artworkUrl100	Podcast artwork image link.
collectionPrice	Collection price, when available.
trackPrice	Track price, when available.
collectionHdPrice	Collection HD price, when available.
releaseDate	Release date of the show or episode.
collectionExplicitness	Explicit-content classification for the collection.
trackExplicitness	Explicit-content classification for the track.
trackCount	Number of tracks or episodes reported for the collection.
country	Country associated with the result.
currency	Currency reported by the directory.
primaryGenreName	Primary podcast genre.
scraped_at	Timestamp when the record was collected.

Example Output

{
  "wrapperType": "track",
  "kind": "podcast",
  "collectionId": 1588397602,
  "trackId": 1588397602,
  "artistName": "Marketing Happy Hour",
  "collectionName": "Marketing Happy Hour",
  "trackName": "Marketing Happy Hour",
  "collectionCensoredName": "Marketing Happy Hour",
  "trackCensoredName": "Marketing Happy Hour",
  "collectionViewUrl": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-happy-hour/id1588397602?uo=4",
  "feedUrl": "https://anchor.fm/s/50d9d294/podcast/rss",
  "trackViewUrl": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-happy-hour/id1588397602?uo=4",
  "artworkUrl100": "https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts211/v4/ea/a7/5c/eaa75c82-06cf-fe11-3161-68e39f7e487f/mza_7610324141478559814.jpg/100x100bb.jpg",
  "collectionPrice": 0.0,
  "trackPrice": 0.0,
  "collectionHdPrice": 0,
  "releaseDate": "2026-10-01T09:00:00Z",
  "collectionExplicitness": "notExplicit",
  "trackExplicitness": "cleaned",
  "trackCount": 286,
  "country": "USA",
  "currency": "USD",
  "primaryGenreName": "Marketing",
  "scraped_at": "2026-10-26T00:00:00+00:00"
}

Use Cases

• Podcast Discovery: Search for shows by topic, keyword, or niche.
• Episode Collection: Retrieve available episodes for selected podcasts.
• Competitive Research: Compare podcast catalogs and discover shows in a particular industry.
• Podcast Directory Building: Create structured lists of podcast titles, creators, genres, and links.
• Feed Enrichment: Collect RSS feed addresses and artwork links to enrich existing podcast records.
• Research and Analysis: Export podcast information for spreadsheets and data analysis.

Working with Your Dataset

After the actor finishes running, open the dataset to explore the collected podcast records. You can:

• Export records as JSON, CSV, Excel, and other supported formats.
• Filter shows by title, creator, genre, or country.
• Identify individual shows and episodes using their IDs.
• Open podcast and episode links.
• Use available RSS feed addresses in your podcast workflows.

FAQ

Who is this actor for?

It is useful for podcast researchers, marketers, developers, publishers, and analysts who need structured podcast directory information.

What export formats are supported?

You can export the dataset as JSON, CSV, Excel, and other formats supported by Apify.

Can I search for multiple podcast topics?

Yes. Provide multiple keywords in the terms array when using search mode.

Can I collect episodes for multiple podcasts?

Yes. Provide multiple collection IDs in the podcastIds array when using episodes mode.

Can I run it on a schedule?

Yes. You can configure an Apify schedule to run the actor automatically at your preferred interval.

What happens if a search or podcast lookup fails?

The actor continues processing other searches or podcast IDs when possible. A failed lookup may not produce records.

How many records can one run return?

You can set maxItems up to 1,000 unique records.

Does it download podcast audio?

No. The actor collects directory information and available episode metadata. It does not download or store audio files.

Disclaimer

This is an independent data collection tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or officially associated with Apple or Apple Podcasts. Apple, Apple Podcasts, and related trademarks belong to their respective owners.

The actor collects information from publicly accessible directory listings. Users are responsible for ensuring that their collection and use of the data comply with applicable laws and the source's terms.

Is Web Scraping Legal?

Collecting information that is already public is generally legal. There is no single law that bans all forms of web scraping. The limits are the usual ones: do not break into accounts, do not take private or confidential data, and be careful with personal data and copyrighted works. A site's terms can also restrict how you access it. Facts such as a public name, price, or rating are not the same thing as republishing someone's article or photo.

This actor collects information from public pages. It does not log in and it does not bypass access controls.

For a longer explanation, see Apify's article Is web scraping legal?.