# Apple Podcasts Scraper (`smorgi_apps/apple-podcasts-scraper`) Actor

Scrape Apple Podcasts via the official iTunes Search/Lookup API. Search terms or collection IDs, optional episodes. Empty searches free. ~$0.50–1/1k.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/smorgi\_apps/apple-podcasts-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Smorgi Apps](https://apify.com/smorgi_apps) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, News, Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.50 / 1,000 podcast / episode rows

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/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## 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.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## Apple Podcasts Scraper — Pay Per Result

Scrape **Apple Podcasts** via Apple’s official **iTunes Search / Lookup API** (HTTP JSON, no API key). Search by term or collection ID; optionally pull recent episodes.

**Store search keywords:** Apple Podcasts scraper · iTunes podcast API · podcast RSS · podcast search · episode lookup

***

### Why this Actor

| Pain | What we do |
|------|------------|
| Browser / unofficial scrapes | Official iTunes JSON endpoints |
| Opaque failures | Empty searches → **not charged** |
| Key friction | **No API key** |
| Unclear pricing | Flat **pay-per-result** PPE (~$0.50–1/1k) |

Public catalog metadata only.

***

### Example input

```json
{
  "searchTerms": ["startup"],
  "country": "US",
  "includeEpisodes": false,
  "maxItems": 50
}
```

With episodes:

```json
{
  "podcastIds": ["1535809341"],
  "includeEpisodes": true,
  "maxEpisodesPerPodcast": 20
}
```

***

### Output fields

| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `recordType` | `podcast` or `episode` |
| `id` | Collection id (podcast) or track id (episode) |
| `podcastId` | Parent collection id |
| `name` / `artistName` | Show or episode title / artist |
| `feedUrl` | RSS feed when Apple returns it |
| `artworkUrl` | Artwork URL |
| `genres` | Genre list |
| `trackCount` | Episode count (podcasts) |
| `averageRating` / `ratingCount` | When Apple returns ratings (often null on search) |
| `releaseDate` | ISO timestamp when present |
| `url` | Apple Podcasts / iTunes URL |
| `country` | Storefront |
| `scrapedAt` | Scrape timestamp |

***

### Pricing

Pay-per-event for each **delivered** podcast or episode row.

- Empty search results → **not charged**
- Exact $/1k is on the Store pricing tab

***

### Limitations (honest)

- Uses `itunes.apple.com/search` and `/lookup` — Apple may throttle heavy traffic
- `averageRating` / `ratingCount` are frequently **absent** on search results
- `feedUrl` is not always present on every search hit
- Episode lookup returns a limited recent set (use `maxEpisodesPerPodcast`)
- Not a full historical episode archive; not Apple Podcasts Connect analytics

***

Issues / feature requests: use the Actor **Issues** tab.

### Related Actors

- [Substack Posts](https://apify.com/smorgi_apps/substack-posts-scraper)
- [Hacker News](https://apify.com/smorgi_apps/hacker-news-scraper)
- [Google Trends](https://apify.com/smorgi_apps/google-trends-scraper)
- [Steam Reviews](https://apify.com/smorgi_apps/steam-reviews-scraper)

# Actor input Schema

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

One or more free-text podcast search terms.

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

Optional Apple Podcasts collection IDs (numeric).

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

iTunes storefront country code (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2).

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

If true, also emit episode rows via iTunes lookup.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Maximum podcast records to deliver (episodes are extra).

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

When includeEpisodes is true, cap episodes per show.

## `requestDelayMs` (type: `integer`):

Throttle between iTunes API requests.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Optional. iTunes Search API usually works without proxies.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "searchTerms": [
    "startup",
    "technology"
  ],
  "podcastIds": [],
  "country": "US",
  "includeEpisodes": false,
  "maxItems": 50,
  "maxEpisodesPerPodcast": 20,
  "requestDelayMs": 300,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `records` (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": [
        "startup",
        "technology"
    ],
    "country": "US",
    "maxItems": 50
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("smorgi_apps/apple-podcasts-scraper").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": [
        "startup",
        "technology",
    ],
    "country": "US",
    "maxItems": 50,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("smorgi_apps/apple-podcasts-scraper").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": [
    "startup",
    "technology"
  ],
  "country": "US",
  "maxItems": 50
}' |
apify call smorgi_apps/apple-podcasts-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

```

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/58Mje1WqFsvr38k26/builds/I9LvfQVqXR6FSiqBw/openapi.json