How to add podcasts to a mobile device with Linux
A fan of podcasts? Have a mobile device but also like to listen to podcasts on your Linux desktop or laptop? Follow along with this guide as we go over how to add podcasts to your mobile device with Linux.
Note: Gpodder works best with Android devices. Apple devices can work but not recommended.
Installing Gpodder
There are many different ways to consume podcasts on the Linux platform. However, Gpodder has an easy to use UI, which is good for beginners. Though, before we go over how to set up syncing, we must demonstrate how to install Gpodder.
Ubuntu
On Ubuntu Linux, the Gpodder client is effortless to install as it is in the “Universe” software repository. To install it, open up a terminal window and use the Apt command below.
sudo apt install gpodder
Debian
On Debian, it is possible to install Gpodder from the “Main” software repository. To install it, launch a terminal and use the Apt-get command below.
sudo apt-get install gpodder
Arch Linux
For Arch Linux users, Gpodder is in the “Community” software repository. To install it, use the Pacman command below.
sudo pacman -S gpodder
Fedora
Every version of Fedora Linux has Gpodder available. To set up the app on your system, use the Dnf command below.
sudo dnf install gpodder
OpenSUSE
On OpenSUSE Linux, Gpodder is available to users via the “Packman all” software repository. To install, start by launching a terminal and adding in the repo.
15.1
zypper addrepo https://packman.inode.at/suse/openSUSE_Leap_15.1/ packman
15.0
zypper addrepo https://packman.inode.at/suse/openSUSE_Leap_15.0/ packman
Tumbleweed
zypper addrepo https://packman.inode.at/suse/openSUSE_Tumbleweed/ packman
Finally, install the Gpodder app with Zypper.
sudo zypper install gpodder
Flatpak
Gpodder is on the Flathub Flatpak store. To install the software on your Linux PC, ensure that you have the Flatpak runtime set up on your PC. For more information, check out this guide.
With the Flatpak runtime up and running, open up a terminal window and use the commands below.
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo flatpak install flathub org.gpodder.gpodder
Downloading podcasts
Before being able to sync podcasts from the Gpodder app to your favorite mobile device, you will need to have podcast episodes downloaded on your computer. To do that, you will need to have podcast shows set up in Gpodder.
Setting up podcast shows in Gpodder is simple thanks to the easy to understand user interface. Click the “Subscriptions” menu and add your favorite show. Or, if you’re having issues figuring out how to subscribe to podcasts in Gpodder, follow this guide here.
After you’ve subscribed to your favorite podcasts in the Gpodder app, it’s time to download some podcasts. Click on the “Podcast” panel, and select a show. Then, download an episode to your computer. Be sure to repeat this process until all of the podcast shows you want to listen to have been downloaded through the Gpodder app.
Adding podcasts to mobile via Linux file manager
Arguably the best way to add podcasts to a mobile device on Linux is with the file manager, as almost every Linux file manager has support for mounting mobile devices such as Android phones, tablets, and even iPhones.
To add your favorite podcasts to mobile via the Linux file manager, follow the step-by-step instructions below.
Step 1: Open up the Linux file manager.
Step 2: Plug in your mobile device into the USB port on your computer.
Step 3: Access your device and put it into MTP mode so that the files on it can be accessible to the Linux file manager.
Step 4: Go to the downloaded podcast file in Gpodder, and right-click on it with the mouse to open up the right-click menu. In the right-click menu, locate “Send to” and select it. Then, click “Local folder.”
Step 5: Use the file browser to save the podcast file to your home directory. Do this for every episode you want to send to the mobile device.
Step 6: In the Linux file manager, click on “Home” to go to the home directory. Then, drag the podcast MP3 file(s) and put them on your mobile device.
Adding podcasts via the Gpodder app
While Gpodder’s device support isn’t great with new smartphones, it still exists and can be used if you don’t like adding podcasts via the Linux file manager. To use the sync feature, do the following.
Step 1: Click on the “Gpodder” menu. From there, find “Preferences” and click on that.
Step 2: Inside “Preferences” locate “Devices” and click on it to access the device settings.
Step 3: Using the device menu, set up your mobile device with Gpodder. Then, close the “Preferences” window.
Step 4: Find the “Extras” menu and click on it. Then, click the “Sync” button to send all downloaded podcasts from Gpodder to your mobile device.
