How to Automatically Download New Podcast Episodes on Spotify?

Introduction

Different streaming services are currently available, making it easy to consume any media content easily. From platforms suitable for video content to apps like Spotify that focuses on music playlists, options are diverse. In fact, podcasts are also available through Spotify, which are essentially episodic, audio-based shows.

Streaming podcast episodes on Spotify for all users is possible, but downloading the new episodes has some considerations. It is possible to download the podcasts for offline listening with specific steps. This post will teach you the best ways to automate the downloading process.

When Does Spotify Not Download Podcasts Automatically?

Spotify allows its users to download the available content for offline listening. However, there are specific rules to consider, like only Premium users having the ability to download music or playlists automatically.

But podcast episodes are allowed for downloading to the free Spotify plan users as well. Other potential issues can cause the automatic downloading of podcast episodes on Spotify to fail.

• Manually disabling the automatic download function ahead of time.
• Low storage space in the device.
• Sudden network failures interrupt the automatic downloading process.

To solve these issues, you can take measures on your device to increase connection stability, delete unnecessary files to open up more space or run system/network diagnostics.

How to download Podcast Episodes Automatically on Spotify?

It is possible to activate the automatic downloading function for podcast episodes on Spotify with simple steps. This function is helpful in case you want to avoid checking podcast episodes’ update schedules all the time. Instead, the app will automatically new episode updates as they are posted.

The steps differ slightly depending on the device type.

Solution 1: Set Automatic Podcast Episode Downloading on Spotify

Free and paid Spotify users can set the podcast episodes to download automatically through the mobile app. Access the Library section to make the settings changes.

How to proceed?

Step 1: Access the Spotify app on your mobile device.

Step 2: Click on the Your Library tab from the homepage.

Step 3: Click on the Podcasts & Shows option at the upper part of the screen.

Step 4: Browse through the lists and choose one podcast.

Step 5: After opening the podcast show page on Spotify, tap on the Cog-shaped icon.

Step 6:  Toggle the slider for the “Auto-download episodes” choice to ON to start downloads.

Solution 2: Enable Automated Podcast Episode Downloads on Spotify Desktop Version

It is also simple to activate the automatic downloading function for podcast show episodes on the Spotify web version. The process to set auto-download limits follows the same sequence as Spotify mobile app version.

How to proceed?

Step 1: Access the Spotify platform on your PC.

Step 2: Search for the Podcast you want to download and move the toggle for the Download option to ON.

If you see the download icon beside the episode, it implies that the episode was safely downloaded.

Solution 3: Set Limits on Automated Podcast Episode Downloading on Spotify

You can set the total number of podcast episodes on Spotify that will auto-download to your device. This is manageable through the Your Library section, and users can directly set the limits for specific shows. Indeed, this process helps you avoid downloading too many episodes on your device with limited storage space.

How to proceed?

Step 1: Follow the steps to activate all the “Auto-download episodes” selection. Then, tap on the “Manage download settings” link under this section.

Step 2: In the next screen, click on the “Limit auto-downloads” option.

Step 3: Choose the limited number of episodes for the podcast you want the software to download automatically.

How to Automatically Play Downloaded Podcasts on Spotify?

Like the automatic downloading function for podcast episodes, Spotify users can activate the automatic episode-playing feature as well. Typically, the downloaded episodes are accessible to play offline when you lose an internet connection. However, users can also manually activate the Offline Mode to play the podcast episodes automatically.

Solution 1: How to Play Automatically Downloaded Podcast Episodes?

The following are the steps to follow for playing the podcast episodes that are automatically downloaded in Spotify Offline Mode.

How to proceed?

Step 1: Open the Spotify app on your tablet or mobile device.

Step 2: Tap on the Home button and choose Settings.

Step 3: Go to Playback.

Step 4: Activate the Offline Mode to the ON position. All the downloaded episodes will stay as normal, and the non-downloaded ones will appear grayed out.

Why are the Podcast Episodes Not Downloaded Anymore?

Users notice that the automatically downloaded podcast episodes on Spotify are unavailable on the platform sometimes. The possible causes include:

• The user did not access their Spotify app online in 30 days.
• If downloading occurs in over 5 devices, the ones saved in the least recently used device automatically expire.
• Reinstalling the app can cause you to lose all the downloaded podcast episodes.
• A defective SD card in the device can cause the downloads to delete.
• The Spotify app has new upgrades available, but the app you have is active in an older version.

To avoid the podcast episodes on your account to delete suddenly, you should keep note of these situations. Then, set automatic downloads again if needed. 

Conclusion

It is possible to activate the automatic downloading functionality for podcast episodes on the Spotify platform. The steps differ slightly as per the device type, and there are situations where the episodes may delete suddenly or not even download correctly. Take note of such cases and keep your app up-to-date to avoid any further issues.