# Podcast Directory Scraper (Apple Podcasts) (`foo121/podcast-itunes-scraper`) Actor

Find podcasts by topic from Apple Podcasts / iTunes with the RSS feed URL, artist, genre, artwork and iTunes link for every show — plus optional recent-episode enrichment. Public iTunes API, no key.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/foo121/podcast-itunes-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ziv shay](https://apify.com/foo121) (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

$2.00 / 1,000 result items

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

## Podcast Directory Scraper (Apple Podcasts / iTunes)

**Find podcasts by topic and export the RSS feed URL for every show** — plus artist, genre(s), episode count, artwork, content rating and the Apple Podcasts link. Optionally enrich each show with its **recent episodes** (title, date, duration, description). Powered by Apple's public iTunes Search + Lookup APIs: **no API key, no login.**

### What you get

**Podcast rows** (one per show):

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `collectionId`, `name`, `artist` | Apple show ID, title, creator |
| `feedUrl` | The **RSS feed URL** — the key buyers need to go downstream |
| `genre`, `genres` | Primary + all genres |
| `trackCount`, `episodeCount` | Total episodes / episodes fetched |
| `country`, `releaseDate`, `contentRating` | Storefront, latest episode date, rating |
| `artworkUrl`, `itunesUrl` | 600px artwork, Apple Podcasts link |

**Episode rows** (optional, one per episode):
`collectionId`, `podcastName`, `episodeId`, `title`, `releaseDate`, `durationMs`, `description`, `episodeUrl`, `feedUrl`.

### Example input

```json
{
  "terms": ["startups", "venture capital"],
  "country": "us",
  "maxPodcastsPerTerm": 50,
  "includeEpisodes": true,
  "episodesPerPodcast": 5
}
```

### Example output (podcast row)

```json
{
  "type": "podcast",
  "name": "The Future of Everything",
  "artist": "Stanford Engineering",
  "feedUrl": "https://feeds.example.com/future.xml",
  "genre": "Technology",
  "genres": "Science; Podcasts; Technology",
  "trackCount": 312,
  "country": "USA",
  "itunesUrl": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id..."
}
```

### Use cases

- **Podcast guesting / PR** — build outreach lists by topic with feed + contact path.
- **Ad sales / sponsorship lead-gen** — surface shows in a niche with episode cadence.
- **Media monitoring & research** — assemble topical show directories at scale.
- **Podcast-tech tools** — seed catalogs from the feed URLs.

### Why this one

Returns the **RSS `feedUrl` for every show** (many directory scrapers omit it — it's what you actually need to pull episodes/analytics downstream), batches **many topics in one run**, and optionally enriches each show with its **latest episodes** — all from a **public Apple source with no key**.

### How it works

Calls `itunes.apple.com/search?media=podcast` per term, then (optionally) `itunes.apple.com/lookup?entity=podcastEpisode` per show. One podcast (and optionally one episode) per dataset item (pay-per-result).

*Keywords: podcast scraper, apple podcasts scraper, itunes podcast api, podcast directory, podcast rss feed finder, podcast episode export.*

# Actor input Schema

## `terms` (type: `array`):

One or more keywords or topics to find podcasts for (e.g. 'true crime', 'startups', 'parenting'). Each term is a separate Apple Podcasts search.

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

Two-letter Apple storefront code (e.g. us, gb, de, br, in). Affects which catalog is searched.

## `maxPodcastsPerTerm` (type: `integer`):

Maximum podcasts to return for each search term (Apple caps at ~100 per query).

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

Also output recent episodes for each podcast (title, release date, duration, description, episode URL). Adds one result row per episode.

## `episodesPerPodcast` (type: `integer`):

How many recent episodes to fetch per podcast when 'Include recent episodes' is on.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "terms": [
    "technology"
  ],
  "country": "us",
  "maxPodcastsPerTerm": 50,
  "includeEpisodes": false,
  "episodesPerPodcast": 10
}
```

# 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 = {
    "terms": [
        "technology"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("foo121/podcast-itunes-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 = { "terms": ["technology"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("foo121/podcast-itunes-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

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

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

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "terms": [
    "technology"
  ]
}' |
apify call foo121/podcast-itunes-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=foo121/podcast-itunes-scraper",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/KArQ3o8PFas1V8EUS/builds/Parhh3dx1vHiLauEy/openapi.json