iTunes podcast scraper first run

Apple Podcast Scraper Apify: cheapest first paid run

This page is the cheapest useful first paid run for Apple Podcast Scraper Apify (taroyamada/apple-podcast-scraper). It uses the official iTunes Search API. No proxy is required. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple.

The live Store Quickstart uses the same input below. Live PPE is result $0.0025 per default-dataset item ($2.50 / 1,000) plus Actor Start $0.005. If that run writes 3 result rows and charges one Actor Start event, the estimate is $0.005 + (3 × $0.0025) = $0.0125.

Open Input → Start. Search + limit 3 ≈ $0.0125 (Start $0.005 + result $0.0025 × 3). From $2.50 / 1,000. No API key.

Open Apple Podcast Scraper Apify Input → Start

Cheapest useful input

Paste this JSON. Leave chartRequests and lookupIds empty. Do not add maxEpisodesPerShow; it is not in the live schema.

{
  "searchTerm": "technology",
  "country": "us",
  "limit": 3,
  "includeEpisodes": false
}

At least one of searchTerm, chartRequests, or lookupIds is required. A first paid run only needs searchTerm. country is the ISO storefront (default us). limit is the maximum number of podcasts returned (1–200; live default and Store prefill 3). includeEpisodes default is false.

Estimated cost from published PPE only

Billing is pay-per-event. You are not charged for Apify platform usage, only the fixed event price. Published events:

This first-run input (Store Quickstart)
searchTerm technology
country us
limit 3
includeEpisodes false
If one Start event and limit result rows $0.005 + (3 × $0.0025) = $0.0125

That math uses only the published PPE numbers. Actual result events equal rows written to the default dataset, which can be fewer than limit if iTunes Search returns fewer shows. Extra Actor Start events apply if memory is above 1 GB. Dry runs do not save results or send webhooks, so they do not write payable result rows.

From $2.50 per 1,000 results ($0.0025 per result; Actor Start $0.005)

See Apple Podcasts / iTunes Scraper pricing on Apify

What this first run returns

Search results are source-linked dataset items. Sample rowType is podcast_search_result. Documented fields include collectionId, showName, publisher, country, sourceUrl, and fetchedAt. rank is null on search rows; rank belongs to chartRequests.

Leave includeEpisodes false on the first paid run. That path is slower. This Actor does not document genre filters, review text, or pagination beyond limit.

What not to add yet

What is the cheapest useful first paid run for this iTunes podcast scraper?

Use Apple Podcast Scraper Apify with searchTerm technology, country us, limit 3, and includeEpisodes false. Live Input default for limit is 3. That is the cheapest useful input on the live schema. Do not set maxEpisodesPerShow; it is not in the live schema.

How much does that Apple Podcasts first run cost?

Billing is pay-per-event. Published events are Actor Start at $0.005 (charged when the Actor starts; number of events charged depends on Actor memory, one event per GB, minimum one event) and result at $0.0025 per default-dataset item ($2.50 per 1,000 results). If the run writes 3 result rows and charges one Actor Start event, the estimate is $0.005 + (3 × $0.0025) = $0.0125. Actual row count can be fewer than limit.

Does the Store README still show a costlier example?

No. The live Store Quickstart uses the same input (searchTerm technology, country us, limit 3, includeEpisodes false). If that run writes 3 result rows and charges one Actor Start event, the estimate is $0.005 + (3 × $0.0025) = $0.0125. Same PPE as the Store pricing tab.

Why leave includeEpisodes false on the first run?

includeEpisodes fetches recent episode context for each resolved podcast and is slower. Leave it false until the show list is useful. The first paid run is a search-only check of collection IDs, show names, publishers, and source URLs.

Does the first Apple Podcasts run need a proxy or an Apple account?

No. The Actor uses official Apple/iTunes endpoints. No proxy is required. It does not require account sessions, browser automation, or private podcast dashboards. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple.

What input fields does this cheapest first run use?

searchTerm, country, limit, and includeEpisodes. At least one of searchTerm, chartRequests, or lookupIds is required. Leave chartRequests and lookupIds empty on the first paid run. maxEpisodesPerShow is not in the live schema.

What should I do after the first paid run succeeds?

Review the default dataset, then raise limit, add chartRequests, or pass collection IDs as lookupIds. Set includeEpisodes true only when recent episode titles help. Switch delivery to webhook after the payload shape is approved.

How to run it

  1. Open Apple Podcast Scraper Apify Input.
  2. Paste the JSON above: searchTerm technology, country us, limit 3, includeEpisodes false.
  3. Leave delivery on dataset. Do not add fields that are not in the live schema.
  4. Start the run. Review the default dataset (JSON or CSV from the dataset view). Then raise limit or add charts / watchlists.

If you are comparing this Actor with a Store episode scraper that ranks first for the query apple podcast, see Apple Podcasts / iTunes Scraper vs a Store episode scraper. Differentiation is iTunes endpoints, charts, and watchlist — not result PPE.

Open Input → Start. Search + limit 3 ≈ $0.0125 (Start $0.005 + result $0.0025 × 3). From $2.50 / 1,000.

Open Apple Podcast Scraper Apify Input → Start

Related pages

Public Apple and RSS endpoints only. No account session. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple.