RSS vs Apple Podcasts Scraper
When a public RSS feed is enough, and when Apple catalog search, charts, and watchlists help.
RSS is enough for known shows
If you already have a feed URL, RSS is the direct source for that show’s published catalog:
- Episode titles, descriptions, and publish dates
- Audio enclosures
- Publisher-declared metadata (title, author, artwork, categories)
Use RSS to watch cadence and new episodes on shows you already track. A feed does not search Apple’s directory, and it does not include chart rank.
Apple catalog data helps for search, charts, and watchlists
The Apple Podcasts Scraper reads public Apple/iTunes endpoints for discovery and catalog IDs. It is a source step, not an RSS archive replacement, and it is not affiliated with Apple.
- Search — find shows by keyword in Apple Podcasts. RSS has no catalog search.
- Charts — snapshot official rankings by country (shows or episodes). Rank is not in a show’s feed.
- Watchlists — refresh known shows by Apple collection ID and keep stable Apple IDs and storefront URLs.
Storefront matters: the same query can differ across us, gb, jp, and other markets.
Optional recent episodes are available when you need a short look at what a discovered show is publishing. For a full episode history of a known feed, read RSS directly.
A practical split
| You have | Start with |
|---|---|
| A feed URL, and you need new episodes | RSS |
| A topic, and you need matching shows | Apple search |
| A market, and you need who is ranking | Apple charts |
| Apple collection IDs, and you need a recurring refresh | Watchlist lookup |
From $10 per 1,000 results.
Public Apple and RSS endpoints only. No account session. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple.