Keep X latest episodes

Feature request
1

I would like to keep just the most recent episode of an hourly newscast podcast. I don’t need every single hour but always the latest version.

Set a default count of episodes per podcast to keep and auto delete the old ones.

(Doggcatcher app has done this if you need examples)

2

Hi Kim,

Welcome to the AntennaPod forum! If you want, it’d be cool if you share your AntennaPod story here!

Thanks for your feature request. I’d personally love to have this as well (but not a developer so I can’t contribute code, unfortunately). In fact, we’re not alone with our desires: quite a few people also indicated their interest in this feature over at GitHub, where AntennaPod is being developed.

I have good hopes that this will be implemented at some point. But it ties in with a loooooong other discussion about ‘newsy’ versus ‘serial’ podcasts, so I think it’ll need some thorough thinking on both requests and how they can be simple, effective and flexible at the same time. In other words: it will probably take a while.

3

App version: 3.8.0 (095f60da8)

Problem you may be having, or feature you want:

Feature Request: Configurable “Keep Latest Episodes” Setting

I’d like to request a new feature that allows users to “automatically manage downloaded podcast episodes” on a per-podcast basis.

Problem

I have recently moved from Player.fm to AntennaPod due to its popularity. However, I miss a crucial feature present in Player.fm which I cannot replicate in AntennaPod.

Currently, users may struggle to maintain a desired number of downloaded episodes for their subscribed podcasts. This can lead to:

  • Excessive storage consumption from unneeded old episodes.
  • Manual effort required to delete older episodes, even if they’ve been listened to or are no longer relevant.

Proposed Solution

Implement a setting for each podcast where users can specify the “number of latest episodes to keep downloaded”.

How it would work:

  1. “User Configuration:” For each subscribed podcast (or global), users would be able to input a specific number (e.g., 1, 3, 5, 10, etc.) representing the maximum number of the most recent episodes they wish to retain.
  2. “Automatic Download:” When new episodes are released, the app would continue to automatically download them as per existing user settings.
  3. Automatic Deletion: Once the number of downloaded episodes for a podcast exceeds the user-defined limit, the app would automatically “delete the oldest downloaded episode(s)” until the specified number of “latest” episodes is met. This deletion should occur regardless of the episode’s listen status (i.e., whether it has been played or not).

Example Scenario:

If a user sets the “Keep Latest Episodes” value to 5 for a specific podcast:

  • The app will ensure that only the 5 most recently released episodes of that podcast are downloaded and stored.
  • If a 6th new episode becomes available and is downloaded, the oldest of the existing 5 episodes will be automatically deleted, maintaining a total of 5 downloaded episodes.

Benefits

  • “Improved Storage Management:” Users can more effectively control the amount of storage their podcasts consume.
  • “Reduced Manual Effort:” Eliminates the need for users to manually delete old episodes.
  • “Always Relevant Content:” Ensures users always have the most recent episodes readily available.

thank you.

4

I also have a podcast with an hourly update (news journal). Now, I have put off the inbox for this specific podcast, but indeed I would prefer to see the latest episode in my inbox (so, only keep the latest episode like in Pocket Cast).

So, together with the option to put off the inbox completely, it would be nice to be able to specify how many latest (or oldest) episodes should be shown in the Inbox.

5

Hi guys!

How to achieve the following:

Keep max X number of episodes of a podcast downloaded.

If X is reached, start deleting oldest downloaded one to allow downloading the latest one.

Thoughts on this request?

6

Just stopped by to say that I searched for exactly that in this forum. I’m using Antennapod on a device in my car and would like to have the newest episodes downloaded. As syncing is not working at the moment and I listen to podcasts on several devices this would be perfect.

7

Your request sound like this one that has been filed and we are discussing how best to tackle it

8

Desired feature:

In the Podcast settings of a specific subscription, add the option “Keep at most N recent episodes” to the “auto download settings”. If set, whenever a new episode is downloaded, older episodes beyond N recent ones will be auto deleted and removed from queues and inbox.

Use case:

Here is my typical workflow of AntennaPod:

  1. Turn on auto-download of my subscriptions
  2. Periodically check “Inbox” and add new episodes into the “Queue”

However, some types of subscrptions (e.g. news) produce new episodes very frequently so I have to remove stale episodes manually from time to time, otherwise the queue length is ever increasing. I think this feature would address this pain point.

9

Hi @cuckoohash & @kevincalori,

I just moved your posts into this existing feature requests, so we keep all discussions (and votes!) in one place :slight_smile:

10

Can a subscription be set such that only the latest episode is flagged as new and downloaded, and when a newer one is put out, the previous one is deleted? For instance, I subscribe to an hourly news bulletin. When I have opportunity to listen I only want to listen to the latest episode.

Another low priority “nice to have”. Thanks for considering it or putting it on your “one day maybe list”!

11

I am increasing the priority of this request from my original “nice-to-have” (ie cosmetic) to low (ie an issue with a workaround). I request that it be seriously considered.

My Queue is filling with multiple episodes that are redundant, when only the latest is of value.

12

Similar issue brought up in “Auto delete old unplayed episodes” by @jbohn - I am not alone!

I have a far-from-perfect workaround.The podcast is an hourly news bulletin, which I normally listen to once a day at a specific time (ie when I take the dog out at noon!). Using “Episode Filter” I have only the episode with that time in the title downloaded. Works fine except if fills up “New Episodes” with the non-downloaded ones - and on the days I take the dog earlier or later!

13

Just noticed this in my ‘unread’ list on the forum :stuck_out_tongue:

You’re indeed not the only one to request this. There’s been an issue on GitHub for this for quite some time, with quite a few thumb-ups:

14

Thanks @keunes! Reading through the GitHub I see that the request is part of a much more involved issue involving download space, global settings, etc. and has been discussed (to death?) since 2016! I guess that means that I won’t hold my breath as it probably won’t be addressed in the next few releases. Nonetheless, in my specific case for news podcasts it would be very nice to have and perhaps would satisfy some of the various users demand.

15

It has, haha. I´m hoping this would be implemented at some point, also. But as a non-developer, there’s not much more I can do than hope and wait :slight_smile:

16

My main reason for this feature would be daily podcasts.

17

As stated in the issue thread, I implemented Added new cleanup option: when not favorited by spacecowboy · Pull Request #4693 · AntennaPod/AntennaPod · GitHub
which at least makes sure that AntennaPod keeps downloading the latest episode and deletes the older ones to make space.

18

Still a low priority (in my book) but would certainly like this to be addressed. In the case of news bulletins that are put out multiple times a day as a podcast, it would be great if an option existed that only the most recent was in the queue.

19

I would like this but with more control at the global and episode level. E.g. globally keep the latest 5 episodes (or whatever number) and then an override at podcast level to change to more or less (like Doggcatcher and others).

Globally, it could be a toggle to enable that control at a high level which then reveals the keep latest X option so those who prefer the existing regime can stick with it.

The lack of this feature is my main reason for not switching yet. If it would help, I’d make a donation.

20

This is what I miss from the Google podcast app.

I auto download hourly news updates and listen to them later during my commute.

If I didn’t listen to them, the Google app would prune the oldest.

I’d also chip in to sponsor this feature.

TIA