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Podget is Dave Vehrs’s Bash-based podcast downloader and organizer, built to run as a scheduled background job—often through cron. It fetches episodes from RSS or Atom feeds and arranges the downloaded files; it is not a podcast player. This article covers Dave Vehrs’s dvehrs/podget, not the separate Go project that also uses the name Podget.
What Podget does—and what it does not
The project README describes Podget as “a simple podcast aggregator optimized for running as a scheduled background job (i.e. cron).” In practice, it reads podcast feed URLs, downloads linked enclosure files, and organizes those files into folders and categories. It supports RSS and Atom feeds.
Podget is for collecting and managing downloaded files, not browsing a show catalog, streaming episodes, or listening in an interactive player. Ubuntu’s manpage describes it as processing enclosure URLs and says it is not optimized for live content. You will need a separate player if you want to listen to the downloaded episodes.
How Podget organizes and manages downloads
- Folders and categories: Downloaded episodes can be sorted into folders and categories, making a local library easier to navigate.
- Feed-list import and export: Podget can import feed URLs from OPML lists and iTunes PCAST files, and its documented command-line options include OPML export.
- Playlists: It can create M3U and ASX playlists for use with compatible media players.
- Cleanup: It can remove older downloaded files. Documented options include running cleanup by itself and simulating cleanup, so you can inspect the intended removals before deleting files.
- Feed handling: The project describes conversion support for UTF-16 feeds hosted on Windows servers.
The project script is written for Bash and documents dependencies including coreutils, findutils, grep, gawk or mawk, libc-bin/iconv, sed, and wget. Exact availability and package names vary by operating system and distribution.
#1 Best Overall
- 4 high quality microphone inputs with phantom power
- 4 headphone outputs with individual volume control
- 4 programable Sound Pads + multi-track recording for all inputs and Sound Pads
- Automatic Mix-Minus for call-in phone interviews + remote interviews via TRRS jack and USB Audio Interface mode
- Up to 3.5 hours on 2 AA batteries
How to get started
Podget’s basic workflow is to configure where the library lives, add feed URLs, run the script to fetch episodes, then schedule that invocation if you want automatic updates. The project documents options for selecting configuration files and library directories, importing feeds, controlling playlists, and running quietly for cron.
- Install the project and its dependencies. Follow the instructions for Dave Vehrs’s project repository or the package documentation for your distribution. Confirm the required command-line utilities, including wget, are available.
- Complete the first-run configuration. Set the library directory where downloaded episodes should be stored, then review the available configuration settings in the project documentation. Choose a location with enough space and ensure the account that will run Podget can write there.
- Add podcast feeds. Enter feed URLs in Podget’s feed list, or use its documented import options for an OPML list or iTunes PCAST file. Check that imported feeds point to the shows you expect before relying on scheduled runs.
- Run Podget manually once. Use the project’s documented invocation and options to verify that feeds are read and files land in the intended library. The script’s options include choosing configuration and library paths, forcing downloads, and limiting downloads to recent items; consult the version you installed for the exact syntax.
- Review playlist and cleanup behavior. Select the playlist behavior you want. If you plan to prune old episodes, use the cleanup simulation option first and inspect what it would remove before running cleanup for real.
How do I run Podget with cron?
Cron is a natural fit because Podget is designed for scheduled background use. Configure and test the command manually before adding it to a crontab. Then use the full path to the Podget script and, where needed, explicit paths for its configuration and library so the job does not depend on an interactive shell’s current directory or environment.
Rank #2
- CREATE CONTENT WITH BETTER SOUND – Capture clear stereo audio for videos, reels, tutorials, voiceovers, behind-the-scenes clips, and other content that needs more polished sound than your camera or phone alone.
- READY WHEN INSPIRATION HITS – Record songwriting sessions, rehearsals, acoustic performances, lessons, jam sessions, and live music with detailed sound that is easy to capture in the moment.
- CLEAR VOICES FOR PODCASTS AND INTERVIEWS – Record conversations, podcast episodes, lectures, meetings, notes, and interviews with natural stereo sound that helps voices come through clearly.
- CAPTURE REAL-WORLD SOUND – Record ambience, nature, room tone, sound effects, travel audio, and everyday environments for video, music production, creative projects, and documentation.
- PLUG IN FOR STREAMING AND CALLS – Connect via USB-C and use it as a microphone for livestreams, remote meetings, video calls, voiceovers, podcasts, and desktop or mobile recording.
- Choose the account that owns the library. Run the scheduled job as the same user that can read the configuration and write downloads to the chosen library directory.
- Open that user’s crontab. Run
crontab -efor a per-user schedule, or configure the appropriate system cron entry if your setup requires a system-wide job. - Add a schedule and invocation. Use cron’s five-field schedule followed by the absolute path to Podget and any required documented options. Podget provides a silent mode intended for cron; use the exact option syntax for your installed version. For example, a schedule would have the general form
MINUTE HOUR * * * /absolute/path/to/podget [documented options]; the placeholders must be replaced with your desired time and actual command. - Check that it ran. Inspect the configured library and your system’s cron logs or mail output for expected downloads or errors. If nothing appears, check the script path, permissions, feed configuration, dependency availability, and whether cron is running in a different environment than your interactive shell.
There is no single safe schedule for every library: frequency depends on how often the feeds publish and how quickly you want new episodes downloaded. Avoid overlapping runs by leaving enough time for a scheduled invocation to finish before the next one begins.
Which project and version should you use?
Search results can conflate Dave Vehrs’s Bash utility with ohmylock/podget, a separate Go command-line downloader. They are different projects; do not use the Go project’s installation instructions as if they applied to Dave Vehrs’s script.
Rank #3
- TWO MICS IN, TWO HEADPHONES OUT — THAT SIMPLE – Plug in two USB mics and get started instantly, making the P2 the simplest way to record a two-person podcast anywhere without complicated setup.
- BRING IN A REMOTE GUEST WITHOUT THE ECHO – Connect your phone or computer to bring in a call-in guest, with built-in Mix-Minus automatically eliminating echo and feedback for a professional interview experience.
- AI NOISE REDUCTION SO YOUR VOICE STAYS FRONT – AI Noise Reduction, tone shaping, compressor, and de-esser keep your voice front and center without any post-production work.
- RECORD YOUR PODCAST AND STREAM AT THE SAME TIME – Go live to your smartphone or computer while saving individual tracks to SD card for full control in post-production.
- RUNS ON BATTERIES WHEREVER YOU RECORD – Up to 4 hours on 4 AA batteries, plus USB bus power and AC adapter support, so you can record a great podcast from anywhere.
Version evidence needs careful interpretation. SourceForge lists a podget-1.0.0 directory dated 2025-03-21; that listing alone does not establish that 1.0.0 remains the latest upstream release. Ubuntu Noble’s manpage documents package version 0.9.3-1, which identifies that distribution package rather than necessarily the current upstream version. Check the source or package you intend to install for its version and instructions.
The repository’s historical notes say version 0.8.5 added Mac OS X support and 0.8.7 added FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD support. Those notes are not a guarantee that every current operating-system release is compatible.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- FOUR MICS, ONE ROOM, ONE RECORDER – Four XLR inputs with multitrack recording support up to four people plus a call-in guest, giving you flexibility for in-person and remote recording.
- AI TOOLS THAT DO THE MIXING FOR YOU – AI noise reduction, Tone Enhancement, and COMP help you achieve clear, balanced audio with minimal effort.
- HANDLES EVEN THE MOST DEMANDING MICS – The P4next's four XLR inputs provide up to +70dB of gain, allowing you to use even the most demanding podcast mics.
- EVERYONE HEARS THEMSELVES CLEARLY – Four headphone outputs with separate volume controls ensure each person can listen comfortably during recording.
- STRAIGHT INTO YOUR PHONE VIDEO, NO EDITING – Connect to your phone and capture high-quality audio straight into your video, no syncing or editing required.
Is Podget a good fit?
- Consider it if you want a command-line tool that periodically downloads episodes from feeds and sorts them into a local collection.
- Its documented features suit users who already work with cron or similar scheduling, want to import an existing feed list, or need playlist files and configurable cleanup.
- Choose a different kind of tool if you want an integrated podcast directory, streaming, playback controls, or a graphical listening experience; those are not Podget’s stated role.
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