How to send podcasts to your Apple TV

How-to
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The Podcasts app on the Apple TV is a great way to experience podcasts on your home's biggest screen, but if you can't get the podcast you want on your TV, here are some alternate options for you.

How to get podcasts on your Apple TV via AirPlay

The easiest way to get obscure podcasts onto the Apple TV is to open them on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad and then use the built-in AirPlay feature to beam them to your Apple TV.

  1. Open your preferred app for listening to podcasts on your iPhone or iPad. This could be Apple's own iOS podcast app, or a third-party app like Overcast, Castro, or Pocket Casts.
  2. Start playing the podcast you want to beam to your Apple TV.

  1. Tap the AirPlay button.
  2. Tap on the Apple TV to which you want to AirPlay your podcast.

If your preferred podcast app doesn't have a built-in AirPlay button, you can use the universal AirPlay button in Control Center while playing the podcast from your app of choice.

  1. Open Control Center on your iPhone or iPad by swiping down from the top-right corner (iPhone X or newer, iPads running iOS 12) or swiping up from the bottom of the screen (iPhone 8 or older).
  2. Press firmly (or press and hold) on the audio playback widget to expand it.

  1. Tap on the AirPlay button.
  2. Tap on the Apple TV to which you want to send the podcast.

The biggest downside is that if anything interrupts playback on your iOS device—like an incoming FaceTime call or short video someone messages you—it'll also interrupt playback on your Apple TV.

How to get your podcasts on your Apple TV via Home Sharing

You can also get your podcasts onto the new Apple TV through good old iTunes. Through Home Sharing, you can connect to your iTunes library on a Mac or Windows PC, as long as it's on the same network, and stream anything from your library.

If you haven't set up Home Sharing yet, you'll need to do that first.

  1. Open the Computers app on your Apple TV.
  2. Enter your Apple ID credentials to allow Home Sharing.

  1. Select Podcasts from the top banner menu.
  2. Select the podcast to which you want to listen.

  1. Click on the episode to which you want to listen.

Questions?

If you have any questions about alternative methods of getting your podcasts on the Apple TV, let us know in the comments.

Update February 2019: Updated steps for iOS 12 and tvOS 12.

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Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.