podcast links without iTunes?

February 26, 2008 4:56 AM

I don't use iTunes, but many podcast links assume you do. Is there any way to 'decode' the podcast feed from the iTunes link?

I can't install iTunes at work, but I can run mypodder, and I'm quite happy with this. However, many podcast pages assume you're using iTunes and provide a link through to their page in the iTunes shop.

As an example, I'd like to subscribe to the Amazing Randi podcast, but the only links on his site are to iTunes:

http://itricks.com/randishow/
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=265623794

Frequently there is a link to the RSS somewhere on the site, but in this case I just can't find it. Is there a way to find out the address from the phobos link, or if not, is there a service somewhere that'll let me look at the iTunes web pages without iTunes?

posted by flameproof to Computers & Internet (11 answers total)

There are a few ways that you can "find" an unlinked feed in a Wordpress run site, I ran through all the permutations and finally found http://itricks.com/randishow/index.php?feed=rss2 for you. That should work.
posted by Dreama at 5:44 AM on February 26, 2008

Also, it's worth it to drop a line to sites like this and point out the problem in listening to their podcast when they don't link their feed and try to force people through iTunes.
posted by Dreama at 5:46 AM on February 26, 2008

The RSS feed to the podcast you want is on this page: (in the right hand column).
Specifically, this is the feed URL to your podcast:
feed://itricks.com/news/?feed=rss2&category_name=podcasts
posted by spock at 5:52 AM on February 26, 2008

I stand corrected. That feed link is not to the James Randi podcast. But I would email them and ask them if they have a feed URL to it, since they sponsor the Randi Show podcast.
posted by spock at 5:54 AM on February 26, 2008

If you look at the HTML source of the site you'll often find the feed URL in a link tag towards the start (that works for your example Randi site).
posted by malevolent at 5:58 AM on February 26, 2008

feeds.feedburner.com/jamesrandi

In iTunes (the problem, I know, but say you did this from home in the future) you can view the description of a podcast after subscribing to it, and in that description is the URL.
posted by boombot at 6:26 AM on February 26, 2008 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks for the help so far. This page is the closest I've found to answering the question; it's not pretty, but it seems to work.
posted by flameproof at 9:01 AM on February 26, 2008

I use FeedDemon. I got the feed by subscribing to the URL of the website you provided, and FeedDemon simply detected the feed within it.
posted by keith0718 at 10:25 AM on February 26, 2008

spock found the needle in the haystack, but FWIW, mypodder has a bookmarklet that should take care of this automagically for other sites here.

I tried it on the site and it found two feeds, which both appear to have the same content; one runs through feedburner, the other does not.

Also, I don't think this would help in the case where there was ONLY an iTunes subscription link...
posted by jasonweaver at 5:23 PM on February 26, 2008

Maybe it's easiest in your case just to hit up a podcast directory for the info. Podcast.com lists Amazing Randi and makes it easy to subscribe to the feed. Other directories:

Podcast Pickle: not as good for search but good category browse.
Podcast Alley: another good directory, although again the search functionality is lacking.
posted by ssukotto at 4:47 PM on February 27, 2008

Response by poster: Thanks for the ideas, everyone. Unfortunately it seems that the only-provide-an-iTunes-link problem's actually fairly widespread; here's another I found today: Gravitas. Would there be a way of creating a bookmarklet to decode the iTunes link?
posted by flameproof at 6:31 AM on February 28, 2008