How to Add a Podcast to an iPod Nano

By Andrew Tennyson

Updated February 09, 2017

ITunes is the native program designed by Apple to interface between your computer and your iPod. Take advantage of iTunes to download podcasts from the iTunes Store and to then transfer those podcasts from your computer onto your iPod Nano.

Sync Podcasts onto Your iPod Nano

Connect the iPod Nano to your computer using the USB cable that came with the iPod. Open iTunes on your computer if it doesn't open automatically. If you don't already have iTunes, download it for free from Apple's website.

i Image courtesy of Apple

Select your iPod Nano on the list of available devices located below the playback controls at the top of iTunes.

i Image courtesy of Apple

Click Podcasts under the Settings heading located along the left side of the screen.

i Image courtesy of Apple

Place a check mark in the Sync Podcasts check box, select the podcast episodes to transfer onto your iPod and then click the Apply button at the bottom of iTunes.

Tips

The transfer process may take several minutes, depending on the number of podcasts episodes you're syncing.

i Image courtesy of Apple

Click the Eject button to safely disconnect your iPod from iTunes and then unplug it from its USB cable.

Set Up Automatic Podcast Syncing

To simplify the process of syncing podcasts in the future, enable automatic synchronization through the iTunes preferences panel. With this feature enabled, podcasts are transferred onto your iPod Nano automatically whenever it's connected to your PC.

Connect your iPod to your computer, open iTunes, click iTunes on the main menu at the top of your computer's screen and then select Preferences.

i Image courtesy of Apple

Click the Store tab at the top of the window, place a check mark in the Sync Podcast Subscriptions and Settings check box and then click OK to finish configuring your iPod Nano so that it automatically syncs new podcasts.

Subscribe to New Podcasts

ITunes provides you with access to the iTunes Store, through which you can search for and subscribe to new podcasts. Subscribing to a podcast means new episodes are automatically downloaded to your computer when they're released. This then makes them available for synchronization onto your iPod Nano.

i Image courtesy of Apple

Click the iTunes Store icon at the top of the screen and use the Search Store box to search for the podcast to which you want to subscribe. If you don't know which podcast you'd like, enter "podcasts" in the search field and then click the Podcasts category on the right of the screen to display the main podcasts page.

i Image courtesy of Apple

Locate the podcast to which you want to subscribe, open its details page and then click the Subscribe button below its main image.

Tips

You aren't limited to listening to podcasts on your Nano. After you subscribe to a podcast, listen to it in iTunes by clicking the My Podcasts tab near the top of the program.

×