Turn off Cloud for Podcasts

Is this the right place to be asking this? I would like to do something that should be very simple but I can not figure it out. I want to dispense with anything cloud for podcasts. Period. I do not want cloud. At ALL. Ever since **** cloud has been around I have had nothing but headache trying to simply subscribe to a list of podcasts, manually download them and sync them to my iPod. I want to have them on my HD and/or on my iPad. Now I will think I have a podcast, plug my iPod in, go to work thinking my podcasts are all ready to go but no. Turns out they did not sync. So how do I permanently get rid of cloud? Please do not try to convince me of clouds virtues. Thank you if you can help me with this.

Downloading podcasts and syncing to your iPod has nothing to do with 'cloud' so I'm a little confused by what the actual issue is?

Can you go through the steps you take from selecting a podcast to trying to play it on your iPod. That would help determine at what point it's failing

mrplow said:

Downloading podcasts and syncing to your iPod has nothing to do with 'cloud' so I'm a little confused by what the actual issue is?

Can you go through the steps you take from selecting a podcast to trying to play it on your iPod. That would help determine at what point it's failing

Click to expand...

Apparently you have to "download" twice. So for example, I have my list of podcasts I subscribe to. I manually hit the refresh so I can see what podcasts are new as they DL. It used to be I could just then sync my iPod and that was it. Now I would go through all that but there is the little cloud icon next to the episode. You have to click that too to actually get it on your HD otherwise it is on the cloud and won't sync.The problem I am having is it is very difficult to keep track of what is available and listened to or not. I just want it to be the way it used to be without a bunch of steps that complicate things.

There is no need to download twice.

Only my best guess since you're not giving us the exact steps you go through - prior to syncing with your iPod, you need to go to the "Podcasts" tab and checkmark it there to tell it to sync your already downloaded podcasts.

Not really a step by step.... but here goes:

When you subscribe to a podcast you can change the settings re: how many are downloaded and kept, whether they are deleted etc.

Do you have it set to auto download? Assuming you have the latest version of iTunes - when in the podcast library - click settings top-right and check the settings, including the "defaults.."

I feel the OP's pain. Something has changed in iTunes since Mavericks. Used to be if you subscribed to a podcast through iTunes, it synced down to the iPhone/iPod just fine, no problems. You could play them through the Music player just fine. But now, since the advent of the Podcast app, for some unknown reason, every so often a podcast downloaded through iTunes will show a cloud symbol to the right of the name in iTunes, indicating that it isn't downloaded (even if it is) and sometimes the length of the podcast is shown as "Continuous" even when it isn't. And when you download through iTunes and sync, then open Podcast, the podcast isn't there and has to be directly downloaded in Podcast. So, as the OP said, you end up downloading twice. I have searched all over for a solution, but came up empty. I want the podcasts on my MBP and on my iPhone, so I just go ahead and download twice. PITA, but it's what I have to do. I don't know if it's iTunes that is broken or IOS7, or Podcasts, or what, but the sync function that used to work just fine is now broken badly for podcasts.

EDIT: Strangely, there is a very similar problem I am having with iBooks and ebooks as well. They don't sync, with iTunes saying it cannot find the file, but the files are there on the MBP, iBooks can find them and the files are on the iPhone, and iBooks there can find them. They just won't sync. So I think the sync function has been messed with and is now unreliable as it was.

There was an update to iTunes yesterday. Did that fix the problem?

I have Mavericks and the latest iTunes but just can't recreate the issue.

Can someone go step by step from selection and subscription to sync. Because I've tried with existing podcasts and subscribed to a new one but it downloads into iTunes and syncs and plays. No second download

@mrplow, there are no steps to force a re-creation because it's random. I have trouble with Alastair Begg's "Truth for Life" podcasts if you want to try it.

@chscag, the update did not solve the ebook sync problem and I cannot force a podcast problem because it is random.

Apple has recently updated the Podcasts app so that you can now refresh podcasts by pulling down on the list of episodes. In case that helps anyone.

That might help, but the OP wanted to download podcasts manually to iTunes and then sync to the iPod. That's still problematical because of the random determination of iTunes that some podcasts aren't downloaded when they are. The problem appears in iTunes, so changing Podcasts isn't fixing iTunes. But it may make getting to the podcast itself easier, so that's a good thing. Maybe the OP can change his practice to fit Podcasts. I still want the podcasts on my MBP, so the iTunes issue is still there for me.

Thank you to those trying to help but I still have not resolved this. I will try to explain my issue again more clearly and hopefully the thread bumps.

I have my list of podcasts I subscribe to in iTunes.

I hit the refresh and you can see the icon animation for each podcast refreshing and checking for new episodes.

If a new episode IS available, it will show in the list but with a little cloud icon. I have to expand each subscription to see if an episode with cloud icon has appeared.

If at this point I sync, these will NOT go on my iPod.
I first have to find what podcast has a new episode available, click the little cloud icon THEN it actually downloads(you can see the blue progress bar only now if you select "downloading").

The problem is I have a fair amount of subscriptions. I like to know what I have and when I get it. It used to be I just hit the refresh and when I selected "downloading" when it showed up, you could see all the new episodes downloading and their progress. I connected my iPod,they synced and that was it.

Now to see what is available, I have to manually expand EVERY podcast from the list, see if there is a cloud icon, click it then do the same for the next. I want to have the ability to hit refresh, see downloads as they happen, sync and go. Worked great for years now it's a headache.
I have iTunes 11.1.4, OS X 10.9.1 and a Gen 7 iPod Nano 1.0.3

You never answered my question:
Do you have it set to auto download? Assuming you have the latest version of iTunes - when in the podcast library - click settings top-right and check the settings, including the "defaults.."

mrplow, I have exactly the same problem as newcoyote, and there is no "Settings" on the top right in podcast library. However there is a Settings in the lower left corner, and there I have selected to automatically download the Most Recent Episode of each podcast.
Here is one of my podcasts in the library. This is from a podcast of my church's sermons. As you can see, there are items that have been downloaded already that are showing with duplicates with the cloud symbol beside them. If I click on the cloud, it downloads a second copy, then the next time I open iTunes, a THIRD one shows with the cloud. The second image is my Settings so you can see that I've selected to download the Most Recent Episode automatically, but it doesn't download until I click the cloud symbol, just like new coyote.

Looks like links to Dropbox don't work. You'll have to take my word for it.

EDIT: Right click and then you can open the image in another tab or window. Don't know why they aren't opening in the post itself.

Can't see your screenshots I'm afraid. You also said your issue was random, while the OPs is not. Also you describe an issue with duplicates that is not the same as the OPs.

Also on iTunes 11.1.4 the settings (a small cog) are top right in the podcast that's selected.

I suspect somewhere along the line we have slightly different issues here.

Just "go advanced" when posting and attach your screenshots

I have it set to manual because I do not want it to update automatically. I want it to check for updates and download when I say, not as they come. I want to know what comes when. I have always done it this way. Hit refresh. See what shows up as new, sync and go. I hate automatic anything. This is my main gripe. Not being able to manually manage and see what is new so I can plan my day. I listen to podcasts at my tedious workday and don't have time to look for what may or may not have decided to show up on my device on the go. I want to know what I have and when the time comes just go to it and play. Six plus years I did this.

mrplow said:

You never answered my question:
Do you have it set to auto download? Assuming you have the latest version of iTunes - when in the podcast library - click settings top-right and check the settings, including the "defaults.."

Click to expand...

I'm missing something here . . . . you used to manually click on them to download them because you don't want them downloading automatically.
Ok just do that now. Click on the cloud symbol and it will download. Then sync.

Apart from it displaying a cloud symbol I can't see, from what you've described, has changed.

If anything you have to do less because you don't need to refresh to see if there's been an update. That's what the cloud symbol denotes. A new episode is available and ready to be downloaded.

mrplow said:

Can't see your screenshots I'm afraid. You also said your issue was random, while the OPs is not. Also you describe an issue with duplicates that is not the same as the OPs.

Click to expand...

True, but it's similar enough. I have it set for automatic downloads and it doesn't.

Also on iTunes 11.1.4 the settings (a small cog) are top right in the podcast that's selected.

Click to expand...

OK, took a bit of searching to find the cog. It's in "My Podcasts" not "List" and when it opens it shows the exact same options as in the Defaults window I posted. And automatically download the most recent episode is what is selected, same as the defaults for iTunes in general.

I suspect somewhere along the line we have slightly different issues here.

Click to expand...

Maybe, maybe not. Bottom line is automatic downloads doesn't automatically download.

Just "go advanced" when posting and attach your screenshots

Click to expand...

Yep, I knew that when I posted them. The links are correct, you can right click them to open in another tab or window and they show just fine. As I said, I don't know why they don't show inline.

mrplow said:

I'm missing something here . . . . you used to manually click on them to download them because you don't want them downloading automatically.
Ok just do that now. Click on the cloud symbol and it will download. Then sync.

Apart from it displaying a cloud symbol I can't see, from what you've described, has changed.

If anything you have to do less because you don't need to refresh to see if there's been an update. That's what the cloud symbol denotes. A new episode is available and ready to be downloaded.

Click to expand...

You are missing something(though I appreciate your trying). I now have to hit refresh and it will indicate it is checking.

I then have to expand and check EACH individual podcast to see if there is a cloud to click on.

Before, I just hit refresh, a "downloading" symbol would appear if applicable, I could click on that and open a small window that would show what new downloads where happening. That was it. Really all I had to do was one click. Refresh. I just clicked on the "downloading" to see what was new. I did not have to expand and check each individual podcast then click the cloud icon to make it available for syncing. It may be of note I can play the podcast on my desktop before clicking the cloud. They just won't sync until the cloud symbol has been clicked.