[Podcasts] Automatically save offline new Podcasts and remove completed Podcasts

[mikewatson]

Add the ability to have a podcast you follow automatically downloaded and deleted once you've listened to it all the way through.

[Gonbykn]

Well, it's been 2 1/2 years since I posted a comment on this. I have seen comments from TONS of others with the same desire. Why is this not a top priority? There has got to be something going on other than sheer laziness. With the loss of Google Play Music soon, this is even more of a priority. YouTube Music is horrible, so I am shopping around for a better streaming service. Please Spotify, by all that is holy, fix this.

[b22z-v10_rnzr]

I don't know what Spotify's agenda is in not implementing one of the most basic and useful functions of a Podcast app, but it's clearly not because the capability to auto download podcasts is not there. Looking past the other shortcomings of this app, adding this feature would increase it's usability ten fold. Until it's implemented, I will continue to use Overcast. When I first had to use Spotify for podcasts when Last Pod went exclusive, it was a nuisance, and frankly led to me listening to the podcast less. Now it is getting worse as more podcasts go exclusive with Spotify. 

There is no excuse, stop the nonsense and add this feature to your app already!

[zedoreto]

we need this auto remove feature please

[Ianbword]

How is this not a feature by now? Every single other pod-catcher app does this lol. If you have a podcast you know you'll listen to everytime its a simple click and auto download on wifi. 

Lets goooo Spotify...you want to take over the podcast world better get some of the same features everyone else.

[brandondrury]

Unfortunately, Spotify has no incentive to make an app that is remotely competitive.  The app doesn't do the competing.  The content does.  My favorite podcast is going exclusive to Spotify in December and that means I must put up with an appaulingly neandertalean lack of features if I want to listen to it.  I can't figure out what to do about it beyond complaining on this message board and giving the Spotify app a terrible rating.

[ecarl65]

@bradnondrury, I do a few things. I pay for podcasts I like, so they don't have to make this move. But if they do things like this and restrict main content then I simply stop listening. There's a wealth of podcasts out there and I guarantee you that you can find a niche to replace what you're looking for. I think Spotify will only listen if the audience dramatically decreases after the move. 

[12124360609]

I'm shocked that spotify is still in business with this approach.  An auto-delete feature isn't something novel.  It won't even keep competitors away.  I just don't buy the argument that content will win the day for Spotify.  Content feels like a thin and erosive competitive mote.  Competitors will destroy them on this and it will be with much sadness when I move over to someone with better (if even basic) features.

[brandondrury]

I suspect Spotify's strategy of monopolizing podcast content and providing an app that an elementary school student could write is the most profitable.  The only reason I'm here is that they monopolize content and I'm forced to use an app that (apparently) no one is taking seriously.  I doubt if they lose many subscribers due to their strategy, but this thread shows that many, many users will smirk when Spotify eventually goes out of business.

[Jgb5067]

There is a trend I'm noticing from Spotify to provide the least amount of features possible to keep people using the app because of the convenience of having music+podcasts. Also the new thing of monopolizing popular podcasts, forcing you to use the app. 

This problem the thread is about along with a bunch of other elementary issues (disabling podcast video, Bluetooth controls skipping whole episodes, etc) makes me wish podcasting would go back to the wild west instead of being locked down and forcing us to use a crappy app for the content we want. There are free apps that are 100x more useable than Spotify's terrible attempt to adapt (if they've even done that) a music platform to podcasts.

[brandondrury]

I find having both music and podcasts on one Spotify app to be terribly inconvenient.  I often switch from listening to music on Spotify on the PC to listening to podcasts on the phone quite quickly and in short bursts.  This has worked fine for years using other apps for podcasts, but now that I'm stuck using Spotify, I find myself checking the mail in silence, for example.  Spotify's philosophy has resulted in a clumsy mess of an app from my perspective that wastes time.

This isn't the end of the world, but it's tempting to cancel my Spotify subscription based on their mismanagement of the podcasts.