PodPlay - Modern Podcast Player

A minimal, functional, and modern podcast player web app with Apple-inspired glassmorphism design. Built with vanilla HTML, CSS, and JavaScript with a Python backend for offline downloads.

Features

• RSS Feed Support - Add any podcast via RSS feed URL
• Offline Downloads - Download episodes to local folder for offline playback
• Playback Speed Control - Adjust speed from 0.5x to 2.0x
• Keyboard Shortcuts - Full keyboard control for power users
• Search & Filter - Search through episodes instantly
• Auto-play Next Episode - Queue functionality
• Remember Playback Position - Resume where you left off
• Playlist Generator - Export M3U playlists
• Apple-inspired Design - Beautiful glassmorphism UI with light/dark themes

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Python 3.7 or higher
• Modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)

Installation

1. Clone or download this repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/podcast-player-app.git
cd podcast-player-app

1. Install Python dependencies:

pip install requests

1. Start the server:

python server.py

1. Open your browser and navigate to:

http://localhost:8080/public/index.html

Configuration

Edit config.json to customize the app:

{
  "app": {
    "name": "PodPlay",
    "port": 8080,
    "downloadsFolder": "data/podcasts"
  },
  "ui": {
    "defaultTheme": "light",
    "quickAddFeeds": [...]
  },
  "playback": {
    "defaultSpeed": 1.0,
    "availableSpeeds": [0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2.0],
    "skipBackSeconds": 15,
    "skipForwardSeconds": 15
  }
}

Configuration Options

• app.name - Application name displayed in header
• app.port - Server port (default: 8080)
• app.downloadsFolder - Where to save downloaded episodes
• ui.defaultTheme - Default theme: "light" or "dark"
• ui.quickAddFeeds - Preset podcast feeds for quick access
• playback.defaultSpeed - Initial playback speed
• playback.availableSpeeds - Speed options available to users
• playback.skipBackSeconds - Seconds to skip backward
• playback.skipForwardSeconds - Seconds to skip forward

Keyboard Shortcuts

Key	Action
Space or K	Play/Pause
← or J	Skip back 15 seconds
→ or L	Skip forward 15 seconds
F	Open search
M	Toggle mute
N	Play next episode
Esc	Close search modal

Usage

Adding Podcasts

1. Enter an RSS feed URL in the input field
2. Click "Add Podcast" or press Enter
3. Or click one of the quick-add buttons for popular podcasts

Downloading Episodes

1. Browse to a podcast and view its episodes
2. Click the "Download" button on any episode
3. Episodes are saved to data/podcasts/ folder
4. Downloaded files can be played in any media player

Playing Episodes

1. Click on a podcast to view episodes
2. Click the "Play" button on any episode
3. Use the sticky player controls at the bottom
4. Playback position is automatically saved

Searching Episodes

1. Press F key or click the search icon
2. Type to filter episodes in real-time
3. Press Esc to close search

Generating Playlists

1. View a podcast's episodes
2. Click the playlist icon in the header
3. An M3U playlist file will be downloaded

Project Structure

podcast-player-app/
├── public/
│   ├── index.html       # Main HTML file
│   ├── styles.css       # Glassmorphism styling
│   └── app.js           # Application logic
├── data/
│   └── podcasts/        # Downloaded episodes
├── server.py            # Python HTTP server with API
├── manager.py           # CLI podcast manager
├── config.json          # App configuration
├── .gitignore           # Git ignore rules
└── README.md            # This file

API Endpoints

The Python server provides these endpoints:

• GET /api/fetch-feed?url=<feed_url> - Fetch RSS feed (CORS proxy)
• GET /api/download?url=<audio_url>&title=<episode_title> - Download episode
• GET /api/podcasts - Get list of downloaded podcasts
• GET /Podcasts/<filename> - Serve downloaded audio files

CLI Tool

Use manager.py for advanced podcast management:

# List all podcasts
python manager.py list

# Add a podcast
python manager.py add <rss_url>

# Download an episode
python manager.py download <podcast_id> <episode_id>

# Remove a podcast
python manager.py remove <podcast_id>

Browser Compatibility

• Chrome 90+
• Firefox 88+
• Safari 14+
• Edge 90+

Requires modern browser support for:

• CSS backdrop-filter (glassmorphism)
• HTML5 audio
• IndexedDB (for podcast storage)
• Fetch API

Troubleshooting

Podcasts not loading

• Check that the Python server is running
• Verify the RSS feed URL is valid
• Check browser console for errors

Downloads not working

• Ensure the data/podcasts/ folder exists
• Check Python server console for error messages
• Verify write permissions

Images not displaying

• Some podcast feeds use different image formats
• The app tries multiple methods to extract artwork
• A default placeholder will show if no image is found

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

MIT License - feel free to use this project for personal or commercial purposes.

Credits

Built with vanilla JavaScript, no frameworks required. Inspired by Apple's design language and modern podcast apps.

Support

For issues or questions, please open an issue on GitHub.