I’ve had a few times now when something has happened while I’ve been copying podcasts to my iPod Touch from iTunes and it’s got corrupted and doesn’t show up on the device. Each time this has happened, I’ve spent ages trying to get it fixed, so this is a guide to myself for the next time it happens and to try and save anybody else pulling their hair out. Note: this only applies if you’re managing your podcasts and music manually.
- In iTunes, find the file in your Podcasts section that isn’t appearing on the device. Right-click it, select “Get Info” and select the Options tab. Set the “Media Kind” to be “Music”
- The file will now move from the Podcasts section in iTunes to the Music section. Find it again and drag it over the iPod/iPhone. The file won’t be copied, but its meta-data should be updated
- Go to the Music section on your device and find the file (where it should now appear!) and delete it
- Back in iTunes, change the Media Kind back to Podcast, find the file in your Podcasts and drag it to your device.
With a bit of luck, that should have fixed it and the file should appear correctly under the right podcast.
Have I mentioned lately how much I hate iTunes and the whole locked Apple ecosystem?