As iTunes doesn’t allow importing of OPML podcast subscription lists, I created a little AppleScript application that does just that. (Or did I overlook the feature in my haste?)

Instructions:

1. Install XML Tools.

2. Download and open opml2itunes.sit.

3. Put the application OPML2iTunes wherever you want and run it.

4. Choose your opml file.

(This should be a plain text opml file.)

NOTE:

- This is a quick and dirty program.

- Only tested a little and only tested with opml files from iPodderX and NetNewsWire.

- For NetNewsWire export, choose the ‘flat’ opml export option. With groups doesn’t work (yet).

- Ah, you need iTunes version 4.9 or higher and a Mac running Mac Os X.

Source code: Download here.

Comments are welcome preferably in the form of an enhanced and updated AppleScript document.

*Follow these steps to install the XML Tools scripting addition on Mac OS X systems:

1. Create a folder named ScriptingAdditions in your account’s Library folder if one does not already exist.

2. Copy the XML Tools.osax file into the ~/Library/ScriptingAdditions folder.

NOTE: This must be done using the Mac OS X Finder. Do not use the Unix cp or mv commands.*

Comments

Author: Kevin Newman
Date: 2005-07-01 23:21:29

Next: to figure out how to export OPML from iTunes. Good work.

Author: Hugo
Date: 2005-06-29 02:07:30

Hmm.. I used the latest iPodderX version. Try to open the file in a text editor and re-save. It should be saved as a plain-text file.I will not have time to look at it for a while…

Author: Ryan
Date: 2005-06-29 01:38:31

I didn’t find a way to import my feeds from iPodderX either. Thanks for this little utility script. Hopefully, Apple will make the move to iTunes as a podcatcher less troublesome for those folks who already have subscriptions they’d like to import.

Author: Ryan
Date: 2005-06-29 09:45:40

The problem (as I am geeky enough to figure out) wa that my OPML was not valid. The XML Tools addition expects squeaky-clean OPML that validates. After a few runs through an online OPML validator, I discovered that a few of the feeds had nasty bare ampersands in them. At any rate, it turns outs there are other problems preventing the complete import and it is late at night here. I’ll do the ones that didn’t work by hand. :-(

Author: Gerry
Date: 2005-11-25 03:18:22

iTunes now imports OPML files (as of v.6.0)

Author: Ryan
Date: 2005-06-29 01:52:53

I tried to use the script with an exported opml file from iPodderX and it didn’t think the file was a proper opml file. It’s a no-go here.