Want Podcast on Versa? No problem! (mac and windows)

[aegisrose]

Hello All,
I wasn't able to find a straight forward response anywhere on this, so I figured I would share here...  Instead of music, I personally prefer to listen to podcasts while running or walking, and here is how I get podcasts onto my Versa from my Macbook (I'll add some instructions for Windows too).

MACBOOK

important note: if you have TONS of playlists/ GBs worth of music in your iTunes, this can be a little annoying since it takes the fitbit connect app quite a while to read through all the files. I personally do not use itunes on my mac so this was super easy for me.

1. Start by going to iTunes, finding the Podcast you want, and downloading the episodes you want.
2. Create a new playlist (I prefer to call it the same as the podcast)
3. Click on the Podcast Section under Library > drag-n-drop the podcast to the playlist.
   (When you click that playlist, you may see all of the episodes... only the ones that are downloaded will sync. The ones that show the cloud & down arrow do not).

4. If you haven't already, download the fitbit connect Mac app and log into it.

5. On your Versa Tap Music > Transfer Music. On your Mac app, Click Manage My Music
6. All of your playlists should appear on the Mac app (note -again- that if you have lots of lists and music, it will take a while!! I personally deleted some of the pre-made iTunes ones)
7. Be careful during this next step... as soon as you check a box, I believe it starts transferring!! Check off the Playlist name you want (in the example, I clicked on DRAWN). It will try to give you an estimate... it's mostly accurate. Your versa watch will buzz when it is done.

WINDOWS

important note: windows 7 requires you to have a dongle! Windows 8 and above do not.

As always, Windows makes things more complicated. You can try the Windows iTunes equivalent of the steps above... but for me, iTunes was being funky, and my music directory on that machine was huge and it made the fitbit app hiccup badly. 

If you do not have iTunes or prefer not to use it for downloading podcasts you can try Miro or any other podcast downloading tool of your choice.

Miro instructions (note I've experienced slight garbling and weird little noises when using this method. Can be a little jarring):

1. Create a Folder called Podcasts NOT IN MUSIC FOLDER (I suggest under Documents)
2. Download Miro Open Source (disclaimer, I am not affiliated with Miro, nor can I vouch for its security... all I can attest to is that I'm using it, and virus scanned it and it is working for me)
3. During install, at the point of "Do you want Miro to look for music" point it to that Podcast folder you created
4. Miro launches. Immediately go to  File > Preferences > Folders tab, and click change and update the "store downloads in this folder" to the same Podcast location
5. Add the podcasts you want to Miro and download them (I am not providing detailed instructions on how to do that here... maybe I will make a video / instructional on that later)
6. Download / Install / Log into the Fitbit Connect Windows App
7. Immediately go to "Manage My Music" > Click on top right settings wheel > Advanced Settings and add the podcast location (in my case, because of my obnoxiously large music directory, I also removed the default C:\Users\username\Music folder because I didn't want it to read from there at all)
8. On your Versa, tap Music > Transfer Music. On the Windows app, Click Manage My Music once they connect.

9. All of your playlists should appear on the Windows app (note -again- that if you have lots of lists and music, it will take a while!! I personally deleted some of the pre-made iTunes ones)
10. Here is where Windows diverges. You are able to make a playlist on the fly from within the Fitbit Connect App. Click "Create New Playlist" > click the new playlist > rename it > locate the podcast downloaded in Windows Explorer > Drag and Drop into the new playlist in Fitbit Connect app
    

    -

    -

    Click back when done dragging and dropping

11. Be careful during this next step... as soon as you check a box, I believe it starts transferring!! Check off the Playlist name you want (in the example above you would select FunName). It will try to give you an estimate... it's mostly accurate. Your versa watch will buzz when it is done.

[AlejandraFitbit]

Hey @aegisrose, it's great to see you around.

Thanks a lot for sharing this post in the Community. I think that is great, it have detailed information and attached images that a lot of friends will find really helpful. If there is anything we can help you with, do not hesitate to post it.

Keep the stepping up! 

[cocontributor]

I'm glad there IS a way to do this but it seems like a lot of work.  I'd really love it if I could just pause/play my iPhone's podcast app with my watch.  I'd like the watch to function as a remote control for my phone, mac and/ or bluetooth speakers, and keep all the management of downloading, and tracking what I have listened to on the phone or computer itself.  

[atben]

Thank you so much for this. I've been struggling to transfer playlists all day. I was stuck at the point where I had the playlists open in the Connect app. Fitbit CS had no idea how this worked. I didn't realize you had to click on circle to the right of the playlist-- that "x" makes it look like it's for deleting! Also they don't bother to tell you that part in any of the docs. 

They should hire you to make docs for them 😄

[LiviBird]

Hi! I'm about to buy the Versa 3 but the only thing holding me back is I'd looove to be able to listen to Audiobooks on it. When you say you 'download' pocasts to your versa, does this mean that you can then go out without your phone and they are on the watch? I'd like to be able to go running and listen to an audiobook without taking my phone. Obviously I can't get the audiobooks on through apps but if I had the downloaded files in itunes could I essentially do this? Any help appreciated! thanks so much!

[atben]

I haven't done it in months because it's so cumbersome, but yes, you can
move any audio file over. You could probably do a whole book.

[Occlumency]

@LiviBird https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Feature-Suggestions/Music-storage-on-Sense-Versa-3/idi-p/4452403

[MarkMM]

@LiviBird It looks like your question was answered in your other thread. Apparently you can only download Pandora files with the the Versa 3 and Sense. So your answer would be no about Itunes.