# Why do I have more podcasts in iTunes than on my iPod? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 16, 2009, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-more-podcasts-in-itunes-than-on-my-ipod/521452 "2009-12-16T04:09:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![maikai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@maikai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maikai)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-more-podcasts-in-itunes-than-on-my-ipod/521452/1 "2009-12-16T04:09:19Z")
iTunes says that I have 111 podcasts but my iPod says I only have 86. The 111 number goes up when new podcasts are downloaded and it goes down after i listen to the on my iPod. I added all the new ones and got 86, but when I added all the podcasts I have, new or old, I got way more than 111. Does anyone know why there’s a discrepancy? ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-more-podcasts-in-itunes-than-on-my-ipod/521452/2 "2009-12-16T13:39:49Z")
I don’t think that iTunes automatically syncs all of your podcasts by default. I’m not sure if it works the same way on Windows, but on my Mac, I can adjust which podcasts get put on my iPod by going to the “Podcasts” tab on my iPod window. In that window there’s a drop-down menu that selects between syncing “all podcasts”, “N most recent podcasts”, “all unplayed podcasts”, “N most recent unplayed podcasts”, “N least recent unplayed podcasts”, etc. My guess is that you have something other than “all podcasts” selected there. ETA: Oh, and the number you see in the iTunes window next to “Podcasts” is the number of unplayed podcasts on your computer, not the total number of podcasts. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-more-podcasts-in-itunes-than-on-my-ipod/521452/3 "2009-12-16T13:48:40Z")
The iPod usually deletes podcasts on the first sync after you play them (completely). iTunes will keep the podcasts on your hard drive. There is a setting to indicate how long. I often see no instances of a particular podcast on my iPod, but several on iTunes. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-more-podcasts-in-itunes-than-on-my-ipod/521452/4 "2009-12-16T15:53:24Z")
Are some of the boxes unchecked, the I-pod depending on the settings will only sync items with checked boxes. ---
**Author:** ![maikai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@maikai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maikai)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-more-podcasts-in-itunes-than-on-my-ipod/521452/5 "2009-12-16T16:40:15Z")
I had it set to synch all unplayed episodes of all podcasts. Can someone explain the different syncing options? I think I understand sync “all unplayed” and “all new”, but I don’t know what sync “all” means. Tell me if this is right: “all unplayed” syncs only the podcasts that have been played all the way through" “all new” syncs those that have been started but not necessarily finished even if you play it for just a few seconds. I don’t know what “all” does. I selected it just to see what would happen and iTunes says it’s copying 600 podcasts! ---
**Author:** ![maikai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@maikai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maikai)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-more-podcasts-in-itunes-than-on-my-ipod/521452/6 "2009-12-16T16:48:49Z")
Never mind. i just figured out that sync all puts everything back on my iPod. I still wonder why I have 25 more unplayed podcasts in iTunes than on my iPod.