Does an OPML file contain podcast audio?

No. It usually contains outline entries and podcast feed URLs. The importing app retrieves show information and episodes from those feeds separately.

Can I open an OPML file in a text editor?

Yes. OPML is an XML format designed to be human readable, although it is safer to import or edit subscription files through tools that preserve valid XML.

What is OPML file podcast data?

Q: Will OPML preserve which episodes I played?

Usually not. AntennaPod states that its OPML transfer loses podcast-specific and episode-specific data, including which episodes have been played, as well as app settings.

What is OPML file podcast data? It is an XML outline commonly used to export a list of podcast subscriptions from one app and import that list into another. In most podcast workflows, the file transfers RSS feed URLs and labels, not listening progress or a complete backup of the app.

That makes OPML useful for moving your show list, but incomplete when you also need queues, favorites, downloads, or playback state.

What is OPML file podcast structure?

OPML stands for Outline Processor Markup Language. An OPML file is a tree of nodes with named attributes. Its published specification says OPML became popular for exchanging subscription lists between feed readers and aggregators, even though the format can represent many kinds of outlines. You can read the structure in the OPML 2.0 specification.

An OPML document has a head for optional document information and a body containing outline elements. In a podcast subscription export, an outline is commonly one show, with an attribute pointing to its RSS feed URL. The exact optional labels and grouping can vary by app.

The podcast RSS feed glossary explains what the importing app retrieves after it reads those URLs.

What an OPML podcast export usually contains

A typical export gives the receiving app enough information to find the same feeds. It may include:

the podcast title or another readable label;
the RSS feed URL;
an outline type indicating an RSS subscription;
folders or nested groups, if the exporting app preserves them.

The feed URL is the critical part. After import, the new app can request each feed and build its own local record of show metadata and available episodes. It does not need the audio files embedded in the OPML document.

This is also why OPML works across many apps. The subscription list points back to public feeds rather than trying to reproduce each app's database. For the distinction between feed and catalog, see what a podcast directory does.

The importing app still makes its own decisions about duplicates, unavailable feeds, and nested folders. If the destination already follows a show, it may merge or skip the imported entry. If a feed has moved without a working redirect, the app may fail to identify the replacement. OPML supplies addresses, not a guarantee that every address remains current.

What OPML usually leaves behind

OPML is not a universal podcast backup format. It generally does not carry:

which episodes you completed or partly played;
your playback position within an episode;
queue order and favorites;
downloaded audio files;
playback speed and other app settings;
account or sync credentials.

AntennaPod's backup documentation makes the boundary explicit: its OPML option transfers subscriptions to another podcast app, while podcast-specific and episode-specific data, including played status, and app settings are lost.

Treat that as a documented example of how one app handles OPML, not a promise about every podcast app. Check the export and import notes for both products before deleting the old installation or resetting a device.

OPML compared with app backup and sync

Choose the method based on what you need to preserve.

Method	Best for	Common limitation
OPML export	Moving subscriptions between different apps	Usually omits listening state and settings
App database backup	Restoring the same app on another device	May require the same app or compatible version
Account sync	Keeping supported data aligned across devices	Only syncs the fields the service supports

A full app backup may preserve more detail but provide less portability. Sync may preserve listening state across supported clients but depends on an account or service. OPML is the simple option when your priority is carrying the feed list into a different app.

If you follow paid or private feeds, confirm how the destination app handles their credentials. Do not assume a shared OPML file is safe to publish, because a private feed URL may grant access to subscriber content.

How to move subscriptions safely

Export the OPML file from the old app and save a copy somewhere you control. Import it into the new app, then review the list before confirming subscriptions. Check a sample of shows against the old library, especially feeds that are private, inactive, or recently redirected.

Keep the original app until the new library looks right. If a show fails to import, test whether its feed still resolves and whether the destination app accepts that feed. Our guide to feed drops for podcasters explains why changing or competing feeds can complicate the record an app sees.

Review the file before sharing it with support or another person. Public-feed entries are usually low risk, but a private subscription URL can contain a token tied to your access. Redact that address or use the app's approved support process rather than posting the full export in a public forum.

OPML solves subscription portability, not analytics portability. Moving a listener's feed list does not move publisher download reports or merge measurement systems. If you are sorting out the reporting side as well, start with Podder Analytics for a consistent view of supported episode delivery.