Listen Notes MCP. Automate podcast discovery through structured queries.
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Listen Notes MCP Server searches and retrieves podcast and episode metadata directly from the Listen Notes Podcast API. It lets your AI agent find specific episodes by keyword, check what's trending in audio content, or pull genre lists to guide research.
Stop clicking through search results; just ask your agent for the data you need.
What your AI agents can do
Get best podcasts
Retrieves a list of top podcasts, allowing you to filter by genre ID if needed.
Get curated podcasts
Pulls pre-selected lists of recommended and high-quality podcasts from the platform.
Get episode details
Fetches complete metadata for one specific podcast episode using its unique identifier.
Run a keyword search across the entire Listen Notes database to find relevant podcasts or individual episodes.
Get a list of the most recent and currently trending search terms in podcasting.
Retrieve all current podcast genres available for filtering and browsing.
Get a list of highly rated or popular podcasts, optionally filtered by genre ID.
Access expert-defined lists of recommended podcasts and content collections.
Get all available data—including descriptions, links, and transcripts—for one specific podcast episode.
Retrieve comprehensive metadata about an entire show, along with its full list of episodes.
Ask AI about this MCP
Supported MCP Clients
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Listen Notes MCP Server: 7 Tools for Podcast Discovery
These tools let your agent perform every step of the research process—from finding general trends to pulling specific transcripts.
019d75c8get best podcasts
Retrieves a list of top podcasts, allowing you to filter by genre ID if needed.
019d75c8get curated podcasts
Pulls pre-selected lists of recommended and high-quality podcasts from the platform.
019d75c8get episode details
Fetches complete metadata for one specific podcast episode using its unique identifier.
019d75c8get podcast details
Retrieves all available information and the full list of episodes for a given podcast show.
019d75c8get trending podcast searches
Gets a list of the most recent search terms that are currently popular among users.
019d75c8list podcast genres
Lists all podcast genres available in the Listen Notes database for reference and filtering.
019d75c8search podcasts or episodes
Searches the entire database of podcasts and episodes using a general keyword query (q).
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What you can do with this MCP connector
Listen Notes MCP Server hooks your AI client directly into the Listen Notes Podcast API. Your agent can dig up podcast and episode metadata fast, letting you skip clicking through endless search results. You'll get all the data you need right when you ask for it.
Searching Podcasts or Episodes: Run a keyword query across the entire database using search_podcasts_or_episodes to find any relevant podcasts or individual episodes. You can also check what's hot right now by pulling the list of most recent, trending search terms with get_trending_podcast_searches. To narrow your focus before you even start searching, use list_podcast_genres to get a complete rundown of all available podcast genres for filtering.
Finding Content: The system lets you pull together lists of high-quality content. You can retrieve expert-defined collections and recommended podcasts via get_curated_podcasts. When you want popular stuff, get_best_podcasts gives you a list of top shows, and it even lets you filter those best picks by genre ID.
Viewing Show Details: Need the full rundown on an entire show? get_podcast_details pulls all the comprehensive metadata for a whole podcast series, including its complete listing of available episodes. Once you've got the show details, get_episode_details fetches every piece of data for one specific episode using its unique ID; that includes descriptions, links, and any transcripts they got.
Your agent handles all this deep-dive work: it can take a general keyword search to find an episode, then pull up the full show details to see what came out after that episode, or check the trending searches to see what other people are talking about. It keeps you in control of your research flow.
How Listen Notes MCP Works
- 1 Subscribe to this server and enter your Listen Notes API Key (X-ListenAPI-Key).
- 2 Connect your preferred AI client (Claude, Cursor, etc.) to the MCP endpoint.
- 3 Directly ask your agent: 'Find me an episode about X' or 'What are the top trending podcast topics?'
The bottom line is, you tell your agent what you need—a topic, a genre, or a trend—and it runs the right API calls to get the raw data back.
Who Is Listen Notes MCP For?
This is for anyone who does deep research on audio content. Think academic researchers who need to cite niche sources, marketing analysts monitoring competitors' buzz, or content creators needing ideas for their next project. You use this when manual searching across multiple platforms takes too long.
Needs to quickly find podcast episodes that discuss specific academic theories or industry standards, then pull the full metadata for citation.
Monitors what search terms are trending right now and looks up highly rated podcasts in competitor niches for competitive research.
Checks the 'best' or 'curated' lists to identify emerging topics or high-authority sources for a client campaign.
What Changes When You Connect
- Stop guessing what to search for. Use
get_trending_podcast_searchesfirst, then narrow down the results with genre lists fromlist_podcast_genres. This directs your research immediately. - Need deep data on one source? Instead of reading snippets, call
get_episode_details. You get all the metadata—descriptions, transcripts, audio links—in one go. - When you're doing competitive analysis, use
search_podcasts_or_episodeswith specific competitor keywords. It finds mentions even if they aren't in a 'best of' list. - If you need general ideas but don't know where to start, pull together lists using
get_curated_podcastsor check the top contenders viaget_best_podcasts(if you provide a genre ID). - Avoid sifting through thousands of show pages. Use
get_podcast_detailsonce you identify a promising show to get its full episode history and publisher info instantly. - It's all about speed. Your agent handles the API calls for
search_podcasts_or_episodes, giving you structured data immediately, not just links.
Real-World Use Cases
Academic Deep Dive on a Niche Topic
A student needs sources on 'Biomimicry in Architecture.' They ask their agent to run search_podcasts_or_episodes('Biomimicry'). The server returns 12 relevant episodes. Then, the student runs get_episode_details on the top three results to pull full transcripts and use them for a paper.
Monitoring Competitor Buzz
A marketing professional wants to know what's hot right now in their industry. They first call get_trending_podcast_searches to see the top 5 keywords. Then, they run search_podcasts_or_episodes on one of those terms, like 'Web3 Ethics', to gauge current public interest.
Finding High-Quality Content Quickly
A podcasting client needs a new show idea. They first use list_podcast_genres to see available categories. Then they call get_best_podcasts(genre_id=123) to get a vetted list, ensuring the recommendations are high quality right out of the gate.
Assessing an Entire Show's Scope
A user likes one episode and wants to know more about the whole show. They use get_podcast_details on the show ID, which immediately provides the publisher info and a full list of all past episodes for background research.
The Tradeoffs
Searching with vague terms.
Just asking the agent to 'find me good stuff about tech.' This is too broad, and it forces the agent to run a massive search_podcasts_or_episodes query that returns hundreds of irrelevant results. You waste time filtering junk.
→
Don't just search generally. First, use list_podcast_genres to see categories. Then, if you know it relates to AI, narrow the scope by calling search_podcasts_or_episodes('AI') only within the 'Technology' genre.
Assuming a podcast is always available.
Trying to get episode details without knowing if the show exists or if the API has data for it. The agent will fail, and you'll waste time debugging the failure instead of researching.
→
Always start by using get_podcast_details first to verify the entire podcast show is available. If that succeeds, then use get_episode_details on a specific episode ID.
Missing the 'why' behind the search.
Running search_podcasts_or_episodes('data') when you actually meant to find data science podcasts. The results will be noisy because the query is too general for the tool's intent.
→
If your goal is discovery, don't search; ask the agent to look at get_best_podcasts(genre_id=...). This keeps the focus on curated, high-quality recommendations instead of random keyword hits.
When It Fits, When It Doesn't
Use this server if your research requires structured metadata about audio content—you need episode transcripts, genre categorization, or trend reports. It's built for deep knowledge extraction.
Don't use it if you just want a quick surface-level recommendation (use an external streaming service). Also, don't use it if you only care about the general topic and not who covered it (in which case, simple Google search works fine).
If your goal is:
1. Broad Exploration: Start with get_trending_podcast_searches or get_curated_podcasts.
2. Targeted Search: Use search_podcasts_or_episodes when you have a specific keyword.
3. Deep Dive/Validation: Pull episode data using get_episode_details after identifying the show via get_podcast_details. This sequence maximizes both scope and accuracy.
Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by Listen Notes. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.
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Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and more
The Model Context Protocol standardizes how applications expose capabilities to LLMs. Instead of operating in isolation, your AI gains direct access to external platforms, live data, and real-world actions through secure, standardized connections.
This server provides 7 capabilities that interface natively with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and any MCP client. No middleware. No custom integration required.
Available Capabilities
Manual research means opening dozens of tabs, clicking through genre lists, and copy-pasting metadata.
Right now, if you need to know what’s popular or where to find niche content, you open Google. You search 'best podcasts about X,' then click the first result, which takes you to a website. There, you have to scroll through genre filters and hope the list is exhaustive. If you want episode details, you usually end up clicking *another* link just for metadata.
With this MCP server, your agent handles that mess. You tell it: 'Find me three niche podcasts about quantum computing.' The agent runs `search_podcasts_or_episodes` and filters the results using genre context. It gives you a structured JSON payload with titles, links, and metadata—no clicking required.
Listen Notes MCP Server: Streamline Podcast Discovery
You no longer have to manually cross-reference genre lists or check if a podcast exists before searching. The agent first calls `list_podcast_genres` for validation, then uses that data point when running the more specific `get_best_podcasts` tool. This sequence ensures your search parameters are always valid.
The difference is simple: instead of being a researcher who clicks links, you're an analyst who commands data retrieval. Your agent delivers structured metadata instantly.
Common Questions About Listen Notes MCP
How do I find out what topics are currently trending using get_trending_podcast_searches? +
You simply ask your agent: 'What are the top podcast trends right now?' The tool runs get_trending_podcast_searches and returns a list of keywords (e.g., 'AI Safety', 'Elections 2024'). You can then use one of those terms in other searches.
What's the difference between get_podcast_details and search_podcasts_or_episodes? +
Use get_podcast_details when you know the specific podcast ID and want its full history, including all episodes. Use search_podcasts_or_episodes when you only have a keyword (like 'history') and need to search across potentially thousands of titles.
Can I find metadata for an episode without knowing the show ID? +
Not directly. You must first use search_podcasts_or_episodes with keywords to locate the correct podcast, then use get_podcast_details to get the main show ID, and finally pass that information to get_episode_details.
Do I need get_curated_podcasts for general discovery? +
No. If you're starting from scratch, running list_podcast_genres gives you the full scope of available categories, which is better than relying only on curated lists.
What do I need to authenticate my agent before using `search_podcasts_or_episodes`? +
You must provide a valid Listen Notes API Key. This key needs to be passed in the request headers or environment variables for your AI client to make calls successfully. You won't be able to run any queries without it.
If I use `get_episode_details` with an ID that doesn't exist, how does the system handle the error? +
The API returns a standard HTTP error code (like 404). Your agent should check this status code first. This prevents your client from trying to read metadata data that isn't there.
Before calling `get_best_podcasts`, how do I get the list of valid genre IDs? +
You run list_podcast_genres. This tool provides a full catalog of available genres and their specific ID numbers. You then use those IDs to narrow down your search when optimizing with get_best_podcasts.
Are there limits on how many times I can call `search_podcasts_or_episodes` in a short time? +
Yes, the API enforces usage quotas. If your workflow requires many searches, you should implement a small delay between calls or consider batching requests to avoid hitting rate limits.
Can I filter searches by audio length? +
The current tools support text queries and basic sorting. For advanced filtering like audio length, you can append parameters to the search string or use specific episode details tools.
How do I find the ID of a specific genre? +
Use the list_podcast_genres tool. It returns a full mapping of genre names to their unique numerical IDs.
Does this server provide audio download links? +
Yes, the get_episode_details tool retrieves the metadata including available audio stream URLs and the official website links.
Use it with your favorite AI tools
Connect this server to Cursor, Claude, VS Code, and more.
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