Read podcasts, episodes, seasons and download and listener analytics in Simplecast. For podcasters and podcast networks that host shows on Simplecast. Hosted by usefulapi — connect from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, or any MCP client.
Team and Enterprise: an Owner adds the connector for the organization first.
Run this command, then run /mcp in Claude Code to log in:
Add to Cursor or add this to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"simplecast": {
"url": "https://simplecast.usefulapi.io/mcp"
}
}
}Add to VS Code or add this to .vscode/mcp.json:
{
"servers": {
"simplecast": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://simplecast.usefulapi.io/mcp"
}
}
}No Add custom MCP server option? It depends on your account or workspace settings: see OpenAI's guide.
Run these commands. The second one opens the login page:
Other MCP clients (Windsurf, Cline, Zed and more): add the URL as a remote MCP server (Streamable HTTP). The client then opens the login page in your browser. Do not add an Authorization header: see Before you connect.
Read the downloads and the unique listeners of a podcast for a period.
simplecast_list_podcasts simplecast_get_downloads simplecast_get_listeners
Read the top 10 episodes and the analytics of each episode.
simplecast_get_top_episodes simplecast_get_episode_analytics
Read the downloads by location, by technology and by time of the week.
simplecast_get_location_analytics simplecast_get_technology_analytics simplecast_get_time_of_week
List the seasons and the episodes of one season.
simplecast_list_seasons simplecast_list_season_episodes simplecast_get_episode
Read the ad markers of an episode and the channels where the show is listed.
simplecast_get_episode_markers simplecast_list_distribution_channels
The login page asks for your Simplecast API token.
Find it in Simplecast → Private Apps page. Your token is used only to call the API on your behalf and to derive a private account id; it is never shown to anyone.
Add only the URL. Do not add an Authorization header or an API key to the client config. The server signs you in with OAuth: the login page asks for your Simplecast API token. If the config has such a header, remove it: some clients then send that header instead of the login token, and every call fails with 401.
Turn on the Simplecast connector, then ask in plain words. The AI picks the tools.
| Tool | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
simplecast_get_current_user | read | Get the current user Get the user and account that own the API token, with links to its podcasts and subscriptions. Simplecast API: GET /current_user. |
simplecast_list_podcasts | read | List podcasts List the podcasts in the account (title, status, id). Good first call to find a podcast id. Simplecast API: GET /podcasts. |
simplecast_get_podcast | read | Get a podcast Get one podcast with its metadata, site, language and links. Simplecast API: GET /podcasts/{podcast_id}. |
simplecast_list_episodes | read | List episodes of a podcast List the episodes of a podcast, with title, status, season and publish date. Simplecast API: GET /podcasts/{podcast_id}/episodes. |
simplecast_get_episode | read | Get an episode Get one episode with its description, audio, season, number and publish state. Simplecast API: GET /episodes/{episode_id}. |
simplecast_get_episode_markers | read | List ad markers of an episode List the ad markers (pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll) of an episode. Simplecast API: GET /episodes/{episode_id}/markers. |
simplecast_list_seasons | read | List seasons of a podcast List the seasons of a podcast. Simplecast API: GET /podcasts/{podcast_id}/seasons. |
simplecast_list_season_episodes | read | List episodes of a season List the episodes of one season. Simplecast API: GET /seasons/{season_id}/episodes. |
simplecast_list_distribution_channels | read | List distribution channels of a podcast List where a podcast is distributed (Apple Podcasts, Spotify and others) with the channel links. Simplecast API: GET /podcasts/{podcast_id}/distribution_channels. |
simplecast_get_downloads | read | Get download analytics Get the number of downloads over time for a podcast or an episode. Simplecast API: GET /analytics/downloads. |
simplecast_get_listeners | read | Get unique listener analytics Get the number of unique listeners over time for a podcast or an episode. Simplecast API: GET /analytics/listeners. |
simplecast_get_episode_analytics | read | Get analytics grouped by episode Get download analytics for a podcast, one row per episode. Pass episode_ids to limit the rows. Simplecast API: GET /analytics/episodes. |
simplecast_get_top_episodes | read | Get the top 10 episodes Get the ten most downloaded episodes of a podcast. Simplecast API: GET /analytics/episodes/top_10. |
simplecast_get_location_analytics | read | Get download analytics by location Get downloads by country for a podcast or an episode. Pass country (a country id from an earlier result) to get its states. Simplecast API: GET /analytics/location. |
simplecast_get_technology_analytics | read | Get download analytics by technology Get downloads split by one technology dimension: podcast app, browser, device class, device, listening method, network type, operating system, provider or web player. Simplecast API: GET /analytics/technology/{dimension}. |
simplecast_get_time_of_week | read | Get downloads by time of week Get when listeners download a podcast, by day of week and hour. Simplecast API: GET /analytics/time_of_week. |
simplecast_usage_status | Usage status (free-tier meter) Report the caller's current usage: the plan, calls used this month, the limit of the plan (the free monthly cap or the Pro fair use limit), remaining, and whether the limit is reached. Read-only; does not count against the meter. | |
simplecast_request_feature | Request a missing feature Tell usefulapi that the user needs something the Simplecast tools cannot do yet (a missing tool, field or filter). Call it only when the user asks for something none of the tools can do, and tell the user that you send the request. Do not call it for errors or for normal requests. Do not include personal data, credentials or customer records. Stored with the product name and the client type (for example Claude or Cursor), without the user's account. At most 5 requests per day. Does not count against the meter. | |
simplecast_upgrade | Upgrade to Pro (unlimited*) Get Pro: unlimited tool calls (fair use limit: 10,000 a month) on Simplecast (the free tier caps monthly usage). Plans: "monthly" — $9/month; "yearly" — $90/year (2 months free). Cancel any time: Pro then runs to the end of the paid period, so it also suits a one-time job. *A fair use limit applies. For heavy use (near Pro's limit): "plus" or "plus_yearly" — Pro+, $39/month or $390/year, unlimited tool calls (fair use limit: 100,000 a month); an existing Pro subscription changes to Pro+ in place (needs confirm: true; the price difference for the rest of the period is charged at once). Otherwise returns a short link to open in your browser (it opens Stripe Checkout); after payment the account upgrades automatically. Does not count against the meter. | |
simplecast_cancel_subscription | Cancel the Pro subscription Cancel the caller's Simplecast Pro subscription at the end of the paid period (no refund for the current period; Pro continues until then, then the free tier applies). Requires confirm: true. Run simplecast_upgrade later to undo the cancel before the period ends. Does not count against the meter. |
| Plan | Price | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 50 tool calls / month |
| Proper user | $9/mo · $90/yr | Unlimited* |
*Pro fair use limit: 10,000 tool calls a month on this server. For more, write to [email protected].
Pro covers this Simplecast server only. Subscribe with simplecast_upgrade (it returns a Stripe Checkout link). Cancel any time with simplecast_cancel_subscription: Pro continues to the end of the paid period, with no refund for the current period, and running simplecast_upgrade before then undoes the cancel. Or write to [email protected].
Report the downloads of a show. Find your best episodes. See where listeners are. Review the episodes of a season. Check the ad markers and channels. See what you can do for the details.
No. usefulapi is an independent service. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Simplecast. The server calls the Simplecast API with your own Simplecast access, so it sees only the data that your account can see.
Yes. In Claude, add this server's URL as a custom connector. In ChatGPT, add it as a custom MCP server in Plugins. Then log in once. Cursor, VS Code, Claude Code and Codex work too. See the setup steps.
The login page asks for your Simplecast API token. See Before you connect for where to find it.
No. Add only the URL. Do not add an Authorization header or an API key to the client config. The server signs you in with OAuth: the login page asks for your Simplecast API token. If the config has such a header, remove it: some clients then send that header instead of the login token, and every call fails with 401.
The login stores them encrypted in the authorization grant of your connection. The server uses them to call the Simplecast API for you and to derive a private account id for usage metering. usefulapi does not show them on any page or in any reply. To stop all access, remove the connector and change or delete these credentials in Simplecast.
All 16 Simplecast tools are marked read-only.
The Free plan gives 50 tool calls / month. Pro costs $9/mo or $90/yr, with unlimited tool calls (fair use limit: 10,000 tool calls a month), for this Simplecast server only. Cancel any time: Pro then runs to the end of the paid period. Run simplecast_usage_status to see how many calls you used.
Ask the AI to run simplecast_upgrade: it returns a Stripe Checkout link. To cancel, run simplecast_cancel_subscription. Pro continues to the end of the paid period.
Tell the AI what you wanted to do. It can send the request with simplecast_request_feature. We store the text with the server name, the type of AI client and the tool you tried, not with your account, and read every request when we plan new tools. You can send up to 5 requests per day.
Any client that supports remote MCP servers (Streamable HTTP) with OAuth login: Claude (web and desktop), Claude Code, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf and others.
This is a Model Context Protocol endpoint — meant to be connected from an AI client, not opened in a browser. An invalid_token response at the URL is the auth gate working as designed; clients authenticate automatically.
Need a tool this server does not have, or a connection to another system? We build custom integrations and MCP servers.