This is a relatively simple module designed to get and display information about recent episodes of The PowerShell Podcast. The module commands are not written with automation or scaling in mind. They are designed for interactive use to display podcast information in a visually engaging way. For best results, run the commands in a terminal that supports ANSI colors and formatting, such as Windows Terminal.
This module requires PowerShell 7 and has dependencies on the pwshSpectreConsole and Microsoft.PowerShell.ThreadJob modules. These requirements will be installed automatically if they are not found.
For best results, you should be using at least version 2.3.0 of the pwshSpectreConsole module. The module may not render images properly in VSCode nor has it been tested beyond Windows Terminal.
Install the PSPodcast module from the PowerShell Gallery.
Install-PSResource PSPodcastThis module and its primary author are not affiliated with The PowerShell Podcast or PDQ.com.
| Name | Alias | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|
| Get-AboutPSPodcast | aboutpod | Display podcast About information. |
| Get-PSPodcast | getpod, gpod | Get recent PowerShell Podcast episode information. |
| Get-PSPodcastModule | podmod | Get the module information for the PSPodcast module. |
| Get-PSPodcastShowNotes | podnotes, ShowNotes | Get podcast show notes. |
| Get-PSPodcastTakeAway | podpoints, takeaway | Show episode key points. |
| Save-PSPodcast | savepod | Download a podcast episode. |
| Show-LatestPSPodcast | pspod, showpod | Display the most recent PowerShell Podcast episode. |
Run Get-PSPodcastModule to see the module commands and their descriptions. The output is an ANSI formatted table with clickable links to the project's GitHub repository and online help.
In order to improve performance of module commands, when the module is imported, the RSS feed XML file, feed.xml, will be downloaded and saved to the %TEMP% folder. When you run Get-PSPodcast, the function will use this file instead of downloading the XML file again. However, if the file has not been found or is older than 24 hours, the XML file will be downloaded again. You can force the XML file to be downloaded again by running:
Get-PSPodcast -ForceThe Get-PSPodcast function will retrieve episode information from The PowerShell Podcast and display formatted results using $PSStyle. The command has an alias of gpod. By default the command will retrieve the 5 most recent episodes or you can specify a number of episodes.
The default output is formatted as a table using $PSStyle. The show title should be a clickable link. Currently, there is no way to customize the formatting. However, you can use Format-List to see all properties unformatted.
PS C:\> Get-PSPodcast | Format-List
Title : PowerShell Summit Bar Sessions 2025 - David R
Date : 4/10/2025 5:00:00 PM
Description : In this casual bar-session chat recorded at the PowerShell +
DevOps Global Summit 2025, host Andrew Pla sits down with David
R, a first-time attendee with a passion for learning PowerShell.
David shares how the PowerShell Podcast itself inspired him to
attend and helped shape his scripting journey. What began as a
work assignment turned into a powerful learning path, community
connection, and a personal transformation.
Episode : 169
Length : 00:13:26
Online : https://powershellpodcast.podbean.com/e/powershell-summit-bar-sess
ions-2025-david-r/
ShowLinks : {}
YouTube :
Title : PowerShell Summit Bar Sessions 2025 - Frank Lesniak
Date : 4/9/2025 5:13:01 PM
Description : In this episode of the PowerShell Summit 2025 Bar Sessions, Frank
Lesniak makes a triumphant return to the podcast. Frank has taken
the reigns In this two-sided interview, Frank flips the script
and interviews Andrew, but only after we talk about how his week
is going, fine dining, how to grow in your career and capitalize
on opportunity, the value of empowering others, and more!
Episode : 168
Length : 00:24:06
Online : https://powershellpodcast.podbean.com/e/the-powershell-summit-bar-
sessions-frank-lesniak/
ShowLinks : {https://pdq.com/the-powershell-podcast,
https://youtu.be/HoYKzgiJxkk}
YouTube : https://youtu.be/HoYKzgiJxkk
...By default, the command will only display the first paragraph of the episode description. You can use the -Full parameter to display the entire description.
If you want to get all published episodes, use the -All parameter. You might want to do this if you want to perform custom filtering.
PS C:\> Get-PSPodcast -All | Group -Property {$_.date.year} -NoElement
Count Name
----- ----
44 2022
53 2023
54 2024
29 2025
PS C:\> $all = Get-PSPodcast -all
PS C:\> $y = $all | group { $_.date.year }
PS C:\> Foreach ($item in $y) {
>> $totalMin = ($item.Group).Length.TotalMinutes | measure -Sum
>> [PSCustomObject]@{
>> Year = $item.Name
>> Shows = $item.Count
>> TotalTime = New-TimeSpan -Minutes $totalMin.Sum
>> }
>> }
Year Shows TotalTime
---- ----- ---------
2022 44 2.04:27:00
2023 53 2.10:35:00
2024 54 2.03:42:00
2025 29 22:54:00If you know the episode number, you can use the -Episode parameter to get a specific episode.
PS C:\> Get-PSPodcast -Episode 160
Show: MS Graph and Stepping into Public Speaking with Morten Kristensen
[Episode #160]
Date Length Description
---- ------ -----------
2/24/2025 00:33:49 In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast,we sit down withMorten Kristensen, an
automation specialist and PowerShell enthusiast, to discuss his journey with
PowerShell, his experience working with the Microsoft Graph API, and his recent
leap into public speaking. Morten shares insights from his first-ever technical
talk, the challenges of working with Graph API, and how he's navigating his
professional growth.Finally, you can find podcast episodes with a given keyword or phrase using the -Query parameter. This will search the title and description of each episode. The podcast XML feed does not have a specific entry for the guest, so this is the best way to find episodes with a specific guest.
PS C:\> Get-PSPodcast -query "frank lesniak"
Date Length Description
---- ------ -----------
4/9/2025 00:24:06 In this episode of the PowerShell Summit 2025 Bar Sessions, Frank Lesniak makes a
triumphant return to the podcast. Frank has taken the reigns In this two-sided
interview, Frank flips the script and interviews Andrew, but only after we talk
about how his week is going, fine dining, how to grow in your career and
capitalize on opportunity, the value of empowering others, and more!
Show: Cross-Platform PowerShell and Sending Emails with Frank Lesniak & Neha Patil [Episode #142]
Date Length Description
---- ------ -----------
10/21/2024 00:50:32 In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we dive into the world of
cross-platform PowerShell with Frank Lesniak, who shares insights from his
recent talk at PowerShell Saturday NC. Frank explores some unique use cases for
PowerShell across different platforms and opens up about his interests beyond
the scripting language.
Show: For the love of PowerShell and Curling with Frank Lesniak [Episode #119]
Date Length Description
---- ------ -----------
5/13/2024 00:33:54 In this special MMSMOA episode of the PowerShell Podcast, Andrew is joined by
Frank Lesniak. We touch base after PowerShell Summit, hear about tracking
airplanes with ADS-B and raspberry pi's. Frank talks about classes and how they
almost caused him to fall out of love with PowerShell. We also recount what most
be the most brutal display of athleticism, curling.
The default output will have clickable links for the show.
The PSPodcastInfo object has a number of type extensions you might find helpful.
PS C:\> Get-PSPodcast | Get-Member
TypeName: PSPodcastInfo
Name MemberType Definition
---- ---------- ----------
Online AliasProperty Online = Link
Equals Method bool Equals(System.Object obj)
GetHashCode Method int GetHashCode()
GetType Method type GetType()
ToString Method string ToString()
Date NoteProperty datetime Date=4/10/2025 5:00:00 PM
Description NoteProperty string Description=In this casual bar-session chat r...
DownloadLink NoteProperty string DownloadLink=https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/...
Episode NoteProperty string Episode=169
Length NoteProperty System.TimeSpan Length=00:13:26
Link NoteProperty string Link=https://powershellpodcast.podbean.com/e/...
ShowLinks NoteProperty string[] ShowLinks=System.String[]
Title NoteProperty string Title=PowerShell Summit Bar Sessions 2025 - D...
YouTube NoteProperty object YouTube=null
Links PropertySet Links {Title, Date, Online, YouTube, ShowLinks}
list PropertySet list {Episode, Date, Title}
DownloadShow ScriptMethod System.Object DownloadShow();The property sets are designed to quickly display relevant information.
PS C:\> Get-PSPodcast -Episode 96 | Select-Object links
Title : Code in Action: Embracing Hands-On Learning with Jeff Hicks
Date : 12/11/2023 10:00:00 AM
Online : https://powershellpodcast.podbean.com/e/code-in-action-embracing-hands-on-learning-w...
YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV5RXZPiM_0
ShowLinks : {https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV5RXZPiM_0,
https://powershell.org/2023/11/earlybirdnowopen/,
https://jeffhicks.substack.com/p/ask-jeff-ab8, https://devdojo.com/hcritter/powersh...}
PS C:\> Get-PSPodcast -Last 5 | Select-Object list
Episode Date Title
------- ---- -----
169 4/10/2025 5:00:00 PM PowerShell Summit Bar Sessions 2025 - David R
168 4/9/2025 5:13:01 PM PowerShell Summit Bar Sessions 2025 - Frank Lesni...
167 4/8/2025 5:30:00 PM PowerShell Summit Bar Sessions 2025 - Steven Judd
166 4/7/2025 10:00:00 AM Discovering the Deeper Layers of PowerShell with ...
165 3/31/2025 10:00:00 AM From Proper Football to Databases with Jess Pomfr...The module has default list and table formatted views. In addition, you can use the list custom table view.
The show title is clickable link.
Finally, because this module has the pwshSpectreConsole module as a dependency, you can use the Format-SpectrePanel or Format-SpectreTable commands to display podcast episode information.
$show = Get-PSPodcast -episode 166
$header = "Episode #{0} - {1}" -f $show.Episode,$show.date.ToShortDateString()
$data = @"
[italic LightCoral]$($show.title)[/]
$($show.description)
[bold Yellow]NOTES:[/]
$($show.ShowLinks.foreach({"`n :right_arrow: $($_.Trim())"}))
[DarkTurquoise]$($show.online)[/]
"@
Format-SpectrePanel -Header $header -Data $data -Color CornflowerBlue
Format-SpectreTable -Title $show.Title -Data @($show.description,"`n",$show.online) -AllowMarkup -Color LightCoral -TextColor Khaki1
Many of the commands have formatting built-in, which is normally not a PowerShell scripting best practice, but it eliminates the need to create complicated custom format files. All commands can write unformatted objects to the pipeline for traditional PowerShell use or if you want to create your own formatting. Look for the -DataOnly parameter, which has an alias of -Raw.
Once you have an episode object from Get-PSPodcast, you can use the Save-PSPodcast function to download the MP3 file. The default location is $HOME. You can specify a different path using the -Path parameter.
PS C:\> $r = Get-PSPodcast -last 5
PS C:\> $r[0] | Save-PSPodcast -Path d:\ -Passthru
Directory: D:\
Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
---- ------------- ------ ----
-a--- 4/12/2025 12:41 PM 32255999 PowerShellPodcast-169.mp3The file name uses the format PowerShellPodcast-<episode number>.mp3.
The show description often includes a summary of key points or takeaways from the episode. You can normally see this when using the Full parameter with Get-PSPodcast. However, this information is also parsed and stored in the KeyPoinbs property of the PSPodcastInfo object.
PS C:\> $p = Get-PSPodcast -Last 1
PS C:\> $p.keyPoints
You don't need to learn everything. Just understand the ecosystem and build your learning map.
Create your PowerShell profile now -- it's an easy win with huge productivity returns.
AI is a tool, not a crutch. Use it wisely and validate the results.
Get involved in the community.It will accelerate your learning and broaden your opportunities.
PS C:\>You can use the Get-PSPodcastTakeAway function to display this information using the Get-PSPodcastTakeAway function or its alias takeaway.
The output is formatted using the Format-SpectrePanel command from the pwshSpectreConsole module.
The PSPodcastInfo object includes a number of properties that point to online links. The object has a property set called Links which makes it easy to see all of them at once.
PS C:\> $r[5] | Select Links
Title : How to Build an IT Career from the Ground Up with Kevin Apolinario
(KevTech)
Date : 3/24/2025 10:00:00 AM
Online : https://powershellpodcast.podbean.com/e/how-to-build-an-it-career-from-the-ground-up-...
YouTube : https://youtu.be/RrNyh6EuD_Q
ShowLinks : {https://kevtechitsupport.com, http://discord.gg/pdq,
https://pdq.com/the-powershell-podcast,
https://youtu.be/RrNyh6EuD_Q}You can also use the Get-PSPodcastShowNotes function, which has an alias of shownotes. Pipe a previously retrieved PSPodcastInfo object to the command.
The output is displayed with a formatted Spectre Console panel. The title should be a clickable link to the show online. The links should also be clickable in Windows Terminal.
You can adjust the border and title colors. The parameters have tab completion for the color values. See the next section.
The Show-LatestPSPodcast function is a wrapper around Get-PSPodcast. It is designed to get the most recent episode. The command has an alias of pspod. The information is formatted using Format-SpectrePanel from the pwshSpectreConsole module.
The default behavior is to only display the first paragraph of the episode description. You can use the -Full parameter to display the entire description.
You can customize the border, title, and link colors using any valid Spectre.Console.Color value. The function as an argument completer for the colo parameters. This will give you tab completion. And if you pressCtrl+Space, the PSReadLine module will display options formatted in the selected color.
If you press Ctrl+Space before specifying a color, you will be prompted and can see all available colors.
You can use any color combination to customize the display.
If you prefer a different color scheme, use $PSDefaultParameterValues to set them.
$PSDefaultParameterValues['Show-LatestPSPodcast:BorderColor'] = "hotpink"The Show-LatestPSPodcast function was created with profile integration in mind. The idea is that you can insert the command or pspod alias into your PowerShell profile script. Then, every time you start a new PowerShell session, the latest episode will be displayed. However, if you open new PowerShell sessions often, this might get tedious.
If you want to include the Show-LatestPSPodcast command in your profile, it is recommended you include the -Profile parameter.
Try {
Import-Module PSPodcast -force -ErrorAction Stop
pspod -profile
}
Catch {
Write-Warning $_.Exception.Message
}Importing the module explicitly should catch any errors getting the XML feed file.
The -profile parameter will check for the existence of a flag file stored in $HOME.
PS C:\> Get-Item $HOME\pspod.flag
Directory: C:\Users\Jeff
Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
---- ------------- ------ ----
-a--- 4/11/2025 8:37 AM 1124 pspod.flagIf the flag file exists, and you use the -Profile parameter, the command will test the LastWriteTime property. If it is greater than 24 hours, the command will display the latest episode and update the flag file. If the file is less than 24 hours, the command will not display anything. This should make it possible to have the command in your profile without it displaying every time you start a new session.
You can force display of the latest show by omitting the -Profile parameter.
One thing to be keep in mind when using the -Profile parameter, when the module is imported, if the feed XML file does not exist or is older than 24 hours, it will be downloaded via a thread job. Show-LatestPSPodcast should detect if a download job is running and wait. There are two potential results. First, loading your profile might take a little longer if the XML file needs to be downloaded. You might also get an error if the download is completing and the function attempts to access the file before it is fully written. If this happens, you should be able to ignore the error and run pspod or Show-LatestPSPodcast again.
If you uninstall the module you will need to manually delete the flag file.
This is a simple command to display summary information about The PowerShell Podcast. This information is pulled from the podcast's RSS feed. The output is a formatted Spectre console panel with clickable links.
This module uses PowerShell more as a presentation interface than as a management tool. In addition to the obvious formatting features from the pwshSpectreConsole module, the module has a few other features you might find useful.
Module commands are written with verbose output.
To aid in troubleshooting, some commands also support the information stream and will write additional information to the information stream.
PS C:\> $l = Get-PSPodcast -Last 1 -InformationVariable iv
PS C:\> $iv | Select-Object *
MessageData : #document
Source : C:\scripts\PSPodcast\functions\Get-PSPodcast.ps1
TimeGenerated : 5/12/2025 11:16:52 AM
Tags : {raw}
User : PROSPERO\Jeff
Computer : Prospero
ProcessId : 31156
NativeThreadId : 31352
ManagedThreadId : 18
MessageData : item
Source : C:\scripts\PSPodcast\functions\Get-PSPodcast.ps1
TimeGenerated : 5/12/2025 11:16:52 AM
Tags : {raw}
User : PROSPERO\Jeff
Computer : Prospero
ProcessId : 31156
NativeThreadId : 31352
ManagedThreadId : 18I use this to aid in development. You might want to use it for troubleshooting or your development should you for this module.
PS C:\> $iv[0].MessageData
xml #comment rss
--- -------- ---
version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" generator="podbean/5.5" rss
PS C:\> $iv[0].messageData.rss.channel
title : The PowerShell Podcast
link : {atom:link, https://powershellpodcast.podbean.com}
description : The PowerShell Podcast highlights what makes PowerShell so great, the community.
Each week we want to highlight people, blogs, videos, and modules that have gone into making PowerShell so great.
pubDate : Mon, 12 May 2025 08:00:00 -0600
generator : https://podbean.com/?v=5.5
language : en
countryOfOrigin : us
copyright : Copyright 2022 All rights reserved.
category : {Technology, itunes:category}
ttl : 1440
type : episodic
summary : The PowerShell Podcast highlights what makes PowerShell so great, the community.
Each week we want to highlight people, blogs, videos, and Galleries that have gone into making PowerShell so great.
author : PDQ.com
owner : owner
block : No
explicit : false
image : {itunes:image, image}
PS C:\> $iv[1].MessageData
title : {PowerShell, Security, and the Path to Mastery., PowerShell, Security, and the Path
to Mastery.}
link : https://powershellpodcast.podbean.com/e/powershell-security-and-the-path-to-mastery/
comments : https://powershellpodcast.podbean.com/e/powershell-security-and-the-path-to-mastery/
#comments
pubDate : Mon, 12 May 2025 08:00:00 -0600
guid : guid
description : description
encoded : encoded
enclosure : enclosure
summary : summary
author : PDQ.com
explicit : false
block : No
duration : 01:02:09
episode : 174
episodeType : fullIf you have an enhancement suggestion or question, please use the project's Discussion board.