Deploy and Host Podgrab Podcast Archive on Railway

A private browser podcast archive with persistent episode downloads.

Draft status: Configuration and upstream documentation reviewed. Container startup, Railway application workflows, restart behavior, backup restoration and costs remain unverified.

About Hosting

A private browser podcast archive with persistent episode downloads.

Service	Role	Persistent path
`core`	Private application or dependency	`/data`
`podgrab`	Public owner gateway	`None`

Why Deploy

Run this application in your own Railway project, with explicit configuration and storage under your control.

Common Use Cases

Podcast archive
RSS episode downloads

Dependencies for Podgrab Podcast Archive

Deployment Dependencies

The application images are pinned by registry digest. Database services, when included, stay on the private network. One replica is supported for each volume-backed service.

First use

Open the podgrab service's HTTPS domain. Sign in to the owner gateway with username admin and its generated ACCESS_PASSWORD. Complete the application's own setup afterward.

API calls must also send X-Template-Key with that owner password. The gateway forwards native Bearer tokens, strips Basic Authorization, and limits requests to 32 MiB. Browser sessions receive a secure owner cookie. Native clients, webhooks and public sharing require specific compatibility checks before use. Gateway /healthz only checks the proxy, not application readiness.

Authenticate to the owner gateway and add a podcast RSS feed in the browser.

Scope and limitations

Pinned1.0.0 is an older upstream release; review maintenance and compatibility before production.
Downloaded media can grow without bound; choose feeds and storage deliberately.
Full owner gateway also protects the upstream /ws route, which is registered outside native Basic auth. Browser-only; external podcast clients are not advertised.

Acceptance checks before use

Verify anonymous HTTP and websocket requests require the owner credential.
Add a feed, download one episode, restart and verify archive persistence.
Confirm generated credentials are distinct on a second fresh deployment.
Back up every listed persistent path and database, then restore into a separate test project.
Measure Railway usage with representative data and workload before estimating operating costs.

Backups and upgrades

Back up databases, file volumes, encryption keys and configuration together. Keep a copy outside the running project. Review upstream migration notes before changing a digest; rollback can require restoring a compatible database and files, not just selecting an older image.

Sources and selection evidence

Upstream documentation: Container, CONFIG/DATA paths, checking interval and native Basic authentication.
Upstream documentation: Native Basic auth protects ordinary routes but /ws is registered separately; full owner gateway protects both.
Upstream documentation: Workdir/api and app executable.
Upstream project

Product and alias searches found no matching public Railway listing during this research. This is a bounded search result; private, unindexed or differently named listings may exist. It is not evidence of demand or revenue.

Upstream software retains its own license and edition restrictions. This deployment draft does not imply upstream endorsement.