# Fireside.fm (unofficial) [Health: Active]

**Category:** 🎙️ Podcasts  
**Repository:** https://github.com/jkotzker/firesidefm-mcp-server  
**GitHub Stars:** 0  
**npm Downloads (last month):** 23  
**Views:** 0  
**Installs:** 0  
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**Directory Page:** https://allmcps.com/mcp/fireside-fm-unofficial

## Description
Unofficial server for the Fireside.fm podcast API: podcasts, episodes, downloads and drafts.

## Tools
Capabilities this server exposes over MCP:

- **fireside_get_account** — The connected account and whether its key is Read Only or Read/Write.
- **fireside_list_podcasts** — Podcasts you own or collaborate on.
- **fireside_get_podcast** — One podcast's details and all-time downloads.
- **fireside_list_episodes** — Episodes, newest first, including drafts and scheduled ones; filter by status.
- **fireside_get_episode** — Every field of one episode, including show notes.
- **fireside_get_episode_metrics** — Downloads per episode at 1, 7, 14, 30 and 90 days, Spotify, and total.
- **fireside_get_monthly_downloads** — Downloads per calendar month and the all-time total.
- **fireside_get_daily_downloads** — Downloads per day for the podcast or one episode, with Spotify counted separately; up to a year per call.
- **fireside_create_episode** — Create a private draft episode, optionally with audio, cover art and a transcript.
- **fireside_update_episode** — Change title, subtitle, slug, show notes, season, type, explicit flag, audio, cover art or transcript.
- **fireside_upload_file** — Upload an MP3, cover image (JPG, PNG, GIF or WebP) or plain-text transcript from `FIRESIDE_UPLOAD_DIRS`, and attach it to an episode or return a `file_url` for create and update.
- **fireside_publish_episode** — Publish now, schedule, or backdate; public or unlisted.
- **fireside_unpublish_episode** — Return an episode to a private draft.

## Claude Desktop Quick Installation
Install path detected from listing signals. Uses `npx` (confidence: high):

```json
"mcpServers": {
  "fireside-fm-unofficial": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y","firesidefm-mcp-server"],
    "env": {
      "FIRESIDE_API_TOKEN": ""
    }
  }
}
```

**Requires environment variables:** `FIRESIDE_API_TOKEN` — the values above are empty placeholders; fill in real credentials before running (see the repository for what each one is for).

## Documentation

## What Fireside.fm (unofficial) does

Fireside.fm (unofficial) exposes Fireside.fm podcast-management operations as MCP tools. It can inspect the connected account, list podcasts, retrieve podcast details, and browse episodes by status, including private drafts and scheduled releases. Episode lookups include detailed fields such as show notes and preview links.

Analytics tools return all-time, monthly, and daily download information. Episode metrics include download checkpoints at 1, 7, 14, 30, and 90 days, along with Spotify and total figures. Daily results can cover a podcast or a specific episode and distinguish Spotify downloads.

With a Read/Write API key, the server can create private drafts, modify episode metadata and media, publish or schedule episodes, backdate releases, choose public or unlisted visibility, and move published episodes back to private drafts.

## How it works

The server authenticates with a Fireside API key and selects its available tools when it starts. A Read Only key exposes read operations. A Read/Write key enables episode-changing operations unless read-only mode is explicitly forced through configuration. If the key is rejected, startup stops with an error; if validation fails because of a network or Fireside service problem, the server starts with read tools and reports the reason on stderr.

Podcasts and episodes can be addressed by token or slug. Episode slugs commonly follow the episode number, although a customized dashboard slug takes precedence. Audio uploads are processed by Fireside after transfer, so an episode may report `processing` before reaching `ready` or `failed` status.

## Setup and configuration

Node.js 22 or later and a Fireside API key are required. The key is created in the Fireside account API-token area. The package can be launched with `npx -y firesidefm-mcp-server`.

Set `FIRESIDE_API_TOKEN` to the account key. `FIRESIDE_PODCAST` supplies a default podcast token or slug when a request does not specify one. Set `FIRESIDE_READ_ONLY=true` to expose only read tools, even when the key permits writes.

File uploads require both a Read/Write key and `FIRESIDE_UPLOAD_DIRS`. This variable contains absolute directories separated like `PATH`: colons on macOS and Linux, semicolons on Windows. Only files inside those directories can be selected for upload. Supported uploads are MP3 audio, JPG/PNG/GIF/WebP cover art, and plain-text transcripts.

Claude Code can add the server with `claude mcp add`, passing the API key and optional podcast slug as environment values. Claude Desktop uses an `mcpServers` configuration entry and must be restarted after changes. If Node was installed through a version manager, Claude Desktop may need the absolute path to `npx`.

## Tools and capabilities

The read tools cover account identity and key mode, owned or collaborative podcasts, podcast details, episode listings, complete episode records, and download reporting. Daily-download requests return at most 90 days from the API per request; the server combines requests to support periods up to a year.

Write operations include:

- Creating private draft episodes with optional audio, artwork, and transcripts.
- Updating title, subtitle, slug, show notes, season, type, explicit status, audio, artwork, or transcript.
- Uploading permitted local files for attachment or obtaining a file URL for create and update operations.
- Publishing immediately, scheduling, backdating, or choosing public versus unlisted release visibility.
- Returning an episode to a private draft with unpublish.

MP3 files are checked before upload. The server rejects files without MP3 audio and flags differences from the dashboard’s suggested mono, 64–96 kb/s, 44.1 kHz settings unless the upload explicitly accepts those differences.

## Limitations and notes

Episodes cannot be deleted through the API, and podcast settings cannot be changed. Chapters cannot be uploaded, and publishing an episode without audio fails. Fireside plan limits apply to audio; cover art is limited to 1.91 MB and transcripts to 195 KB.

Publishing may also post to connected social accounts when that behavior is enabled in the Fireside dashboard. The API does not expose or modify that setting. API keys are limited to 120 requests per minute; short pauses are handled by the server, while longer rate limits are reported.

Large audio transfers can exceed an MCP host’s tool timeout. In Claude Code, `MCP_TOOL_TIMEOUT` can be increased in milliseconds. The project is licensed under MIT.

_Full upstream README: https://allmcps.com/mcp/fireside-fm-unofficial/readme_