How to sync iPod Shuffle with macOS Big Sur

It must be an easier way to load music and podcasts on this very old Apple device than the steps outlined below but I could not find another way. Please point me to, if a better method exists.

First, I am not sure how many of those old iPod Shuffle Generation 4th still exist out there. To me, this was, and still is the best companion running device. It is very small and very simple device to use which I find it to be perfect for running. Over the past 10 years or more, I have listen to hundreds of songs and audio books and thousands of podcasts on this device while running.

It used to be very simple to load songs, podcasts and audio books on the iPod Shuffle. I just had to connect the iPod to a computer running iTunes, and I was able to create a custom playlist to which I could add any songs, audiobooks or podcasts episodes. Then I could arrange those audio items in my preferred order and then sync the playlist to the iPod. While running I could easily play through the sequence of the items in my custom playlist. iTunes no longer exist in the latest versions of macOS, so the only way I was able to still sync my old iPod shuffle are the very complicated steps outlined below.

Sync iPod Shuffle 4th generation with macOS Big Sur(version 11.2.3)

• Open Apple Music app and create new Playlist (File –> New –> Playlist):

• Open Apple Podcasts app and start downloading the episodes you like
• Here is the strangest step of all this process. The audio items get downloaded to this location on my hard drive:
  • /Users/[MY_USER_NAME]/Library/Group Containers/243LU875E5.groups.com.apple.podcasts/Library/Cache
• After finishing downloading all the podcasts that I would like to listen to while running, I have to open two windows:
  • Finder – navigate to /Users/[MY_USER_NAME]/Library/Group Containers/243LU875E5.groups.com.apple.podcasts/Library/Cache
  • Apple Music

• Drag the downloaded files from the Finder window into the Music custom playlist you created:

• Plug into the Mac your iPod shuffle and open Finder

• Click on the Music tab and then the Playlist sub-tab:

• Select playlist and then click Sync
• Enjoy your run!

Hope this was helpful to someone else besides me. Please let me know if there is an easier way to upload podcasts onto an old iPod Shuffle. Thanks!