What is podcasting? Do I need an iPod to listen to a podcast? How does it work? What software do I need? How to subscribe using iTunes How to subscribe using JuiceWhat is podcasting?
Many web sites that offer MP3 files produce programmes or episodes on a regular basis, such as a weekly show or daily news.
Podcasting is designed to take the hassle out of receiving a regular programme by automating the download process. It has become feasible and popular as more and more people get broadband connections that are always on. Instead of going to the site and getting the file yourself every day or every week, you can let your podcast-receiving software do this for you.
With suitable podcast-receiving software installed on your computer, you can "subscribe" to a particular series (such as pray-as-you-go) - allowing your computer to check at regular intervals whether new MP3 files are available and, if any are, to download them automatically. With most podcast-receiving software you can decide how frequently the computer checks for new MP3 files, and also whether it will download newly available files automatically, or ask you first.
"Subscribing" to most podcasts is free and does not require registration or the divulging of any information on the part of the user.
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return to home pageDo I need an iPod to listen to a podcast?
No. Once downloaded from the site, the MP3 files can be played on your computer, if you like.
To listen on your computer, you need to have some basic audio-playing software installed, such as Windows Media Player, WinAmp, RealPlayer, QuickTime or iTunes. Most computers come with one of these already installed. They are also generally available as free downloads.
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note: the latest versions of many audio-playing programs, such as Windows Media Player, add a "visualization" when playing audio files - a picture, or some kind of pattern swirling in time to the music. Any such graphics do not come from pray-as-you-go, but are produced by the software concerned (you can usually adjust the settings for this yourself, to alter them or turn them off altogether). The pray-as-you-go files are audio only, and do not include any visual content. |
Many people, however, choose to transfer their podcasts to a portable MP3 player and listen to them on the move. Of course there are many other - and cheaper - brands of MP3 player besides the iPod. A basic MP3 player can be bought in British shops now for around £20.
top of this page return to home pageHow does it work?
The producers of a podcast put MP3 files on their web site so that users can download them. In addition, they include on their site a single, small file called an RSS feed. Basically, this is a list (written in a code called XML) of the files that are available, along with a few other details. Every time a new episode is added to the site, they also update the "feed" to include it in the list. This RSS feed is the file that the podcast-receiving programs in users' computers will read at regular intervals, to see if new episodes are available. If your podcast-receiving software spots an episode that it hasn't downloaded, it goes ahead and gets it (or it may ask you first, depending on the settings you have chosen).
To subscribe to a podcast, the only information you need to give your computer is the location (the URL) of the "feed". Once it has this, it can do all the rest.
But first, you need to have some kind of podcast-receiving software installed on your computer.
top of this page return to home pageWhat software do I need?
There is a wide choice of podcast-receiving software, most of it free, available on the web to download and install on your computer.
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One of the most widely used is iTunes (although handling podcasts is only one of the things that iTunes can do) which comes in the box when you purchase an iPod, probably the best-known brand of MP3 player. It is also available as a free download from www.itunes.com
iTunes is particularly useful if your MP3 player is an iPod, as it is designed to "sync" with an iPod when it is connected, and automatically transfer to it any new files. Other features of iTunes are the facility to convert CDs into MP3 format, and to connect seamlessly with the iTunes music store and podcast directory. |
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Juice (formerly called iPodder) is another leading podcast receiver. It is available as a free download from http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net
It does not offer all the extra features of iTunes, but is simple to use and works well. |
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@podder is a podcast-receiving program designed for the visually impaired.
Available as a free download from: www.apodder.org |
There is a list of other podcast-receiving software at:
www.podcastingnews.com/topics/Podcast_Software.html
How to subscribe using iTunes How to subscribe using Juice top of this page return to home pageProduced by Jesuit Media Initiatives, 114 Mount Street, London W1K 3AH. Email: jmi@jesuits.org.uk
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