A podcast is a media file that is automatically downloaded to your computer. For radio programs, a podcast file is usually an MP3 file. Podcasting relieves you of the trouble of looking for new editions of an audio program, manually downloading the MP3 file, and loading the MP3 to your personal media player.
You subscribe to a podcast by telling a podcasting application on your computer (technically a "media aggregator") where to look on the Internet for a special document called a podcast feed. The podcast feed lists what editions of the podcast are available and where to find the MP3 files on the Internet.
After you subscribe to a podcast, the podcasting application on your computer periodically reads the podcast feed to see if a new edition of the podcast is available. It one is available, your podcast application downloads the MP3 file to your computer. If you have set up your podcasting application to do so, it copies the MP3 file to your iPod or other portable media player.
While the name "podcasting" is a compound word coined from "iPod" and "broadcasting," you don't need an iPod to listen to a podcast. After the MP3 file is downloaded to your computer, you can listen to the file using any media player program that you happen to have, such as Windows Media Player, iTunes, RealPlayer, Musicmatch Jukebox, or Winamp.
How do I subscribe to a podcast?
First, start the podcasting application on your computer. Two of the most popular podcasting applications are iTunes and Juice (formerly called iPodder). You can download both of these programs for free from the Internet.
Next, enter the URL for the podcast feed into your podcasting program. The podcast feed URL is either displayed on the Web page that describes the podcast, or it is imbedded in a button that automatically inserts the URL into your podcasting program. If there is no button, copy and paste the podcast feed URL into the "subscribe to podcast" or "add feed" option of your podcasting application.
When your new subscription displays in your podcasting application, right click on the podcast and choose the "update podcast" or "check now" function to locate and download the latest edition of the podcast.
Juice (was Ipodder)
Where do I find podcasts of other public radio programs?
Use these links to find podcasts for nationally syndicated public radio programs and podcasts for locally produced programs made available by public radio stations around the world.