Podcasting FAQ or Podcasting for Dummies
OK…time for some really simple instructions on how to download podcasts if your not a geek….but we have got a favour to ask of all you podcast listenters already out there…
If you could read our “Podcasting for Dummies” instructions below and provide us with some feedback before we place them on all of channel pages we would greatly appreciate it…and i know that Cameron will come around and personally buy all of you a beer, no matter where you are, when he gets the chance as his way of saying thankyou.. :)
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Podcasting FAQ (or Podcasting for Dummies)
What is a Podcast?
The short story…its exciting and relevant audio content, that is easy to get and that you can listen to anytime and anywhere.
The long story…a podcast is an audio show similar to a radio broadcast (but better and more relevant to you…the listener) that is downloaded from a website and played at your convenience on a desktop computer or portable audio player. If you find shows you really enjoy and want to receive them regularly, you can SUBSCRIBE and they will be delivered automatically to your computer via an “aggregator”, or a “podcatcher” application as some like to call it.
Podcasts can be available in a number of audio formats including MP3, WMA and AAC, though MP3 tends to be the most favoured format due to wide spread acceptance by pretty much all types of portable media devices.
Do I need an iPod to listen to a podcast?
No…of course not…but portable music players like the Apple iPod and Creative Zen make it easy for you to listen to podcasts no matter where you are, but you can listen to them on your desktop computer, on your PDA or MP3 capable mobile phone and you can even burn them to CD and listen to them on any CD player. Any device that can play audio files can be your gateway to a world of relevant audio content unavailable on the traditional radio networks.
What’s an aggregator / podcatcher?
An aggregator (or a podcatcher as some call it) is a piece of software that allows you to “subscribe” to an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) or XML (eXtensible Mark-up Language) feed and it then automatically downloads the files/shows you have subscribed to and automatically inserts them into your favourite desktop music player whether it is Windows Media Player or Apple iTunes. Once the audio file has been added to your music library, the next time you dock and sync your portable music player the files are automatically moved over ready for you to listen to the next time you leave the house.
Please forgive us for the arcane acronyms – they weren’t our idea. When you see an RSS or XML button, just think “SUBSCRIBE HERE”.
Its also worth remembering that some aggregators don’t just deal with audio files. You can find a few aggregators that will handle feeds from text based only blogs as well as audio and video blogs. Do a bit of research and you will be sure to find one that matches your needs.
Where do I get an aggregator?
There are quite a few RSS aggregators available today depending on your platform and device of choice. We have provided a small list below, but if you can’t find one that suits your needs, do a search and it won’t take you long…there are a lot of them out in the wild now.
Doppler - http://www.dopplerradio.net (Windows only)
iPodder - http://ipodder.sourceforge.net (Windows, Apple & Linux)
iPodderX - http://ipodderx.com (Apple only)
NewsGator - http://www.newsgator.com (Windows only)
PPR - http://primetimepodcast.com (Windows Only)
So how do I subscribe to one of podcasts from the great election of channels at The Podcast Network?
That’s the easy part…just follow the oh-so-simple steps below.
- Download and install an aggregator (we recommend Doppler for Windows users)
- You “subscribe” to a channels feed by copying and pasting the web link for the channels feed into your aggregator (read te instructions that come iwthyou raggreagtor for specific info) from one of two easy to find spots:
a) On The Podcast Network homepage, look for the channel list and subscribe to the RSS feed that is indicated by the orange XML button.
b) On each individual channel’s home page, look for the “RSS 2.0″ button on the right hand side near the top of the right hand side or the button that matches your aggregator.
- To subscribe to a channel, copy the feed location, by right-clicking the XML or RSS button and select “Copy Link Location”. You can then paste that location into your aggregator.
- That’s it. You’re done. Its that easy. Now whenever you go to your computer or sync your portable music player, you will be able to enjoy the best range of podcasts available. All proudly brought to you by The Podcast Network
April 16th, 2005 at 9:58 am
Heres a question:
How do I direct my friends to ’subscribe’ to ALL of your shows?
(cos thats what Ive been trying to do lately)
Fang
Mike Seyfang
p.s. I will read the entire post and look for more beer-worthy feedback later
April 16th, 2005 at 5:43 pm
Good guide, its a pity there is no Subto://xxxxx type link in Internet Explorer, then you would only need to click on the the button to add it to your app that handles Subto.
Anyway I think the guide is nice and simple, I am going to pass it to a guy that works for me that doesn’t know how to listen podcast (but knows what they are) and see if he can get setup just from the guide.
Maybe it should also point out that you can listen to a show just by clicking on the mp3 link in the show blog entry?
I think your right in recomending Doppler.
Next week I should have my RSS Reader for Windows Media Center ready which adds a Play Podcast button when it detects an enclosure in a blog entry, so that makes it very simple to listen to a show
Good Guide!
Ian
April 16th, 2005 at 7:31 pm
You don’t have to Podcatch to listen to MP3s
I think Mick and Cameron are missing a trick in explaining Podcasting.
April 17th, 2005 at 12:28 am
Looks good, although you might want to throw in a few screenshots to make things even easier. Creating a PCN OPML file that can be imported into Doppler would be even easier, and while we’re at it, have you considered a PCN-branded version of a podcatcher (a la Paris)?
R
April 18th, 2005 at 11:28 pm
To make it even easier to subscribe, some “podcatchers” provide drag and drop capability, allowing you to drag the URL from a browser into the aggregrator. I know that Doppler provides this feature and I use it quite often as it save typing or extra clicks!
As far as the beer; I’ll pass on that if you mates allow a semi-shameless plug. Here’s an article written at the dawn of the podasting age that helps explain how to “podcatch” (i.e.: subscribe to podcasts) and how to easily synch your content to a Windows Mobile device: http://www.pocketpcmag.com/_archives/Feb05/podcasting.aspx
June 23rd, 2005 at 2:42 pm
Given the data of this response I am clearly a “dummy” as I have only just “got on” this bandwagon! Assuming feedback is still relevant - good explanation … but as a dummy I am uncertain as to whether media file type impacts on size of download and/or memory use etc - . Is MP3 the most efficient and can I by subscribing devour all my (still expensive) ISP bandwidth allocatio- without knowing it
June 24th, 2005 at 10:10 am
Hey Russell, don’t feel bad, most of the world still hadn’t cottoned on. An hour long MP3 will take up about 20 - 25 Mb. So unless you’ve got a healthy broadband account, i wouldn’t recommend it. But many people around the world now have access to cost-viable broadband, and we’re obviously betting that the trend continues! Let me know if there is anything else we can answer for you!
July 2nd, 2005 at 7:00 am
What software or documentation do I need to learn to do podcast. I am currently listening to some podcast but would like to learn how to podcast myself
November 15th, 2006 at 10:18 am
I actually have a question about podcasting. I already have a blog (that’s attached to my web site via the URL name and “/blog”). I want to create podcast versions of my entries but I DO NOT want to create a micro-site. Is it possible to have my podcasts available as icon/buttons on my blog page (and still run them through an aggregator) or do I have to create a micro-site?