A podcast is like a radio show that you can take with you and listen to whenever you want. And a podcast is also like a magazine because you can subscribe and you will get new episodes as they become available.
No. You can listen to and subscribe to podcasts on your computer even if you don't have a portable MP3 player. You can download most podcasts to any portable MP3 player and take them with you.
No. You can listen to or download individual episodes one-by-one from our website. You just need a media player on your computer such as iTunes, Windows Media Player, WinAmp or Quicktime. But, just like a magazine, it's more convenient to subscribe because new episodes come to you.
iTunes is the most widely used program for subscribing to podcasts. It's free and available for Mac and PC. Juice (formerly iPodder) is another free program available for PC, Mac and Linux.
6. Can I subscribe without installing a special program on my computer?
There is a website called Odeo that lets you subscribe to podcasts using just a web browser. It's free to sign up; you do not have to install any software on your computer; and you can access your subscriptions from any computer, anywhere. It does require that the browser have the Flash plugin.
It depends on the software you use. But usually, when you first subscribe, the most recent episode is downloaded to your computer automatically along with a list of all the previous episodes. The software will check for new episodes on a regular basis and usually downloads them automatically. With Odeo though, nothing is downloaded automatically. What is Odeo?
9. Can I control what gets downloaded and/or how long it is saved?
Different types of subscription software have different options for controlling what gets downloaded and how long you want to keep it. Check the Help for the program you are using.
10. How do I get podcasts onto my portable player?
If you have an iPod, iTunes will do this automatically for podcasts you have subscribed to. With other portable MP3 players you should follow the instructions for transferring files that come with the player. For many players you can use Windows Media Player or WinAmp to transfer files.
Yes. Regular podcasts are just audio. Enhanced podcasts include still images and audio. Video podcasts have—I'm sure this will not surprise you—audio and video. Not all portable players will play enhanced and video podcasts.
12. What if I don't have a portable player that supports enhanced or video podcasts?
You can still view them on your computer. iTunes and Quicktime will play enhanced podcasts (you will have to save the episodes to your computer first). Video podcasts can be played in iTunes, Quicktime or Windows Media Player. We also provide an audio-only version of Arizona State Museum enhanced or video podcasts that you can use instead.
