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What is Podcasting - The World of Podcasts - 1
Using the cross-platform, free iTunes software, we show how to find and manage podcasts.
The World of Podcasts
As with websites, podcasts span the range of human endeavors and, like other Internet-based content, finding podcasts that suit your tastes or interests is relatively easy but finding items of worth takes a bit more perseverance and discernment. Since podcasts are similar to radio shows (or, in some cases, like NPR's podcasts, actually may be portions of or whole broadcast radio programs), new podcasts appear with some frequency. Many people jumped on the podcast bandwagon early and learned that the real force behind podcasts is not the technology, but the content, so sometimes you will run across podcasts that promise continued treasures but sputter out with only one episode. There is a reason radio professionals get paid: any person can record their voice and post a podcast, but it takes dedication, skill, and above all, something interesting to say to make a successful podcast.
There is a host of podcast directories available, and many ways to reach these directories, such as with websites, specialized software for displaying podcast listings, or integrated solutions, like iTunes.
Because iTunes is a full-featured application (it enables you to find, subscribe, manage, playback, and transfer podcasts to an iPod or other devices), runs on both Windows and Macintosh computers, and is freely available from Apple, we will focus on iTunes throughout this article. Fortunately, iTunes can work with portable devices other than an iPod, so if you own a different iTunes-compatible device, some of the details that follow may differ for your player. At the end of this article, though, we will point to alternative software you can use.
Downloading and installing iTunes is easy, but you need version 4.9 or later to receive podcasts. As of late September 2005, the most recent version is iTunes 5.01.
If you own a modern Macintosh, you most likely already have iTunes installed; just make sure to run the Software Update command (under the Apple menu) to ensure you have the most recent version.
If you don't have it installed or are on a Windows machine, you can download iTunes from Apple's website (http://www.apple.com/itunes/). Installing it is very simple and can be done by following the instructions in the installer.
(Note that iTunes wants to manage your music for you, and if you have existing music files on your computer, it will ask you if you want to use iTunes to manage all your music. If you already use another application to manage your music you can decline this offer. If you simply do not want to use iTunes, you can find alternative podcast software choices following this article.)
Prev: Getting Started
Next: The World of Podcasting - 2
As with websites, podcasts span the range of human endeavors and, like other Internet-based content, finding podcasts that suit your tastes or interests is relatively easy but finding items of worth takes a bit more perseverance and discernment. Since podcasts are similar to radio shows (or, in some cases, like NPR's podcasts, actually may be portions of or whole broadcast radio programs), new podcasts appear with some frequency. Many people jumped on the podcast bandwagon early and learned that the real force behind podcasts is not the technology, but the content, so sometimes you will run across podcasts that promise continued treasures but sputter out with only one episode. There is a reason radio professionals get paid: any person can record their voice and post a podcast, but it takes dedication, skill, and above all, something interesting to say to make a successful podcast.
There is a host of podcast directories available, and many ways to reach these directories, such as with websites, specialized software for displaying podcast listings, or integrated solutions, like iTunes.
Because iTunes is a full-featured application (it enables you to find, subscribe, manage, playback, and transfer podcasts to an iPod or other devices), runs on both Windows and Macintosh computers, and is freely available from Apple, we will focus on iTunes throughout this article. Fortunately, iTunes can work with portable devices other than an iPod, so if you own a different iTunes-compatible device, some of the details that follow may differ for your player. At the end of this article, though, we will point to alternative software you can use.
Downloading and installing iTunes is easy, but you need version 4.9 or later to receive podcasts. As of late September 2005, the most recent version is iTunes 5.01.
If you own a modern Macintosh, you most likely already have iTunes installed; just make sure to run the Software Update command (under the Apple menu) to ensure you have the most recent version.
If you don't have it installed or are on a Windows machine, you can download iTunes from Apple's website (http://www.apple.com/itunes/). Installing it is very simple and can be done by following the instructions in the installer.
(Note that iTunes wants to manage your music for you, and if you have existing music files on your computer, it will ask you if you want to use iTunes to manage all your music. If you already use another application to manage your music you can decline this offer. If you simply do not want to use iTunes, you can find alternative podcast software choices following this article.)
Prev: Getting Started
Next: The World of Podcasting - 2
