Podcasting: Questions
Podcasting Software:
Apple iTunes (Win, Mac)
iPodder (Win, Mac, Linux)
Nimiq (Win)
Doppler (Win)
jPodder (Win)
iPodderx (Mac)
bashpodder (Unix)
What is Podcasting?

Podcasting makes an audio file, typically an MP3 file, available online for downloading via an automatic "feed." You can then hear the podcast whenever you want from your computer or a portable media player.

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What do I need to hear podcasts?

The first thing you need is podcasting software. All of the programs are free, and each one has special features that some people prefer over others. Podcasting programs are being created and improved daily, but as of now (Fall 2005), the most popular programs are listed in the box at the top of this page.

At this point, you will already be able to listen to podcast audio from your computer (provided your computer has a sound card and can play MP3 audio files). If you want to make your podcasts portable, you will need to transfer them from your computer to a portable media device.

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How do I subscribe to a podcast?

To subscribe to any podcast, simply copy the "RSS Link", which looks like a link to a web page, and paste it in your program. Look for the "Add Subscription" button in your podcasting program, and put the "RSS Link" into the address field. Podcasts will be updated by NPR, 90.9 The Bridge, or whoever, every week or sometimes every day at certain "update times", which we list on our podcasting page. Your podcasting program is set up to automatically download the new audio at these times, so you do not have to worry about it.

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I subscribed to a podcast. Why don't I hear anything?

First, be sure that you have audio player software; then, verify that the correct audio file was downloaded to your computer. Each podcasting program will have a setting where you can tell it which folder to save the audio files in. You may need to modify the update settings in your podcasting software to ensure that this process occurs automatically. Next, check the update times in the description and make sure that a new edition should have been posted.

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Why are there no full-length programs available as podcasts? And why are there so few podcasts out there?

Producing full-length programs for podcasting is costly for both us and the program provider, since some radio shows can last 2 hours or longer. Also, since podcasting is so new and cutting-edge, the courts haven't had time to keep up with all of the copyright issues involved. That is why you may not be able to find a lot of programs that contain music.

Everybody is experimenting with how to create podcasts more efficiently, so podcasting will be improving constantly over the next few years, and there is already talk of video-podcasting. In other words, just be patient and you are bound to find some shows you really enjoy that you may not find anywhere else.

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How much does it cost to subscribe to a podcast?

Podcasts are completely free for you to use, even though they cost money and resources to create. Feel free to think of this during our next pledge drive :). In the mean time, enjoy it! Podcasts are as fun to create as they are to listen to, so our work is relatively painless. Give us feedback and any suggestions for what you would like to see as a podcast, because podcasting is so innovative right now that nearly anything is possible.

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