A podcast is like a radio programme which is automatically downloaded from the internet to your computer. Once downloaded, it allows you to listen whenever you like, and you can even transfer it to a portable audio player, such as an iPod, to listen on the move.
A podcast is really an audio subscription service, usually free, and usually using the mp3 format.
There are thousands of podcasts available via the internet, on subjects as varied as knitting, music and politics, and every length from a few minutes to over an hour.
Websites that offer podcasts often use an orange button like these:
No! But you do need a good internet connection as podcasts are downloaded from the internet. Dial-up connections are not ideal as it can take many hours to download a large audio file.
You also need to download some podcast software to run on your computer. There are a number of types, most of them free and simple to install. For example:
iTunes, or
RSSRadio.
For a full list visit the software section at
www.podcastingnews.com.
The only other piece of information you need is the web address of the feed provided by your podcast supplier (like the CBA!). This web address is a short line of code like a URL. You normally copy and paste it into your podcast software. The software then keeps an watch on the podcast for you and downloads any new content.
And that's it.
A podcast is a type of download, as the file is downloaded from the internet to your computer. The great advantage with a podcast is that your computer will automatically download your programme when a new edition is available. You don't have to keep on going back to a website to check whether a new edition is available.
