Listening to great podcasts has become a whole lot easier with better shows and easier to use apps.
You can listen to podcasts via a website, a PC file or through mobile apps for Apple's iPhone and Google's Android smart phones.
But first, what is a Podcast? Here is how
Apple defines a Podcast:
"Podcasts are episodes of a program available on the Internet. Podcasts are usually original audio or video recordings, but can also be recorded broadcasts of a television or radio program, a lecture, a performance, or other event."
Podcasts are available from thousands of source, including NPR, Fox News, USA Today and others.
So how can you find podcasts?
Many popular TV and radio shows have podcasts. Even newspapers and reporters have podcasts. You can often find their podcast links on their websites. For example, USA Today has a
podcast section, as does
NPR. Next time you are on a site, look to see if they have podcasts available.
There are also podcast directories. The best is the Apple iTunes directory (search from within the computer app or phone app. See below). Search iTunes to discover podcasts from a variety of sources. Another good online directory is
Podcast Directory.
So how can you listen to podcasts?
There are numerous ways to listen to podcasts: Websites, PC files and iPhone and Android smart phones.
Let's look at each.
Website
An easy way to listen to a podcast on a Windows or Mac computer is through a web browser at the podcast site.
For example, to listen to
The One Cool Tip Show, listeners can use the podcast player on the
podcast hosting site, Podomatic,
Pressing the "
Play" button will play the episode through the computer's speakers via the web browser.
Besides the podcast website, you can also listen to podcasts through online streaming and radio websites such as
Tunein Radio,
Stitcher Radio and
PlayerFM. Visit each site, search for your podcasts and enjoy listening via the web!
Another way to listen on a PC or Mac is through using the iTunes program.
First, be sure that the iTunes application is installed. If not,
click HERE to download.
After iTunes is installed, open and search for your favorite podcast or subject.
If the show is listed in iTunes (like
The One Cool Tip Show), the episodes will be in the search results.
Click on the episode number to start listening. Once the podcast is playing, you can also click the "View" icon at the top of iTunes to visit the podcasts page where you can rate and review the podcast.
PC File
Besides using a web browser or iTunes on a computer, users can listen to a podcast on a PC by downloading the audio file to the PC. Podcasts generally will allow users to download the audio file, usually an mp3 file, directly to the computer.
Just look for the download link on the podcast site:
Press the "Download" link and save the file to your PC or Mac. Once downloaded, open the audio file and it will play with the default audio player.
iPhone and Android Smart Phones
The most popular way listeners enjoy podcasts are via smart phones. Apple makes it easy with the Podcast app on the iPhone.
But there are many easy-to-use podcast apps. Just search in the app store for Podcast. Download the episodes you want to listen to and you can listen even when you are offline. This is great when you are commuting.
Radio and Streaming sites such as
Tunein Radio and
Stitcher Radio also have quality apps that play podcasts. Try the
Tunein Radio and
Stitcher Radio apps in the Google Play store since they are free to get started.
That's it. Enjoy listening to podcasts
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