Subscribing to and using podcasts

A podcast is an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed that also includes audio files.

At the moment to listen to the FlyingStartups podcast programme you might have to go to the webpage every month and press the play button. But if you subscribe to the podcast feed it will automatically arrive on your computer (and then be automagically transferred to your MP3 player when you next connect it).

This makes it much easier to keep up to date with podcasts that you want to listen to every episode of. Think of it as like subscribing to receive a magazine in the post rather than having to go to the newsagent to get it every time a new issue comes out.

Feed Readers

To subscribe to a podcast feed you'll need a feed reader.

Feed readers (also known as newsreaders, aggregators or RSS readers) are pieces of software, or websites, that aggregate all the blogs you are interested in reading in one place. You will need to check that any feed reader you consider is able to handle 'enclosures' - the attached audio files that make the feed a podcast.

I use and recommend FeedDemon with FeedStation.

If you have an Apple iPod, then iTunes is probably the easiest to use, as you'll already have it installed!

Another well known podcatcher is Juice.

You can also see this Google search for RSS readers to get some more ideas.

Subscribing to Feeds

To subscribe to the podcast you can either:

Once you've set up the feed you don't need to do anything else, you'll just receive any new programmes automagically.

More Information

You can get more information on web feeds, RSS feed readers and blogs at the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_feed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aggregator