How to Get Podcasts

Audio and video podcasts have taken the Internet by storm because of their ease of use and convenience. They fit our modern lifestyles by allowing us to choose exactly what content we want, when we want it. You can get podcasts in a variety of ways, including many free external applications like iTunes. Although you don't need a portable MP3 player to enjoy your podcasts, they can add much-needed portability.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Think of several topics that interest you and which you would enjoy listening to or watching on a podcast.

2. Open your podcast aggregator (software) and Internet browser.

3. Search for a podcast through your Internet browser. See the Who Can Help section below for sites that index thousands of podcasts.

4. Select the podcast of your choice and copy the URL (Internet address) of the podcast feed. The podcast feed URL is usually an ".xml" file and is linked to small buttons labeled "XML" or "RSS."

5. Pull up your podcast aggregator and click on the feature that allows you to subscribe to podcasts.

6. Paste the URL of your new podcast into the subscription feature.

7. Wait while the newest episode downloads to your computer.

Tips & Warnings

• If you use iTunes, you can easily search and subscribe to podcasts in the iTunes music store.
• Not all "XML" or "RSS" buttons refer to podcasts; many refer to text-based feeds.
• Many new podcasts are video, and file sizes can become quite large and take a long time to download, especially if you have a slower Internet connection.