Podcasting Explained

Podcasting is an exciting new net phenomenon that anyone can be part of for free. You can think of it as an easy means of broadcasting and receiving small radio programs – because it is all to do with recording and making available audio files.

Anyone can make a podcast and anyone can receive a podcast. This is exciting enough, but where it becomes even better is that there is no set time when you have to listen. You tell your podcast receiver which podcasts you are interested in (by typing in a normal web address, such as www.concepttshirts.com/poetrypodcast.rss for the www.conceptTshirts.com weekly poetry podcast. Then when you turn on your podcast receiver it will automatically check for any new episodes. If there are any it will automatically download them and tell you. You can then listen to it whenever you want. The podcast might be released at 10.00 on Monday, but you don’t have to listen to it then, you can listen at your own convenience.

So you are interested? Why not download a podcast receiver and give it a go. You can find lots of free ones if you type „podcast receiver“ into a search engine, but the one we use is called juice.

When you have downloaded and installed your receiver, add a podcast to it to check it is working. The www.conceptTshirts.com poetry podcast is a small file that will help you see if it is working. Make sure your speakers are turned on. You should get several episodes of classic poems. If you do, start searching the web for podcasts that you are interested in.