What is podcasting?
Podcasting, a combination of "iPod" and "broadcasting", is a method of publishing audio files (in MP3 format) or video files to the Internet and allowing users to subscribe to a "feed" and receive new files automatically by subscription, usually at no cost. You can then hear the podcast whenever you want from your computer or a portable media player.
What do I need to hear podcasts?
The first thing you need to remember a podcast is an MP3 file. You are able to listen to podcast audio from your computer provided your computer has a sound card and software that can play MP3 audio files (Quicktime, Windows Media Player, RealPlayer).
If you want to organize your podcasts, you will need podcast subscription software. Your options include iPodder, iTunes, Doppler, Odeo, Blog Matrix Sparks. If you want to also make your podcasts portable, you will need to transfer them from your computer to a portable media device (iPod or other MP3 player).
How do I subscribe to a podcast?
- To subscribe to WRI's podcast RSS feed in iTunes 6, go to the Podcast Directory in iTunes, and search for "WRI." Select the WRI podcast entry and hit the "Subscribe" button.
- To subscribe to a podcast from our site, right-click the "RSS" link (or Control-click in MacOS) beside the title of the Podcast and select "Copy Link Location" or "Copy Shortcut." You may then paste the link into your podcasting software.
If you do not want to subscribe but want to listen to or download a single podcast, you can select the "MP3" link.
A full list of current WRI podcasts is available in the newsroom.
What are RSS feeds?
RSS feeds are free updated content sent to your computer via the Internet (RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication). The feeds usually contain headlines, article summaries, and links to full articles. To subscribe to RSS feeds, you need to use something called a news reader, or aggregator; there are dozens of news readers available, and many are offered free of charge. Some readers are available as desktop software (like iTunes) that you download and install on your computer. Others are Web-based readers that you can access on the Internet. Both Google and Yahoo offer directories of news readers. The reader you choose will have instructions for how to subscribe to RSS feeds.
How do I unsubscribe to a podcast?
If you wish to unsubscribe to a podcast, please be sure to delete the entire feed entry (not just the individual audio editions) in your subscription management software.
I subscribed to a podcast. Why don't I hear anything?
- Be sure that you have audio player software
- Check that your computer speakers are connected, turned on, and the volume is turned up.
- Confirm that the correct audio file was downloaded to your computer. You may need to modify the update settings in your podcasting software to ensure that this process occurs automatically.
If you have any problems listening to WRI podcasts, please send an email to jtalbot@wri.org.
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