How to Download and Listen to Podcasts

Podcast are pretty cool. I first heard about podcasts a couple years ago, but it wasn’t til I was removed from my home because of Super Storm Sandy that I actually started to download and listen to them through my iPhone. The surprising thing is that while podcasting is on the rise, there are still many people that have no idea what they are or even how to access them.

What are podcasts and why are they so great anyway? There’s actually plenty of good reasons!

• Podcasts are free audio files that can be listened to through your computer, browser or iphone (mobile device)
• One of the biggest reasons why podcasts have been on the rise lately is because of the great content that is available for free
• Many people are listening to podcasts while on their way to work, which for most people is an average of 30-40 minutes
• The majority of podcasts are in between 30-60 minutes, which means they require little time investment

Many people are already using iTunes to listen to music, but not as many people know that they already have instant and free access to thousands of podcasts with just a few simple clicks.

How to Download and Listen to Podcasts Through iTunes

Here’s how simple it is to start listening to free podcasts through iTunes right now.

The first thing you are going to need to do is open ITUNES on your computer. (I will show how to do all of this on your iPhones at the end).

Once iTunes is open, go to the iTunes Store and click on PODCASTS in the top menu.

You will now be directed to the main page for all of the podcasts available through iTunes. You can search for shows using the search box on the top right, or using the podcast navigation links on the right side of the page. The content found in the main are is updated every few days with the latest recommendations and hottest podcasts being downloaded through iTunes.

Using the search box feature I performed a search for “rise of the entrepreneur” and you will see the results below, along with key points highlighting each area and why they are important.

When you find the podcast you are looking for you can start playing the episodes through iTunes directly, download them to your computer or mobile device, or click on SUBSCRIBE — which will notify iTunes to automatically download all future episodes as they are released. Since podcasts usually comes out with new episodes on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, this is always a great option.

How to Listen to Podcasts on Your iPhone

Besides being completely free, one of the top reasons why people love to listen to podcasts is that it can easily be done through your iPhone through the use of the “Podcasts” app. I’ve included two screenshots below; the first is the Podcasts app, which makes it extremely easy to find, click and listen to podcasts instantly. The second screenshot is an example of how it looks when you start playing episodes through your mobile device.

Podcasts are awesome and the value that some of the shows have to offer is quite amazing. As mentioned, I started listening to podcasts about a year ago and I just launched my own podcast a few weeks ago. The work and dedication required to launch a great podcast is a world of difference from blogging, and I’m having a lot of fun with it along the way.

Through the use of my podcast I’m able to expand my reach to a whole new audience while also connecting with my existing blog readers on a more personal level. A new episode goes lives every Tuesday and Thursday and I would love to hear your thoughts on the show.

Check it out on iTunes, right now!