I used to be an avid talk radio listener. No matter the politics or the topic, I tuned in to AM radio because, at the end of each day, I felt like I had learned something. Sometimes I had learned about the topics discussed, sometimes I learned about myself and where I stand.
The problem with talk radio was that I was bound in a variety of ways to the content. I was bound by the topic, by the host and by the scheduling. If I was depressed, sometimes listening only made my mood worse. If I was in the mood to hear some serious news, the host would be talking about his anger at the size of Halloween candy bars.
One weekend I took a trip to Best Buy and spent some gift money on an iPod Touch. I had no idea that my life was about to change - and I am only slightly exaggerating.
After loading up my favorite tunes, I discovered that I still had over 10 gigabytes of space available. I had heard about podcasts and was somewhat interested. I searched through some of the more popular offerings in the iTunes podcast section and downloaded a few.
A podcast, for those who don't know, is essentially a talk radio show - some of the newer shows are also done as videos. These are not necessarily well produced radio-style programs. A podcast can be produced with a simple microphone and free computer audio recording software. Since new episodes are added often, you can use your computer or media player software to subscribe and automatically download new episodes of each podcast as they are made available.
Imagine any expert on any topic being able to create a talk radio program specifically about their interest and knowledge. This is only the beginning. Authors have podcasts, doctors have podcasts, even churches have podcasts. Not all podcasts are limited to talk-show format. Some podcasts are comparable to audio books or old serial radio shows.
Podcasts range from graduate course material to the obscene and everything in between. The best part is that nearly all podcasts are completely free.
Perhaps the reason that podcasts haven't been discovered by the world at large is due to several misconceptions.
Podcast enjoyment does not require an iPod.
You can listen to podcasts via the host's website. Just click the play button. You can also download the audio files and put them on any digital media player or CD.Podcast enjoyment is difficult.
If you want to make subscribing to podcasts extremely easy, buy a portable media player that advertises the podcast support on the packaging. Microsoft Zune and iPod both support one-click subscription to podcasts, but there are others. Software is also software that makes subscribing to podcasts easier.
Podcast enjoyment is for geeks.
There are hundreds of thousands of podcasts being produced in all languages and topics. There are knitting podcasts, equestrian podcasts, business management podcasts, religious podcasts, etc., etc., etc.
The best part of podcast enjoyment is that it is a totally personal experience. As you drive around town, exercise or just listen as your work, you can ditch the usual radio or music experience and listen to something new every day. The content is not only new, but guaranteed to meet your individual interest.
If you are looking to get started enjoying podcasts, give Juice a try. It is a free program that allows you to subscribe to, and download, podcasts. PodcastDirectory.com is the most logical place to find a podcast you are interested in.
