Podcasts are the new black. Well, that is how it seemed in the fall of 2014, when Serial burst onto the scene and introduced many people who had never listened to the medium.
As a self-proclaimed podcast connoisseur, I was delighted! Finally, I was not the outlier among my friends in podcast enjoyment!
What is a podcast?
A podcast is essentially a recorded audio show that is distributed over the internet. Just like books or TV shows, there are all kinds of genres, length of programs, and frequency.
How do I listen to a podcast?
There are a few ways that people listen to podcasts. Most shows have their own website. For example, the most popular podcast according to most charts is called This American Life. You can go to thisamericanlife.org and listen to episodes. You can also subscribe via RSS feed if you use a feed reader.
The way I listen to podcasts most often is through an app on my phone. I use an Apple product, and I use the default Podcast App. For both Android and Apple devices, there are a number of podcast apps you can choose from. Here is an article outlining some of the best apps:
http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/4/8724949/best-podcast-app-iphone-outcast-pocket-casts-castro
Through the app, you can subscribe to different podcasts and be notified when new episodes are released.
Here is an awesome video where Ira Glass, host of This American Life, explains with his friend Mary.
So… listening to a radio show. Doesn’t that set entertainment back about 60 years?
Haha, I understand why people are hesitant about it, but there are so many advantages to podcasts!
You can listen:
- while driving. This is a big one for me, because I spend way more time driving than I’d like to!
- at work (some jobs)
- while doing chores when you can’t focus on a TV screen
- while working out
- while lounging by the pool (a girl can dream!)
Over the next few week I’ll introduce some of my favorite podcasts, so you can add to your repertoire and see which styles you like the most!
Originally posted August 5, 2015
Dara
Wednesday 5th of August 2015
You know I love a podcast. I always listen to them when I am doing dishes or cleaning. I just checked and I have 29 subscriptions. I may have a problem.