What Is A Podcast?
“Podcast” refers to audio or video content that is available through the Internet. There are thousands of podcasts (more than 115,000 in English alone) that offer content as diverse as comedy, news, tech talk, self-help, religion, trivia, hobbies, money, pop culture, and education.
The name podcast combines the terms “iPod” (the original audio player developed by Apple) and “broadcast.” When the iPod was released, Steve Jobs said you could carry 1,000 tunes in your pocket. Soon all kinds of groups and individuals realized they could bypass traditional media like TV and radio stations and produce their own content to distribute as podcasts and make them easily available via the Internet.
Now, with all sorts of audio players and especially smart phones (that have lots of storage capacity) you can carry so much more in your pocket! You can access all kinds of free content that you either stream or download and listen to it anywhere.
And with built-in speakers on most devices, you don’t even have to wear headphones anymore!
The most popular place to access podcast content is iTunes. In July 2013, Apple reported it hit 1 billion subscriptions via its iTunes store. That represents a LOT of content and interest.
While you can listen (or watch) a podcast on your computer, it’s usually more convenient to load programs on a portable device, like a smart phone.
Podcast audiences usually install a podcast app on their device to browse podcast categories and find content they like. Apple has its own podcast app. Android devices can download a variety of podcast apps including Stitcher and DoggCatcher.
Once you find a person or topic you would like to follow, you subscribe to their particular podcast. Your app is then updated every time a new episode is released. You can adjust your settings to download automatically, or you can see the episode in your feed and download just the ones you want.
I personally subscribe to multiple podcasts. Some release episodes only occasionally, others once a week or even daily. I then listen to programs while driving, exercising, gardening, and doing other mundane tasks. It’s a way to learn and get inspired without having to sit down to a dedicated task (like reading). If you are a busy person or just like to learn, you should check out podcasts.
Get Control Of Your Life has a podcast that is available for streaming or downloading (to listen now or later) at http://getcontrolofyourlife.org/gcoylpodcast/. It is also available from iTunes and Stitcher. New episodes are released weekly, on or close to Wednesday.
We release content designed to help you grow a strong and healthy life, featuring a wide variety of guests with expertise in many areas.
So far we have released these conversations:
- 001: Getting Beyond The Zombie Life
- 002: Living With Purpose
- 003: Living a Balanced and Healthy Life
- 004: Life Coaching
- 005: Get Moving (exercise)
- 006: Growing With Friends
- 007: Giving Your Life Away
- 008: The Two Halves of Life
- 009: Living Creatively
So please check out the Get Control Of Your Life podcast. If you like it, please leave a rating and comment on iTunes or Stitcher; this will help us become more visible and draw more listeners.
Royalty-free image by Nabil Medawar; retrieved from http://www.freeimages.com/photo/1419194
