Step by step guide to getting a podcast

There are three ways in which you can enjoy the audio podcasts on this site.

1. Listen to an individual podcast without leaving the site
2. Download an individual podcast to your PC or Mac
3. Receive regular alerts and automatically download a series of podcasts that match your interest  

1. Listen to an individual podcast without leaving the site

   By clicking on the Play button you can enjoy an individual podcast without leaving the site. This will play as a streaming file in our Podmaster Media player within your Internet browser window. You don't need to download any software, just turn on your speakers and enjoy.

2. Download an individual podcast to your PC or Mac

   If you click on the download button next to any podcast you will be able to download the file to your PC or Mac and ultimately to any portable player you wish such as an iPod. A box will pop up asking you where you want to save the podcast, we suggest you create a podcast folder on your hard drive to store them all in.

   To listen to any podcast show from Podmaster.co.uk on your computer, you will need at least one piece of the following software installed (all of which work on PC or Mac)

   • iTunes
   • Quick time Player
   • Windows Media Player
   • RealPlayer

   Just click on the link on the file in your podcast folder and your preferred media player will play you the show. Or in the case of iTunes just drag it into your iTunes library.

   Don't forget that you can listen to the Podmaster.co.uk shows on the move by transferring them onto your portable MP3 device.

3. Receive regular alerts and automatically download a series of podcasts that match your interests

   This is the best way to enjoy all the Podmaster shows and we recommend you become a regular user and join in the true Podcasting experience and it's pretty easy to get set up.

   There are 3 steps involved in setting up your personal computer to receive and play a regular series of podcasts.

   1. Get some podcast software

      You need to install a piece of software which will search the web to find the latest episode and automatically deliver it to your computer. This software is usually free, and can be found to download by using the links below:

      Windows

      • Juice
      • Doppler
      • Firefox
      • iTunes

      Mac OS X

      • ipodderX
      • Juice
      • NetNewsWire
      • Newsfire
      • Firefox
      • iTunes

      You can also find an extensive list of podcast software on www.podcastingnews.com (always read the set-up and help guides for any new software before you install any new piece of software)

   2. Subscribe to podcasts

      Once you have the software installed you need to subscribe to some podcasts. How you do this will vary depending on which software you have chosen. Here is a rough guide to how this might work:   If you have iTunes you can find all the Podmaster shows listed in the iTunes Podcast Directory. Just click on the subscribe buttons for each of the Podmaster channels and have the latest content delivered direct to your iTunes and onto your iPod.

      If you have Juice, Doppler or other podcast software then this is likely to be the method you will need to follow:

      In all of these cases you need to add the "feed" of the podcast to your software. The feed is really just the address of the podcast, which the software will go to each time it wants to check for a new episode. You can find the feed for any podcast category by clicking on the orange RSS button. In this cases the feed address will appear in the address bar of your Internet browser. It will start with http://www.podmaster.co.uk/rss.php

      You will need to copy this feed address and paste it into your podcast software. How you do this will depend on your software, but you should look out for buttons or links that say "Add" or "Subscribe". Alternatively, many feed readers will display the address that features in your browser address bar as the feed address when you begin a new subscription by using the "Add" or "Subscribe" function.

   3. Listen to the podcast

      When a new episode becomes available for the podcast you have subscribed to, your software will either automatically download it or prompt you to do so by using a term like "Get". You can then listen or watch this episode on your computer or transfer it to your compatible device to enjoy at your leisure.

      You may want to check the settings of your podcast software for details including how often it will check for new episodes, whether it will keep old episodes for you etc. This will vary depending on the software you have chosen, and your personal preferences. If you experience any problems or if you are unhappy with the way your chosen piece of software is managing your feeds and podcasts, check your preferences and settings these will give you greater control and enhance your experience.

      If you decide that you no longer want to receive podcast shows then it should be very easy to unsubscribe. Again, how you do this will depend on your software, but you should look for "Clear", “Remove” or "Unsubscribe" options.

Need a bit more help?

If you have any specific questions then please look at our FAQ page where you may find what you’re looking for. However, if you still cannot find the answers you are looking for, use the Contact form and we will endeavour to get back to you within 24hrs.

Please feel free to also submit your opinions about Podmaster.co.uk and our content. We are always interested in your thoughts and develop our offering accordingly.