Web 2.0: Podcasts

Ok, I might be stretching the idea of Web 2.0 here, but since no one really knows what the hell it means I feel confident doing so. Let’s start with the explanation for those who don’t know. Podcasts are basically radio shows that have been recorded and then made available for download so you can load them onto your music player.

Many people don’t know Podcasts exist, or if they do they haven’t tried them out. I love podcasts because there’s a ton of good content out there and even more importantly it’s eff are double ee FREE! That’s right, there’s literally thousands of hours of free content out there that you can download and put onto your iPod or Zune or anything else capable of playing MP3 files.

To give you an example of how much stuff there is out there, here are some of the podcasts I’m currently subscribed to:

Most of these are audio podcasts but there are also video podcasts out there. You’ll notice that I subscribe to a lot of tech podcasts, but if that’s not your bag you can find a podcast on just about any subject you can imagine. You’ll also note that I have a bunch of podcasts from NPR. This gets back to the whole idea of a podcast being a downloadable radio show. NPR, and a lot of other radio stations, make their shows available as podcasts. This means you’ll never miss your favorite show.

So, if I’ve been at all convincing, you probably want to go and get some podcasts now and are wondering how you go about that. The easiest way by far is to use iTunes on either a Mac or a Windows computer. Not only does it do a solid job of organizing your music but if you’re using an iPod, and you probably are, it will sync them over to your device automatically. On top of that the iTunes music store lets you easily search for and subscribe to thousands of podcasts.

If you have a Zune music player Microsoft has just updated the Zune software to also include Podcast functionality. If you are not using an iPod or a Zune or simply don’t want to use iTunes there are a variety of third party programs available to download and organize your podcasts. You can see a list of some options here. Most podcasts have an RSS feed that you enter into the program to start receiving the shows. With iTunes you can subscribe to this RSS even if the podcast isn’t in the iTunes store.

If you’re wondering what podcasts you should start with here are a few of my favorites.

• This Week in Tech: a weekly podcast covering mainstream tech subjects by Leo Laporte, who runs a whole tech podcast network.
• On Point with Tom Ashbrook: an NPR podcast produced in Boston that covers current issues with interesting guests, updated twice a day. And don’t forget that NPR has most of their shows available as podcasts.
• Ask a Ninja: This one’s a video podcast so you’ll have to watch it on your computer or a player that supports video like the iPod video or the Zune. The topic of the show is pretty basic, people send in their questions and… they’re answered by a Ninja. It’s funny, trust me.

So there you have it, a whole new opportunity to get high quality and free content on your computer or mobile device. I hope you enjoy, and if you find a great podcast, or already listen to one, drop a comment down below and let me know what it is.