What is a podcast?
Podcasts are MP3 audio files uploaded to the Internet by their creators, known as podcasters, in the hope that someone will listen to them.
How can I listen to them?
To play a podcast, you'll need a computer or portable device with Internet access. For computer users, once you have the website and have chosen the episode you are interested in, click the icon that says "download." Depending on your computer and the program that has been downloaded, the podcast will appear. Many podcasts are free, but some charge for a subscription.
Like music, podcasts can be listened to directly from your computer or downloaded to an MP3 player of any brand and listened to at any time.
Where can I find them?
There are a number of online directories dedicated to podcasting that have genres to search countless topics. Some of the more popular directories include:
http://www.podcastpickle.com
How many are there?
According to www.podcastalley.com, one of the first and still most popular directories, there are currently 18,864 podcasts available. This number does not include the big guns on the Internet, such as NPR and CBS.
For information on New England podcasters:
http://www.newenglandpodcasting.com
