Keeping it Simple
If you have found yourself here at JapanPodcasters.com because of an interest in Japan and you have not yet learned what a podcast is, or how to access one, you might be relieved to know that most of the confusion out there on the topic is generally due to people trying to describe podcasts in far too complicated and unnecessary terms.
What is a Podcast?
A podcast is simply a recording or series of recordings (often audio, sometimes video) that a person makes about a topic of interest to them, and that they would like others to listen to or watch (free of charge). Some corporate programs, television and radio shows, etc. are also offered as podcasts.
That's it. You're done with the basic definition.
How do I listen to or watch a Podcast?
Most podcasters provide links on their websites to listen to or watch their podcasts. If you have ever visited a website or used a computer in any way, then you already know how to listen to or watch a podcast. You just click on the play button. [You can stop reading at this point if you like. You now know enough to have fun sampling a podcasts listed in this directory.]
Wait! There must be more to it!
Only a little. If you like some podcasts and want to be sure to receive all their episodes as soon as they become available, then you can use software that will automatically seek out the new episodes on the Internet and download them to your computer without you ever having to worry about it. You can then use that software program to listen to or watch the accumulated episodes when you have time or are in the mood.
iTunes is by far the most popular software tool used for this purpose. It is free and the latest version can be downloaded from apple.com/itunes/download for both Macs and PCs. An iPod is not required to use iTunes. You can play back the accumulated shows on your computer using iTunes as the "player".
Once installing iTunes on your computer, search for the podcast title you are interested in within the podcast section of iTunes. When you find what you want, click the subscribe button. (This is something of a misnomer, because people think subscribe means pay. Podcasts are free.) You can add as many podcasts as you desire, and new episodes from all of the added podcasts will automatically be downloaded and always available to you, safely stored by iTunes on your own computer.
Many podcasters make this "subscribe" process easier for you by providing a link on their websites that will automatically open the iTunes program and take you to the page at iTunes where you can subscribe to their individual podcast. Keep in mind that you need to have iTunes already installed on your computer to take advantage of those convenient subscribe links, which are very commonly seen on many podcasters' web pages these days.
But what about the Pod in Podcast?
The term podcast was indeed coined from the iPod product name. One of the great features of a podcast is that you can listen to episodes at your convenience on an mp3 capable device such as an iPod, iPhone, or iPad.
However, I personally listened to podcasts for a couple of years before I ever owned an iPod. I listened to podcasts at home on my own computer using the iTunes software as my player.
If you choose to buy an iPod or already have one, you will be pleased to discover that you can add podcasts to it just as easily as you add songs, and adding podcasts to an iPod is a free process. There is no new skill set to learn beyond the basic use of the iPod itself.
