WHAT IS A PODCAST?

​What are podcasts and where is the best place to get them? 
A podcast is an audio file that has been made available on the internet in order for users to be able to download it onto their computer or mobile device. Often it is run by a particular company, group, radio station. 
Hipcast is also an awesome resource and directory for podcast. 

These organizations usually make the podcast available as part of a series. This series will be relevant to their niche. For example, a news company may make their daily update into a downloadable podcast suitable for users to download and listen to on their way to work. A radio station may have a particular talk show section that they are running on their channel for 12 weeks. Each week this segment may be uploaded to their site as past of their series, for example, ' BREXIT - Tuesday Lunch discussions with Mark'. If users have missed the radio segment or are googling information about BREXIT they will be able to download the podcast and listen to it at their convenience. Many other groups may use podcasts to deliver information to users, for example, political groups, small business, and charities e.g. Mind. 

Using Mind - The mental health charity I will demonstrate the other use of podcasts as part of an online course. Taking Mind. They may get funding and decide to use it to facilitate a series called '7 podcasts to wellbeing' designed to be listened to by the client over a week and coach them to improve their life. These podcast examples are all made up and do not exist. I have used them demonstrate how podcast could be used. 

JUST A QUICK FUN FACT BEFORE I GO ON TO WHERE TO ACCESS PODCAST BECAUSE THIS IS QUITE HEAVY STUFF! 

The word podcast originated from an amalgamation of the words iPod and Broadcast. This is because such files when they became popular were largely played on iPods by their users. 

NOW IT'S OVER TO YOU! WHERE SHOULD YOU GET A PODCAST FROM? 

The obvious first suggestion is a reputable app! Why? Because predominantly you will probably be listening to podcasts via your mobile device. There are a bunch of these apps. Some better than others. Essentially you can download any app for this - just make sure that it is reputable and not known for installing any malicious content on users devices. Obviously, as it suggests in the title I am going to share with you my favorite app for podcasts! My first has to be TED. Have you heard of TED talks? The app allows you to download some of these interesting, political and educational talks as podcasts. 

Finally, there is one other way to download podcasts, directly from the provider's website. For example, the BBC have a podcast section on their website. Independent business and charities will also have this if they provide podcasts. The podcasts will be available to download as a normal MP£ file and will be saved directly to your downloads or audio player on your phone.  

By Rachel Orman 

Please, be sure to check out the JB&I Show Podcast. A new episode comes out once every two weeks. 

I am going to close with, giving up is easy, surrendering is easy, saying I can't do it is easy. Failure is easy. Failing is easy, the challenge comes when you are successful, when you are winning, when you refuse to surrender and to Never Give UP. You have what it takes, the only thing is that you need to realize that you have what it takes, Excuses are plentiful, reasons and drive are something chosen. One step at a time one day at a time. Every journey long, hard, and/or short starts and continues through steps, baby steps, short steps, one step after another.  

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