There are three steps involved in setting up your computer to get podcasts.

1. Get Podcast software

You need to install a piece of software that will search the web to find podcasts and automatically deliver them to your computer. This software is usually free, and these three are popular with People users ( iTunes, Juice, Doppler ).


2. Subscribe to podcasts

Once you have the software installed you need to subscribe to a podcast. How you do this will depend on which software you have chosen. If you have iTunes, for example, you can subscribe to podcasts through the iTunes Podcast Directory.


3. Listen to the audio

When a new episode becomes available, your software will automatically download it. You can then listen to this episode on your computer or transfer it to your portable player to listen to later. 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 . This will vary depending on the software you have chosen, and your personal preferences.

What is Podcasting
Podcasting makes an audio file, typically an MP3 file, available online for downloading via an automatic "feed." You can then hear the podcast whenever you want from your computer or a portable media player.

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What is the difference between subscribing and downloading a podcast?
Podcasting makes an audio file, typically an MP3 file, available online for downloading via an automatic "feed." You can then hear the podcast whenever you want from your computer or a portable media player.

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What do I need to access People podcasts?
The first thing you need is podcast subscription software. Your options include the latest version of Apple's iTunes (which has the software built in), or other services, to manage your podcast subscriptions. At this point, you will already be able to listen to podcast audio from your computer (provided your computer has a sound card and can play MP3 audio files). If you want to make your podcasts portable, you will need to transfer them from your computer to a portable media device.

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How do I subscribe to a podcast?
To subscribe to a podcast listed in the directory, click on its name to view a brief description and subscription instructions. You may subscribe to many podcasts by clicking the buttons for popular tools like iTunes and My Yahoo! If you don't see a button for your preferred tool, simply highlight the URL in the box next to the orange iPod icon. Right-click this link (or Control-click in MacOS) and select "Copy" or "Copy Shortcut." You may then paste the link into your podcasting software. In iTunes you can find this option under the "Advanced" menu as "Subscribe to Podcast."

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Do I need an iPod, Sony PSP or other portable device to access the podcasts?
Only if you want to view or listen to podcasts portably. You can transfer podcasts from your computer to a portable device. Any MP3 player or iPod will work for audio podcasts. For video podcasts you will need a portable device capable of video playback.

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I subscribed to a podcast. Why don't I hear anything?
First, be sure that you have audio player software; then, verify that the correct audio file was downloaded to your computer. You may need to modify the update settings in your podcasting software to ensure that this process occurs automatically. Next, check the update times in the description and make sure that a new edition should have been posted.

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How much does it cost to use People's podcasts?
People's podcasts are free for you to use.

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What are the terms of service?
By using our free Podcasts, you are considered to have accepted PEOPLE.com's Podcast terms and conditions of use.

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