Use Podcasting

Podcasts are rapidly becoming one of the most highly-pursued iterations of entertainment. If you want to listen to your favorite podcasts on the go but don't have internet service while doing so, don't worry! Here are a couple of ways to save podcasts in an offline format for your ease of access.

Steps

Downloading Podcasts to Your Phone

1. Install a podcatcher. To download podcasts onto a mobile device, you will need a relevant app known as a "podcatcher". Since there are numerous podcatchers available for both iOS and Android, you have options; as a general rule, though, you should look for podcast apps with wide, expansive libraries, clean interfaces, and easy controls.
   • iOS: Apple's newer models actually come with the free Podcasts app pre-installed. If you don't have a recent iPhone or iPad, don't fret--you can download Podcasts from the app store free of charge. Overcast is also a great alternative to the default software.
   • Android: Apps like Pocket Cast and DoggCatcher range from $3 to $4 and come highly recommended; however, if you're hard on cash, Stitcher Radio along with Podcast and Radio Addict are both great free options for Android. You can download them from Google Play.
2. Customize your settings. Once you've downloaded a podcatcher of your choosing, make sure your accessibility settings allow you to download items through the app. You can generally do this by accessing the app's restrictions through your phone's settings and editing them accordingly.
   • Many podcasting apps will also give you the option to download every new episode of a subscription automatically. Though this can eat up hard drive or cloud space quite quickly, it's a great option for users interested in some autonomy.
   • Similarly, many podcatchers allow you to customize specific subscriptions. Most come with features such as layout options, whether or not to download new podcasts automatically, and sorting.
3. Search for a podcast. In your podcatcher, access the search function and browse. Ideally you'll have an idea of what you want to look for; if not, most podcatchers have "trending" or "top" tab within their interface. This is always a good place to start if you're out of ideas.
   • Once you've found a podcast you like, find a "subscribe" button in your podcatcher interface. Often, this button will be intuitively designed--a plus sign in the corner, for example--but it will differ from app to app. Subscribe to the podcast if it looks like something in which you'll be interested.
4. Download your podcasts. Usually, each individual episode displayed on your podcatcher will have a download sign--a downward-pointing arrow, for example--next to its name. If you've made sure that your podcatcher is allowed access to your hard drive or cloud already, then press the download button.
5. Access your podcasts. Depending on the model of your device, you will have a different default app for playing podcasts: iOS favors iTunes, while Android devices default to Music Player. Many podcatchers also give you the option of playing your podcasts within the app.

Downloading Podcasts to Your Computer

1. Install a podcast manager. If you want to listen to podcasts offline, you'll need to download a third-party client to convert URLs into MP3 files. Though there are tons of free cross-platform options, managers such as Juice, gPodder, and Zune all come highly recommended.
   • Another great option is iTunes. Even if you don't have an iPhone or iPad, iTunes is a great music, video, and podcast manager, especially since it stays consistent with updates and it's free.
2. Customize your settings. Once you've downloaded your program of choice, check out your options to customize aspects like file type, download destination, and player preferences. Some managers, such as iTunes, will allow you to play your podcasts within the interface.
3. Search for a podcast. Unlike mobile podcast platforms, your computer gives you freedom to browse any and all podcasts in public record, rather than simply the ones in app databases. Use this to your advantage! Once you settle on a podcast, click on it to view specific episodes.
   • You may have to create an account with a podcast site in order to view specific podcasts, so be ready to enter a valid email and password if needed.
4. Save your podcast. If you are using a manager like iTunes or Zune, you can simply click "save" or "get" next to the episode's name to save it to your computer. Otherwise, you will have to copy the podcast's URL and paste it into your manager.
   • Every manual client differs slightly in its method of downloading, but most use the provided URL to access the podcast's feed. You'll want to click the "subscriptions" tab or its equivalent in your manager of choice; from this step, you can usually download specific episodes.
   • You can click a "refresh" button to check for new episodes.
5. Access your podcast. Once you've downloaded your podcast to your chosen file location, play it to make sure it downloaded completely and correctly.

Tips

• Plenty of podcast sites allow you to download episodes directly from the site as MP3 files. While time-consuming, this method makes more sense than installing an entirely new software suite if you're just downloading a few iterations.
• NPR has a great selection of professional, high-quality podcasts available for free consumption.
• Although apps like Pocket Cast cost a bit of money, they more than make up for their cost with streamlined interfaces, wide variety of podcasts, and customization options. If you are an avid listener, consider spending the extra few bucks.
• When in doubt, iPhone users should take advantage of the free Podcasts app and the pertaining iTunes support.
• Your best bet is always to store your podcasts on a mobile device, but if you don't have a smartphone or you run out of room on your existing device, using your computer as a back-up is a solid choice.
• Since podcast files can be quite large, consider saving them in cloud storage rather than on your mobile device's hard drive; unless you have a massive capacity for storage on your phone, you'll likely notice some performance issues otherwise.

Sources and Citations

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