WHAT’S A PODCAST AND HOW DO I LISTEN?
WHAT IS IT?!
A podcast is a digital audio file made available on the internet for downloading or streaming to a computer or an alternative device such as a phone. To be a little less clinical, it’s essentially a radio show that you can listen to wherever and whenever you choose without being interrupted by regular weather bulletins or travel updates.
Right now there are over 1,750,000 different podcasts with over 43 million episodes in 100 different languages available to listen to. These range from highly produced shows recorded in professional studios by major broadcasters to rough and ready homemade shows recorded on a laptop in someone’s bedroom. If you have a computer and an internet connection, you can make a podcast, making it one of the most democratic mediums around. Is it time to see what all the fuss is about?
HOW MUCH DO THEY COST?
Nothing! They’re absolutely free which makes them one of the most accessible forms of entertainment around. Many of the larger podcasts will feature adverts and some offer access to extra content for a small fee but 99% of podcasts are available for you to listen to on demand for nothing at all.
There are literally millions of hours of top quality content out there for you to explore - so what's stopping you?!
SO HOW DO I LISTEN?
The Spotify and Acast apps are available on all smart phones and other devices and cover a wide variety of podcasts. If you're an iPhone user then the Apple Podcasts app should already be on your phone. The same applies for the Google Podcasts app on Android phones. Within these apps you can search for and subscribe to shows so that the latest episodes will be downloaded to your phone without you having to seek them out.
The Spotify app also allows you to scan codes which take you directly to the relevant podcast. The Audible app can be used to listen to Audible original podcasts.
If you're on a desktop computer then you can use the Spotify desktop application (which is also available in your browser) the Acast website or the Audible Cloud Player. Alternatively you can use iTunes or go direct to the website of the podcast you want to listen to.
Finally, you can use your home smart speakers as a way to listen too. Just ask them to play you a podcast and go from there!
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PB:
ED! JAMES! TELL US ABOUT YOUR SHOW! WHAT’S YOUR PODCAST ELEVATOR PITCH?
Ed Gamble: It’s a food podcast where we ask a special guest their dream menu and also James is a genie. It mainly ends up being a poo poo wee wee podcast, though. I probably wouldn’t say that bit in the elevator, though.
James Acaster: Ed Gamble and I invite a guest into the dream restaurant and ask them their favourite ever starter, main course, side dish, drink and dessert. Also, I am a genie.
WHY PODCASTING? WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE FORMAT THAT APPEALS TO YOU?
Ed: It’s complete creative control. There’s no notes on what we should be doing and what we shouldn’t, and that definitely appeals. Quite frankly, if we pitched Off Menu as a TV or radio show for a big corporation before it was a podcast then it would’ve got nowhere. All the weird bits would’ve been smoothed over.
Podcasts are often characterised by weird running jokes and odd format points that you don’t necessarily get on any other platform. The sort of thing that podcast audiences appreciate – looseness, more natural content – is something I feel much more comfortable with than the more stringent requirements of other mediums. Basically, we can waffle on and people like it.
James: It’s the best format for having a chat and we can release whatever we want each week. Also, Benito does all the hard work for us and that is very appealing.
HOW DID YOU FIND PODCASTING DURING THE PANDEMIC?
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