Getting Started

Welcome to podcasting! A podcast, simply put, is a radio show that you can download onto your computer and listen to whenever you want. You can download specific CBC Radio podcasts when one interests you or subscribe to a program's podcast so that it automatically downloads onto your computer whenever a new podcast is available.

Once the podcast is on your computer, you can listen to it there using your favorite media player, or transfer it onto your MP3 player to listen to it on the move!

Listening to a podcast is as easy as listening to your radio -- but with so many more advantages!

Sounds great, but what do I need to listen to these podcasts?

All you need is a computer with an internet connection! If you want to listen to a podcast on your computer, you will need a sound card (most newer computers come with one — if you've ever played any music or heard any sound come out of your computer, you have one), media playing software (like Windows Media Player, or iTunes or RealPlayer) and speakers.

If you want to take the podcasts with you, you'll need a portable media player like an iPod, an iRiver, or another MP3 player. What you'll do is download the podcasts onto your computer and transfer them onto your MP3 player.

OK, but how do I get these podcasts?

Subscribing to a podcast
If you want to subscribe to a podcast and automatically receive new episodes whenever they are broadcast (subscribing is free!), you can do it one of two ways:

1. Subscribing using iTunes
   
   If you have iTunes installed, just click the iTunes icon [ ] of the show you want to subscribe to. The iTunes program will load and from then on, every new episode will be downloaded into iTunes and, optionally, into your portable media player. In certain browsers, you'll first be asked to select the application on your system in which you'd like itpc links to load. If you already have iTunes, you should have iTunes as a selection in the given program list. If you don't see it listed, but you do have iTunes, you'll have to browse and navigate through your system files and locate and select iTunes. Note that selecting your Desktop shortcut to iTunes will not work. You will need to find the program in your program files.
   
   If you don't already have iTunes, the "Subscribe in iTunes" link will not work. Go to http://www.apple.com/itunes/ to download iTunes.
   
   
2. Subscribing using other podcast software
   
   If you use another podcast software (like Juice, Doppler, or Transistr), copy the show's RSS feed, which you'll find by right-clicking (or ctrl-clicking on a Mac) on the show's rss icon [ ] and copying the URL that appears. Then paste that URL into your podcast software's add podcast area.
   

Downloading individual episodes
If you want to listen to an individual podcast episode for a CBC Radio program, visit our Past Podcasts page, find the show you want to hear (they're in alphabetical order, national shows first, regional shows below) and download the podcast episode you would like to hear. The newest episodewill be listed there when it is published. Further information is available on the F.A.Q. page outlining how to download a podcast.

CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - links will open in a new window.

back to top