Podcast, Listen, Getting Started

How to Listen to a Podcast

Podcasts have become a huge source of entertainment in the past few years. You can find a podcast for just about anything, so you are sure to find one that interests you. If you aren't too sure how to get started listening to a podcast or you're looking for new ways to listen to your favorite podcasts, then we've laid out all of the ways to listen to podcasts for you!


Ways to Listen to Podcasts:

  • Computer
  • Smartphone
  • Smart Speaker

Computer

On your computer, you are able to listen to podcasts directly from the podcast's website, in the Apple Podcasts app, on Spotify, or Google Play Music. There are also many other podcast listening websites and desktop apps for podcasts, so a Google search will provide several other options for you to listen to a podcast. Generally, a podcast website will direct you to all of the locations that you can listen to their podcast. However, the majority of podcasts have a website where you are able to play the podcast directly from the website. You can usually find a player where you are able to select an episode and press play, so check out a podcast's website that you are interested in and get listening now!

When you listen with your computer, you can choose to listen with your computer's built-in speaker, headphones, or external speakers.


Smartphone

Similarly to listening on your computer, you can listen to podcasts on the podcast's website and Spotify. iPhones specifically have an Apple Podcasts app already pre-downloaded, so you are able to easily access the podcasts that you want. As for Android and Windows phones, there are many specific podcast apps available for download, including Google Podcasts, Overcast, BeyondPod, and Grover Pro among many others. A simple search in the Apple App Store, Google Play Store app, or Microsoft Store app on your phone will give you several options of apps to listen to podcasts.

You likely have a smartphone with you at all times, so you can conveniently listen to podcasts using your phone whenever you please. Also, listening to podcasts on your mobile device is a great option because you can listen to podcasts in the car, on your commute, during your workout, during a walk, and any other time you would want to listen to something while having your phone available! You can always listen via your phone's built-in speaker or external speakers that you may have. But, if you are on the go, you can listen to podcasts using headphones and if you are in the car, you can connect your phone to your car's sound system via bluetooth, an aux cord connected via the 'aux in' port that many cars have, a USB connection to your phone's charging port, a tape deck adapter, or a radio adapter that allows you to broadcast your phone's output to particular frequencies.


Smart Speaker

Smart Speakers, such as the Google Home and the Amazon Echo, can also be used to play podcasts. You are able to connect your phone and smart speaker making it possible for you to listen to podcasts via your smart speaker. Simply follow the bluetooth connection directions provided with your smart speaker to get started listening.



Subscribing to a Podcast

Once you do find a podcast that you love, subscribing to it in your podcast app is the best way to keep up with it. You can subscribe via the app that you use on your phone (Apple Podcasts app, Google Podcasts, Overcast, BeyondPod, Grover Pro, etc.) or you can subscribe via the Apple Podcasts app on your computer. Google Play Music and other platforms that allow you to listen to podcasts on your computer typically give you the option to subscribe to podcasts as well. However, generally speaking, the Apple Podcasts app has the biggest selection of podcasts available. When you subscribe to a podcast, the newest episodes will show up every time you load the app.


There are tons of podcasts out there that cover just about every topic you can think of. So, if you want to learn a bunch about a topic, find a new form of entertainment, or even just enjoy hearing someone talk, do a search for some podcasts within your interests. You never know what you may find! Happy listening!


If you love listening to podcasts and you want to start making your own podcast, check out our beginner's equipment guide here.


Interested in podcasting with Live365? Join our waitlist to be the first to be notified when podcasting is available on the Live365 platform.

Discover thousands of free stations from every genre of music and talk at Live365.com. Keep up with the latest news by following us on Facebook (Live365 (Official) and Live365 Broadcasting) and Twitter (@Live365 and @Broadcast365)!

Article Image: Matthew Henry via Burst.

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About Michelle Ruoff

  • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania