Ready to try out some podcasts, but not sure how to listen?
Here are some common questions and quick instructions for how to listen to podcasts.
Don't forget: once you learn how to listen to podcasts, you can listen to them practically ANYWHERE! In the car, or a train or plane. While cooking dinner or doing housework. At work or at the gym. The options are limitless!
Do podcasts cost money?
The majority of podcasts are FREE to listen to! Advertisers usually cover a podcaster’s costs.
Most websites or apps for listening to podcasts are free, although there are some apps that require a one-time paid download or a subscription purchase. Some podcast companies or organizations offer paid membership programs to listeners, giving them special content and other cool benefits.
Podcasts produced by entrepreneurs and nonprofits might ask for donations to keep the show running, but you're never under any obligation to spend money.
How do I find podcasts?
If you want to find suggestions for podcasts to listen to, you can find hundreds of podcast recommendations right here on this blog. Every podcast or episode that I recommend has a link, which will take you to the podcast website, or sometimes to an online podcast player. Yes, you can stream a podcast through the internet on your desktop computer!
There are also tons of different apps, media players, and websites that you can use to download podcast episodes to your mobile devices. Here’s a quick Wondery.com video about finding and listening to podcasts via the Podcasts app that comes on all on Apple devices.
Do I have to use iTunes? (or “I’m not an Apple user...”)
Nope! Like I said, podcasts are hosted all over the internet and on plenty of apps for Android users. Many of the links in my blog posts go right to the podcast’s website, where the show will either host their episodes or tell you which apps or podcast players their episodes can be found.
I mentioned before that 99% of podcast episodes are free, and so are most apps. The free podcast player/app that I prefer and use on my iPhone and iPad is Pocket Casts. You can download it for iOS by clicking this here.
** Click here to learn how to listen to podcasts without using your cell phone data**