Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with podcasts

How to get my iPod to sync in the order I want.

tonylord — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:10:04 -0800

I can't figure out how to get my ipod to sync an audiobook playlist, a podcast playlist and then fill up with music from another playlist. Can you help? Hi there,
I'm running a MBP with Snow Leopard and the latest version of iTunes.
My questions is about syncing itunes with my 2G iPod nano. I have the iPod to sync automatically with a podcast smart playlist, an audiobook non-smart playlists, and a non-smart music playlist.

Each time I sync, the size of the podcasts/audiobook playlists changes (either because I have made changes, or because new podcasts have been downloaded). This sometimes goes over the free space on the iPod and sometimes Itunes tells me this and says "Itunes will sync as many songs as possible", sometimes it just tells me there isn't enough free space and cancels the sync and sometimes it volunteers to turn off podcast syncing, which is what I specifically don't want. I haven't been able to figure out why I get different messages at different times.

What I'd really love is to get iTunes to be able to sync first the audiobook playlist, then the podcasts smart playlist and then fill the rest of the iPod from my music playlist. Is there a way of doing this?

sites online offering theatre or other drama for streaming or downloading?

feelinglistless — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:28:23 -0800

I'm very impressed with LA Theatre Works and wondered if there were similar sites online offering theatre or other drama for streaming or downloading?

How can I get my hands -- and ears -- on old Planet Money podcasts?

hungrytiger — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:47:01 -0800

I just fell in love with NPR's Planet Money podcast but can't figure out how to access back episodes. I just started listening to Planet Money and I'm excited about it. I'd like to go back and listen to the whole hundred-plus of them, but as far as I can tell they only have the last seven or so available on the NPR website.

Do any of you know another place where these podcasts might be archived/available? It seems odd that they're inaccessible...

Por favor: help me find "cultural immersion" podcasts

Piscean — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:34:14 -0800

I used to enjoy a podcast titled "Josh in Japan" produced by an ordinary guy living in Japan who talked about his daily experiences adjusting to Japanese culture. I am looking for other podcasts in this vein. I'm looking for podcasts in English, preferably by Americans living in foreign countries during the time of their podcasts (although I'd enjoy podcasts by non-Americans adjusting to U.S. culture as well). I don't want travel guides, documentary-style podcasts or those styled as lessons, nor do I want to listen to inanity or immaturity. Josh's podcasts ranged from funny to serious, and were conversational and engaging. Although he added a short lesson in Japanese vocabulary at the end of some episodes, this never interfered with the mood or energy of the podcast. Does anyone know of other podcasts similar to this? (They can be defunct, as long as they are still available).

What are the time requirements like for podcasting?

codacorolla — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:41:22 -0800

I work for an organization that wants to branch out into podcasting. I’m part of the team that’s drafting the proposal for main-administration, and my job is to come up with a possible schedule (including staff time involved) that’s required to plan, record, and edit each podcast. I was reading previous posts, and most of it deals with the technical and financial details (which are less of an issue for us because of our existing staff and materials). I did find a recommendation for podcasting for dummies, which I plan to get and skim as soon as possible.

The main concern seems to be how much staff time is involved. The staff that will make up the podcasting group has other projects that run simultaneously, so we want to be sure that we’re not stressing them too much (especially since I’m one of them!)

We plan to have the podcasts be 15 minutes long, and to have 2 of them per month. We're going to have 4 people on our team at first, and then branch out depending on the reception/difficulty.

We also plan on having a few months to make ~5 podcasts before we go live with the project to the public. This is mainly to give us a few episodes in reserve, so that we’re not stumbling over ourselves for content as we get used to the production process.

Here’s what I’m thinking so far in terms of scheduling:

1 Meeting per month, where we determine what podcasts we’ll be using for that month, and also brainstorm for content ~2 hours for everyone on the team

The staff member in charge of planning will coordinate with anyone that we need to interview, or any staff that’s contributing for this month’s production ~4 hours for the project coordinator, depending on the complexity

Recording, including setup. I figure that the best strategy is to record way, way more than we’re going to use to have a lot to work with in editing. ~5 hours for the interviewer and the tech team

Editing. We have one staff member who has volunteered for this, saying he has prior sound editing experience. ~5 hours for 1 staff member

Is this being too optimistic? Is there anything I’m forgetting? I want to paint a positive, yet still realistic picture for management, and I’ve never worked with podcasts before.

Irreverent and informative news podcast

brighton — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:10:32 -0800

Looking for the news equivalent of the "Football Weekly" podcast. Is there an audio podcast which does for current affairs what Football Weekly does for football?

If you listen to Football Weekly I hope you'll know what I mean. If you don't the main requirements are that it discusses the news in a fairly irreverent way, but is well informed. Covers all the main stories, and the hosts are allowed opinions of their own. It isn't a "comedy" podcast as such, but the personalities of the presenters will mean it does raise a smile. If it had a political bias in any direction, that would be fine. It would be great if it was UK-centric, but world news would be ok (US-centric would not). Ideally it would last about an hour twice a week.

What I'm not after (if it helps): The News Quiz, Have I Got News For You, The Daily Show.

Health/Diet Podcasts

gocubbies — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:49:42 -0800

What is your favorite health/diet podcast?

Can podcasts act like music tracks?

LouMac — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:17:53 -0800

How can I get podcasts to appear as art of my iTunes music library? I subscribe to many podcasts of the "song of the day" variety. How can I get these songs that are "podcasts" to show up within the music section of my library? Is there a mechanism to move these tracks so that they play like regular songs, mixed into the other music in my library?

Preaching to the Converted

man down under — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 01:58:13 -0800

I like listening to Mark Driscoll and Ravi Zacharias Podcasts. What else would I like?

Podcast Preferences

gocubbies — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:20:37 -0800

Trying to expand my podcast play list. Can you recommend podcasts that might compliment my current favorites? My favorite podcasts are as follows: The Adam Carolla Podcast, The Dave Ramsey Show, The Moth, NPR Fresh Air, and The Tech Guy - Leo Laporte. What else would you recommend?

Downloadable content in Argentinian Spanish?

yesno — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:36:55 -0800

Downloadable content in Argentinian Spanish? I'm looking for spoken content read by someone with an Argentinean or Rioplatense accent. Audiobooks, podcasts, and so forth. Any tips?

How Do I Get Paid For My Podcast?

HostBryan — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:02:25 -0800

How should I go about monetizing my podcast in a legitimate and professional manner? I've been operating my podcast for over three years now. In that three years, I've made a lot of new friends, met and interviewed some of my personal heroes, and just generally had a good time. We've since gone from just one main podcast to a soft launch of a network of podcasts on various topics, which I am pretty excited about.

Unfortunately, I've never really gotten anything in terms of financial compensation, which means I've been running it at a loss for three years. Now, it is not a gigantic expense and I am otherwise employed, but I'd like to make the podcast make at least a little money. I'm not looking to get rich, but if I could cover server and domain costs, give my co-hosts a little something, and maybe cover a few other bills I'd be ecstatic.

I've got some experience with radio sales but podcasts are a whole different beast, especially because it seems like I pretty much have to set up my own operation. I don't mind going hat-in-hand to potential sponsors but I also don't want to look like some shady character who's just going to take the money and run.

I plan on offering recorded ad messages and on-air mentions of the product/website/whatever, as well as banner and link space on the front page of the actual website. I'm mostly looking for cash, but trades of products or services for giveaways/reviews/whatever are also welcome.

So I guess I have a couple questions.

1. How do I go about making everything nice and legal and official? I want to make sure there's a paper trail and documents for sponsors to follow, also I want to be sure how to file taxes for this sort of thing. Plus, I don't want to look schlubby.

2. What would be a fair ballpark rate to charge for podcast advertising? We aren't a huge podcast but we get a large number of downloads for each episode, and we've been having a lot of luck with landing relatively big-name guests lately. I'm thinking of offering a tiered structure - sort of a Bronze/Silver/Gold/Platinum-type thing.

3. Would I instead be better off just accepting donations?

Thanks for your help, hive mind.

It's a podcast about something!

Dreamcast — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:57:03 -0800

What are some educational (yet interesting) podcasts? I'm looking for some "educational" podcasts. Specifically, I'm interested in subjects like history, astronomy (preferably geared more towards laymen), mythology, and just random trivia in general.

I'm interested in hearing any favorites you might have.

Previously, of course, but that's a couple of years old.

Vintage jazz radio streams/podcasts?

1001 questions — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:36:57 -0800

What are some decent vintage jazz radio streams/podcasts *with on-air programmers/DJs*? Two of my favorite radio shows on KBCS ("20th Century Jazz The First Half" with Joannie Nelson and "Vintage Jazz" with Al Barnes) are being discontinued due to management idiocy.

So I'm on the lookout for other shows to fill the huge void that will exist next month. I know "vintage jazz" is broad, but I'm not looking for some very specific music, I'm open to a host of things.

And I don't want to simply hit shuffle on an iPod or listen to streams with random (but good!) music. I want to hear DJs, good ones that talk about what they're playing, ones that have insightful things to say and/or are just a joy to listen to.

More podcasts like Ill Doctrine?

callmejay — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:22:55 -0800

I want more podcasts/vidcasts like Ill Doctrine. I find Jay Smooth entertaining, thoughtful, and emotionally and intellectually intelligent at the same time. Who else would I like?

Need not be related to hip-hop, although it certainly could be.

Contract based on 36 months with a 3.7% APR

Xurando — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:03:17 -0800

Help me figure out why my new Ipod Touch seems to be playing podcasts at faster than normal speed and to fix the problem. When I play back podcasts on my new 32G Ipod Touch it sounds like the speeded up portion at the end of car ads. Music seems to be okay but it's hard to tell. I played a piano sonata and it didn't sound speeded up. I would search the Apple/Ipod knowledge base for an answer but I don't know what to call it. I've looked in preferences but nothing seems to address my issue.
Any ideas?

40 channels on a radio tuned to static

mippy — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:11:57 -0800

Looking for interesting podcast recommendations from outwith iTunes - comedy, books, current affairs and anything else to satisfy an autodidact who's curious about everything. I'm finding that all the crafting I'm doing right now is eating into my reading time - I can't listen to speech on headphones whilst reading on the tube, but it's good to have something to amuse me whilst working with my hands. Currently I like The Moth (short stories from spoken word nights), Kermode and Mayo's film reviews (which kept me sane during a 1hr wait for a bus t'other week with their review of Terminator: Salvation Army) and Collings and Herrin (even if there's occasionally a bit too much bumming talk for my tastes). I need something amusing, or literary, or something that will teach me something. There's not that much on iTunes unless you like sport, video games or Twilight. I know I could go and spend the Selfridges voucher I got for my birthday on a DAB plug-in for the iPod, but discovering something new would be more fun. Any suggestions?

Whither amateur podcasting?

iamisaid — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:16:20 -0800

I'm a brand new amateur podcaster. However, it seems like I may be a little late to the game. Most podcasting forums/communities seem dead or full of spam, and many of the early podcasters seem to have given up on podcasting entirely. Is this indicative of anything about the current state of amateur podcasting, and where do said podcasters go to hang out and share advice these days?

looking for some good BD podcasts

minicloud — Fri, 08 May 2009 06:09:25 -0800

There are quite a few American and Canadian podcasts devoted to indie comics. Are there any French language podcasts out there like these? Specifically I'm looking for interviews with cartoonists. I'm learning French and looking for more podcasts to listen to while I draw (yes, I'm a cartoonist). I'm certain there are plenty of great interviews out there, but I'm having a difficult time searching for them. Can anyone help me find single interviews archived online or entire podcasts which talk about comics?

The best English language equivalent would be Inkstuds, a great comics podcast from Vancouver.

What is the best podcasted public lecture series?

surenoproblem — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 02:31:47 -0800

I'm looking for a podcast of public lectures from prominent people in their fields: people like Jeffrey Sachs, Peter Singer, Toni Morrison. Many universities offer public lecture series online. Which is the best podcast, in terms of big-name speakers and well explained ideas?

Podcast downloads keep timing out

mattholomew — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 07:27:37 -0800

A few of my regular podcasts always 'time out' when Itunes attempts to download the latest episode. It starts downloading, then stops and I get a message like "17 of 35 MB - stopped." If I hit refresh, it starts downloading at a normal speed and then slows down and stops again. The only way I can get the podcast to download fully is to hit refresh, then as soon as it slows again I stop and hit refresh - over and over until it's complete. Additional clues: This only happens with some podcasts, the rest download fine. One example that I always have problems with is the NPR Studio 360 show. Also, if I go to the web site and manually download (right-click/save as on the mp3 link), it downloads fine. I'm on a Cox cable connection and my download speeds are fine for everything else.

I got an ipod...now what?

btkuhn — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:56:24 -0800

I got an ipod...now what? I finally gave in and ordered an IPOD (a nano), and downloaded iTunes on my desktop. I'm in a living situation where I only have acess to a computer for about an hour a day and very limited TV access, so I figure I can watch some of my favorite shows through iTunes and pick up some new podcasts (or download archived, old shows that I haven't seen) to fill the moments when I am experiencing TV withdrawal. I've had a regular MP3 player for a while but only use it to listen to music currently. So I started searching itunes for some of my favorite shows and realized that just about everything costs $2-3 a show. Which I should have expected, I guess, but when I hear "Watchus on ITunes" at the end of shows on TV I think "Well, it was free on TV" so I didn't expect it to cost extra to download on my computer. Its not in my budget to start paying extra for TV shows, so I turn to you guys: what are the favorite things (shows, podcasts) you get from ITunes or put on your ipod for free?

Also, the computer I am using is a public shared computer so anything off bittorrent is out of the question.

Thanks.

What solid, unusual podcasts deserve more exposure?

colinmarshall — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:43:44 -0800

What are some good, unusual podcasts that merit the attention of a high-profile review? I write the "Podthoughts" podcast review column for The Sound of Young America's website, and as such am equipped to endow a podcast kingmaker's imprimatur on any podcast that merits one. I'm always on the lookout for solid podcast entertainment that's off the beaten track, so I figured I'd take the question to MeFi. Any podcasts you listen to that you think merit a much wider listenership? (Note that this is NOT a guarantee that I'll review the podcast you mention — though its chances can only go up — and it especially isn't a guarantee of an positive review.)

I must, with a heavy heart, temporarily forbid the suggestion of podcasts that revolve around these things, for I have grown so very weary of them:

- Comedy
- Video games
- Comics
- Movies
- Twentysomething guys in basements

The less-known, the better.

I just want to listen to podcasts wirelessly.

CwgrlUp — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:03:30 -0800

How to stream music to my iphone through my bluetooth headset. The cheapest way? Wanting to listen to podcasts on my iphone 3G through my Plantronics headset.

I have scoured the net and I have seen the workarounds but it doesn't work with my Plantronics 220. And the idea to put a call on hold is stupid to me because you're wasting minutes. (But it would work because I can hear music and a caller's voice at the same time.) Is there a reason why the voicemail trick won't work with my earpiece? All I hear is a buzz, it never switches to the music. If so, what inexpensive earpiece would you recommend instead and how would I know it will work better than this one I already have?

My only other (relatively cheap) option it seems is a bluetooth adapter. This is the cheapest I found but I can't find any reviews anywhere which is always scary. Do you have any experience with this particular adapter?

Sound quality isn't a big deal, nor is stereo sound. I just want to listen to podcasts as unobtrusively *ahem* at work as possible. :) Thanks.

Tips for learning non Indo-European languages

empath — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:09:08 -0800

How do you get a foothold when trying to learn a non indo-european language? I've been listening to French and Spanish language learning podcasts off and on and I've kind of gradually been learning enough to pick up the gist of conversations or to read articles in Spanish and French (my real goal in learning them), and I decided I'd browse around some Asian languages to see if I could learn anything casually. I'm finding I'm hitting a complete cognitive brick wall trying to pick up ANYTHING from podcasts though. The words just go in one ear and out the other, and I'm not just not retaining anything. Even just the introductory lessons are completely losing me, after multiple listens.

I think the complete lack of cognates is making it hard for me to remember anything, and the fact that words that sound like words I know almost definitely mean nothing like it.

Does anyone have any tips for just getting over the initial hurdle and simply being able to remember the words? Is it just a matter of brute force and memorization?