Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with podcasts

How do i get my podcasts to sync?

earthquakeglue — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:50:22 -0800

I just got a new ipod(classic) today, all the music synced fine and most of my podcasts too. However, i have 18 that won't sync and it keeps saying it can't find them even though they're all right there on itunes as i just downloaded them. I made sure everything was up to date, and even restarted itunes but still nothing. If it matters i'm using a mac(2007/08?), with itunes 11.0.3, snow leopard. Is there anyway i can get them to sync?

Where can I get/find Podcasts? And, Podcast suggestions

TRUELOTUS — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:53:54 -0800

I love listening to podcasts. I like to think of my ipod as a pocket radio. I just recently discovered a Food Activist/ author Bryant Terry, and his interviews are amazing. But, when i did a search on Itunes, I found barely anything thing there, so I spent a lot of time combing google. I know that there has got to be some site where I can go to find podcasts. Also, there are great things on youtube, I wonder if I could get/rip? those videos to play on my nano somehow when I do not have wifi access. Also can you suggest podcasts for me? 1. I am into Urban Ag, Food Justice- I listen to Hot Grease, Eat Your Words, Splendid Table, KCRW Good Food

2. I love Moth, TAL, and Wait Wait...car talk is eeh

3. I am into Plant-Based Nutrition, Superfoods, Ayurveda and TChineseMedicine, Midwifery Giving up Dairy

4.I am into Knitting

5.I am into Meditation, I listen to thich nhat Hanh, Zencast and Plum Village podcasts

6. I am into Harry Potter

7. I am into Women of Color activism like Melissa Harris Perry, on Repro Rights, and Repro Health

Your Favorite Interview-Format Podcasts?

oceanview — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:51:17 -0800

What are your favorite interview-format podcasts? I love listening to arts and culture podcasts that are in interview format. I.e. Host has a guest or two on and they talk about the guest's career and such for 20 minutes or so. I LOVE meaty, thoughtful interviews where it's about more than just shilling the latest book, CD, etc and there's substantial discussion taking place. Some examples:

How Was Your Week with Julie Klausner
Here's the Thing with Alec Baldwin
Hivecast with Matt Pinfield
Low Times with Tom Scharpling, etc
Girl on Guy with Aisha Taylor
Morning Becomes Electric

(Interviews with '80s-'00s alt-rock musicians in particular is like crack to me.)

Podcasts I'm familiar with but not a fan of so no need to recommend them:

Q, WTF (with Maron), any of the "shock jocks"

Thanks!

Voices to hook to

Mizu — Wed, 01 May 2013 18:43:44 -0800

Another question about recommended podcasts, hooray! I don't normally listen to podcasts. But lately while crocheting I have been my most productive and zen-like when listening to none other that the Metafilter Podcast!

I like that I can kind of tune it out a little bit but the voices are friendly and familiar and talking about something I either already caught in passing on the site or know I can go look at later in more detail so I'm not really missing too much if I'm focusing on my work. I like that it's long, and I don't have to worry about finding something else halfway through. I like that it's not really narrative so much as conversational. I like that they sometimes go on unexpected and fairly personal tangents; that it's less a directed and orderly thing and more a general meeting and friendly discussion.

I enjoy music but my tastes are so eclectic that I truly enjoy something from everything, and I'm fickle in that I never quite know what I want to listen to except something that I haven't been listening to recently, so focused music podcasts are kind of annoying for me since I spend longer deciding what thing to listen to than actually listening to it.

A storytelling hour sort of thing might be nice except that I wouldn't be able to occasionally get lost in crafting and come back to the story without worrying I'd missed a lot; this is why I also don't listen to audiobooks for this.

So unfortunately the Mefi Podcast is only once a month (massive improvement from previous, however) and it seems like most of the podcast AskMes have specific criteria I'm not looking for. Maybe something like a variety with interviews? Sometimes I listen to "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" which is nice, but is often more general knowledge stuff than I care about. I guess I'm pretty niche-y, I love geeky things (whenever Cortex starts on about rougelikes my ears perk up) and also scientific history, nutritional anthropology, folklore, animation and special effects, star trek, fiber arts, cooking, modern social structure, smashing the patriarchy, kitties... just tons of different things. So interviews might be really cool, but interviews of who? Humor might be good, but can I zone out and come back to it and still find it funny? Who has long, eclectic podcasts with people who will become familiar voices to me?

Please help me with specific podcast episode recommendations!

mireille — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:41:08 -0800

Spontaneous weekend road trip tomorrow, 9 hour drive in each direction (that's the distance to the closest city from our remote location). If I had more time I would comb through various podcasts to pick out ones I think I'd like, but this time I could use your help. Podcasts I've enjoyed in the past are mainly This American Life episodes (mostly because I haven't yet explored other options). My favorite segment of all time is Squirrel Cop from the "First Day" episode, and I've really enjoyed the "Starting from Scratch" and "When Patents Attack" episodes as well. I like longer personal interest stories as well as topics that are generally complex but conveyed in an entertaining manner (like the patents stories). I adore David Sedaris but I think I've heard most of his NPR stuff (a lot of David Rakoff's work too). I've gone through most of the TAL favorites, and would like to find the equivalent in other podcasts.

I have listened to a couple of The Moth podcasts and would love some recommendations of specific ones, as well as any other podcasts that you can think of that might apply to my interests.

Free is great, iTunes is okay too, but Amazon is out because despite my VPN and US account, they're very aggressive about keeping Canadians out of their MP3 store.

need more Mudd!

mannequito — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:24:06 -0800

Earlier this week I was updating my podcasts and especially looking forward to catching up on a few months of Mudd Up! with DJ /Rupture. Alas, turns out the show stopped airing back in February. Anybody know any music podcasts in a similar vein? If you're unfamiliar with the show, it's described as "Forward-thinking electronic music, regional sounds from around the world, hip-hop, dancehall, and float. Frequent international guests widen the picture."

20-25 minute podcasts

greta simone — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:33:57 -0800

I have a new commute that is a 25 minute walk from door to door. I'd like to find some podcasts to fill this time. I have a new commute that is a 25 minute walk from door to door. I'd like to find some podcasts to fill this time. I'm not really a podcast person, so I don't really know what's out there. The only ones I have ever really listened to more than once are This American Life and Dan Savage, but both of those are too long.

I'm not really sure what I'm looking for, but I like the story-telling aspect of TAM. Regarding Dan Savage, I honestly get bored with him after about 10 minutes (I'm a fan, but oftentimes it's the same ol' shit--GGG, DTMFA, open up the relationship, blahblahblah).

Here are a few things I like to read/learn about, so maybe these can be helpful in influencing your suggestions: history, literature, fashion/style, music, obscure places/events such as those written about at Atlas Obscura, sex/sexuality/relationships/dating, current events/politics, urban legends/occult-y stuff, social justice, women's rights/issues, interior decorating, travel.

Here are things that generally don't interest me: cars, tech stuff, computers, physics (though I do enjoy learning about new scientific innovations, but for the layman), cooking, gardening, building stuff, crafting, military/war history, sports, money management/investing, celebrity gossip.

I'm trying to get interested in exercise, working out, healthy eating and generally healthy living, so you're welcome to suggest things in that vein as well.

So, hit me with those under-25-minute suggestions. Thanks a bunch!

I need a new podcast

JoannaC — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:24:18 -0800

I need a new podcast. Something like Jillian Michaels or Adam Carolla would be good... I need a new podcast. I am devoted to Jillian Michaels but she does not produce frequently enough. The boyfriend listens to Adam Carolla and I don't run and hide in a different room, but it's not my favourite. I have also liked the Quirks and Quarks science show but that was hit or miss with me---sometimes, they were super-interesting (stuff about food, health and the human body), and sometimes they were really dull (breaking news about a new discovery in the mating habits of a certain species of bird).

What I like about Jillian (and to a lesser extent, Carolla) is the mix of actual newsy information, chatty talk show vibe and that little bit of humour thrown in. I'd like more in this vein. Things which do NOT interest me:

- Overly long (I plan to use these during my commute, which is about half an hour; longer than that and I will fall behind)

- Overly short (see above. Anything called 'the daily minute' or something like that won't work for me)

- A little intellectual stimulation is fine, but nothing too hard-core as I will be walking, in traffic, on the bus etc. and may be distracted

- No sports please :) I *am* interested in health and fitness topics, not professional organized sport (unless there is some kind of non-boring 'baseball for girls who don't know about baseball but who are trying to learn about it because the man in their life is into it' podcast...)

So...ideas?

Easy French or French-English Podcast recommendations?

Scientist — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:06:26 -0800

I'm learning French, and am looking to increase my exposure to spoken French. Among other things, I've been listening to the Coffee Break French series of podcasts, which has been very helpful, but I'd like to add in some podcasts that aren't specifically about learning French -- podcasts that are by native French speakers and made for a French-speaking audience, but which ideally are fairly accessible or at least roughly comprehensible with some effort to someone who has only a patchy knowledge of the language. French news podcasts might be valuable to me, for instance. Bonus features: podcasts that are also broadcast in English, podcasts that are about scientific topics, and podcasts that are about or are produced in francophone Africa. Recommendations?

Podcasts about trends in mobile

coffee and minarets — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:38:49 -0800

What are the best podcasts that focus on current and potential future trends in mobile (smartphones, tablets)?

What podcasts can I listen to over the entire week?

kanata — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 08:19:50 -0800

I like podcasts. I have ones that I listen to on Friday, Sunday, and Monday but not for the other days of the week. Do you have any recommendations for ones to fill those days? I like to listen to podcasts at night and am having a hard time finding any that I like that come out regularly. I like comedy podcasts and serious podcasts with a comedic element. Do you know any that take my tastes into account?

Every Friday I listen to The Mental Illness Happy Hour and love the discussion of mental health with a dash of comedy to make it awkward.

On Sunday I listen to Jordan, Jesse, Go!

Mondays are for Stop Podcasting Yourself.

I occasionally listen to Judge John Hodgeman if I am really bored but would love other humourous podcasts for the rest of the time.

NOTE: I've tried the rest of the Maximum Fun network and don't really like them.

What I like in these podcasts is two friends shooting the shit. I much prefer Stop Podcasting Yourself over JJGO! as they are more laid back. Since I listen to these at night I don't like a lot of loudness or too much music in them (JJGO! is pushing it). Mentalpod is the right amount of seriousness and comedy that I can take.

Help me wrap my head around iTunes and its kin

not.so.hip — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:15:23 -0800

Where can I find a good, clear explanation of the functions of iTunes and its offshoots (the App Store, Music, Podcasts, iTunesU, etc.) and how to use them correctly? I need to explain all of this to a group of casual iOS users and I can't even seem to get a grip on it myself even though I've been an iTunes user since 2.0.

iTunes 11 on a computer is a media store/player/manager. iTunes on my iPad is for purchasing and synchronizing media, but not playing media. The Music app on my iPhone will let me listen to podcasts, but that doesn't seem to be true on my iPad. How does iCloud fit in with all of this? It's a bit confusing. I feel like I'm not quite seeing the big picture of how Apple is intending me to use them all across my devices and computers.

Can you recommend any articles, blog posts or even books that explain the history of, current uses and future plans for these apps? I've read the Wikipedia article and also the ArsTechnica history of iTunes but it's still not sinking in.

I kind of wish Apple would just come out with something like iMedia and make it nice and simple again, but I'm fully willing to admit that this could just be my inner curmudgeon talking. Thanks for any insight you can offer.

Looking for Podcasts on Video Games

to sir with millipedes — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:29:20 -0800

Looking for some podcasts that focus on video games. I already listen to the Giant Bombcast and The Indoor Kids. What am I missing?

Simplest ever Podcast downloader

therubettes — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 03:35:13 -0800

I am looking for THE simplest ever podcast downloading software for Windows 7. I will add the feeds manually. I have spent the last 90 minutes on 2 laptops trying to download software which will allow me to download podcasts. The only feature I am looking for is 'Download All' which would download all of podcasts in a feed.

My abridged experience:

I have tried iTunes which has melted my head.

Zune which seems determined to display all my pictures, which led me into a frustrating cycle of trying to eliminate my 'Windows' Libraries'.

Juice when it would run would not download all and eventually hung.

gPodder wanted a load of python crap which I downloaded and which still did not help it to work.

Google reader is not suitable for downloading.

Please excuse the rant but it seems like every piece of s*** software wants to start a bloody relationship with you! It like asking someone for a light and they start looking through your wallet, take out your phone and start making calls.

Or asking someone for a light, they say 'Sure no problem' and then start chucking hot coals at your face to light your cigarette.

Your deeply, deeply frustrated.....some additional info, my machine is lightning fast and virus free.

Podcasts as good as Scriptnotes, but for prose?

Happy Dave — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 03:41:40 -0800

I've recently started listening to Scriptnotes, a great podcast by John August and Craig Mazin about screenwriting. Is there a similar podcast about novel/short story writing, or indeed writing in general? Podcasts I already subscribe to and key things I like about Scriptnotes inside. Reasons I like Scriptnotes:
- Great hosts with the ability to have genuinely funny back and forth banter
- Very knowledgeable and genuinely experienced in the field they're talking about
- Huge range of topics from the business side of things to software tools to creativity
- Not genre-specific (although I'd be up for an SF-focused version, if one existed)
- Well edited and produced without a lot of rambling, awkward silences or awkwarder banter.
- Regular Q&As and experimentation with new features (i.e. it's not a totally rigid format)

Podcasts I already subscribe to/would rule out:
- Writing Excuses (do subscribe, but it's very genre-focused and they talk over each other a lot).
- I should be writing (did subscribe, found the one-person-talking intros not very engaging and the editing/rambling quotient a bit high)

Help me join my generation or at least get more cultural references.

availablelight — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 06:06:52 -0800

This ranks up there with "non-anonymous embarrassing questions." If you wanted to feel hipper than someone today, here's your big chance. The last time I really listened to newly-produced rock music of any kind was somewhere between Casey Kasem and Nine Inch Nails. I don't even own a radio right now. I have an iTunes account....I use for free podcasts. How do the kids (and grownups) these days discover new artists, hear new songs, hear the latest bands? (I'm not talking about bubblegum pop or stereotypical top 40 music, necessarily). Especially if you don't already have your bearings or know what's out there or what you're looking for--Pitchfork is not a great starting point for this situation, neither are shows out in Brooklyn. Budget is relatively low (no Apple devices). Looking for specifics (i.e. not, I listen to radio and subscribe to podcasts and go to shows but, I listen to X radio channel and this podcast which is found X).

Next week maybe I'll hang my head in shame and ask about twitter and instagram.

Podcasts in Portuguese. Suggestions?

pitrified — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:12:06 -0800

What are some good podcasts in Portuguese? I'm not looking for lessons of Portuguese, just interesting, listenable content about any topic. Longer version: I am looking for good podcasts to help train my ear for listening to Portuguese. Ideally, it would be something along the lines of what the RFI has for French, the Journal en français facile, but it doesn't necessarily need to be the news. Does anything at all like this exist for Portuguese? I sorted through iTunes, old AskMes and Google, but the only useful things I came up with were this thread, which recommended Pessoal & Transmissível and seems like a good start, this thread, which got no answers, and this one, which was mostly about music.

Ideal characteristics: Short (15 minutes or less), slower paced, simplified language, interesting content about any topic (although perhaps the more universal the better, e.g., world news)

Other relevant information: I'm not particular about peninsular vs. Brazilian Portuguese (although Brazilian is probably preferable), and this is something that would ultimately be for recommendation to university-level beginner students of Portuguese (and a friend who is also trying to improve his listening skills).

Are there any good podcatching apps for the Samsung Galaxy S3?

JamesAtMidnight — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 19:02:58 -0800

I listen to a lot of podcasts and my iPod Touch was great for that, but I've recently switched to the Samsung Galaxy S3 and I find their podcasting features extremely inadequate. Some of my problems include how it won't save the spot where I left off if I switch to a different podcast, there's no button that immediately rewinds or fast forwards 15 seconds, but the worst thing is that the two podcatching apps I've tried so far (KiesCast and MyPOD) don't allow me to subscribe to some of the obscure podcasts that are available in iTunes. Does anyone have any experience with a good podcatching app for the Galaxy S3?

There's no such thing as a free lunch...or so I thought.

lea724 — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 11:45:22 -0800

How do cable shows that offer free video podcasts on iTunes make money off of my watching them if no ads are inserted? In a follow-up and slight divergence from this question posted earlier today, I was wondering:

How do shows (I'm specifically thinking about The Rachel Maddow Show for my question) that offer free video podcasts on iTunes make money off of my watching them?

I don't have a cable subscription and therefore, have started watching the day-after video podcasts from TRMS that are available for free on iTunes. The videos don't have ads in them and the only apparent banner ads on the videos are for MSNBC-related activity.

Why does the show offer this video to me for free? It's not like I'm watching the show via my cable company (and presumably watching commercials) and then going online later to rewatch the episode, but I'm curious. Is it that they're hoping I'll buy RM merchandise...?

Thanks.

Arabic Podcasts Recommendations

motdiem2 — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 04:12:52 -0800

Can you recommend podcasts in arabic ? I'm looking for weekly or monthly current events or culture related podcasts in arabic.

My arabic reading skills are poor - so I might not be able to navigate far enough on sites to find it on my own.
Most news stations (BBC, AJE, NHK) seem to have daily updates, which is too much for me - or stuff seems to be too infrequently updated.

Ideally, I'd want an equivalent to the Monocle podcast, focused on the Middle East Area - but I'm happy with anything really as long as it is updated fairly regularly or have a large enough back catalog I can dive into.

Pro tips needed: ethnography / design research using pragmatic tools

pearl228 — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:49:02 -0800

Hidden cameras or microphones - on the go, or installed for long term capture. What are your pro tips? So, I've done plenty of research here and elsewhere, and was wondering if any of you all have used these tools, practically, in similar or other contexts. For your reference, I'm looking to use these for ethnography, design research, and knowledge management.

I'm looking to (1) capture movements of people through spaces (public or private) over time for research or visual analysis. Think William Whyte.

Or (2) capture footage when walking through a site efficiently for reference, without being encumbered by a device that is clunky, inconvenient, or otherwise non-graceful in use. Think James Bond if he were in ethnography.

It seems there are a wide array of options for this: hunting cameras?! who knew? And yet I hugely recognize the best strategies have likely been figured out by people who have worked with this equipment.

My criteria, then, would be:
1. Set it and forget it
2. Subtlety so I can observe a site without influencing behavior.
3. Decent resolution for editing into digestible bits for research review.

Thanks in advance! I'll be more than happy to share my knowledge while going through this process.

I laughed, I cried, etc

showbiz_liz — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 08:20:30 -0800

Storytelling as an art form/performance- I can't get enough! Point me towards podcasts, events in NYC, etc. I've enjoyed The Moth for a long time- first the podcast, and then, once I moved to NYC, the live events- but I didn't realize that this particular form of autobiographical storytelling was a kinda pervasive artform until just recently. I started listening to the podcast Risk ("the show where people tell true stories they never thought they'd dare to share"), and today I found out about the Red Umbrella Diaries, a storytelling show/podcast exclusively by sex workers. I can't get enough of this stuff!

Please, point me towards 1. other podcasts in a similar vein and 2. other New York-based events I can check out. Or, I guess, specific performers I should look into- I really enjoy David Sedaris, for example, or Louis CK's more autobiographical stuff.

Requirements: it's true/nonfiction, it's based on the life of the person telling the story, and it's funny or sad or both (both is great).

Best Spanish language tv/radio/podcasts?

knapah — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 03:28:36 -0800

Recommend some good Spanish language media (TV series, online radio, podcasts etc) for my girlfriend to immerse herself in while she learns Spanish. My girlfriend wants to surround herself with Spanish before future visits to Spain. It doesn't matter if you don't think they will be entirely intelligible to a learner as she really just wants to get used to hearing it. She has total fluency in her acquired second language and finds immersion like this very fruitful.

I am also aware this kind of question has been asked before (e.g. 1,2), but although I have taken note of a few suggestions from other threads (such as HBO's Epitafios), many of the podcasts and radio stations that were suggested are now broken links and even the BBC World Service doesn't seem to broadcast in Spanish these days (damn cuts!).

Basically, if you listen to or know of any good Spanish language TV series or online radio stations, just throw them in here and we'll see what sticks.

Serve me up some political news

otherwordlyglow — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 13:57:44 -0800

I need a (daily?) podcast to keep up with (mostly?) American politics. I don't watch television and the radio in my car is broken. I listen to a lot of podcasts. While I do read the news online, I feel like I'm missing a lot of the political stuff in the run-up to the November elections. I don't require the news to be up-to-the-minute fresh but within a couple of days would be preferable. Weekly would be less preferably but it would at least be something besides what I glean from Wait Wait Don't Tell Me's podcast.

News plus some analysis and discussion would be really great. I doesn't have to be neutral but I don't think I'd be interested in solely republican/conservative/teabagger perspectives. I'm generally liberal, progressive, and Democratic but I don't need a political slant to the news. Under 30 minutes would be great and if there's content that goes beyond political news, that's fine but I do want it to contain a pretty hefty dose of national politics.

What's a solid non-iTunes podcatcher with authenticated feeds support?

Geektox — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 16:18:42 -0800

What's a solid non-iTunes podcatcher with authenticated feeds support? Specifically, I need it to work with Giant Bomb's subscriber video feeds. So far, I have tried MediaMonkey, gPodder, and foobar2000's podcatcher plugin which is no longer under development.

The reason why I do not want to use iTunes is because I do not own a MP3 player, and I use foobar2000 for my music listening needs. Are there any other viable options?