A brief guide to subscribing and listening to the SMOC Podcast
Podcasting may be the latest BIG thing with MILLIONS of people world wide subscribing to all manner of different Podcasts, but a newcomer may have unanswered questions or misunderstandings.
This brief guide is aimed to help newcomers understand the process of subscribing to the SMOC podcast to listen to on their computer - be it an Apple Mac or a Windows PC.
Question - How much does the Podcast cost ? You have to pay for downloads from iTunes don't you?
Answer - The SMOC Podcast is FREE (just like all the other Podcasts from iTunes).
Question - I do not have iTunes on my computer. Where can I get it from and how much does it cost?
Answer - iTunes is FREE and is available from the Apple website at www.apple.com/uk/itunes.
Question - Why do you use iTunes for your Podcast feed?
Answer - Most people now have iTunes installed on their Mac or Windows PC and it is very intuitive to use and allows us to be included in the biggest Podcast directory in the world.
Question - How do I subscribe once I have installed iTunes?
Answer - The easiest way to subscribe is to click on the
button in the
sidebar of the SMOC home page.
This will take you to the SMOC Podcast entry in the iTunes window. Click on the subscribe button and you will subscribe to our Podcast and download the current programme.
Question - How do I get the latest Podcast once I have subscribed?
Answer - Each time we publish a new Podcast, the iTunes Store will add it to the Podcast listing. As long as you are connected to the Internet and have iTunes running, it will check for updates and automatically download the Podcast programme. (This describes the default behaviour, assuming you have not made changes to the download settings in iTunes).
Question - Can I copy the SMOC Podcast to my iPod?
Answer - Yes. Copy the Podcast in the same way that you would add music files to your iPod.
Question - Do I have to have an iPod to listen to the SMOC Podcast?
Answer - No. As it explains above you can listen to the Podcast on your computer.
Question - I have an mp3 player that is not an iPod can I copy the SMOC Podcasts to that to listen to it away from my computer?
Answer - Yes. Our Podcasts are recorded in a standard mp3 format. Drag the Podcast from iTunes onto your desktop, then copy to your mp3 player in the same way that you would do for music mp3s.
Question - I do not want to install iTunes, is there another way to download the SMOC Podcast?
Answer - iTunes is the best and easiest way to download, but if you want to make life difficult for yourself and download each programme from www.smoc.co.uk/podcasts/ . You will of course have to check on updates yourself.
Question - I have decided that I do not want to subscribe to the SMOC Podcast after all. How do I unsubscribe and remove the files from my computer?
Answer - With the SMOC Podcast selected in your iTunes Podcast Library click on the Unsubscribe button found at the bottom left of the iTunes window (iTunes v7). To remove the Podcasts you have already downloaded select them and click EDIT>DELETE on the menu.
Question - I have subscribed to the SMOC Podcast but I didn't notice where it went. Where will I find it in iTunes?
Answer - Look in the left hand side of the iTunes window for the LIBRARY. Below that you will find the Podcasts button.
Question - I have a question that is not answered here. How can I find an answer?
Answer - Send an email to mail @ smoc . co . uk with "Podcast Question" in the subject line.
I hope this guide helps you to enjoy the SMOC Podcasts. Add your comments to the Podcast section of the SMOC message board.
Thanks for reading, Jason Dilling.