Podcasting is nothing new. In fact, people have been recording and publishing podcasts since 2004. Fast-forward 13 years, and according to one survey in 2017, 42 million Americans above the age of twelve listen to podcasts at least on a weekly basis. That’s just in the United States (unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find Irish and UK statistics). But you get the gist. That being said, for anyone new to podcasting, it can all seem a little overwhelming to navigate through so much content. This is what today’s article is all about: getting started listening to podcasts.
What Are Podcasts?
If you’re struggling to grasp the concept of what podcasting is, think about as audio blogging – in some way. If there are video podcasts that exist, more often than not, podcasts are themed series of spoken audio episodes (a bit like a radio talk show). They can have different objectives:
- educational
- entertainment
- business
- personal growth, etc.
In a nutshell, a podcast is a series, and an episode is one audio recording from a podcast. So, in essence, if a podcast were a TV show like Stranger Things then the podcast episode would be like an episode from the show (say Chapter One: Mad Max).
Simple? Great. Next, how to get started listening to podcasts.
Listening To Podcasts: The Essentials
With more than 115,000 English-language podcasts available on the internet, all touching upon different subjects, you’ll undoubtedly find a show you’re into.
Finding An Interesting Podcast
Because there are so many available online now, you can simply open a google page and search for any topic that interests you and add ‘podcast’ at the end of it. For example, your search request could look something like this: “business growth podcast”. I’ve just run here for you, and some the top pages that come up are:
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Business Growth Podcast | Interviews with business owners about …
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10 Business Growth Podcasts Worth Listening To In 2016 – Maptive
Nine times out of ten, whatever the search term you put in, you’ll be getting quite a few suggestions.
Subscribing To A Podcast Series
On an iOS (Mac) device, you can use iTunes Podcast app (see the icon above). Simply click on it, and proceed to search for a podcast as you’d do on Google. You will get a few suggestions coming up and will be able to subscribe to the ones you’d like – automatically adding them to your Podcast’s Library. If you don’t have a particular topic in mind, you can also just ‘browse’ iTunes Podcast library.
On an Android device, you will need to download a podcasting app. Two of the most popular ones would be Podcast Addict and CastBox (click on the links to access the respective download pages). From there, it’s the same logic: search for a particular topic or show and subscribe to add it to your library and get new episodes automatically.
On a desktop computer, you can head over to Podbay.FM, which counts numerous shows. All you have to do is once again, search for a particular topic or show and then, plug your headphones or speakers in!
Check Out Phorest FM, The Salon Owner’s Podcast
Co-hosted by Killian Vigna (Education Research & Development) and Zoé Bélisle-Springer (Blog Content & Social Media Executive), Phorest FM is a weekly show that puts forth a mix of interviews with industry thought-leaders, salon/spa marketing tips, company insights and information on attending Phorest Academy webinars. Currently, the podcast follows a monthly structure of:
- interview episode
- discussion episode (we take topics and review them or have Phorest staff on the show to discuss a particular topic)
- interview episode
- monthly round-up
Trending Episodes
- 048 | Jennie Lawson On Building The UK’s First Eco-Innovative Salon
- 050 | Michelle Bolger On Maternity Leave, Holiday Entitlement & Social Media
- 052 | David Barnett On Setting Yourself Up For A Successful Retail Holiday Season
- 043 | Alan Stewart On The Importance Of Online Bookings And Embracing Technology
- 046 | Sam Pearce On The Current Recruitment Crisis In The Hair And Beauty Industry
Help Us Help You!
Below is a 2-minute survey on podcasts (generally speaking) and on Phorest FM specifically. Killian and I would love to get your feedback – simply click on the ‘start’ button!
Got feedback? Leave us a comment or tweet us @ThePhorestWord!
Thanks for reading!
#LetsGrow
