The Spanish Radio show Nuestro Flamenco has come up in posts and I wanted to add, for those who follow the program, that it is available in podcast form. It's on iTunes as well as other places. On iTunes you can load episodes going back several years. I also follow podcasts for the shows, Duendeando and a Compas.

byron

Sounds like yet another good reason to learn Spanish.


Alan

I have heard of podcasts of course but I do not know what they are.
Are they some kind of communication service like youtube that you subscribe to?
How would I find these podcasts?
Gracias
Tomás

Two choices with podcasts - you can either subscribe using iTunes or RSS (never used RSS myself so I don't really know how it works); or you can go direct to the source and download the mp3 files to your PC without waiting - I've put the link here; there's about three months' worth of programs you can download free of charge.

http://www.rtve.es/podcast/radio-clasic ... SNUEFL.xml

There's a "Media file" which I guess is a preview or low-fi version, or you can right-click over the program title which will bring up the "Save as..." options

Enjoy.


Alan

Yes, you can subscribe, like an RSS service, but somewhat different in format. The easiest way to subscribe, due to differences that each site might use, is to go to iTunes. ITunes uses the same method to subscribe. When you see the podcast in iTunes you can subscribe and get every new "broadcast", or you can "get" individual programs by selecting the title.

One good way to see them all is to do a search in iTunes for "flamenco" and then select the "podcast" type on the left-hand navigation bar. That will bring up all they they currently have.

TomasJimenez wrote:I have heard of podcasts of course but I do not know what they are.
Are they some kind of communication service like youtube that you subscribe to?
How would I find these podcasts?
Gracias
Tomás

The term "podcast" originated in connection with Apple iPod audio players. The basic idea was simply that anyone who wanted to could create something like a radio broadcast program, only instead of broadcasting it via radio, they provided it as an audio file that iPod users could transfer to their portable players and listen to.

The popularity of podcasts grew rapidily and soon extended beyond Apple iPod users to users of any make and model of audio player. Just as with radio broadcasts, podcast content can be anything from educational, to entertainment, to news, to info commercials, to whatever. An enormous number of podcasts are now available from countless websites, and also via special sites that provide indexing, distribution, and automatic downloading services.

http://www.podcastready.com/ is popular website like that I have used for years and that I recommend. They provide a free program called myPodder that you can install on any Windows, Linux, or Mac desktop computer to help you easily locate and automatically download podcasts you are interested in. They also provide another free program called AutoPodder that I haven't used. It runs only on Windows computers and integrates with Windows Media Player. I have always used myPodder and don't know exactly what the differences are. However, I know you can automatically-download and listen to podcasts with a Windows computer using either myPodder or AutoPodder.

myPodder also can be directly installed on some makes and models of portable audio players. I have had it installed on my iAudio player for years. I am interested in science, so I have myPodder set to automatically download a variety of science podcasts produced by various universities, professional societies, governmental organizations, and companies around the world. Just like radio programs, some podcasts are daily, some are weekly, and some are released at random intervals whenever there is something new to report. Some podcasts are intended for a general audience, such NASA's Science @ NASA Feature Stories podcasts. A more interesting general audience example is a weekly podcast called The Naked Scientists Naked Science Radio Series. The show is interesting, not because the scientists are naked, which couldn't be seen via an audio file anyway, but because they strip down science and lay the facts bare. In addition to science programs like those aimed at a general listening audience, there are highly-technical science programs most people wouldn't be interested in or understand. If science doesn't interest you, there is no end of other programs to choose from. So many interesting ones, in fact, that it is impossible to keep up.

Because myPodder automatically downloads new programs to my audio player as they are published day and night, it always has interesting new programs ready to listen to. I take it with me most places I go, so I rarely waste time in a waiting room, waiting for my wife to finish shopping, or in any other situation like that without highly interesting new material to hear.

Of course, any of you can create and publish your own podcasts if you have something you would like to share with the world. Nothing more than a digital audio recorder is needed to get started, although many podcasts are professionally produced in audio recording studios using professional equipment, just as is the case with most radio broadcasts.

Most podcasts are free, but some are available only by subscription. Some people make a living by recording daily motivational podcasts, stock trading advice podcasts, or tutorial podcasts of one kind of another. I haven't looked for guitar tutorial podcasts, but I would be surprised if they are not available. I also haven't looked for Spanish language instruction podcasts, but they also probably exist. Anyone who is qualified to teach almost anything can offer worldwide instruction via podcasts, either free, free with advertising, or by subscription. Many millions of people have portable audio players and many who do listen to podcasts.

-Bob

Yes, there are indeed guitar teaching podcasts and many, many Spanish language podcasts. I use several myself, such as News in Slow Spanish. Again, going to iTunes and doing a search is a good way to see a lot of them and to subscribe.

Byron