Podcasts are audio or video recordings of spoken-word content, much like radio or TV programs. They're distributed over the Internet and played on computers and devices like your Zune. Podcasts are prerecorded, rather than streamed in real time.
Podcasts can be about anything under the sun. They might cover technology, daily news, or hobbies, and be presented from a professional or academic perspective. Or they can be social or entertainment-oriented, such as funny interviews or peculiar ramblings of celebrities or digital-media enthusiasts who have something (hopefully interesting) to say.
Some podcasts are as short as five minutes per episode; others can go on for an hour or more. They range from professionally produced podcasts to others that are more than a bit rough around the edges.
Podcasts are usually produced on a regular basis, either as episodic programs (like newscasts) or as serial programs (like entertainment dramas). To automatically download each new episode of a podcast when it's released, subscribe to it using your Web browser or podcast managers like the one in Zune software. You can also discover podcasts on Zune.net, including the newest additions.
Once podcasts are downloaded, Zune software can automatically sync them to your Zune. If you don't want them all on your Zune, drag only the episodes you want from your collection to the Zune device icon in Zune software.
Best of all, every podcast at Zune Marketplace (and most others on the Internet) is free and can be shared Zune-to-Zune with friends without restriction.
What can I do with podcasts in Zune software?
Zune software makes it easy to find and subscribe to podcasts that interest you. You can play them on your computer and, once you sync them, on your Zune—and of course, beam them to your friends.
Read all about how to find and play podcasts in Zune software here.
You can set your podcast subscription preferences globally or on a per-subscription basis. If you want, you can give feedback to Zune Marketplace about the podcasts you download or would like to see available.
You can even create your own podcasts for Zune, and maybe, just maybe, you might become (relatively) famous.
