Podcasting is a method of publishing audio and video broadcasts online, allowing users to subscribe to and receive broadcasts from selected web sites. Once subscribed to a podcast feed from a particular site, you will be informed whenever that web site has added new material and you can then download and listen to it at your convenience.

Subscribing to a podcast or other RSS feed is easier than ever because the newer versions (7+) of Internet Explorer, the most commonly used web browser, now have a built-in RSS reader and you can subscribe directly from your browser, just by clicking the PODCAST icon or link on the desired subscription site. This facility has been available in other browsers, such as Mozilla Firefox, for some time.

If you are using an older version of Internet Explorer, you should consider getting the newest version as this is one of the easiest methods of subscribing to podcasts. If you prefer not to, you can also download a news aggregator or RSS Reader, like iTunes, Odeo or Podcast Alley, and subscribe to the feed using one of those.

Unlike traditional radio, podcast subscribers decide what content they wish to receive and when they wish to listen to it. Once you've downloaded the files, you don't need to be on-line to listen and can even put them on an iPod or MP3 player, so you don't even need to be at your computer to listen.