ENTER THE ADDICTIVE WORLD OF PODCASTS
In the early days of the internet,
many bloggers started what they called `audio blogs'. With the advent of MP3
players like the iPod and better technologies for distribution of such aural
content, these blogs were renamed `podcasts' a portmanteau that fused the
`pod' from the iPod with `cast' from broadcast. Simply, podcasts are
stream-able (and downloadable) audio shows often hosted by regular folk
equipped with a PC, an audiomixing software, a microphone, and something
interesting to say. Today merely a decade from when the term was coined the
podcast world is also populated by professional studios backed by solid
journalists and researchers that churn out quality content in the thousands.
Now, if you're one of those folk that have only listened to music on your
smartphone or are perhaps looking for an alternative to your local FM
channels you might want to try out podcasts...
This American Life produced by
Chicago Public Media is a radio show that is broadcast on more than 500
stations in the US, but it also has a fantastic podcast section with an archive
of over 550 downloadable episodes. Each of these is based on a single theme,
with multiple stories on that topic. Its latest episode titled Same Bed,
Different Dreams for instance, tells the story of a South Korean movie star,
her director ex-husband and their plot to escape from Kim Jong-Il. Then,
there's a woman who stalks her imposter, and yet another story that revolves
around passive-aggressive airhostesses who have no option but to rely on and
work closely with colleagues they might not
like.http:www.thisamericanlife.org
SERIAL
In 2014, This American Life launched
its first spin-off show, Serial, where host Sarah Koenig investigates the 1999
murder of a high-school student named Hae Min Lee and the subsequent
incarceration of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, who still swears his innocence.
The podcast, which runs through 12 episodes, revisits the case to find out if
justice was served. Simply put, this addictive show boasts of reportage at its
finest.serialpodcast.org
NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO (NPR)
NPR with nearly 32 million
downloads every month is home to a large collection of award-winning podcasts
that are researched and hosted by journalists from all over the world. You can
browse its archives by topic (arts, music, business, comedy, health, news and
politics, science, technology, TV & film) to pick the programme or channel
you would like to follow. Some producers even split a single episode into multiple
segments, giving you the flexibility to download only what you want to listen
to. Noteworthy channels you should try include Morning Edition and All Things
Considered for news and politics, Car Talk and Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! for
information laced with humour, and TED Radio Hour for your fix of technology
http:www.npr .orgpodcasts
THIS IS CRIMINAL
This is Criminal now on episode 19
is an ongoing series updated every few weeks. It covers stories “of people
who've done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle“. In
its last episode, dated 24 April, it tells the tale of 71-year-old Sandie
Alger, who has been in and out of prison since the 1970's. Prison, she says, is
where you move “up the criminal ladder just like the corporate ladder“.
thisiscriminal.com
THE MOTH
The Moth blends the art of
storytelling with real-life incidents. Here, you get a front-row seat to the
lives of ordinary folk who talk about how they have dealt with difficult
situations. These narrations are live, without notes, to a “standing-only“
crowd. So you also get to hear the audience reacting to the you also get to
hear the audience reacting to the narrator. To date, TM has over a thousand
stories, including that of a retired pickpocket, a boy who loves Barbies and is
terrified of tackle football, a therapist who breaks down, how a girl finds the
a therapist who breaks down, how a girl finds the courage to have a difficult
conversation with her father, a prison inmate on how she cherished her radio
while in captivity...themoth.org
STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW
These half-hour audio episodes
spanning over 700 recordings across more than 40 categories with more than five
million monthly listeners discuss with more than five million monthly
listeners discuss subjects ranging from zombies to artificial intelligence to
alien hand syndrome. Simply , a great mix of knowledge and esoteric
information, wrapped in mockumentary-style humour. What you should also know is
that this podcast is part of the How Stuff Works network that also includes
other podcasts: Stuff To Blow Your Mind, Genius Stuff, Car Stuff, Stuff They
Don't Want You To Know and Stuff Mom Never Told
You.
http:www.stuffyoushouldknow.com
WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE
This podcast is a work of fiction
that takes the form of a radio show for a fictional desert settlement called
Night Vale.Imagine a place that mixes a town from a Stephen King book and
occurrences from the X-Files and the Twilight Zone. Joseph Fink, one of the
creators of the show, describes it as a place in the desert where all
conspiracy theories are real.commonplacebooks.com PITCH P itch talks about how
music continuously shapes our lives.
Currently , there are 14 short
episodes comprising interesting stories like New York City's “no dancing“
law, how a theatre actress learned to play the piano just to land a role in a
musical; about karaoke, amateur music making and how it continues to be
relevant today; how bands got their music out to its listeners in 1990 as
opposed to how they do it today , Iran's pre-revolution pop music scene, and
more.hearpitch.org IMAGES: aurumarcus, _humaniStockGetty Images
PODCAST APPS
To listen to podcasts on your phone,
you can either download the MP3 files onto your PC, and then transfer them to
your handset. Alternatively, you can install the following apps... Podcast
Addict for Android lets you subscribe to audio streams, browse content by
category and download episodes for offline listening.
Podcasts is a stock app that comes
pre-installed on Windows Phone 8.1. This app lets you search for podcasts,
scroll through episodes, vary playback speed, download them over a Wi-Fi
connection and even manually add an RSS link to subscribe to a new radio show.
Alternatively, WP users can install Podcasts! as a replacement to its built-in
offering.
iOS devices also come pre-loaded
with a Podcast app. Here, users can easily search for and subscribe to
programmes through iTunes on their computer and sync the additions with their
device.
Tunein Radio, a popular internet
radio app available for Android, iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry users
also gives you access to most of the popular audio shows available online.While
it works flawlessly, it does not let you download episodes or manually add a
subscription link if a programme is not found.
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Ashutosh Desai & Savio D'Souza
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TNN
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