Since starting my composing and songwriting podcast Composer Quest, I’ve discovered that podcasts are still a very mysterious thing for many people out there. As an active podcast listener and advocate, I will happily introduce you to this awesome new form of media.

We’ll start with the basics…

What the heck is a podcast?

An audio podcast is basically a new form of radio, where you can stream episodes online or download and listen to them on your computer, smart phone, mp3 player, or iPod (hence the origin of the name).

There are also video podcasts, which include…um…video.

Do they cost anything?

Nope. In general, podcasts are totally free. Some podcast creators charge to download an app and get access to older episodes.

How can I listen to podcasts?

There are a ton of ways to listen, but here’s what I do when I’m at my laptop:

1. Open the iTunes store.
2. Do a search or browse the “Podcasts” tab.
3. Click on the podcast you want to check out, and you’ll see an episode list.
4. You can either download individual podcast episodes (click the “Free” button on the right) or subscribe (button on the left) to download the most recent episode and all future episodes.
5. Update your mp3 player with the episodes you just downloaded.

If you’re on an iPhone or iPod Touch:

1. Open the iTunes app.
2. Do a search and you’ll get podcast results.
3. If you’d rather browse podcasts, click on the “More” button in the lower right, then “Podcasts.”
4. Click on the podcast you want to check out, and then click the download arrow to download individual episodes. It doesn’t seem like you can automatically subscribe in the mobile iTunes app.
5. When you’re listening to the podcast in the Music app, at the bottom of the episode list is a handy “Get More Episodes” link. It takes you right back to the iTunes app to download more of that podcast.

For non-Apple people, there are plenty of other podcast apps out there.

What are some good podcasts?

There are a ton of podcasts out there for every topic imaginable, but here are my favorites:

• Radiolab – The coolest science podcast you’ll ever hear. They share interesting topics relating to psychology, biology, philosophy, music, etc.
• The Tobolowsky Files – Remember Ned Ryerson in Groundhog’s Day? The guy who tried to sell Bill Murray insurance? Turns out this character actor, Stephen Tobolowsky, is an amazing storyteller and
• Creativity and Composition – Though no longer active, this podcast hosted by composer Richard D. Russell has a bunch of great tips on composing and the classical music business.
• WTF – Marc Maron talks with fellow comedians in this part hilarious, part heartfelt show (be warned – there’s lots of swearing).
• Composer Quest – The best songwriting and composition podcast you’ll ever…no, I can’t do it. How dare I put my own podcast on this list?!

I’m also writing a post on how to create a podcast. Stay tuned!