Sermon, Devotional & Lecture Podcasts
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Help!
Podcast Software Downloads
Podcasting, and a sermon podcast, is a new thing so it's necessary to learn just a little bit in order to keep up with it. You do not need any certain media player, special software, or special hardware (other than a normal computer sound card and speakers). However, you can do a lot with podcasts other than just clicking the links and listening to them in real time. The big thing about podcasts is that you don't have to go around in real time and find out whether or not a new item has been posted to a website -- free software programs (tecnhically called "aggregators") do the work for you by going out to all the websites with podcasts (technically called "RSS feeds") to which you subscribe and retrieving the new audio files automatically and dumping them onto your computer harddrive or MP3 player for listening at your convenience.
We've tried to address some of the frequently asked questions on this page.
If you haven't done so already, we suggest setting up a free account at bloglines.com
which allows you to receive updates to podcasts easily without downloading
any new podcast software. You can also subscribe to any sermon podcast by using your google.com account.
Also, please take one minute and browse this Wikepedia
page to get a better understanding of a podcast.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What is the internet address of my church's sermon podcast or feed?
You will find a button like this
in the upper corner of the page on our server designed for your church. Click
that button and it will
take you to the address of the RSS feed. Copy that address and paste it into
the application you choose to subscribe to the podcast (i.e. blog, iPodder,
etc.).
How do I add a podcast or feed to my iPodder, Bloglines.com,
or other aggregator?
This part is easy. Find the
icon in the upper corner of your church's webpage. After clicking that icon,
you'll be taken to a web page that appears to be all code and unreadable.
Copy the address from your internet browser's address bar. It should look
like this:
http://www.pulpitpodcast.org/yourchurch/feed1.xml
Copy and paste that address into the place where you are asked to put the "RSS feed" or "news feed" or "podcast" (all of these terms are essentially interchangeable). That's it. Now, hit "subscribe" and you should immediately receive a feed or podcast. Make sure that you are set in your aggregator (whether it's Bloglines or iPodder or whatever) to view all items (rather than just items released today which is the normal default you will want once you "catch up" on a subscription with past issues as available and desired.
Why churches and sermon podcasts?
Churches are really benefitting from the podcast technology. Missionaries and students can receive sermons from home while they are anywhere in the world. The elderly and those with small children are often unable to hear the sermon in its entirety and those folks can now hear the entire message later in the week. Pastors can deliver daily devotionals to their congregation and lay a foundation for Sunday's message. Lecture notes, which many churches provide online already, can become a nice supplemental attachment to a sermon podcast. Check out this article.
Do I need any special software to listen to sermon podcasts?
No you don't. But the coolest thing about podcasting is that the podcast software goes out and gets your subsription updates without you having to visit the website and keep checking to see if the latest audio sermon has been uploaded. When it's posted, it shows up in your inbox similar to a new email message, and you then have the choice of having new audio files downloaded automatically to your computer or MP3 player. People can listen at work on their lunch hour or break, at home, or at any number of public internet and wi-fi hotspots springing up in coffee shops, laundry mats, and restaraunts. A missionary abroad can stop into an internet cafe periodically and then connect and start getting updates automatically downloaded to be listened to later while offline. You can also pick and choose from a rapidly growing list of thousands of feeds found in podcast directories that are sprouting up everywhere online. It is possible to use one of several blog websites to receive and manage podcasts (we recommend bloglines.com because it's easy and free). You don't have to post a blog to use a blog website to manage your feeds. Many younger people are using myspace.com (also free) to track and manage feeds as well as to share profiles and online feeds and audio files with one-another.
Do I need an MP3 player to listen to podcasts?
You don't need an MP3 player -- you can listen from your computer. If you are not using an MP3 player, then we suggest just using your bloglines.com account to listen on your computer. Your computer needs to have a sound card and you must have some sort of media player installed that can play audio files (Windows Media Player, iTunes, Quicktime, etc.). Any computer purchased within the past 5 years should be capable of podcasting. Newer computers come with wireless internet connections that allow people to download podcasts wirelessly while discussing the sermon with friends over coffee at Moxie Java.
How can I subscribe to a podcast and receive updates?
If you have an MP3 player (not needed) then we suggest one of the Podcast Software Downloads above which suits your own computer setup and needs. If you only intend to listen to podcasts on your computer, then we suggest using a bloglines.com or other similar service to download and manage feeds. You can also subscribe to feeds using your iGoogle.com account.
What distinguishes a podcast from an ordinary audio file?
Many churches already "post" audio files to their website which are typically MP3 format and playable on your computer or iPod. That's not podcasting, and it's also a bit of a shame because there is no way to subscribe to the sermons -- one has to keep returning to the website and checking for new files manually. A podcast is special and different because it uses the RSS script language to automatically "feed" updates to subscribers who are using podcast software or a bloglines.com account. When a new sermon is uploaded, subscribers are notified and are able to have their computer automatically download the new sermon as soon as it's ready and then listen to it at their convenience later. Just having sermons on the church website as MP3 files is only half of it -- the other half is establishing the podcast feed.
Can I download podcasts and keep them forever?
Yes.
Does the user/listener pay for podcasts?
No. The major expense is associated with bandwidth for downloading which falls upon the podcast feeder's shoulders.
What software is recommended to download podcasts to my MP3 player?
We recommend using iTunes or iPodderX if you have an Apple computer. If you use a windows operating system, then we suggest either ipodder or doppler.
Where else can I find podcasts or directory of sermon podcast on the internet?
Every day it seems like a new podcast directory surfaces. Try searching Google for "podcast directory". We also have found substantial lists at podcast.net
What about lecture notes, photos and video clips that accompany sermons?
If you distribute notes, or have supporting photos or video
clips that accompany a sermon, we can host those items adjacent to the sermon
or devotional feed.
What is a "feed" and how does it pertain to a sermon podcast?
News feeds have been around for several years and a few geeks have been subscribing to them all along. Recently, a script called "RSS" (which stands for Really Simple Syndicate according to most people) came along and now RSS 2.0 allows audio MP3 files to be embedded into the feed. People can subscribe to RSS feeds with audio files and receive updates as new shows are made. This has created a new form of internet radio called podcasting. People track news feeds with their blogs and with special "aggregator" software that readily downloads the new audio files from the "feed" when they are available and leaves it on your computer or MP3 player for listening at a later time. iPodder, iPodderx, and Doppler are all examples of aggregators that receive audio files and very recently iTunes has gotten into the game and it supports podcasting and interfaces directly with the iTunes Music Store and the iPod.
This is frustrating, I don't hear anything on my computer but I seem to be downloading files and my computer is not "offline" -- what's wrong?
You need to make sure you have speakers hooked up, turned on, and that the volume on your computer is turned up to hear audio. Frequenly people turn the volume on the computer way down, or mute it entirely, because of the annoying sounds that it makes. If you have your speakers turned on and they are tested as working, you should be able to hear a podcast just like other audio that you hear because podcasts use MP3 files. Also, if your computer is ancient, or if you are using a modem, you might consider upgrading.
If you have a question please feel free to ask us by sending an email to pulpitpodcast@gmail.com