Podcasts on generic MP3 players

[ravenbait]

Thanks to Quixoticgeek, I've developed a podcast habit on my longer rides. Thing is, my phone is an ancient and decrepit Samsung S5, which I try to keep for emergency use/location verification only. For listening, I use a Sony Walkman (yes, you can still get them). This wasn't a problem with music, as I will happily pay for music I enjoy to support the artists (and have gone to extreme lengths to do so for especially obscure stuff). But podcasts seem to be a different matter.

This might seem like a really stupid question, but is there somewhere that allows you to pay for podcasts so you can download them onto a PC for transfer? Like a Bandcamp for audio drama so you can try it out first. There is software out there that will rip from Spotify, but that results in a banned account as Spotify is streaming-only.

Sam

[nikki]

Disappointed that you seem to be talking about one of those new-fangled Sony Walkman and not one that takes the C60 file type.   ;-)

I use Castbox on my phone, which allows me to download an mp3 of podcast episodes. Looks like there's a desktop version which might be worth investigating, although I don't have an account, so can't check the download function for you. https://castbox.fm/

Do the podcasts you're interested in have their own websites? Can you download directly from there?

For supporting the creators, many of the podcasts I listen to seem to have Patreon or other fund-raising drives separate to the downloading or listening processes.

[perpetual dan]

I used to use iTunes for the download and offline listening, more recently podbean on my Android phone. That probably doesn’t catch Spotify-only podcasts, but since I don’t search for them on Spotify it hasn’t been a problem.

This is all free. Paying, as Nikki says, I’ve always done by donation to the source, outside of any download / listening software.

[ravenbait]

Disappointed that you seem to be talking about one of those new-fangled Sony Walkman and not one that takes the C60 file type.   ;-)

I still mourn the loss of my minidisc, tbh. I used to have one of the bright yellow cassette ones that saw me through many skiing adventures until I had a nasty accident that gave me The Fear.

I use Castbox on my phone, which allows me to download an mp3 of podcast episodes. Looks like there's a desktop version which might be worth investigating, although I don't have an account, so can't check the download function for you. https://castbox.fm/

Do the podcasts you're interested in have their own websites? Can you download directly from there?

Some of them do, and that's great, although not all allow downloads, which isn't so great.

I'll check out Castbox, thanks. Spotify allows me to download on my phone for when you have no signal, but it vanishes into some secure gubbins. I might dig around and see if I can find the files, as that's potentially an option. I'm on premium. I'm not trying to rob them!

Sam

[lissotriton]

The standard format for podcasts is an RSS feed. So try and find one of those for the podcasts you are interested in. This might help. https://getrssfeed.com/
If you have to pay for it, they may send you a private RSS link.

If you have an RSS feed, there's plenty of software available to download and play the episodes.
gPodder is a nice simple thing for Windows or Linux etc. https://gpodder.github.io/

[ravenbait]

So it turns out that Castbox only lets you download to your phone via the app, HOWEVER.

BBC Sounds is way more generous, so here are some shows I have been using to keep the traffic noise from wrapping me up claustrophobically like a spiderweb made of fizzy, sandpapery bubblewrap (the perils of synaesthesia).

F = fictonal audiodrama:

The Lovecraft Investigations (F)
Fairy Meadow
Uncanny
The Coming Storm
Manhunt
Lusus (F)
Murmurs (F)
Bloodsport (this one's really good, even if you don't like the featured sports much)
Fake Psychic
Serial
Tracks (F)
Things Fall Apart

Further recommendations welcome.

Sam

[Mr Larrington]

This Unit has The Compleat Infinite Monkey Cage, all $BIGNUM episodes of it, stashed away for future reference on the matter of strawberries.

[Ashaman42]

Welcome to Nightvale.

Which I need to get back to myself.

Sent from my SM-G525F using Tapatalk

[nikki]

*scrolls*

I've been enjoying the five-parter dramas under the Limelight umbrella. Also The Cipher, 24 Kildare Road, Power Out, Mabinogi, People Person...

Forest 404 would be excellent via headphones.

The Lazarus Heist, Death in Ice Valley, Fake Heiress, The Northern Bank Job, The Great Post Office Trial and Nazanin are along similar lines to Fake Psychic and Serial

You're Dead to Me and also Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics for history and giggles.


I keep seeing The Lovecraft Investigations pop up in recommendations - I'll give that a try, thanks.

[coops456]

Mine are all non-fiction pods. From BBC Sounds not yet mentioned:
Fortunately
War on Truth
Jill Scott's Coffee Club
Big Green Money Show
Ukrainecast
Teach Me A Lesson
Tunnel 29 aka Intrigue
LGBT Sport Podcast
The Reunion
You'll Do

I use the Android app Podcast Addict for non-BBC podcasts. Favourites include:
The Breakdown with Orla Chennaoui & Greg Rutherford (I)
Comfort Eating with Grace Dent from the Guardian (I)
The Log Books - Switchboard
Out with Suzi Ruffell (I)
An Hour or So with Sue Perkins (I)
High Performance with Jake Humphrey (I)
A Winning Mindset: Lessons from the Paralympics (I)
Never Strays Car - Ned Boulting & David Millar
Women's Prize for Fiction
Dan Snow's History Hit
Freewheeling
Ways to Change the World with Krishnan Guru-Murthy from C4 (I)

I = Interview format

[ravenbait]

*scrolls*

I've been enjoying the five-parter dramas under the Limelight umbrella. Also The Cipher, 24 Kildare Road, Power Out, Mabinogi, People Person...

Forest 404 would be excellent via headphones.

The Lazarus Heist, Death in Ice Valley, Fake Heiress, The Northern Bank Job, The Great Post Office Trial and Nazanin are along similar lines to Fake Psychic and Serial

You're Dead to Me and also Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics for history and giggles.


I keep seeing The Lovecraft Investigations pop up in recommendations - I'll give that a try, thanks.

I really enjoyed the Limelight drama about the hare, but I can't get through the one about the tennis player.

I've got Mabinogi downloaded. I got most of the way through Power Out, but then stuff started happening that falls under the category of, "I no longer need this in my fiction, thank you." Or, rather, "I need this stuff not to be in my fiction."

I don't think I've listened to The Cipher, and haven't even heard of 24 Kildare Road. I shall look those up, thank you.

Of the others, I've got the Post Office one downloaded, but haven't tried the Northern Bank Job or Nazanin. I'll seek them out. I've listened to the others.

I'm trying to remember if Death In Paradise, about the two boys on the boat out in South America, was the BBC. I think it was? It was pretty good.

Sam

[Woofage]

Is Get iPlayer still a thing?

[Mr Larrington]

Is Get iPlayer still a thing?

Yes.

[Flite]

Help please for someone who is way behind the times on all this, as I refused to buy a smartphone till we had a mobile signal in our area, and I'm still trying to catch up.
I have a laptop and can use BBC sounds to listen to programmes live and on catch up and from their podcast list.
But I don't know how to download programmes or how to start getting podcasts onto my Samsung phone so I can listen away from the laptop.

Mostly listen to science/history/Farming Today, so don't need to go beyond the BBC really.
Really enjoy Radio5 Live Science - on live at 5 or 6am Sundays. Comes up with a huge range of topics.

[Pickled Onion]

Install the Sounds app on your phone. If you log in to it with the same credentials as on your laptop you'll have the same saved favourites. You can then listen to programmes and podcasts on your phone. You can also "download" them in the sense that you can listen later even when you don't have an internet connection, but not in the sense that you have a file you can transfer to a generic MP3 player, or keep for ever.

[lissotriton]

Most of the BBC podcasts do let you download as MP3. If you go to the Sounds website, then pick a programme, click the link underneath for "Programme website". Then it should have a download button.

Though seems its not available for everything. Presumably not possible for most stuff with music in.
Need to use get_iplayer for those. Note the get_iplayer search doesn't find some programmes, but you can download them by specifying the PID or URL.

[Pickled Onion]

Yes, agreed. I was just thinking of the easiest way for Flite, given her/his requirements.

The whole point of podcasts is that they are a standard format that can be downloaded and played on the player of your choice. The BBC like to do things like embargo certain downloads for several weeks after broadcast in an effort to force users on to Sounds. get_iplayer is very good, but does require a high degree of geekiness to get to grips with.

[Flite]

Had to look up what an mp3 player is (yes I am that out of touch with technology)
It seems to more useful for music? That can wait, its not a priority for me.
So I'll try setting things up on the phone in the morning, when I'm a bit more awake.
Thanks for the help.

[Tim Hall]

Had to look up what an mp3 player is (yes I am that out of touch with technology)
It seems to more useful for music? That can wait, its not a priority for me.
So I'll try setting things up on the phone in the morning, when I'm a bit more awake.
Thanks for the help.

mp3 players play mp3 files, which are audio files. These can be the latest bangin' choons or spoken word and I used to use mine for the latter.  But yes, in your case (getting everything from the BBC) putting the Sounds app on your phone sounds like the simplest method.

[ravenbait]

Had to look up what an mp3 player is (yes I am that out of touch with technology)
It seems to more useful for music? That can wait, its not a priority for me.
So I'll try setting things up on the phone in the morning, when I'm a bit more awake.
Thanks for the help.

MP3 player is just a thumb drive with a headphone jack and some basic software on it for file management. Some of them don't even have that and are just thumb drives with a headphone jack. You put the audio file on there and listen.

I use one to save the battery in my phone, but if you're not bothered by that, almost any app that lets you listen to things will have a download option for when you have no mobile signal. Some of them require you to have a paid subscription for this feature. BBC Sounds only requires you to have paid a licence fee. So download the app, sign in to your account, and away you go.

Sam

[Flite]

Many thanks everyone.
I have now got Sounds on the smartphone. I also managed to not only download a programme, but find the download later!  Now off to see if it works in the garden.
I knew that if I asked on YACF, I would get a kind response, not mocked.

[Pickled Onion]

BBC Sounds only requires you to have paid a licence fee.

Only if you have a telly. Sounds is fine without a licence, iPlayer is not.