Questions and answers

What is podcasting?

Podcasts differ from downloads in that while downloading lets you manually save a copy of your chosen content onto your computer, podcasting allows you to automatically receive the latest clip in a series as soon as it's available. You can also transfer the podcast onto your portable device to be enjoyed on the move and at a more convenient time.

You 'subscribe' to receive podcasts, rather as you would a newsletter in order to get it delivered.

How do I subscribe?

To subscribe to the FSA Open Board Meetings podcast, you need a couple of items:

• Podcasting software: There are any number of free programs that you can download to play your podcasts - iTunes, iPodder and Juice are the most common.
• The URL of your podcast's RSS/XML feed: Most software will ask you for the URL of the podcast to which you'd like to subscribe. You will find this on this page. Simply copy the URL and paste it into your podcast software.

Note: Some software, such as iTunes, won't necessarily prompt you for the URL but will instead list podcasts in a directory on their site. In this case, simply do a keyword search for 'FSA' in the podcast directory, and the Open Board Meetings podcast's should appear. Then follow the instructions.

What do I get when I've subscribed?

When you subscribe, you can go directly into your podcast software and have it search for new content. All the latest featured audio or video content from the Food Standards Agency podcast will automatically get downloaded for you. You can then choose to listen or view the content right then, or download it to a portable listening device for later viewing or listening.

Useful podcast links

You can view a collection of podcasting directories and podcast software suppliers. They also include general information about podcasting, including information on how to subscribe.