Audio Files and Podcasting

Available sermons are presented in MP3 format, which most systems should have no trouble with. We offer three choices for listening:

• The "streaming" links are configured so that your system may be able to begin playing immediately.
• The "download" links point directly to the MP3 file; you'll probably have to wait for the entire file to transfer before hearing anyting, but there are fewer things to go wrong and you can use these to save a copy of the file for later listening.
• The podcast button is for subscribing to our sermon audio. If you have the proper software or Internet-connected appliance it will periodically check our site for new audio files, automatically download them for you, and notify you so you can listen to them when you like. (With a regular browser clicking on the button is harmless, but not very useful.)
• If you haven't subscribed to podcasts before you'll probably need to install some software. Packages listed by the New York Times include Apple's iTunes (PC and Mac), Juice (PC and Mac, formerly iPodder), and jPodder (PC); they're all free. If you are running the Firefox browser there are a number of extensions available, or you can just use Live Bookmarks.
• How one subscribes to a podcast depends on the software one is using; in general you need to find a "subscription" field into which you can copy our URL:

  http://www.rochesterunitarian.org/sermons.xml

For more information on podcasts, including pointers to other free software, see the Wikipedia article.)

Use what works best for you; if you have problems or suggestions, contact the web editor.

September 1 2008