Podcast
Introduction
A podcast is a way to automatically download audio files to your computer or podcast phone app, from a specific podcast show as new episodes or files are released.
At one time, LibriVox podcast files were available Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with a poem on Sunday. There is more information on the podcast page of the main LibriVox site. This service is not currently maintained.
Books from the LibriVox catalog can be listened to from your computer, phone or other compatible device using your favorite podcast app or feed reader to play the audiofiles (e.g., Feedly, Inoreader, iTunes, Juice, Castbox, etc.)
What you need to get a podcast:
- A podcast receiver (sometimes called a podcatcher) which is just software that will find and collect the files you want (see example above).
- The "feed URL" of the podcasts you want (sometimes referred to as an "RSS feed"), and then you can enter the feed into the podcast receiver (called subscribing).
Old LibriVox podcast feed url: http://librivox.org/podcast.xml In iTunes, for instance, you click: advanced/subscribe to podcast/ and then paste http://librivox.org/podcast.xml in there. And you're done!
To listen to any LibriVox audiobook using your podcast app, enter the RSS feed link which you can find on the left side of the catalog page under Listen/Download (help?), and paste it into your podcast app and search.
- For example, to listen to Adam Bede by George Eliot, go to https://librivox.org/adam-bede-by-george-eliot/ and copy the RSS feed link by right-clicking on the green RSS button and select Copy Link Address. Paste this link into your podcast app and search. Each section will show as an episode in the podcast/show. Click subscribe to automatically download, listen and enjoy!
RSS Feeds
The link to a podcast (which has the extension ".xml") is known as an "RSS feed" (for "Really Simple Syndication"). This same mechanism, which is used for getting updates of podcast shows, can also be used to acquire any specific audio book, including story and poetry collections, in the LibriVox catalog. Every page in the catalog has a short set of links just below the description. Two of them are related to podcasting and RSS feeds, labeled, "RSS feed" and "Subscribe in iTunes."
There are instructions for using iTunes to get LibriVox audio books (ie, "subscribing").
Other Instructions
- To subscribe using ipodder: right click/control click and copy this link: !LibriVox Podcast Feed. In ipodder, choose "tools" then "add a feed" and paste the link into the "url" field. You will be able to download past podcasts and automatically receive future podcasts.
- To subscribe using iTunes, you may copy the LibriVox Podcast Feed link in the same way, then in iTunes choose "advanced" then "subscribe to podcast" and paste the link into the "url" field.
- Or you can simply click The Subscribe by iTunes button on the catalog page. If you get a pop-up, choose "launch application". iTunes will launch on your computer, and the !LibriVox podcast page will appear. Click the "subscribe" button, and you will be able to download past podcasts and automatically receive future podcasts.
Alternatives to Podcasting
If you prefer, you may download the files you want directly from the LibriVox catalog either as individual files, a zipfile of the whole book or as an M4B audiobook format suitable for use in iTunes.
Or you can download using the torrent link provided on the catalog page.
