There are several ways of subscribing to a podcast depending on the device you're using.
Subscribe on BBC Sounds
You can subscribe to podcasts and programmes on the BBC Sounds website and app for mobiles and tablets. Subscribing on BBC Sounds means you'll see a personalised feed of your favourite podcasts and programmes in the Latest section of My Sounds. You will need to download episodes individually.
Head to the What is My Sounds and how do I use it? page to find out how to subscribe on BBC Sounds.
Subscribe on a computer using an RSS feed
You can subscribe to a podcast by using an RSS feed. RSS feeds allow you to stay updated when something new, like a podcast, becomes available.
To be able to subscribe, your browser will need to be able to support RSS feeds. If you use Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari, the browser will support RSS by default. If you're using Chrome, you'll need an RSS extension plug-in. This is essentially an extra piece of software that can be easily added to the browser. You can also get other RSS extension plug-ins for these and other browsers (search "RSS" + "browser name"). RSS is not supported by the Edge browser.
As an example, we'll show you how to subscribe to a podcast using the built-in RSS feed in Internet Explorer 11:
- First, head to the programme website for the podcast you'd like to subscribe to. Click into the Podcasts tab then click on RSS.
- Once you've done this, you'll be sent to the podcast feed. Click Subscribe to this feed to subscribe.
- Now you've subscribed to your podcast, you'll be able to find the feed by clicking on the star icon in the top right corner and then Feeds.
The process will be similar for RSS feed extensions on other browsers.
Subscribe on a computer using podcast software
If you've got podcast software installed on your computer (such as iTunes, Juice or gPodder) you can use the URL for the podcast feed to subscribe to your chosen podcast.
- Find the podcast you'd like to subscribe to on the BBC Sounds website
- Then, select RSS
- Copy the URL from the page you're taken to
- Paste that URL into the feed in the podcast software on your computer
Subscribe on an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch
You can subscribe to podcasts on the BBC Sounds app. Or, on iOS devices, you can install a podcast app or use Apple's built-in Podcasts app which can be set to download episodes (you can set a limit to the amount you wish to automatically download) in the app's settings.
- On the BBC Sounds website, find the podcast you'd like to subscribe to
- Then, tap RSS
- If you have the Podcasts app installed on your device, this will automatically open the app
Alternatively, open the Podcasts app on your iOS device and search for the BBC podcast you'd like to subscribe to.
Subscribe on an Amazon Fire or Android device
You can subscribe to podcasts on the BBC Sounds app. Otherwise, you can install a podcast app on your device. Search 'Podcast' in the Google Play Store or Amazon Appstore to find a podcast subscription app. Most podcast apps have a setting which allows podcasts to download automatically. Then:
- Find the podcast you'd like to subscribe to on the BBC Sounds website
- Tap RSS
- Your device will show you which app or apps you can use to start your podcast subscription - simply choose the app you want to use
Alternatively, open the podcast app you've installed and search for the BBC podcast you'd like to subscribe to. Please note that the Google Podcast app is not supported.
If you're having trouble with your third-party podcast application, you will need to contact the manufacturer. We can't provide technical support for third-party applications or software.
You can find more information about subscribing to podcasts on PCs, Macs, iOS devices and Android devices on the Medium website. (The BBC isn't responsible for the content of external sites.)
