I want to explain a little bit about what this network is and its shows are, their format, the medium of podcasting and how you, the listener and wrestling fan, can fully grasp how much versatility there is in the platform.
When I started the Short Time Wrestling Podcast in November of 2013, I got a lot of questions about “what is a podcast” and “I can’t listen because I don’t have an iPod.”
I’ll dispel a few misconceptions and show you how ANYONE can have access to the Short Time Wrestling Podcast and it’s network of shows, which includes On The Mat, produced by 1650thefan.com in cooperation with the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum.
First off, any piece of audio or video on the internet is NOT a podcast. The “POD” in podcast is commonly misapplied to be synonymous with iPods. That’s not exactly true, although there is a lot of consumption of podcasts on Apple products like the iPod. The “POD” generally means portable, on-demand.
I think some of you out there might be familiar with the on-demand concept with DVR, TiVO and subscription services like Netflix.
What the podcasting technology does is when you subscribe to a show, you will get the show downloaded to whatever program you use to listen automatically through RSS syndication. When we say programs, we mean things like iTunes. I’ll explain that a bit deeper in a moment.
Podcasts are becoming a much more widely used platform. ConverseDigital reported consumption of podcasts have grown 163 percent from 2006 to 2012. Now in 2014, those numbers are surely rising.
So now that I’ve kind of told you a little bit about what a podcast is, here’s how you can make the format suitable to your listening habits. While you can listen on audio.theopenmat.com in your browser, there are things out there called podcatchers or podcast apps. For those of you with smartphones, these are programs like iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Spreaker, iTunes and Tune In Radio. On iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad, there’s a standalone app called “Podcasts.”
So when you’re on the Mat Talk website, you’ll see a menu at the top of the page that says “how to listen.” We’re not going to force you to use one specific platform, but I will say I encourage iTunes, Sticher, Spreaker and iHeartRadio (Short Time & On The Mat only) more so right now, because those programs give me the ability to see how many times a program gets downloaded or streamed.
If you’re on the website on a smartphone, the menu is at the top right and you can go right to a link and it will prompt you to download or use their app. MOST podcasting apps are free. There are some paid versions like Pocket Casts, but you don’t need to spend money to listen to Short Time. A subscription is free.
So the most basic is on your computer with iTunes, which is both a Mac and PC program. You click on any of the iTunes links on the Short Time page and the browser will launch the web page with the Short Time show page. You can click “View in iTunes” and the iTunes application will launch and you can click the “Subscribe” link. You can also do this by going to mattalkonline.com/itunes.
On an iOS device, the clickable iTunes link will launch the Podcasts app (if you have it installed, it’s free in the App Store). On Android devices, the most common program used is called Stitcher Radio. You can quickly access the Stitcher link at www.mattalkonline.com/stitcher. If you’re on a computer, the link will take you to the show page and it will give you the option to listen. For mobile consumption, you can download the app on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
iHeartRadio is also a popular streaming audio program. For Short Time and On The Mat, which are both consumed on a single feed, go to www.mattalkonline.com/iheartradio, you’ll be taken to a page where you can listen directly on the web or use the app, also available for free across multiple devices,
The same can be said for a program called Spreaker by going to www.mattalkonline.com/spreaker. There you will see all the shows we have listed on that platform.
These free services do require a no-cost signup so you can manage your account and favorite shows. If you’re already listening to podcasts on those apps, you’re way ahead of the game.
So you can listen literally ANYWHERE. And you have the ability to go back and listen to older shows and interviews with some of the most relevant names talking about the most relevant topics in the sport.
As always, we ask you to leave a review on iTunes so we can be able to bring more attention to wrestling and expose wrestling news to a greater part of the population.
If you have any questions about how to listen to Short Time, feel free to contact me at jason@mattalkonline.com
Now on to the show!
