FAQ

MacRadio is a podcast directory. But really, MacRadio is so much more. MacRadio is an intentional community of Mac enthusiasts who come together to share their views on the Mac and Apple and the Mac community in an audio, video, and textual setting. A community that you can join.

2. Are the podcasts on the MacRadio Directory owned by MacRadio?

No. All podcasts streaming through the MacRadio Network are owned by the hosts or producers listed on each podcast's feedpage. You can get more information about each podcast by clicking on the link to the podcast's website.

3. What software do I need to listen to the shows?

To listen to podcasts on MacRadio, you must have Apple's QuickTime 6 or later for Mac or Windows. You can download a copy of QuickTime from here.

If your browser launches Real Player to listen to MacRadio's streams, see Q15. MacRadio does not utilize the Real format.

You can also download podcasts from MacRadio by subscribing to a podcast through its RSS feed. For more information, please see Q4.

4. How do I subscribe to a podcast?

Subscribing to podcasts is easy. Just click on the "subscribe" button on the podcast's feedpage. You can subscribe through the RSS feed or through the podcast’s iTunes feed, if they have one.

5. How do I ask questions of the hosts or guests for a podcast?

This will require that you contact the host for a particular podcast about their procedures for questions. Contact information for each host is provided on the feedpage for each podcast.

6. Can I listen to a podcast via a dial-up modem or do I need broadband internet?

This depends on the podcast. Many podcasts are recorded at a low enough speed that you can reasonably listen to, or download, an episode with a 56k modem. However, video podcasts are best viewed with high-speed Internet access.

7. How do I rate a podcast?

You can rate either a feed or an episode of a podcast. To rate a podcast feed, go to the podcast’s feedpage and click on the appropriate number of stars under the title of the feed. For the podcast episode, locate the stars under the episode’s title and click on the appropriate number of stars. Each star is one rating. The highest rating is five stars.

8. How do I tag a podcast?

Only podcast episodes may be tagged. Locate the podcast episode you wish to tag. Click on the title to go to the episode’s info page. Locate the “add a tag” link and click on it. A text box will open, allowing you to type in your tag. If your tag is already in the system, the word will autocomplete for you. Then click on the add tag function just below the description of the episode. You can add as many tags as you like, separated by commas.

9. How do I categorize a podcast?

Only podcast feeds may be categorized by their owners. Locate your podcast feedpage in My Podcasts. Click on

10. How do I add comments?

Click on the podcast you want to comment on. Under “comments” click “add comment”. A text box to the right will open, allowing you to type in your comments. Once you are finished, don’t forget to click save.

11. How do I invite a podcast to MacRadio?

Click on the Podcast tab at the top of the page. Click on “Submit a Podcast”. Type in the podcast feed URL. An invitation will be sent to the email address listed in the feed, inviting the podcaster to confirm his/her feed in the MacRadio Directory.

12. I host a podcast. How do I add my feed to MacRadio?

Click on the “Submit a Podcast” link under My Podcasts. Type in your podcast feed URL. An invitation will be sent to the email address listed in your feed, inviting your to confirm your feed in the MacRadio Directory.

13. What is the difference between a podcast feed and a podcast episode?

A podcast episode is one audio file uploaded to a host site for users to listen to and download. A podcast feed is a series of podcast episodes, usually encapsulated within an RSS feed for users to subscribe to.

14. I've tried to listen to a podcast, but the QT controller/player doesn’t do anything. How can I fix this?

This can be caused either by a misconfiguration of QuickTime or by a firewall/NAT server.

Instructions to resolve the QT misconfiguration:

Mac OS X

Open Apple Menu >> System Preferences and click on the QuickTime Prefs icon
Choose the 'Connection Tab' (if it is not already chosen)
Click the 'Transport Setup' button
Choose the 'Transport Protocol' menu in the sheet that drops down.
Change the transport protocol from whatever is chosen to the other setting.
Leave the port settings at their default settings.
Close System Preferences
Reload the browser with MacRadio.com and try the stream.

Mac OS 8.x and 9.x

You MUST be using QT Player 6.x or later to listen to any show.
Open QuickTime Player
Select Edit menu >> Preferences >> Streaming Transport
If transport settings are set to UDP/RTSP, then change it to HTTP. If set to HTTP, then switch to UDP/RTSP.
Leave port settings at their default settings.
Close QuickTime Preferences by selecting File menu >> Quit
Reload the browser with MacRadio.com and try the stream.

Firewall

MacRadio.com streams on HTTP Port 80 so that we can stream through most Firewalls. Unfortunately, some firewalls and NAT services can thwart even the most compatible of efforts. If you are running a firewall or NAT server, open port 80, and our stream should be heard. Be sure you follow the above instructions in Q1 and set your QT Transport Protocol settings to HTTP

15. When I click on the "click to listen" button, Real Player launches but no audio plays. What gives?

MacRadio does not use the Real Network audio format. As a result, a podcast that is launched from your browser from MacRadio into Real Player will not play. This is most common in Netscape before v.4.73, IE 3, when using the Windows operating system. While there are work arounds, there is no easy way to fix this. This error is caused by one of two things:

a. The browser was created before QuickTime had the ability to stream.

If this is the case, please update your browser to the current version. Note that MacRadio does not support IE for the Mac.

b. Real Player was installed after QT was installed, making the browser reset what player it thinks should play rtsp:// streams.

Usually reinstalling QT will solve this problem. Occasionally, you will have to uninstall Real Player and QT, then reinstall RealPlayer first, then QT second.

16. How come MacRadio doesn't support Internet Explorer (IE) for the Mac?

Since Microsoft no longer supports IE for the Mac, we do not either.

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