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If you are struggling to read as much as you feel you should, then the solution for you may be to try out the wealth of material that is available to listen to on your PC, MP3 player or Mobile Phone in downloadable audio format.

There are two main types of audio files available; 1. One-off downloads such as business books and biographies, and 2. Podcasts - subscriptions to regularly updated materials, such as newspapers, journals and TV or radio broadcasts, many of which are free. Both type of audio are often recorded by professional actors and broadcasters, which makes the listening experience very enjoyable.

Getting started is remarkably easy. The simplest way to equip yourself to take advantage of audio downloads is to buy an Apple iPod with the bundled iTunes software. Most people see the iPod as something you would use purely for music – in fact it is an excellent platform for storing and playing one-off downloads and Podcasts. The iTunes software is very easy to use and supported by most suppliers of audio material, and once set up will download and update your favourite audio automatically. If you don't want to use iTunes then an excellent free Podcast manager is Juice, available for download at http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/.

Where to look

If you are looking for business books to download, a good site to visit is www.audible.com. Most books are available here and the site is fully integrated with iTunes.

Most newspapers, journals and radio broadcasts can be downloaded either from their own websites or directly from within iTunes. From the main menu select ‘iTunes Store, Podcasts’ and use the search box to find the audio you are looking for. I highly recommend that you take a look at the BBC’s website which has an excellent range of downloadable content.

 

If you have come across an audio download or Podcast that you feel would be appreciated by your peers and colleagues, let me know the title and web address and I will add it to the list. You can send an email to me by clicking here.

Recommended audio content

I am an avid listener of downloaded audio, and have tried out many of the popular content providers available. Here are a few of my favourites:

The Economist - http://www.economist.com.

The Financial Times - http://podcast.ft.com/

Audible – http://www.audible.com

The Guardian - http://www.guardian.co.uk/podcasts

 

You can return to the Coaching Access Point by clicking here.

 

Martin Hoyle.

Business Performance and Talent Development Coach.