How to directly subscribe to a podcast not in iTunes Store?

Question

How to directly subscribe to a podcast not in iTunes Store?

Is it possible in the iPod Touch to subscribe to a podcast that is not in the iTunes Store?
We have some podcasts on our own server, such as http://video.conncoll.edu/d/hw/podcast3.xml
We can subscribe to these in iTunes on a computer, but have not figured out a way to subscribe in the iPod iTunes App. Is this possible?
If we put the above URL in the touch's Safari, we can listen to the files, but they are not downloaded, and we want them on the iPod. Due to copyright reasons we don't want to put them in the iTunes Store, and don't have iTunes U yet.
Any feedback welcome. The goal is to download files, preferably as podcasts, to students' iPod touches without having to connect to a computer.

Intel XServe, Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on Jan 30, 2010 7:52 AM

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Answer 1

luvlabs

Level 4

3,620 points

Jan 30, 2010 11:10 AM in response to Frank Fulchiero

Frank Fulchiero wrote:
Is it possible in the iPod Touch to subscribe to a podcast that is not in the iTunes Store?
We have some podcasts on our own server, such as http://video.conncoll.edu/d/hw/podcast3.xml
We can subscribe to these in iTunes on a computer, but have not figured out a way to subscribe in the iPod iTunes App. Is this possible?

You would subscribe to them in your own computer and then sync them to the iPod. If you can subscribe via iTunes, then you are fine.

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Answer 2

Jan 30, 2010 12:00 PM in response to luvlabs

Hi, I know I can do that, the question was whether I can subscribe to them directly from the iPod Touch, bypassing the computer.
The reason is we have distributed a lot of iPods to students, and want to easily distribute additional copyrighted material. The easiest way to do this for us would be through a podcast. We should have put a "blank" podcast on the iPods before distribution, but it's too late for that. And we want to spare the students having to come and resync the iPods to the main computer.
So the question still stands.

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Answer 3

Jan 30, 2010 2:54 PM in response to Frank Fulchiero

no, you can't subscribe to podcasts directly on an ipod touch.

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Answer 4

Jan 31, 2010 8:33 AM in response to Anna Sandham

Hi, thanks for the answer. Too bad, it seems it would be easy enough to add this functionality to the iPod's iTunes app, as in a computer's iTunes.

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Answer 5

Jan 31, 2010 12:41 PM in response to Frank Fulchiero

it may come in a future update. we couldn't even access podcasts on the ipod itunes store to start with.

feature suggestions: http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipodtouch.html

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