Now that you are up to speed with how to listen to a podcast, the next step is to find a podcast you will enjoy. As of today, Feedburner (a news feed site) serves over 211,000 podcasts, many of which have been created for specific niche audiences – so there is sure to be something for you. And here’s the best part – most are available for free!

For most of us, the easiest place to find podcasts is through Apple's iTunes program. One common misconception is that you need an iPod to use iTunes (followed closely by the idea that iTunes is only available for Macs). In fact, iTunes is available for both Mac and PC at no charge through the Apple web site and you do not need an iPod.

The program is the only way to access the iTunes store within which is a section specifically for podcasts. Apple has organized the available shows by category (eg money, kids & family, politics), network (NPR, PBS, ABC) and popularity. They also regularly feature new or timely shows on the podcast home page. Once you’ve found a podcast you can either download an individual show, or click “subscribe” to have new shows delivered to you automatically. (Remember, the shows are free, so don’t be afraid of the word “subscribe.”)

Not interested in joining Apple’s iTunes nation just to listen to podcasts? No problem! Sites like Podcast Alley, Podcast Pickle and Mediafly offer similarly organized lists of shows and give you options for how to listen (including downloading the MP3 directly or linking back to iTunes).

Whether you go through iTunes, or use one of these directories don’t forget to check out listener reviews. They will give you a good idea of what people thought of the show, and even other shows you might be interested in.

Another place to look for podcasts are through "traditional media" outlets such as NPR, NBC or BBC. You will find that many of these content producers have started distributing their content as podcasts. Some of my favorites are  This American Life and Morning Stories. A Google search, or visit to your favorite show’s web site, should tell you if there is a podcast available.

And that’s my last recommendation – Do an online search for podcasts in a topic of interest. For example – if you are interested in Yoga (but don’t have time to get to the studio), a search for “yoga podcast” will link you directly to a couple of options – including Elsie’s Yoga Kula.

Still not sure where to start? Here are a couple of shows (those marked with “MM” are personal favorites) in categories inspired by our Simply Stated sisters:

Adventures in Chaos
• Manic Mommies (Okay, you didn’t think I wasn’t going to mention our show, right?) MM
• Mighty Mommy’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Practical Parenting MM
• PediaCast MM

Behind the Scenes
• Podcast 411 MM
• Boston Behind the Scenes MM

Beauty & Style
• Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style
• Sephora’s Beauty and the Blog

Celebrations
• The Splendid Table from American Public Media

Food
• Start Cooking with Kathy Maister MM
• NPR: Food Podcast

Home & Organizing
• FlyLady Way

Life & Soul
• Oprah and Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth” Online Class
• APM: Speaking of Faith

Nearly Wed
• The Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel
• Sex is Fun (explicit)

Technology
• ExtraLife Radio MM
• The MacCast
• This Week in Tech

Have you listened to a podcast? What are some of your favorites?