With thousands of art-related websites in the UK, it is difficult to keep up to date with the latest developments in contemporary art. Wouldn't it be better to have the latest artists, projects and articles delivered directly to you, rather than looking for them on the Axis website or elsewhere?
Axis podcasts and RSS feeds allow you to do just that. They are special web pages, designed to be read by computers rather than people. It might help to think of them as the free, internet version of the old-fashioned ticker-tape news wire machines.
Information on podcasts
Information on RSS feeds
Software you need to get started
Podcasts
What podcasts does Axis offer?
Axis publishes an audio podcast of new sound works, uploaded by Axis artists. To listen to the latest sound works or subscribe to the podcast service, follow the link below.
How do I start using podcasts?
Axis podcasts use the mp3 audio format. Anyone with a computer connected to the internet can download and listen to MP3 files. You will need a media player on your computer (many PCs come with Windows Media Player, Macs come with iTunes), and you'll also need speakers or headphones. You can also transfer your downloaded podcasts to a portable player such as an Apple iPod. The advantage is that you can then listen to them on the move.
To subscribe to a podcast you need a special podcast software or an RSS reader. How you subscribe will vary depending on which software you have chosen. Three popular pieces of podcast software are iTunes, Juice and Doppler. For links and information on RSS readers read on.
RSS
What RSS feeds does Axis offer?
We have RSS news feeds for all our programmes as well as specialised feeds, bringing you the latest additions straight to your desktop. The following feeds are available to any visitor:
The following feeds are provided exclusively for Axis member artists and curators. To access these, you have to be logged in with your Axis membership account details. Not a member yet? Join Axis now.
|  Opportunities
Be one step ahead and find out about work opportunities the very instant they are added to our noticeboard. | | Network
A forum to discuss and communicate with other artists on Axis. | | |
How do I start using RSS feeds?
In general, the first thing you need is something called a news reader. This is a piece of software that checks RSS feeds and lets you read any new articles that have been added to them. There are many different versions, some of which are accessed using a browser, and some of which are downloadable applications. Browser-based news readers let you catch up with your RSS feed subscriptions from any computer, whereas downloadable applications let you store them on your main computer, in the same way that you either download your e-mail using Outlook, or keep it on a web-based service like Hotmail.
Once you have chosen a news reader, all you have to do is to decide what content you want to receive in your news reader, by finding and subscribing to the relevant RSS feeds. For example, if you would like to know about the latest artists nominated for Open Frequency, simply visit the Open Frequency home page and you will notice an orange RSS button on the left hand side. If you click on the button you can subscribe to the feed in various ways, including by dragging the URL of the RSS feed into your news reader or by cutting and pasting the same URL into a new feed in your news reader.
Most sites that offer RSS feeds use a similar orange RSS button, but some may just have a normal web link to the feed. Some browsers, including Firefox, Opera and Safari, automatically check for RSS feeds for you when you visit a website, and display an icon when they find one. This can make subscribing to RSS feeds much easier. For more details on these, please check their websites.
Software
Where do I get podcast and RSS software?
There is a range of free products available and new versions are appearing all the time. Different products work on different operating systems, so you will need to choose one that will work with your computer.
You can also subscribe using a web-based 'feed reader' such as My Yahoo or Google Reader. These are online rather than application-based and you need to have an account - they're usually free and easy to set-up but you will need an email address.
The following are popular with Axis visitors: