Can you use music in your podcast?

Is music important in a podcast and what music can you use?

Using music in your podcast can add something really special to your show but it can also be an unnecessary distraction if you don’t do it the right way.

You also want to make sure, you’re only using music you own the rights to otherwise you could end up in legal hot water.

So, when should you use music and how can you make sure you’re doing it legally?

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Music works best when it’s used with intention

If your show is focused on story-telling or is an audio documentary, music can be a fantastic tool to set the mood, build emotion and draw people into the story.

Having said that it’s important to use it sparingly and think creatively about where you’re placing it and why.

There should always be a creative reason behind the music you choose and where you place it.

If you’re just dropping it in to “make things more exciting,” chances are you’re better off tightening your edit because your content should be strong enough on its own.

For interview or conversational podcasts, less is more

If your show involves you solo hosting, interviewing a guest or having a conversation with a co-host you’ll want to keep the music to a minimum.

Why?  Because it’s distracting.

Sometimes people think music under their content will keep their listeners engaged.

But your content should be strong enough to do that without any bells and whistles.

If you’ve sat down and thought about your listeners and what they want to hear you’ll be able to hang onto their ears without needing the trance track pumping away in the background.

Use music under ad breaks to separate them from your content

Music is a great way to distinguish ads from your show content and it helps signal to the audience that the tone is shifting.

The reason music works in this way is that ads are a lot shorter than the content around them so it’s much less likely to become distracting.

You can, of course, weave your commercial content into your podcast in a more integrated way but whether you’ve got an ad break or not, your audience needs to know what content has been paid for and what hasn’t.

Your intro and outro are the best place for music

Your intro and outro becomes your audio logo, which is the thing people recognise when they press play and listen to your content.

This is the perfect place to use music because it not only sets the tone for your show but packages it up in a way that sounds more professional.

Finding the right track can take time but it’s worth putting in the effort before you begin because ideally, you don’t want to change it once you’ve started.

A consistent sound is part of what helps your show become recognisable.

So, can you just use your favourite song in your podcast?

No.

No matter how much you love Beyonce, you can’t download her latest track and use it on your podcast.

The golden rule is: if you don’t have the rights to it, you can’t use it.

There are plenty of royalty-free music libraries where you can buy a licence to use tracks safely and legally in your podcast.

Some good options include:

Premium Beat

Marmoset Music

Audio Network

Jamendo

Audio Jungle

Music Bakery

Artlist

Epidemic Sound

Just make sure you read the licence carefully before you purchase.

Some tracks may cost more for commercial use, and there are limits on how you can use them, so you want to make sure you choose the right one.

A little tip…

When you’re searching for music for your podcast try not to choose from the “Most Popular” section if you can help it.

These music websites are used by a lot of content creators so if you pick the first song on the list don’t be surprised if you hear it somewhere else e.g. on another podcast, a TV ad or on the radio.

If being unique is important and you don’t want people tuning into your show thinking of an ice cream commercial, you might need to dive deeper into the back catalogue of these sites.