You CAN Use Music in Your Podcasts - Here's How

Recently, blogger Steve Goldstein published an interview with legal expert David Oxenford describing the problems with using commercial music in podcasts. Legally, you can't use recorded music in your podcast without getting permission from the person who wrote the music and the person who recorded it. Mr. Oxenford lays this out in detail, and if you'd like the full story, you can access it here.

However, the fact that it's difficult (and potentially expensive) to secure the right to use music in your podcast doesn't mean it's impossible - or that it has to break the bank. There is a way, but before getting into that think about why you'd want to use music in the first place.

Using Music to Set a Mood

Certain songs bring to mind a certain mood or image that you as a podcaster want to create in support of a particular episode or series. It may also bring to mind an era associated with the music. The mood you're trying to set may be deadly serious, or it may be light, fun or energetic. Think about how filmmakers use popular songs in their movies to set a tone for a scene or a whole picture. You're trying to do exactly the same thing.

You might want a rocking intro for your sports podcast or a dramatic orchestral theme for your topical or news podcast. Your arts or discussion podcast might benefit from a stately classical or baroque piece. Maybe you want to convey an edgy, urban vibe. You might want dark ambient music for your true crime podcast. Certainly, music goes a long way toward helping put your audience in the mood, grabbing their attention and holding it.

Using Music to Set or Enhance an Identity

Going hand in hand with setting a mood is the idea of giving your podcast a unique identity. If you're a business marketing to other businesses (B2B) and want your podcast to convey a sense of efficiency and effectiveness, you would want to pick music that establishes that identity in your audience members' minds. As your audience listens to your episodes, they associate the music with you. This helps them to think of you as a trusted supplier or business partner. The same can also be true if you're marketing directly to consumers (B2C).

Choose Royalty-free Music

So how can you set a mood or establish an identity for your podcasting episode or series without going through the hassle of securing expensive performance rights? By choosing good quality royalty-free music. You pay a single fee up front, and can use the music in your episode, worry-free. You can find music that sets the tone just as well as that popular song without all the headaches.

I hope you'll consider my royalty-free collection of music created especially for podcasters. You can find tracks in different lengths, ranging from just a few seconds to 30 seconds long. There are different styles to set the mood or enhance your brand, including corporate, rock, pop, dance, jazz, urban, classical and more. Many have seamless loops you can license to repeat over and over in the background if you want music to talk over.

CHECK OUT MY ROYALTY-FREE PODCAST MUSIC COLLECTION

What's Happening: Week of May 1, 2017

I hope everyone is in fine fettle has we head into the next week. Rather than just look ahead in this post, I'd like to take some time to look back as well.

Something interesting (and good) and happened last week. If you've read my blog in the past, you may remember that I did a little experiment where I created a stock music track based loosely on a formula for a "feel good" song developed by Dutch cognitive psychology and neuroscience professor Jacob Jolij of the University of Groningen. At long last, that track "Driving Uplifting Rock," has found a buyer! Who knows, this may be just the beginning of something great (but I'm not holding my breath).

I've also experienced a significant surge in licensing revenue over the past month, including the last few days. A lot of that is coming from the podcast intros and loops I've been working diligently to develop and market since the end of January. I analyzed the sales of my podcast music thus far and wrote about my conclusions in the post from last week that I've linked to above. Since then I've had yet more podcast sales and they continue to follow the pattern I identified in that post: preferences skewing toward the longest and shortest versions.

On my Twitter feed this week I'll be featuring tracks that sold last week, and expressing a lot of gratitude to the buyers who have licensed my work. I have one loop in the pipeline. It's more of a typical stock music track than my recent podcast music intros and loops. If you're on Twitter and not following me now, please do so (@thisbrucesmith). I'm a lot more active there than I am here. Also, please check out my latest featured stock music track (it's epic!) and have a great week.

Insights From My Podcast Music Experience

Early in the year, I noticed that a significant number of people were searching for and buying music for their podcasts on Pond5, which is the marketplace where I do most of my business. I concluded that there was an under-served market there, and went in heavily on developing intros and loops for podcasters. A little over three months and almost 100 tracks later, I took a few minutes to look at what was selling from the podcast music collection I had created on Pond5, and promoted pretty heavily on Twitter and Google+. Here's what (I think) I've learned.

First, the podcast music is already accounting for a significant portion of my stock music sales. Since I created my collection and began to market it heavily at beginning of February, about a third of all my item sales at Pond5 have come from the collection. Since the beginning of April, it's over 40 percent.

Second, there's a definite trend in what buyers are looking for. The keywords that seem to be coming up most (besides "podcast intro" or "podcast music") are: "corporate," "orchestral" and "urban." This leads me to believe that a lot of people licensing my work are looking to make a professional, polished presentation of their podcast with a business audience in mind. Meanwhile, others perhaps want to impart a more edgy feel. What's not selling, at least not yet, are the more "oddball" styles, like light classical, baroque, and surf rock (it was a moment of weakness when I came up with that, I guess). There's certainly a lot of interest: one of the "corporate" podcast intro tracks has broken into my all-time top five in item views. (For context, I have over 400 items on Pond5, developed over a 4+ year period.)

Also, the length of the music matters. Of the items I've sold out of the podcast music collection, more than a third are in the :08 length range. Half are :10 or shorter. There's still interest in longer intros in the :25 to :30 range, but the radio formula of doing multipled of fifteen seconds (:60, :30, :15) apparently does NOT apply with podcast music. I've also sold a few loops, but not nearly as many as I'd expected. My conclusion is that the majority of my buyers want to get straight to the point, or maybe are looking for alternate audio to bracket their segments in addition to their existing music.

Based on this, to the extent I add to the collection, I'll probably focus on the styles I've mentioned. I also plan to dispense with anything in the :15 range, as there's very little demand for it. I'll still do "full" versions in the :25 to :30 range, but concentrate more effort on creating memorable, logo-type themes in :07 to :10 durations. I'll do some loops, but won't make them as much of a priority as in the past.

Are you a podcaster? Do you agree that I'm on the right track here? I welcome your comments. Also, if you haven't done so before I hope you'll check out my complete podcast music collection at Pond5.

If you're interested in exclusive custom music just for your podcast, I can do that as well. Please fill in the contact form below and I'll get back to you.

New Podcast Intros and Loops Today

I' m featuring new podcast intros and loops on my Twitter feed today. One set is high energy metal in four versions: full, abbreviated, looped, and logo/outro. The second has an urban, "old skool" feel in full, short and looped versions.

Also, my new video on royalty-free music for podcasters is online at YouTube. Hope you'll check it out.

New Site Just For Podcast Music

I've launched a brand new site (more like a landing page, really) to focus specifically on marketing my podcast music collection. You can reach it at https://music4podcasts.blogspot.com if you're interested. I'm also planning a YouTube video to tie into the page.

In the meantime, I have two new sets of podcast tracks rolling out and will feature them on Twitter tomorrow (3/30/17). One is "Salsa Jazz," the other a new corporate theme. And I have more in the pipeline - especially for you metal head podcasters out there. Stay tuned!

More Podcast Music Today!

This morning I'm rolling out three freshly-approved tracks for podcasters. Two are short (:10 and :12) attention-grabbing electro tracks. The third is a sort of lo-fi surf rock thing in three versions: a full (:19), a slightly shorter (:12) and a looping version (:23). It's an option for folks with retro or nostalgic-themed podcasts. I'll featuring them on my Twitter feed all day. If you're looking at this on my blog page, just look to the top right to see my tweets.

I hope you enjoy your Friday and your weekend. Don't forget the last post of my series "Gloriously Baffling" drops tomorrow morning.

Now Podcast Intros Rolling Out Today

I have some new podcast intros online now at Pond5. The new batch covers mellow, electronic dance pop, and modern jazz styles for topical, arts or lifestyle podcasts, plus another "breaking news" themed intro. There's also an uptempo rock loop in a style reminiscent of the mid 80s. I'll be featuring them on Twitter throughout the day, so if you don't currently subscribe to my Twitter feed, I hope you will.

Also, don't forget that all my podcast music is available in my Pond5 podcast music collection. It's quickly grown to over 30 different items in various styles and lengths, including looped versions in many cases. I'm working hard to ensure that, whether your topic area is sports, news, politics, business, lifestyle or others, you'll find something that works for your podcast or vlog. Please check it out!

Introducing My New Podcast Music Collection

Today I'm rolling out a new collection of royalty-free music for podcasters. These are short tracks designed to be an attention-grabbing opener or closer for your podcast. Some are in longer lengths that you can patter over or include additional introductory voiceovers on top. Some are under 10 seconds and get straight to the point. Several have alternate looped versions available if you want to do segues or patter over them and fade into your main presentation. All tracks are sold separately at this point, but I may offer all the tracks in a single file at a discounted rate later. All tracks are offered royalty-free, without YouTube Content ID to make it easier on all of you video podcasters. Please check out the collection at the link above and get a sample from the video below.