How to create your own podcast #02: How and where to use music

How important is music to your podcast? It’s way more important than you might think. And we’re not just talking about a catchy jingle - using music in the right way can really lift your audio to the next level.

Where do I get music for my podcast?

It’s really important to stress that you need to licence music properly from a reputable website, otherwise you may find yourself in hot water later on.

The best bet for a small home-grown podcast is to go for ‘Royalty Free’ music. That sounds like you get it at no charge, but that’s not the case. You still have to pay, but most websites then give you access to a full library of music so you can choose something that you like. Don’t risk taking your favourite song and using that. Using commercial music could land you with a bill for thousands. It’s not worth the risk and you should absolutely not do it. The bottom line is, unless your best mate is in a band and can write your theme or you’re paying for it, you risk getting sued by a musician or record company.

It's also worth noting that if an artist complains that your existing podcast is using their music without permission, hosts like Acast will take down your podcast and not reinstate it. This is after an EU Copyright Directive in 2021

Is it really worth paying for music?

Absolutely. Music can set the tone of your podcast, add pace and break up the sections of your podcast. Punctuating your show with music can give the listener a bit of a break from non-stop chat and allows you to change subject without a clumsy bit of script. It can also help you to introduce a regular feature or smooth out tricky edits.

I’m not an expert podcast editor – how do I add music in easily?

If you’re using AI editing software, most will now allow you to fade music under speech. It can take a bit of practice but the results can sound very professional.

If you’re having a go with editing software like Audacity, make sure you watch how loud the music is relative to the speech, you don’t want it too loud or way too quiet. Also make sure you do over do it, there’s a lot of ‘just right’ with music and podcasting, have a listen around to some other examples. Uncanny is an excellent example of how music is used to set the tone and how the spooky stories fit in around the music to add atmosphere.

In short, music can make your podcast sound polished and set it, and therefore you, apart from the crowd.

If you’re stuck and need some help, I’m always here to advise. Drop me a line at nick@gingerwizard.co.uk on how to create a podcast you can be proud of.