How Podcast Music Works

So you’re starting a podcast, and you’re wondering how podcast music works, right? Well in this episode I’m going to give you a few different ways to use podcast music, where you can get podcast music and the various things to consider when choosing your podcast music.

We're covering:

> How do you use music in a podcast?

> What can music do to set you apart from other podcasters?

> What are the different types of podcast music you can get?

> How Custom Podcast Music Works

> What kind of music should you use for your podcast?

I'll also be sharing examples of music I've written for these podcasts!

> Caper Cast hosted by Whitney Garder and Stephanie Cooke

> We Really Like Her hosted by Emily Gagne and Danita Steinberg

> Weird Magnets hosted by Stephanie Cooke and Katy Sawatsky

> VRMP Radio Presents: The 5 People You Meet In Hell

> Her Name Is... hosted by me and my pal Jenny Tang

Links:

• Check out full links in the blog post at: https://theultimatecreative.com/how-podcast-music-works

• Rain News: https://rainnews.com/podcast-music-licensing-4-things-you-need-to-know/

• Envato Elements (Note: This is an affiliate link and I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you): https://1.envato.market/tuc-music

• Sounds Like An Earful: https://soundslikeanearful.com/

• Episode 9 of The Ultimate Creative Podcast: https://theultimatecreative.com/podcasting-with-stephanie-cooke/

Learn how my team can help you launch and grow a podcast:

• Free Masterclass: 5 Simple Steps to Start a Podcast: https://theultimatecreative.com/simple-steps-to-start-a-podcast/

• Learn at your own pace with Podcast Rocket: https://theultimatecreative.com/podcast-rocket

• Already have a podcast? Learn how my team can help you manage your monthly production with our top notch editing and marketing packages: https://theultimatecreative.com/podcasting

Transcript

Welcome to another episode of the ultimate creative podcast. I am your host, Emily milling. And today we are talking about how podcast music works. I'm very excited about this because I have recently been dabbling yet again in creating custom podcast music. And I'm going to share a little bit of that with you later on.

[00:00:51] Episode. I'm super excited about it. If you haven't heard already, I have a brand new masterclass out it's called five simple steps to start your podcast, and that is free for you. If you haven't started your podcast, yet, this is perfect for you. It's going to give you an overview of what you need. Do how to get started.

[00:01:08] It's going to take away all of that overwhelm. I will link to that in the show notes for you here, and you can get instant access to that when you sign up over on my website, the ultimate creative.com. All right, let's talk about how podcast music works. So if you're starting a podcast and you're wondering how it works, This episode is going to go through a couple of different ways that you can use podcast music, where you can get it, and the various things to consider when you're choosing your podcast music.

[00:01:36] So, first of all, how do you use music and a podcast? The most obvious place that you can use music in your podcast is in the intro and outro. Obviously you heard that at the beginning of this episode, you'll hear it. At the end of this episode, the intro music really sets the scene for your listeners and close them into.

[00:01:55] To expect from the show. So for example, if you choose music that's upbeat and hashtag funky, fresh, you're going to create a mood for your listener that boosts their energy and gets them super excited about the content they're about to tune into. If you used music that somber and morose you'll likely be tapping into a different kind of mood.

[00:02:17] I'm thinking of some true crime shows out there that you slow tempo, inquisitive music, the kind of music that makes you pause and think deeply about things. You can also use music in your podcast to underscore promos or ads. This is a really great differentiator too, that lets your listeners know that they are in an ad break then.

[00:02:38] And this is not the actual content of the episode, or you can use music to transition into and out of an ad or promo. And then back into the show. Or you can listen to episode 51, how to structure a podcast episode and you'll hear how we use the same music transitions to go into special segments like passed at or composer on the very popular kids, music podcast, kids cue the music hosted by Rebecca Lane and Zahra lane.

[00:03:08] It's so good. I love it. So what can music do to set you apart from other podcasters? One of the things I love about custom music is that it can really set a professional tone for your podcast. So whether you're writing it yourself or you're outsourcing it to a composer, it's a unique and special piece of music for your podcast.

[00:03:30] But even if you don't use custom music, if we go back to my first point on how podcast music works, you're really creating that.  for your listener. Right. And you know, we're all about listener experience here at the ultimate, creative, your audio quality, your audio, the transitions you use. You're not cutting in the middle of a breath.

[00:03:50] That kind of thing is all about listener experience because that's, what's going to bring them back for more and that's, what's going to keep them listening there. They're going to turn it off if it sounds bad. Unfortunately, my idea they've just, well, so invest in your. Listener experience when you choose the right music and you edit it to fade in and out at the exact right moments to punctuate a story or to cue up a response.

[00:04:17] But yeah, it's a Pavlovian response basically, uh, for your listener, you're elevating your podcast into the quote unquote, next level. You're saying, Hey, I am a professional podcaster here, and people are going to take note of that, even if it's subconscious.

[00:04:34]Let's talk a little bit about the different types of podcast music that you can get. So depending on your budget, you can have custom music created, you can license, popular music, or you can get royalty free music. Custom music is a really powerful way to create a signature brand sound that no one else is allowed to use.

[00:04:53] That means when people hear your music, they're automatically thinking about your podcast and your brand. Alternatively, you can license music that already exists. But be careful about using popular music because you can't just take a song from anywhere on the radio. If you still listen to the radio or Spotify, by the way, you can listen to my music on Spotify.

[00:05:13] Anyway, you can't just take that music and put it in your podcast without proper licensing. So, Anna was Shenko from rain news. Says in order to use any copyrighted music in their show, a podcaster needs to obtain a synchronization license. These types of licenses, traditionally governed music use in TV shows, films and commercials as those media required.

[00:05:39] The music to be sinked with the visuals on screen. In the case of podcasts, music is sinked with the larger audio program, which is why this license is required. Boom. There you go. Don't steal other people's creative work. You've got to pay for it. Okay. I don't know why my Irish ancestors came out of me just now, but that's what it is.

[00:05:58] That's what we're going for anyway. Um, so if you don't want to spend oodles of cash on copyright music And you're okay with another podcast or potentially using the same music as you, you can get a royalty free license from a website, like in vAuto elements or from sounds like an earful.

[00:06:15] That is a great guy named Chris in Canada here. And he has some really awesome music that you can use for your pod. Throw him a couple of bones because he is doing this out of the creative amazingness of his heart. You can use these tracks by paying a nominal fee one time. And it's a great budget friendly way of getting some music into your show.

[00:06:35]Let's talk about custom podcast music. How does this work? So when you pick up a music pack from Envato elements, for example, it will show, or it will include a few variations of the same track that you can use in different parts of your podcasts. So you will get something like. Full length with vocals and without vocals, you'll get a 15 second version, a 32nd version and short transitions for segments.

[00:06:59] Most of the time, you're going to get a couple of variations. Some of these tracks include them. Some of them don't, I'd recommend having your composer put together a similar package though, like this, like with a couple of different options so that you have transitional music, you can layer music on your promos without vocals, if needed, and you can have different lengths for different purposes.

[00:07:19]So now I'm going to share with you a couple of examples of tunes that I have created for some podcasts in the past. And you can check out those actual podcasts in the link in the show notes here.

[00:07:31] So here's the first one. This is caper cast hosted by Whitney garter and Stephanie Cook, who you may remember from episode nine of the ultimate creative podcast. Let's listen to the caper cast themes.

[00:07:44] All right. Then we have, we really like her, and this is hosted by Emily ganja and Denita Steinberg. This one is a super simple one. I was pulling a lot of golden girls, kind of the Matic feeling for this. Um, I've really enjoyed making this one. This is a super fun one.

[00:08:27] All right next up, we have another show hosted by Stephanie Cook. And this time her guest host is Katie Sawatzky and the show is called weird magnets because they are weird magnets and weird things happen to them. They are the magnets of weirdness.

[00:09:01] Anyway, here it is.

[00:09:02] Okay. And then we've got VR, MP radio. If you've listened to some of my previous shows, you know, that this is one of my podcasts, this was the live show that we recorded the live radio play that we did. So this is the theme song for that. And this was recorded with a couple of other musicians as well. I wrote it on the accordion.

[00:10:10] It was super fun.

[00:10:11] And finally, I will wrap up this portion with a tune from her name is, which is my very first podcast that I created with Jenny Tang. It's about creative women in Toronto that you need to know. And it has since sunsets into the setting of the sun horizon, but here is a tune from that.

[00:11:32] Okay. So now that we've gone through all of these different types of music, what kind of music should you be using for your podcast? I'm always on the side of like, whatever you do, it should match up with your goals, right? If you're creating a brand around your content, you really want it to stand out.

[00:12:41] Having custom music is a great way to make that brand signature sound. Plus you can use it in your videos.

[00:12:48]Or perhaps the goal is to build your audience and use your podcast as the marketing tool for your business. So getting a royalty free track or pack can still have the same impact.

[00:12:57] Holy cow, that was a fun run. As long as other podcasts in your niche, aren't using the exact same music. I have run into this with my clients. A couple of times they just keep picking the same one over and over. but unfortunately someone already is know. So alas and the luck sheet gets to keep that music.

[00:13:15] I mean, anybody can really use it, but you know, you like to make sure that at least if there's going to be some audience overlap, you're not using the exact same music. And then of course there's budget. So custom music can range from a hundred bucks to a thousand dollars or beyond, depending on who you're hiring and their level of experience.

[00:13:34] It could also include musicians, right? Singers. Maybe even a conductor, if you want to get really fancy. So obviously the more bells and whistles, the more you'll have to budget for your custom podcast music.

[00:13:47]And that's it for this episode as per use. I am Emily milling. I will check in with you next week. Have a lovely, lovely week. Bye bye.