Using music in your podcast can significantly enhance the overall listening experience by adding a layer of emotion that can make your content more relatable, impactful, and intense. Just as a film score underpins the emotional narrative on screen, music in a podcast helps to make listeners feel something. And the more you can make somebody feel something, the more that person becomes attached to your podcast.
The problem podcasters run into with using music in our podcasts is licensing—you can’t legally use music without the permission of the copyright holder.
Fortunately, there are some great options for podcasters to get inexpensive, legally cleared music. Here are a few places to start:
Uppbeat - Low-cost (and no-cost) music and SFX subscription
Meta Sound Collection - Free music to use on any Meta properties, including Facebook and Instagram
Epidemic Sound - Get unlimited access to a library of copyrighted music and sound effects
Premium Beat - Curated background music for YouTube videos and podcasts with multiple lengths of each track available for easy editing
Soundstripe - Unlimited access to professionally produced music
Audiio - Royalty-free music for creators
Want more? Search “royalty-free music” and have at it.
Will you find top radio hits at these sites? No.
Will you be able to find something that works for you? Yes.
I worked in the music industry for years and have done a lot with music licensing and clearance. Yes, it’s possible to get a license on anything if you have the right amount of money, but even then, it’s going to take time, possibly several months, to go through the clearance process.
I know it’s easy to get attached to a song you really like and want to use for your podcast, but if you want to keep everything legal, I suggest looking at royalty-free options before going through the traditional licensing process.
Royalty-free music will keep your production on track and save you a lot of time and energy.
