Every podcaster wants their series to stand out—it’s why licensing music for can be considered a secret weapon not just for the content creator but also the musician, band and artist trying to get their music licensed.
In the past, we’ve set out in highlighting filmmakers to commercial campaign creators—revealing the behind the scenes process of scoring original music to picture to finding music for videos. In our Uncovering the Podcast License series, we’ll look beyond using music in videos and refocus our attention on the non-visual medium. Let’s look at examples of noteworthy podcasts, along with uncovering why every podcast should be licensing music.
In podcasting, a listener’s experience is completely an audio sensory one. Applying music throughout a series is one of the biggest way to cultivate an immersive environment—and it can happen even before the show delves into any actual discussion point.
Even if a podcaster runner isn’t generating a huge cult following, music can attribute incredible value to setting the pacing for the content itself. Regarding music playing in a episode’s introduction, the song is operating as a quick taste of what’s to come—subconsciously telling the listener why they should be invested.
This foundation gives precedence for episode’s real story, paving way for what’s to unfold seamlessly and naturally. Sure it might seem subtle when casually listening—perhaps the music just blending together as a common introductory theme song—but a song can be monumentally influential in getting listeners onboard without them even realizing why they’re hooked, leading them straight into the next episode…and next.
Look at the new podcast series, Gender Blender created by Bonnie Thornbury. The episode opens with “LOVE//WARRIOR” by Frankie Simone—it’s an anthemic piece of music with a message echoing the series’ discussion of queer culture and the tropes of gender norms. It’s a perfect example of using music that instills parallel themes and sentiments; the song hits home what the podcast is about, while also grabbing listeners’ attention.
A more seasoned podcast is the widely known, Millennial podcast created by Megan Tam. The series incorporates everything from licensed music environmental sound and noise (stay tuned for a one to one interview with show creator later this week).
Understanding that high quality music comes with some type of cost is one step in securing music that serves a podcast’s work and purpose. In the instance of not feeling 100% confident in finalizing a license agreement for a podcast, forgot the hassle and get in touch with our music licensing team—we can help you secure music through the podcast license before you can even say “thanks for listening.”
After all, isn’t it better to use someone’s copyrighted work (i.e. an artist’s music) correctly the first time around then having your podcast flagged for incorrect use? We know you don’t have time for that and neither do your subscribers.
Stay tuned as we continue exploring finding music for podcasts and licensing songs for commercial use.