01 · Rights
Talking is fine, playing is the problem
Talking about music, reviewing albums and interviewing artists is fine. Playing recorded music in a podcast usually needs a licence from both the owner of the song and the owner of the recording. Standard podcast hosting does not include those licences.
Fair use or fair dealing exceptions are narrow and uncertain for a regular podcast, and platforms can remove episodes before anyone argues about it. Plan the show assuming you will not play full tracks. This is general information, not legal advice.
02 · Formats
Formats that work
- Album or song deep dives: what makes a record work, its history and influence
- Artist and producer interviews
- Genre or scene histories
- Music news and reviews
- Shows featuring independent artists who give permission to play their tracks
- Music making and production advice
Listeners can listen along: link the album in the show notes and tell them when to press play.
03 · Permission
Getting permission to play tracks
Independent and emerging artists often welcome a podcast play. Ask for written permission by email, keep it on file, and credit them clearly. Labels can grant permission too, though larger labels are slower.
If an artist is your guest, ask during booking whether you can play a track and get the answer in writing.
04 · Interviews
Interview musicians well
Musicians are used to the same questions. Listen to their work closely and ask about specific songs, decisions and moments. Remote guests can join from the browser, which makes it easier to book artists on tour.
05 · Listen along
Make listening along easy
Since you will usually not play full songs, help listeners listen along. Link every song you discuss in the show notes, mention timestamps you are talking about, and suggest they pause the episode and play the track at the right moment.
Some shows publish a playlist on a streaming service to accompany each episode. Listeners play the playlist and the episode side by side, the artists get the streams, and you avoid the rights problem entirely.
Describe sound in words too. A good music podcaster can make a listener hear a bassline before they press play.
06 · Sound
Make your talk sound good
Music fans have good ears. Record in a quiet room, keep your levels consistent, and clean up background noise before publishing.
Clean conversation audio for music talk.
Record and edit interviews with artists in Hilite.