You host an insightful podcast. You invest in top-notch recording equipment, edit meticulously, and have a solid follower base. But when it comes to music, you skip it. You believe that the content makes a podcast worth listening to.
Right?
Wrong!
While insightful content is the backbone of a podcast, music enhances your narrative, adds mood to the context, and creates a seamless emotional transition.
Take Oprah’s podcast Super Soul, for example. Oprah, the goddess of talk shows, uses music in her podcast. Each Super Soul episode carefully elevates the storytelling aspect using music. It is the music that simplifies the transition moments in her podcast.
Well, we have solutions for your music needs.
If you still have second thoughts about adding music to your podcast, we have you covered.
We have compiled a list of free sources to help you find the perfect music for your podcast. Let’s get started!
Why do you need to use music in your podcast?
As podcasts are purely audio-focused, music fuels them with new energy. It touches the area of our brains that words fail to, engaging listeners further.
When used creatively, music instantly changes the overall tone and hooks your listeners. It manages tension, transitions between episodes, and amplifies emotions.
This is why popular podcasters have signature music that stays with the listeners even after the podcast has ended. Take Cal Newport’s podcast Deep Question, for example. The music effectively sets the tone for the ‘deep questions’ while also sticking in your head.
Today, not only is there a vast and brilliant spectrum of pre-recorded music, but you can even use AI music creators to generate precisely the music you are looking for. You can choose the instruments you want, the tempo, the tone, etc.
Ensure you have the right to use the music. One way to own usage rights is to buy a music license. Another is to use royalty-free music for podcasts to avoid copyright strikes.
Source
Where should you use music in a podcast?
Select your podcast music carefully and place it in the right areas. Unlike random video content, background music can’t be placed throughout the podcast, so you have to be smart about its use.
Not all places and sections in a podcast need background music. Here are some ways to leverage music to elevate your podcast:
Finally, use background music (carefully and sparingly) wherever it is required to evoke a particular emotion or feeling. For example, use calming music in a mindfulness podcast.
While you use music, ensure music doesn’t overpower the verbal content. The first step is to write killing podcast content and then see where the music is required.
Types of music to use in a podcast
Let’s understand the types of music that you can use in a podcast. This is typically categorized into legal use, moods, and genres.
Legal Use and Permission
This music type primarily ascertains the legal use of music and has three categories.
Creative Commons(CC): CC is a music license that allows creators to use premium music provided they follow the specific terms specified by the license. There are six types of CC licenses. For podcasts, you must credit the original artist, add the track’s name in the show notes, and mention that the music is under a CC license.
Royalty-free music: Royalty-free music for your podcasts allows you to use music under specific terms by paying a one-time fee.
Public Domain music: Songs released before 1928 in the US are under the public domain and can be used for free by anyone without any legal obligation.
Mood and Genre
Music is a different world of its own. You’ll find music with different tones, genres, tempo, and overall emotional feel. Here are some different types of music to consider for your podcast:
Mood Setting:
Genre-Specific Music:
5 Sources to find free music for your podcast
Beatoven.ai
Beatoven.ai is an AI music generator that offers unique, royalty-free, original music. It generates music using advanced music theories and artist collaboration.
Beatoven prioritizes ethical AI use to generate mood-based music across nine genres and 16 emotions, helping you create signature sounds and tracks for your podcast.
Designed for busy creators and artists, Beatoven.ai offers a free plan that includes quick music generation and extensive yet easy-to-use personalization options.
Hear it from a Beatoven user 👇
Key Features
For example, in this podcast, the creator uses different intro sounds for each podcast depending on the topic and guest. He uses Beatoven.ai to generate a signature sound for his podcast, create a brand identity, and generate an excellent intro sound that shares the same idea as the podcast content.
YouTube Audio Library
YouTube Audio Library provides a free, high-quality music collection for creators. It offers license-free music in different categories and genres. The music collection is available for easy download and use with a guideline for permitted use.
Key Features
Free Music Archive
Free Music Archive is another good option for open licensed music and soundtracks. FMA features popular music genres from independent artists worldwide, including experimental, international, and historical music libraries, offering a vast collection of original music.
Key Features
Freebeats.io
Freebeats.io offers free beats and instrumentals for various projects. Designed for rappers, singers, and content creators, Freebeats.io provides a wide range of genres, from Hip-Hop, Rap, and R&B to electronic, pop, and club music.
Key Features
Epidemic Sound
Epidemic Sound is a royalty-free music library offering an extensive collection of music and soundtracks for creators. It offers content-specific music for streaming, advertising, documentaries, and more, and it also allows monetization on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and others.
Key features
We Love These Podcasts Only Because of the Smart Use of Music
Super Soul by Oprah Winfrey
The Super Soul podcast has positive, life-changing, inspirational content. It begins with Oprah’s introduction to the podcast series, accompanied by upbeat, inspirational background music that supports her content of uplifting stories focused on personal growth and life anecdotes.
Keep It! by Crooked Media
Keep It! is a podcast on pop culture and politics that uses signature music that instantly tells you what you are listening to. It uses upbeat and light music to fade out during ad breaks and intros when they return. This makes the transition smooth for listeners without breaking the mood of the serious conversation and witty commentary on politics.
Serial by Serial Productions & The New York Times
The Serial podcast is an investigative audio reporting and storytelling spinoff of the public radio show “This American Life”. The podcast introduces the series episode with thrilling, suspenseful music to set the narrative of the cases. They strategically use dramatic music between the podcasts to enhance the tension and tap into the different moods they try to create through their narration.
Conclusion
The impact of music is underrated when it comes to podcasts. With music, engaging a listener longer to listen to the discussion is much easier than without music. But, the music you use has to be unique and contextual with the content. Else it is just noise.
And that’s where Beatoven.ai comes into the picture. It goes that extra mile to collaborate with human artists for generating authentic music. And bonus: you can personalize the tracks as per your needs.
Want to experience Beatoven.ai firsthand?
FAQ
What are the top websites or platforms that offer free music for podcasts?
If you are creating podcasts for YouTube, it has a separate free library. Several websites, such as Free Music Archive, Pixabay, Bensound, etc., provide royalty-free music.
Are any legal considerations or licenses required when using free podcast music?
Always use music after getting proper usage rights or license of use. You may either buy the music or look for royalty-free music. Ignoring this might get your content taken down by the platform, ban the channel, or get you into legal trouble.
What genres or styles of free music are available for podcasts?
There are numerous music types that you can use in podcasts, such as ambient, lo-fi, classical, indie, hip-hop, jazz and blues, folk, electronic, etc. Always choose the genre wisely.
How can I ensure that my free music is of good quality and professionally produced?
Always choose high-resolution audio and listen to the music for background noises, distortions, low quality, clipping, etc., before using it. Most music found on YouTube and other websites undergoes proper quality checks. Music generated using AI tools like Beatoven.ai also gives high-quality production-ready output.
Are there any limitations or restrictions on free podcast music, such as the number of plays or commercial use?
Although music can be used freely after owning usage rights, certain websites can impose limitations. It is best to carefully read the licenses and agreement to understand if there are any restrictions (e.g., it can’t be used in commercials, movies, etc.).
Can I modify or edit the free music tracks to fit my podcast’s requirements?
After owning the license, you can modify most tracks (Clip, loop, fade, amplify, tempo, add beats, etc.) to fit your podcast’s needs unless the license is CC-BY-ND (Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivs). However, it is recommended that you read the license terms carefully for such permissions before modifying them.
How do I properly credit or attribute the free music I use in my podcast?
Different countries, laws, licenses, and websites might require different types of attribution. Free music with a CC license can be used without attribution, and that with CC BY must be attributed by crediting the artist, title, and link to the source, usually in the description.
Are there any user communities or forums where I can get recommendations or feedback on using free music in podcasts?
The best way to get feedback or recommendations is to connect with other podcast creators who use music. You can also get valuable insights and tips from community Reddit forums.
Can I use free music from multiple sources or platforms in a single podcast episode?
If you have the usage rights, you may combine different music tracks, platforms, and genres in your podcasts to elevate the overall appeal. However, read the license terms before to avoid any issues later.
Are there any advantages or benefits to using free music over-paid royalty-free music for podcasts?
Choosing between free and paid music is always a question of individual choice. However, with free music, you have editing restrictions, complex licensing terms, and sometimes poor audio quality. Royalty-free music offers a wide selection of music and clear licensing terms.
Sreyashi Chatterjee is a SaaS content marketing consultant. When she is not writing or thinking about writing, she is watching Netflix or reading a thriller novel while sipping coffee.