How to choose the best royalty-free podcast music?

Elevate your podcast with the perfect royalty-free music that makes editing a breeze!

Podcasts are now more popular than ever. As of 2023, Statista reported over 464 million podcast listeners worldwide, with projections of over 504 million listeners by 2024. In April 2024, Podcast Index listed over 4 million podcasts and more than 140 million episodes available globally and Spotify reports show a 95% year-over-year increase in hours streamed as of 2023.

Podcasts are definitively an effective way to build content around your brand. They’re also cheaper than video content but must be entertaining and emotionally engaging.

Similarly, royalty-free music is getting more important as a resource for podcasters seeking to enhance their content without the complexities and costs associated with traditional music licensing. The global royalty-free music market was worth USD 34.53 billion in 2022, and is projected to grow at an annual growth rate of 14.3% until 2029 (Market Insight Report). This growth is driven by increased demand from content creators such as podcasters, YouTubers, and social media influencers (DMLA). It allows them to legally use high-quality tracks in their podcasts for a one-time fee or a subscription, depending on the offer.

Here’s our guide to help you get the best music design for a podcast!

Choose the best royalty-free music for your podcast

Navigate through our best advice:

A good podcast music sets the mood
Get a catchy podcast intro music and outro music
Set an adapted background podcast music
Stay legal: choose a royalty-free music or get a podcast music license
The advantages of a podcast music license
The advantages of royalty-free music
Ben’s playlist for a podcast

A good podcast music sets the mood

A good podcast intro and background music are like the opening credits of a great movie. They set the mood and establish the tone for the entire listening experience.

Before you start searching for the perfect track, it’s essential to understand your podcast’s style and audience. Ask yourself what’s the overall theme of your podcast. Who is your target audience? What mood or tone do you want to convey?

Understanding these elements will help you select music that complements your content and resonates with your audience, creating a truly immersive podcast experience.

The length and format of your podcast will influence your music choices. For instance:

For intro and outro music, choose short and catchy tunes that can become a signature sound for your podcast.
For the background music, select subtle and non-intrusive music that complements your voice without overpowering it.
Last, use transition music to signal segment changes and maintain listener engagement.

Get a catchy podcast intro music and outro music

This is the hardest part of the job. What does catchy even mean? It depends on what your podcast is about. You won’t choose the same track when interviewing a CEO as when talking about last night’s football game.

The main thing is to remember that intro and outro music have to be relevant and recognizable as soon as your listeners hear it. Some content creators choose the same podcast intro music as they do for their podcast outro music.

If your content is supposed to reveal an energetic tone, opt for music with a catchy melody, driving drums, and positive vibes. This will work with podcasts on comedy, pop culture, or hobbies. Episodes about business, science, or current events usually seek an informative and serious mood: instrumental tracks with piano, acoustic guitar, or light electronics are the best. A slow tempo with atmospheric synths or strings can build intrigue for podcasts on true crime, history, or fiction, where you want to have a mysterious and suspenseful resonance.

What about the format? Aim for 15-30 seconds to grab attention without dragging. Listeners are eager to dive into the content. High-quality matters so make sure the audio is clear and professional-sounding. Avoid music with distracting background noise and prefer files with quality audio formats such as WAV, FLAC, AIFF, …

Set an adapted background podcast music

Is setting background music for a podcast as crucial as for intro and outro music?

For background music in podcasting, you need to think the same way as you do for intro and outro: brainstorm the tone, the mood, the audience, and every detail that can enhance the listening experience.

But there’s a slight difference here: your background music won’t tie up your content identity as much as intro music and outro music can. That means choosing background podcast music should be easier for you. The point here is only to keep your content from being tasteless. People won’t engage with poor-sounding audio and tend to unhook from content if the experience sounds (or looks) better elsewhere.

Easy, by Vital

Stay legal: choose a royalty-free music or get a podcast music license

It’s vital to respect copyright laws and the work of musicians by properly licensing and attributing music. Always double-check the usage rights and give credit where it’s due. Using copyrighted music without permission can lead to legal issues and tarnish your podcast’s reputation.

It’s important to know the difference between the licensing options concerning podcast music:

Public Domain: Music that is free to use without any restrictions.
Creative Commons: Music that is free to use, but may have some restrictions, such as requiring attribution.
Licensed Music: Music that you need to pay for, either through a one-time fee or subscription.

When it comes to finding the perfect music for your podcast, you have two main options to consider: obtaining a podcast music license or opting for royalty-free music. Both approaches have their own advantages and implications, and understanding them can help you make an informed decision.

The advantages of a podcast music license

A podcast music license is a formal agreement between you, as the podcaster, and the music owner. This license grants you the right to use a specific piece of music within the parameters defined in the agreement. These parameters may include details like the duration of use, the number of episodes for which the music can be used, the regions in which you can distribute your podcast, and the associated costs. Licensing music often provides access to exclusive or high-quality tracks, but it can be more complex and expensive due to the need for negotiation and possible renewal of the license.

The advantages of royalty-free podcast music

On the other hand, royalty-free music offers a convenient and cost-effective solution for podcasters. Once you purchase or download royalty-free music, you’re free to use it without any additional royalty or recurring fees. This simplicity and affordability make it an attractive option for many podcasters. However, it is important to note that royalty-free music is often non-exclusive, meaning that other podcasters may also use the same tracks. This can diminish the uniqueness of your podcast’s sound.

The choice between a podcast music license and royalty-free music ultimately depends on several factors such as your budget, the level of exclusivity you desire, and the specific needs of your podcast. If you are willing to invest in higher-quality or exclusive tracks and are open to negotiating specific terms of use, a podcast music license might be the right fit for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for a simpler, more cost-effective solution and are not concerned about exclusivity, royalty-free music is the ideal solution.

Remember, whether you choose a podcast music license or royalty-free music, both options provide legal avenues to incorporate music into your podcast. So, go ahead and explore the wide array of options available to find the perfect music to enhance your podcasting experience!

Ben’s playlist for a podcast

Now that you have everything in your hands to choose the best music for your podcast episode, we offer you a 10-track playlist that will brighten up your episodes. We put different moods into it to give you a sample of our wide catalog, but you have plenty of other options to discover! You can filter by moods, instruments, duration, etc…