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6 October 2026

What Music Licence Do You Need for a Podcast? A Guide for Brands and Producers

Knowledge Base /

What Music Licence Do You Need for a Podcast? A Guide for Brands and Producers

You need a licence that covers everywhere your podcast will be heard or seen: audio platforms, a video version on YouTube and any clips you promote. Our -podcast licence can cover all of that in one licence, including organic and paid use, and we can license worldwide, on every platform and in perpetuity. Every track is 100% human-made, and you can license a single track, a whole series or a subscription for your team. 

What Music Licence Do I Need for a Podcast?

You need our podcast licence, scoped to where your show will be published and whether it carries ads, sponsors or paid promotion. 

Every piece of music in a podcast needs clearing with whoever owns the rights, whether it’s a five-second sting or a full theme tune. With commercial releases, that usually means clearing the recording and the composition separately, often with different owners. We control the rights to all the music in our catalogue, so a single licence from us clears it. 

What changes from show to show is the scope of the licence. Our podcast licence can be tailored to every kind of podcast: 

Type of podcast 

What an Audio Network podcast licence can cover 

A charity or not-for-profit show without ads 

The episodes on the audio platforms you publish to 

A monetised show with ads or sponsors 

Commercial use alongside ad breaks and sponsor reads 

A branded or corporate podcast 

Commercial use for a show your brand produces or funds 

A video podcast on YouTube 

The video version as well as the audio feed (one podcast licence covers both) 

Clips promoted on social media 

Paid promotion of the show as well as organic posting 

 

Tell us which of these apply when you license, and we’ll make sure the licence covers them.  

Can One Licence Cover a Podcast Worldwide, on Every Platform and in Perpetuity?

With Audio Network, yes. We can license music for your podcast worldwide, on every platform your show appears on, and in perpetuity, so the music never needs re-clearing as your audience grows. 

Podcast listeners aren’t limited to one country, and a good episode keeps finding new listeners years after it goes out. Worldwide coverage means your show can be heard anywhere. A licence in perpetuity means an episode from three seasons ago stays cleared for as long as it stays online. Not every music licence gives you that: terms vary between providers, and some limit where, how or for how long you can use a track. 

If you don’t need all of that, for example if your show is for one market, or you only need the music for a defined period, tell us. We’ll price the licence for exactly the rights you use, which costs less than full coverage. 

Do I Need a Different Licence if My Podcast Has Ads, Sponsors or Paid Promotion?

With Audio Network, you can cover it all under one licence. Our podcast licence can cover organic and paid use together: episodes with or without ads and sponsors, plus paid promotion of the show. 

Most podcasts change over time. A show might launch without ads, pick up a sponsor in season two and start promoting clips with paid social. Rather than buying a new licence at each stage, you can cover all of it under one Audio Network podcast licence from the start. With other providers, ads, sponsorship and paid promotion may need separate licences or an upgrade, so check the terms before you publish. 

Sponsorships are easy to overlook. If a sponsor read sits over one of our beds, or a sponsor wants to use the show’s theme in its own promotion, tell us when you license so the licence covers it. 

Can I Use the Same Music on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube?

With Audio Network, yes. A single Audio Network podcast licence covers both the audio podcast and a video version, so the same edit works on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. Not every licence covers video as well as audio, so if you source music elsewhere, check before you publish. 

More shows now publish a filmed version on YouTube alongside the audio feed. With commercial music, YouTube is where copyright claims tend to show up. Because our music is original, rights-controlled and pre-cleared for the uses your licence covers, you avoid the copyright strikes and takedowns that come with using unlicensed tracks. 

Whoever you license from, check that your podcast music licence covers: 

  • Podcasts specifically, not just online video 
  • The video version as well as the audio feed 
  • Ads, sponsors and paid promotion, if you have them or plan to 
  • Every territory and platform you publish to 
  • How long the episodes will stay online 

What Music Works for Podcasts, and Which Versions Will I Need?

Most podcasts need three things: a short, recognisable theme, a bed that sits under conversation, and stings for transitions and ad breaks. Our tracks come with versions for all three. 

A theme should be short and memorable, typically 15 to 30 seconds. A bed needs to support the voices without competing with them, so it works best without a strong lead melody. Stings mark a change of segment in a second or two. Our catalogue includes versions built for every part of a podcast: 

Part of the show 

What works 

Versions to look for 

Intro and outro theme 

Short and recognisable, typically 15 to 30 seconds 

15- and 30-second edits (more than 60,000 timed edits across the catalogue) 

Bed under conversation 

Low-key, with no lead melody fighting the voice 

Underscore mixes (more than 25,000) and instrumental mixes (more than 24,000), plus stripped-back, light and ambient versions 

Segment transitions 

A clear, very short change of mood 

Stings, usually under ten seconds (more than 69,000) 

Ad breaks and sponsor reads 

A short link in and out of the break 

Bumpers (more than 2,500) and 15-second edits 

Your own edits 

Looping a bed or shortening a theme 

Stems, available on more than half the catalogue 

 

Our production music catalogue includes more than 300,000 tracks and versions from over 1,000 composers, artists and producers. You can search across 80 moods, filter by tempo, or describe what you want with our AI-powered search, including by prompt or by matching a reference track. To get started, browse our Podcasts playlist, or send our team a brief for a free, curated shortlist. 

How Much Does It Cost to License Music for a Podcast?

The cost depends on the scope of use: what you’re making, where it will appear and how much music you need. 

A charity podcast on audio platforms reaches a very different audience from a sponsored video series promoted with paid social, and our pricing reflects that. You only pay for the reach your show needs. We offer three ways to license music for a podcast: 

Licence option 

Best for 

Single track 

One show or episode 

Per project 

A full series or season using several tracks, at a price tailored to the project 

Annual subscription 

Teams making podcasts and other content regularly: a full year of content for your whole team, with sound effects as an option 

 

Licensing several tracks together gets you a better per-track rate, and there are no seat restrictions, so your whole team can use the account at no extra cost. Our licensing team prices every podcast licence to suit your budget, and typically responds within the hour during working hours. 

Why Do Brands License Podcast Music From a Production Music Library Instead of Royalty-Free Sites?

Because our music is 100% human-made by professional composers and cleared for commercial use, so a branded podcast sounds distinctive and carries no copyright risk. 

Our catalogue contains no AI-generated compositions or recordings. Every track is written, recorded and produced by people. We only use AI to help you search and discover music, never to make it. As more music libraries add AI-generated tracks, that matters for any brand that cares what its show sounds like and where the music came from. 

Our composers earn performance royalties whenever their music is broadcast or performed, the recognised professional standard. That lets us work with established, career composers, the same people who score TV, film and advertising, so you get a calibre of music you won’t typically find on royalty-free platforms. And when you publish across online platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, those performance royalties are handled by the platforms themselves, so there’s nothing extra for you to arrange. 

“Royalty-free” describes a pricing model, not a quality or a set of rights: you pay once, with no ongoing royalties, but what you can do with the track varies from site to site, and popular free tracks turn up on many other shows. We’re a production music library, not a royalty-free site. Our music is original, rights-controlled, pre-cleared and fully indemnified, so it’s commercially safe for branded and sponsored content. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use Audio Network music in a podcast? 

A: Yes. Audio Network licenses music for podcasts under its podcast licence, which covers both the audio podcast and a video version on YouTube. A podcast licence can also cover organic and paid use together, including ads, sponsors and paid promotion of the show. 

Q: Do I need a music licence if my podcast isn’t monetised? 

A: Yes. Any music used in a podcast needs clearing with the rights owner, whether or not the show makes money. A non-monetised podcast usually needs narrower rights, and with Audio Network narrower rights cost less. 

Q: My podcast has no ads yet but might later. Which licence should I buy? 

A: Tell Audio Network’s licensing team your plans when you license. They can scope a podcast licence to cover ads and sponsors from the start, or price narrower, organic-only rights if you’d rather pay only for what you need today. 

Q: Can I use one Audio Network track as the theme across every episode of a series? 

A: Yes. An Audio Network per-project licence covers a full series or season using one or several tracks, at a price tailored to the project. Teams making podcasts regularly can also use an annual subscription, which covers a full year of content for the whole team. 

Q: Does an Audio Network podcast licence cover a video version of my podcast on YouTube? 

A: Yes. One Audio Network podcast licence covers both the audio podcast and a video version, so you can use the same edit on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. 

Q: Can an Audio Network podcast licence cover promotional clips and paid social ads for my podcast? 

A: Yes. An Audio Network podcast licence can cover paid promotion of your show alongside the episodes themselves. Tell the licensing team about any paid promotion when you license so it’s included. 

Q: What versions of a track do I get for a podcast? 

A: Many Audio Network tracks come with underscore and instrumental mixes that sit under speech, 15-, 30- and 60-second edits for themes, and short stings and bumpers for transitions and ad breaks. More than half the catalogue is also available as stems, so you can loop or shorten a bed yourself. 

Q: Is royalty-free music free to use in a podcast? 

A: Not necessarily. “Royalty-free” means you pay once with no ongoing royalties, but the rights included vary by site, and free tracks often come with attribution or commercial-use restrictions. Audio Network is a production music library, not a royalty-free site, and its licences are cleared and indemnified for commercial use. 

Q: Is Audio Network’s music made with AI? 

A: No. Audio Network’s catalogue is 100% human-created, with no AI-generated compositions or recordings. Audio Network uses AI only to help customers search and discover music, never to make it. 

Q: Will I get copyright claims if I use Audio Network music in my podcast? 

A: Audio Network’s music is original, rights-controlled and pre-cleared for the uses your licence covers, which removes the copyright-strike and takedown risk that comes with using unlicensed music. Audio Network licences are also fully indemnified. 

Q: How quickly can I license music for a podcast? 

A: Podcast licences from Audio Network are quoted rather than bought online: choose Podcast in the licence selector, and Audio Network’s licensing team typically responds with a quote within the hour during working hours. You can create a free account, with no credit card, to download un-watermarked tracks and test them first. 

Need Music for Your Podcast?

Tell us about your podcast and get a quote, typically within the hour.

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How To Use a Reference Track to Find Similar Music

MUSIC /

How To Use a Reference Track to Find Similar Music

Sometimes the easiest way to brief music is to play someone a track and say, “Something like this.”

Reference tracks are one of the most common starting points for a music brief because they can communicate a sound, energy and emotional tone far more quickly than a list of genres or mood words. But while a reference can point you in the right direction, it’s rarely as simple as using the track itself. Copyright, licensing costs and rights clearance can quickly turn a useful reference into a complicated one.

In this guide we’ll look at how to find music like a reference track, where the traditional approach to finding similar music can fall short and how Audio Network’s Smart Search offers a faster way forward. We’ll also share some tips for choosing the most useful reference and refining your results, so you can move from “something like this” to the right track for your project, without the clearance headaches.

Why Reference Tracks Work So Well

Music can be surprisingly difficult to describe in words. You might know that you want something driving but not aggressive, emotional but not sentimental or electronic with a sense of momentum. You can add genre, mood and instrumentation keywords, but there’s still plenty of room for interpretation. A reference track cuts through all of that. Instead of trying to explain the sound, you can simply show it.

This makes reference tracks particularly useful when thinking about how to brief music for video. They give composers, music supervisors, editors and creative teams a much clearer idea of the direction you have in mind, from energy and instrumentation to pace, production style and emotional tone.

But a reference track is just that: a reference. Even if it perfectly captures what you’re looking for, using the original recording can bring copyright and licensing considerations into play. Depending on the track and how you want to use it, you may need to identify rights holders, negotiate permission and pay licensing fees. For projects spanning multiple territories or platforms, that process can become even more complicated. The challenge is finding music that captures the same feeling without creating the same rights issues.

Why Searching by Keywords Can Fall Short

Traditionally, the next step has been to translate your reference into search terms. Maybe it’s upbeat indie, cinematic electronic, emotional piano or energetic hip hop. From there, you work through the results, adjusting keywords and adding or removing genres and moods until something starts to feel right.

It can work. But there’s a fundamental problem: music isn’t particularly easy to put into words. Two people might hear the same track and describe it completely differently. And the qualities that make a track work for a particular scene – the way the drums build, the texture of a synth, the pace of a vocal or the overall production feel – aren’t always captured by conventional search terms. As a result, you can spend a lot of time searching for something you already know when you hear it.

Search by Sound With Smart Search

This is where Audio Network’s Smart Search comes in. Rather than trying to describe your reference track, you can use the track itself as your starting point. Simply paste a link from YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, Spotify or TikTok and Smart Search finds similar tracks from Audio Network’s fully licensed catalogue. It’s a more intuitive form of music search by reference track. Instead of asking, “What words describe this music?”, you can ask, “What else sounds like this?”

Smart Search analyses the audio characteristics of your reference and surfaces tracks with similar qualities, helping you get to relevant results without having to second-guess your search terms. It’s a music search tool for video editors and other creative professionals that makes it easier to move from a creative reference to usable music. And because the results come from Audio Network’s high quality, pre-licensed catalogue, you can move from inspiration to selection without starting the rights-clearance process from scratch.

How to Find Similar Music Legally

A reference track can be a great creative starting point, but it doesn’t automatically give you permission to use that recording. Searching a licensed catalogue provides a simpler way to explore alternatives. If you’re looking for ways to find similar music legally, start with the track that captures the sound you want, then search for an alternative with the appropriate licence for your project.

Smart Search lets you do exactly that. Your original track provides the creative direction, while the results give you options from a catalogue created for professional use. In other words, you can find licensed music similar to a track without having to pursue permission for the original recording.

Choose Your Reference Carefully

Not all reference tracks are equally useful. If you’re searching for music to accompany a particular scene, campaign or edit, think about which part of the reference actually captures what you want.

It might not be the whole song. Perhaps it’s the first 30 seconds, where the instrumentation and atmosphere are exactly right. Maybe it’s the chorus that has the energy you need, or a particular instrumental section that nails the mood of your scene. The more closely your reference represents the specific quality you’re looking for, the more useful your results are likely to be.

Before using Smart Search, ask yourself:

  • What am I responding to in this track? Is it the energy, instrumentation, tempo, atmosphere or production?
  • Which section captures that best? A verse, chorus, intro, breakdown or instrumental passage?
  • Does the reference reflect the brief? Choose it because it works for your project, rather than simply because you like the song.

Think of your reference as a creative shortcut. The better the shortcut, the faster you’ll get where you want to go.

Refine Your Results

Smart Search isn’t about finding one identical replacement for your reference. It’s about giving you a strong starting point. Once you have your results, listen for the elements that are working, and the ones that aren’t. Perhaps you’ve found the right energy but need something more understated. Maybe the instrumentation is spot on but the tempo needs to be slower. Or perhaps you’ve got the right overall feel but need a track with more space for dialogue. From there, refine your search and explore the catalogue with a clearer sense of what you need.

It’s also worth remembering that similar doesn’t mean identical. The goal isn’t necessarily to recreate every element of your reference track. Sometimes the right choice is a track that captures the same feeling while bringing something new to the project.

What About Royalty-Free Music?

If you’ve ever searched for how to find royalty free music like a song, you’ll know that finding something with the right sound is only part of the challenge. You also need to understand what you’re actually allowed to do with it.

“Royalty-free” can mean different things depending on the provider and licence, so it’s important to look beyond the label and understand the rights attached to any music you choose. With a properly licensed music service, you can search for an alternative to your reference while knowing that the track comes with defined usage rights for your project.

From Inspiration to Licensed Music

The biggest advantage of starting with a reference track isn’t simply that it makes searching easier. It’s that it separates creative inspiration from the track you can actually use.

You can begin with the music that inspired your idea, then find something with a similar sound within a catalogue built for professional use. That means less time spent searching and less time worrying about whether the track you’ve found can actually be cleared.

With Audio Network, the music you discover through Smart Search is pre-licensed and ready to use globally, giving creative teams a straightforward route from reference to final selection. So next time the brief starts with “Something like this”, you don’t need to spend hours trying to put that sound into words. Just start with the sound.

Discover More

So now you know how to use a reference track to find similar music, why not read more of our expert blogs including How to Build a Music Brief from a Mood Board and How Much Does It Cost to License Music? And don’t miss Audio Network’s guides to selecting music for short-form and long-form content, and how to find music for YouTube videos,  TikTok or Instagram.

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Music for Every Moment: Introducing Our New Reality Collection

NEWS /

Music for Every Moment: Introducing Our New Reality Collection

Reality content thrives on music. From big, feel-good moments and emotional reveals to dramatic confrontations, comic mishaps and everything in between, the right track can shape how a scene lands, often without the audience consciously noticing.

But with fast-moving productions, tight turnarounds and music needed across everything from dating shows and competition formats to lifestyle series and social-first content, finding the right track is only part of the job. It also needs to be properly licensed for where and how it will be used.

That’s where our brand new Reality Collection comes in. From instant-impact pop and high-energy beats to tension, comedy, romance and everything in between, we’ve curated a reality-ready selection of albums, playlists and artists, all cleared for the story you’re telling. Read on to find out more about the soundtrack possibilities that our Reality Collection offers.

Find the Right Sound for Every Moment

Reality content can move quickly between genres, moods and moments, sometimes within the same scene. That’s why it helps to start with the feeling you want to create, then find music that fits.

Looking for a big, celebratory moment? Our ‘Reality: Pop Celebration’ playlist brings the energy, while ‘Reality: Hip Hop Celebration’ offers a different way to make a win feel even bigger. For something more emotional ‘Reality: Pop Emotional’ and ‘Reality: Electronic Emotional’ explore two very different sides of the same feeling.

When the pressure is on, check out the tension playlists, which range from pop to electronic variations and are built for those moments when the outcome is still hanging in the balance. And when it’s time for the big reveal, we have a number of playlists purposely designed to give those moments the impact they deserve.

Music for the Action

Reality isn’t all dramatic pauses and emotional conversations. Challenges, tasks and fast-moving sequences need music that keeps pace with the action, building momentum and giving editors something to cut to.

Our curated tasking playlists bring together energetic tracks across pop, hip hop, electronic music, indie and dramedy, making it easy to find music that propels the action forward. Whether contestants are racing against the clock, taking on a challenge or navigating a particularly chaotic situation, the right rhythm can keep the energy moving.

For moments that sit somewhere between funny and tense, our dramedy picks bring a playful edge to reality storytelling. From ticking pulses that build anticipation to offbeat cues that heighten the comedy, it’s music for those scenes that are just a little bit unpredictable.

From Celebration to Confrontation

One of the joys of reality content is its unpredictability. A feel-good scene can turn tense in seconds, a challenge can descend into chaos and a seemingly straightforward conversation can end in confrontation.

Music can help those transitions feel natural. A carefully chosen track can build anticipation before a reveal, underline the absurdity of a situation or give a confrontation the dramatic weight it needs, without taking attention away from the people on screen.

Across pop, hip hop, electronic, indie and dramedy, our curated Reality Collection makes it easy to find music for whatever the story throws your way, from big celebrations and emotional moments to tension, reveals and everything in between.

Find Music You Can Use With Confidence

The perfect track is only useful if you can actually use it. Reality productions can move quickly, with music appearing across episodes, trailers, social content, digital platforms and international versions. Choosing properly licensed music from the outset helps avoid the uncertainty that can come with using music without the appropriate rights.

Audio Network’s catalogue of more than 300,000 professionally produced tracks is pre-licensed for commercial use, giving creative teams clarity over where and how their music can be used. That means that once you’ve found the track that makes the scene work, you can use it with confidence.

Every Emotion Has a Soundtrack

The best reality music doesn’t simply sit underneath the action. It helps shape the atmosphere, heighten the emotion and make moments more memorable.

From celebration to tension, tasking to reveals, comedy to confrontation, Audio Network’s curated Reality Collection brings together handcrafted music for all the twists and turns of unscripted storytelling. With a catalogue of more than 300,000 professionally produced tracks, intuitive search tools and flexible licensing designed for commercial content, it’s a straightforward source of music for reality producers and editors who need great tracks they can use with confidence

Whatever the mood, whatever the moment, find the soundtrack for your reality content.

Discover More

So now you know all about our new Reality Collection, why not read more of our expert blogs including How to Find Music Like the Odyssey Soundtrack for Your Content and Why the Music in Outer Banks works. And don’t miss Audio Network’s guides to selecting music for short-form and long-form content, and how to find music for YouTube videos,  TikTok or Instagram.

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