Tips on Picking Music for your Podcast

Articles on Podcasting | Topics: podcasting, podcast

by Kelly Duke

Music and Podcasting have always seemed to go hand in hand. Trying to figure out what type of music to use and how to use it right can be the hardest part of making your Podcast. You will want to think carefully and listen to all your music cuts through your computer and iPod first to be sure they sound right. Some of the biggest complaints from users are the quality of the media that one uses in their Podcast. You need to be aware of how to balance your music with your dialogue so one does not drown out the other. There is nothing worse than listening to a Podcast that sounds all jumbled up and distorted. Here are some tips for choosing music for your audio or video Podcasts.

Style and Genre of Music

You will first want to decide what type of music is best for your production. If you are doing an audio commentary you will probably want to go with a good back ground music with out any words. This will fill the small pauses in between but not over power the speaker or take away from what is being said. If you piece is a movie or artwork display you will want to give more thought into what you select. For artwork Podcasts choose a music that best describes the feeling your work displays. You will have better luck with music that has lyrics as long as you will not be having too much dialogue. For movie or short episode Podcasts choose music that will accentuate each scene you do. This will require a knowledge about cutting and editing, but will make your Podcast better in the end. It is very important to pick your Podcasting music critically and not just because it is your favorite song. Your musical choice will be what makes your Podcast a success or a flop. You want the music to tie everything together not break it up.

Quality of Music

Quote of the Day

For us necessity is not as of old an image without us, with whom we can do warfare; it is a magic web woven through and through us, like that magnetic system of which modern science speaks, penetrating us with a network subtler than our subtlest nerves, yet bearing in it the central forces of the world.

—Walter Pater (1839–1894)

The music that you decide on should be of the highest quality. You do not want an awful downloaded version of music that you got just anywhere. The best place to look for high quality music is in the iTunes Music Store. They will have every possible type and style to choose from and all of the cuts will be top grade with out static or cuts. If you already own the music you intend to use you will want to make sure you listen to it carefully before ripping onto your computer. Once you have made sure that the music you have ripped has no errors and sounds crisp and clear. You do not want to hear static or crackles on your completed Podcasts. Make sure that you have the entire music ready and it is the exact way you want it.

Listening and Editing

Depending on how you decide to plan your Podcast will determine how much editing you will have to do. If you plan to play the music in the back ground while recording your Podcast you will want to play it carefully to make sure that it sounds good. You want to make the effort to listen to see if there is any static or interruptions. You also want to make sure that the volume is right and not over powering. As long as the cut sounds great on the computer upload it to listen to it on the iPod to be sure it is compatible. You will have much less editing to do for your Podcast if it sounds great on the first take. If it does not then you will have to re-record. You can go the other route and add the music into your Podcast during the editing process. This will allow you to add the music of your choice and make sure that it sounds just right. Make sure to listen carefully to the whole Podcast before downloading into iTunes to be viewed or listened to. The editing process is the key to your Podcasts success. You will want to be sure that the music you are adding in fits the content of your Podcast and be at the right level of enjoyment for your viewers and listeners. The music should not steal the show from your content in any way.

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