Talk over music in a podcasts is a subject to many opinions. There are so many different ways in which you can utilise a short piece of music. There is a lot to be said about making this right for your podcast and audience. When done correctly – branding and listening experience of your listener can be enhanced!
How Does your Podcast Start?
Most podcasters use a podcast intro to set the mood and tone for their listeners right from the start. Did you think that’s your only option? Nope!
Aside from using a custom intro to start your podcast, you can also use talk over music. Skill taken from radio hosts. This is the practice of talking over music right before your intro or podcast starts. It can be a good idea if you are thinking of doing this for your podcast, below are some tips that will make you sound like a pro.
Be Concise
The goal of ‘talking over’ the music is to introduce the episode that your listeners are about to hear. Don’t let it take up too much time! Introduce the episode in just a couple of sentences, playing your intro music while you do that.Going on and on and on and on… will take that wow factor away.
Make Sure Audio Levels Sound Right
If you don’t get the sound level right, the background music played while talking can make it hard to hear the speech. You don’t want the music level to be too loud that your listeners will have difficulty understanding what you’re saying, but you also don’t want it to be too quiet as it could just sound like a noise instead of something you inserted on purpose. It’s all about a careful balance here!
Play Talk Over Music BEFORE Your Regular Intro
If you can’t decide whether to have your talk over music before or after your regular podcast intro, the answer is play it BEFORE! Not only is this how radio pros do it, it also gives an awesome punch to your professional intro/outro. What is important here however is a smooth transition between the two – important for your intro to have the same music used and have the music trailing straight after (continuously).
Don’t Use Music With Lyrics
Make sure that the music you choose doesn’t have any singing in it. It will make it even more difficult for your listeners to understand and enjoy what you are saying if your talk over music has lyrics.
You Can Also Do It At The End
You are not limited to using talk over music at the start of your podcast – it is also good to have it at the end. This can be a powerful tool for giving a good call to action or for leaving your listener with an inspirational thought.
Don’t Use Copyrighted Music
Whether you use just a small portion or a big chunk of copyrighted material, it’s a big NO-NO!
Choose a Well Thought Intro/outro Music
Don’t just use any random music. Make sure it sounds good and matches your podcast’s identity. Often podcasters use simply the music they like. Think also about the mood it imposes, how it makes you feel and if it matches the likes of people likely to listen to your podcast.
Ready To Put Some Talk Over Music In Your Podcast?
At Music Radio Creative we have a comprehensive library of Royalty Free music tracks with some of the most generous license terms available.
