Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re asking the question “so, what music CAN I use in my podcast?”. Whilst Harry Styles’ latest track is strictly off-limits there are plenty of music options that are safe, legal, and - in some cases - free to use on your podcast. Two terms you’ll often come across are “Creative Commons” and “Royalty-Free”. Creative Commons usually means you can use music for free, so long as you credit and link back to the creator. Royalty-Free, on the other hand, usually means that you’ve paid up-front for a license to use a piece of music, going forward. There are variations on Creative Commons and Royalty-Free licenses - for example, commercial and non-commercial - so our definitions shouldn’t be taken as blanket terms. On the next couple of episodes we’ll point you towards some resources for actually finding music for your show. In the meantime, though, be sure to check out our full guide at http://ThePodcastHost.com/music

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re asking the question “can I use ANY music in my podcast?” The short answer here is “no”. And any music you hear on the radio or on your favourite Spotify playlist is probably off-limits. Be wary of myths like “it’s fine if it’s less than seven seconds” and “it’s okay so long as you’re not making money with your podcast”. “Fair Use” gets quoted a lot, too. Fair use is a defence you can use if you get in trouble. But who wants to get in trouble? In short, avoid this altogether. Your podcast isn’t going to live or die based on whether you have Bohemian Rhapsody as your theme tune. And if it does? Well, then we need to get back to the content planning stages, don’t we? For a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to http://ThePodcastHost.com/Copyright

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re asking the question “do I need podcast music?” There’s no rule to say that your show *must* have music. But many podcasters stick some at the beginning and end of the show to add that extra layer of professionalism and identity. Just be wary of letting music play on its own for any longer than ten seconds on your podcast. Whilst TV and film can get away with this because of their visual elements, it doesn’t work that way in audio. Your listeners are plugging in to hear from you - not an extended version of your theme tune. You can also use music as transitions in-between segments, or as “beds” underneath speech. For most podcasters though, this is overkill, and you run the risk of annoying your listener rather than impressing them. For a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to http://ThePodcastHost.com/music

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about encouraging guests to share your episodes. Whether we like it or not, no guest is obliged to share your content with their audience. But if you follow the advice in the previous episodes, your chat should be memorable enough to make them want to. The key is to ask nicely, and to make it easy for them. Be sure to succinctly remind them why you think the conversation will be interesting and valuable to *their* audience. Some podcasters even pre-write a tweet so all the groundwork is done for them. If you go the extra mile and create some nice blog and social graphics around the interview, that’s going to make it more shareable, too. Oh, and one final tip - why not have some branded podcast swag sent over to them via a service like GuestBoxLove? For a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to http://ThePodcastHost.com/GuestSharing

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about “super” podcast interview questions. When you cover the basics well, you can go the extra mile to help make your guest stand out from everyone else. Here are some fun questions that can entertain your listener whilst still leaving them with a few useful insights, too. - What are you NOT Very Good at? - Tell me something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on. - When did you last change your mind about something? - Room, desk and car – which do you clean first? - What’s the very first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning? These questions allow for that essential human touch. They can throw up humility, authenticity, wisdom, and even, a wee bit of controversy. They’ll leave a lasting impression in the minds of your listeners, and that’s ultimately what gets them sharing your content, and keeps them coming back for more. For a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to http://ThePodcastHost.com/questions

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about core questions around the conversation topic. Here we can dig in and explore by asking your guest some seemingly provocative questions. They’ll usually be glad to answer these as it gives them a chance to counter claims they’ll hear a lot. “So, you’re a Vegan Baking Specialist – isn’t it really hard to bake without eggs?” Or “Doesn’t home schooling just deprive kids of making friends?” Here, you can pick out some common myths or misconceptions to talk through and clarify. You might also want to ask a question like “what’s the most common reason people fail at this?” which sounds negative, but can throw up some really actionable answers. Then there’s the classic “what’s the one thing you wish you knew when you were just getting started?” which puts a much better spin on the old “advice for folks just starting out” question. For a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to http://ThePodcastHost.com/questions

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about core questions to ask your guest. This is another wing to your storytelling angle. It lets the listener focus on the guest themselves. People love to hear things in context, after all. “Believe in yourself and never give up!” is all well and good. But people often can’t see that applying to them… until they hear a story about it happening to someone else. Here are some examples of questions that can lead to engaging and insightful podcast interviews. - Which hurdles did you personally face and how did you overcome them? - Was it obvious or did you stumble upon the answers? - How did you get started? Talk me through it. - What compelled you to become a screenwriter? Again, this gives your listener a peek behind the curtain and shows them that the guest was once in a similar position as they are now. And what could be more encouraging than that? For a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to http://ThePodcastHost.com/questions

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about seeking out stories in podcast interviews. As we’ve mentioned on the show before, stories are the original and best type of shareable content. There’s a subtle but powerful difference between “here’s how to grow a business” and “here’s how *I* grew *my* business”. Stories are never just straightforward routes to success either. They’re littered with setbacks, conflicts, emotions, and even seemingly “all is lost” moments. Your listener wants to live through these with you and learn from the experiences, not just the end product. It’s worth asking your guest if they have any interesting or entertaining stories before you hit the record button, too. Don’t let them actually tell you the story there and then. All you need is a heads up so you can prompt them about it during their interview, then, introduce it naturally. For a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to ThePodcastHost.com/interviewprep

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re asking the question “should I send questions over to guests in advance?” You’ll probably have a list of pre-written questions as a framework for your interviews. But as we’ve covered already, you won’t want to ask these in a linear ‘game show host’ style. On top of that, sending a guest a list of questions in advance can cause them to overthink and rehearse answers. This doesn’t make for a very engaging or authentic conversation. Certain questions *are* worth pre-warning about, though. These are what’s known as “thinkers”. An example might be something like “what’s your favourite book?” or “what advice do you have for someone just starting out?”. It’s unlikely anyone can give genuine answers to questions like these on the spot, so they’re definitely worth a heads up in advance. But - these are the exception to the rule. For a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to http://ThePodcastHost.com/interviewprep

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about asking follow-up questions. So your guest just finishes telling you they built a time machine, travelled back 70 million years, and shot a T-Rex. You take a look at your next question and ask “so, what’s your favourite WordPress plugin?”. Interviewers who actually listen to their guests and ask good follow-up questions often find the real gold. Questions like “why do you think that?” “what was that like?” Or, “could you explain what this means?” can lead you to some fantastic content. Sure, have a list of pre-written questions. But use these as a framework or backup if things fall flat. Always pick up on threads that seem interesting or curious. Even if you know the answer, your listener might not. And you’re here to bring value to them, not to make them feel dumb, left out, or wanting more. For a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to http://ThePodcastHost.com/podcastinterviews