Producing a Podcast or Audio Series: A Practitioner's Guide to Music Licensing, Releases, Show Marks, and Distribution
By Casey Scott McKay ·
This guide takes an audio series from the naming decision to the archive, in the order the work has to be done. It covers clearing and filing the show name, securing the feed on an owned domain, contracting with composers, editors, and producers so the show owns what it pays for, choosing a music source whose licence covers audio, video, and social clips, and running a guest release process that is proportionate rather than universal. It works through clip and archival clearance, the fair use analysis as it now stands, group copyright registration inside the statutory window, and the advertising disclosure obligations that generate more regulatory contact than any copyright issue. It then addresses network, platform, and commissioned deal structures, where the three terms that decide the outcome are ownership of the mark, control of the feed, and possession of the masters. It closes with remediating a show that has run for years without any of this.
IP and Technology > Copyright | Guide | Published 4 May 2026 - Updated 30 July 2026 | Casey Scott McKay - marksy.us
Summary. This guide takes an audio series from the naming decision to the archive, in the order the work has to be done: clearing and filing the show name, securing the feed on an owned domain, contracting with composers, editors, and producers, choosing a music source whose licence covers every medium the show uses, and running a proportionate guest release process. It works through clip and archival clearance, group copyright registration inside the statutory window, advertising disclosure, and the deal structures where ownership of the mark, control of the feed, and possession of the masters decide the outcome.
Keywords: podcast production · music licensing · sync and master use licences · production library terms · guest release · right of publicity · show name clearance · Class 41 registration · RSS feed ownership · network agreement · group copyright registration · FTC endorsement disclosure · clip clearance · archival audio · errors and omissions insurance
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