Turning a radio show into a Spotify podcast

[Chuckaroo]

Plan

Free/Premium

Country

Device

(iPhone 8, Samsung Galaxy 9, Macbook Pro late 2016)

Operating System

(iOS 10, Android Oreo, Windows 10,etc.)

My Question or Issue

Howdy, I produce a weekly, syndicated cowboy (not country) radio show. I play western tracks that date from the 1910s through the modern day. Most of it is under license to various publishing houses, some of it is independently produced by the composer/artist.

The local airing of my show is covered through my local community radio station's broadcast and internet streaming licenses. All of my syndicated stations are required to have their own licensing/reporting deals through Spinitron, BMI, ASCAP, etc. as I do not provide that to them.

So, my question is: Is my show eligible for airing on Spotify as a podcast? And If I were to turn my show into a podcast for airing on Spotify, does Spotify cover the music licensing? And what about the independent artists that I air who are not represented by a major label?

FYI most of my material can already be found here on Spotify. In fact, I use the service to seek out new songs and poems for each week's broadcast.

I read through the FAQs and did not find this issue mentioned, so sorry if I missed this topic being covered elsewhere.

Thanks in advance!

[Ximzend · Accepted solution]

Hi @Chuckaroo

Thank you for posting in the Spotify Community, and Welcome!

While your local airing is covered by your community radio station’s broadcast and streaming licenses, distributing the show as a podcast on Spotify is considered a separate platform that requires its own digital rights. According to Spotify’s guidelines, any content provided without the rightsholder’s permission may be removed, which means you need to secure the necessary permissions for every track you include.

Spotify does not cover music licensing for podcasts; it is the responsibility of the content creator to ensure that each piece of music is properly cleared for digital distribution. This applies to tracks licensed through publishing houses as well as to independently produced music. Even if certain material is already available on Spotify, that does not automatically grant the right to include it in your podcast. Whether you’re using music from major labels or independent artists, you must obtain explicit permission from the rights holders. Additionally, if you plan to use samples or excerpts, make sure they are cleared with the owner beforehand.

I hope this helps clarify the requirements for turning your show into a podcast on Spotify. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask.

Cheers!

[Chuckaroo]

Yeah, sure. I understand, and thanks for the clarification.