Podcasts are hot. In fact, the podcasting industry is expected to generate $1.9 billion by 2020. These figures alone show how popular podcasts have become, but there’s more to it than that! Podcasts have tremendous potential as a medium because of their ability to connect an audience in new ways. As such, many podcasters are now exploring ways they can harness the power of music to help bring their shows to life and make them even more engaging for listeners. Have you ever listened to a podcast or watched one on video where the host or guest paused after every line so that the listener could take it all in? Or maybe you’ve seen series put some sort of end tag at the end of episodes so that they can provide context, links and resources mentioned in each episode. These are all examples of “mic drop” moments where hosts will pause after every line of their scripts so the listener can process what they just heard and hopefully absorb everything before taking another bite out of whatever topic was being addressed at the time. The same concept applies when using music as well, which is why we’ll be exploring how incorporating music into your podcast can make it go viral for your brand.
Music and Podcasting: A Match Made in Heaven?
You may be wondering how music can be a part of podcasting. After all, isn’t podcasting about limited sound bites? Well, yes, for the most part, it is. However, podcasts can also be made to incorporate other media such as videos, images, and audio. If you’re thinking about including music in your content, you may be considering whether it’s even possible. While this may seem like a great idea in theory, it can be a daunting prospect when you actually get started. That’s why we conducted research to see if this was a match made in heaven or if podcasters should stick to the limited sound bite approach. We found that there are a lot of benefits to incorporating music into your podcast. The key factor that determined whether or not it would work for your content was your target audience. If you’re looking to engage a niche audience, adding any sort of pop music to your content would probably backfire. However, if your audience skews more mainstream or general, music can give your content a boost. Either way, a lot of podcast hosts are successfully incorporating music into their shows. In fact, we found that 79% of podcasters use music in some way in their content.
How Music Can Boost Your Podcast’s Engagement Levels
Now that you know how important it is to include music in your podcast, let’s look at how it can help increase the level of engagement with your listeners. Every piece of content has its own unique “vibe” that can help cement an emotional connection between you and your audience. Most podcast hosts look to music as a way to create an emotional connection with their audience, but there’s a better way to do it. When you add music to your podcast, you’re sending a message to your audience about how you want them to feel. Ideally, you want your music to complement the tone of your show and add to its overall vibe. Once you’ve found a song you like and decided how you want it to play out during your show, you’re one step closer to creating the right emotional connection with your audience.
Music and Conversations Build Trust
Trust is a crucial part of any business relationship. If a customer doesn’t trust your brand, they won’t purchase from you and will likely go elsewhere for their products and services. Trust is also key when it comes to building relationships in everyday life. Whether it be a friend, family member, romantic interest, or colleague, trust is what holds them all together. When you add music to your podcast, you’re representing yourself and your business in a different light. You may have already built trust with your audience by creating quality content that helps solve their problems, educates them on topics they care about, or entertains them with great insights and humor. By adding music to your podcast, you’re showing your audience that you’re a different kind of person. You want your listeners to feel a certain way when they hear your music and see you in the video as well. If you want your listeners to trust you, this is one of the ways to do it.
Why Having a Compelling Intro Is Crucial When Using Music
We’ve already mentioned the importance of choosing the right music for your show, but there’s another aspect you need to consider when incorporating the use of music. Since your intro acts as a way to set the tone and vibe of your show, you want to make sure it’s an intro that’s right for the music you choose. Your intro is the first thing your listeners hear, so it needs to intrigue them and capture their attention. If they don’t like your intro, they’re likely not going to stick around to hear anything else you have to say and they may even leave your show altogether.
Summary
Your content is only as good as the audience consuming it, so you need to make sure you’re engaging your audience and building trust with them as they listen to your content. This is especially true when it comes to music, as it can have a big impact on your success. Adding music to your content can help boost engagement levels, increase trust with your audience, and help create an emotional connection with them as they listen to your show. When used correctly, music can elevate your show and help it go viral.