# Copyright & Fair Use

## Using music in your podcast

You can use music in your podcast if:

* It’s the **public domain** (and be absolutely sure, since penalties are harsh) or
* It has a [**Creative Commons**](https://creativecommons.org/) (CC) license that’s compatible with your use, or
* That you otherwise have an explicit **license(s) or permission** to use

Because of the way podcasts and music rights work — podcasts requires the same licenses one would need to reproduce and distribute a CD — in practical terms this means you're limited to:

* Public domain music
* CC-licensed music (with a license compatible with your use)
* Royalty-free music

## Copyright and Fair Use

Confusion around "fair use" is a constant. Here are resources to help you understand if your use of copyrighted materials may fall under U.S. copyright law "fair use" exemptions.

### Copyright

### Fair Use

Fair use isn’t a right, but a legal defense.

### Resources

* [Why Can’t Music Be Played in Podcasts?](http://www.amplifimedia.com/blogstein/2017/5/24/why-cant-music-be-played-in-podcasts)
* [The Fair Use App: An Interactive Guide for Filmmakers and Video Creators](http://www.newmediarights.org/fairuse/)
* [Fair Use Checklist](https://copyright.columbia.edu/basics/fair-use/fair-use-checklist.html) by Columbia University Libraries \[[direct PDF link](https://copyright.columbia.edu/content/dam/copyright/Precedent%20Docs/fairusechecklist.pdf)]

#### For editor

[https://www.facebook.com/groups/PodcastCommunity/permalink/1449449531787011/](https://www.facebook.com/groups/PodcastCommunity/permalink/1449449531787011/)
