What is Background Music (Music Bed)?
Background music, or a 'music bed,' is instrumental audio played underneath the spoken dialogue to set the mood, pace, or tone of a podcast segment.
Why Background Music (Music Bed) Matters for Podcasters
Background music is a powerful storytelling tool in podcasting. Often referred to as a 'music bed,' it sits low in the mix (underneath the voice) to fill silence and manipulate listener emotion without distracting from the content. Upbeat music can signal a transition or a high-energy segment, while slow, ambient music creates tension or sadness in narrative storytelling. Using copyrighted music (like top 40 hits) is generally prohibited without expensive licensing, so most podcasters use 'Royalty-Free' or 'Stock' music libraries. The key to mixing background music is 'ducking'—lowering the volume of the music automatically when the host speaks and raising it slightly during pauses.
Ready to get started?
Find the perfect mood for your episode with our curated Royalty-Free Music Library.
Try Royalty-Free Music Library →Related Terms
ID3 Tags
ID3 tags are metadata embedded directly into MP3 audio files that store information like the episode title, artist name, album name, and cover art. They help podcast players display the correct information about your episodes.
Metadata
Metadata is descriptive information about your podcast episode that helps platforms, players, and search engines understand what your content is about. It includes titles, descriptions, tags, and embedded file information.
Background Noise / Noise Floor
Background noise (also called noise floor) is the unwanted ambient sound present in your recording, such as air conditioning hum, computer fan noise, or room echo. It can distract listeners and make your podcast sound unprofessional.
Transcription
Transcription is the process of converting spoken audio into written text. For podcasters, transcriptions make content accessible, improve SEO, and enable repurposing into blog posts or social media content.