You can’t help noticing how effective podcasts can be to promote your brand or help create a following of people who really get what you do. Joining the legion of podcasters can be a great plan.
But if you are already a busy business owner it can be a lot of work. At some point, you are going to want people to help you. You may even get the bug and add podcast support to your existing range of services and start taking on associates to help you.
Have you thought about the legal side of this?
If your podcast team is freelance and self-employed there are some things you need to pin down.
You must own the copyright in any episodes, covers, series artwork they create for you. You may assume that because you paid them you automatically own the copyright. This is not the case. You would if they were employees. But for freelancers the copyright stays with them (even though you paid for the work) unless it is transferred to you.
It is really important that you deal with getting the rights in a way that aligns with what you are trying to do.
Podcasts and data privacy
If your team is viewing information about guests or subscribers, you need to take care of data privacy. You need something in writing to protect your business (and theirs) if something goes wrong.
This is technically known as issuing a Data Privacy Agreement. You are going to have to specify why this information is used and shared, how it is to be stored and used and what happens to it after that.
Who owns the rights to podcasts?
Have you ever thought about who owns the rights to your podcast content? If you are the podcast host you may assume it is automatically yours. But the reality is much more nuanced than that even when it comes to the people you pay, never mind your guests.
You don’t automatically own the copyright to guest recordings, or the artwork or anything else. Those rights remain with the person creating that content (unless they are your employee) unless and until a contract or agreement moves those rights from them to you.
That may seem like an abstract concept, but if you want to monetize your podcast or even sell it as successful podcasters have been known to do, you are going to run into difficulties. Your back catalogue is not worth much if you don’t own it.
AI has meant a lot of changes to podcast artwork
If your freelancer is using AI to generate things, they may not own the copyright in what they are producing for you. That means it can’t be transferred to you. That’s going to create problems if AI generates similar branding and images to your podcast for someone else.
Your contract should give you the right to know what AI is being used so you and your freelancer can be sure about the copyright situation. Check out our blogs on AI and copyright for more information.
AI-ready podcast contracts are needed
Everyone is using AI assistance at some point in the production cycle. This can be a great aid to productivity. You may be using AI yourself, or your team may be.
Have you ever thought about who owns the copyright in AI created content? How much do you have to ‘edit’ it to make it your copyright? What if your team are using it and you don’t know?
We’ve been talking for a while about how you need to sort this out. But you really do need to get your contracts sorted out so that you know where AI is being used, what rights you have, and what rights are being transferred to you.
CLICK THE PICTURE to check out the range of dedicated podcast contracts:
to issue to clients
to issue to your support person or team
Existing customer – do you need an additional podcast contract?
If you are already use KoffeeKlatch AI ready contracts for your VA or Social Media team KoffeeKlatch – the ones with the blue flash at the top of the pack (see below) you don’t need to purchase a whole new contract.
You just need to purchase an add on to extend your range. Add ons start at £10 plus VAT so they represent excellent value for money. This allows you to experiment with one or two clients in a new niche without worrying about the cost.
Just log in to the store using the email you used to purchase your original contract and you can purchase the add on to extend your contracts.
The growing range of add ons include
Not yet got an AI ready KoffeeKlatch contract?
People often ask us, “Which base contract should I use when I do more than one thing?”
If you are new to KoffeeKlatch the way to decide is to work out what you plan to do the most – what is going to be the main string to your bow.
If you plan to to hire a VA who mixes podcast support with more general duties, try the VA hiring agreement with a podcast add on.
If you plan to hire a podcast support person who will also do social media, try the podcast hiring agreement with a social media add on.
You can use your hiring agreements multiple times, so you just need to collect the right add on as your team expands.
Add ons are available at the cart or post purchase. So you don’t have to get everything you might need if you are not sure. Just figure out where you are going to start.
Now you can have contract protection for a new niche without the expense of a whole new contract – so you are free to experiment.
Do you know someone who needs a podcast contract?
We have a great refer a friend scheme for existing customers – would you like to know more? Check out our refer a friend scheme here
