Every day I receive dozens of emails asking questions about getting started with or using BlogTalkRadio. Since many of the questions are of a similar nature, we thought it might be a nice feature to answer many of your questions here on the BlogTalkRadio blog. Check it out:

Dear Deb,

I want to play popular music on my show but some hosts say I’m not allowed. I hear plenty of shows that play music. Why can some shows have music but others can’t.

Thank you for answering my question.

KS

Hi KS,

My advice for playing music is if you don’t have permission to use the music, don’t. Most music requires expensive licensing to play. While some of our hosts do have the proper license, most don’t. Generally the hosts who play music on BlogTalkRadio find songs that are “podfree” or “podsafe.” Most podsafe music falls under the creative commons or is from Independent Musicians who aren’t contractually obligated to a record company. To learn more about the kind of music you can play on your BlogTalkRadio show, see 17 Places to Find Podsafe Music or see BlogTalkRadio’s FAQ’s in the Learning Center.

Feel free to contact me if you have any more questions!

Deb

Dear Deb,

How come only the same people get their shows featured all the time. How come I’m never featured?

MS

Hi M!

First of all, did you put in for a feature? The first step in being featured is to put in a feature request – you’ll find this at the same place you set up your show pages. If you have a notable guest or topic, make sure to request a feature.

We have a long list of shows requesting features for each day. We look through all those shows to find the best and most interesting for the home page and blog. If we have 50 feature requests and only a dozen spots open, it’s a given we can’t feature everyone. My advice is to use the feature request form when you have a notable show and write a very descriptive paragraph. Many times, we would like to consider a show for a feature, but the show page says nothing.

The reason many of the same hosts have their shows featured is because they often have famous guests. That doesn’t mean we don’t have room for new hosts to be featured, however. We love to feature different hosts all the time. If you have a special guest or noteworthy topic, put in a feature request. You may see yourself on the homepage next!

Hope that helps?

Deb

Do you have a question you’d like to see answered on the BlogTalkRadio blog? Send it to deborahng(at)blogtalkradio(dot)com.