Podcast Release & Consent Pack

PODCAST CONTRIBUTOR / GUEST RELEASE AND CONSENT

Programme / episode: [TITLE]
Producer / publisher: [NAME / ORGANISATION]
Recording date: [DATE]     Location or platform: [VENUE OR REMOTE TOOL]

Contributor
Name: [FULL NAME]     Preferred on-air name: [AS TO BE CREDITED]
Contact: [EMAIL / PHONE]

I confirm that:
1. I am taking part in this recording voluntarily and have had the nature of the programme explained to me.
2. I consent to my contribution (audio, and any video or photographs taken) being recorded, edited, published, and made available on [PLATFORMS], and to reasonable promotion using excerpts.
3. I understand the contribution may be edited for length and clarity, and that editorial control rests with the producer.
4. The contribution may be kept and re-published as part of the programme archive and used in future related episodes or compilations.
5. [If applicable] I have identified, before signing, any part of my contribution that is not for publication.

Anonymity / special conditions (delete if none):
[e.g. voice to be disguised; first name only; face not shown; specific topics off limits.]

Under-18 or vulnerable contributor: a parent, guardian, or appropriate adult must also sign.
Parent / guardian name and signature: [........]

Contributor signature: [........]     Date: [........]
Producer signature: [........]     Date: [........]

Data protection: your contact details are held only to administer this recording and are processed in line with our privacy policy. Contact [EMAIL] to ask how your data is used.

SPOKEN-CONSENT SCRIPT (RECORD AT THE TOP OF THE FILE)

Use where a signed form is impractical, such as a remote or phone interview. Read this and capture the guest's spoken answers on the recording before the interview proper begins. Keep the file.

HOST: "Before we start, I want to confirm a few things for the record. Is that okay?"
[Wait for yes.]

HOST: "My name is [NAME] and I'm recording this for [PROGRAMME / PUBLICATION]. This conversation is being recorded and we plan to publish it as a podcast and online. Do you consent to being recorded and to us publishing your contribution?"
[Wait for a clear yes.]

HOST: "Are you speaking on the record, so we can use your name and what you say?"
[If the guest wants any part off the record or anonymous, agree the terms now and state them on the recording.]

HOST: "If at any point you want to pause, go off the record, or stop, just say so. Understood?"
[Wait for yes.]

HOST: "Thank you. Let's begin."

Note: spoken consent is a record, not a loophole. If the topic is sensitive, the contributor is vulnerable, or anonymity is involved, use the full written release as well.

MUSIC AND CLIP LICENSING CHECKLIST

Clear the rights before you publish. Using someone else's music, audio, or recording without permission can infringe copyright and related rights. "Found it online" and "it's only a short clip" are not licences.

FOR EACH PIECE OF MUSIC OR AUDIO:
[ ] What is it? [track / clip / sound effect - title and source]
[ ] Who owns it? [the composition (publisher) AND the recording (label) can be separate rights]
[ ] What is my licence? [production-music library / collecting-society cover / direct permission / royalty-free terms / public domain / Creative Commons - note the exact licence and any required attribution]
[ ] Does the licence cover podcast distribution AND the platforms I am using?
[ ] Have I kept proof of the licence or permission on file?

CLIPS OF OTHER PEOPLE'S CONTENT (broadcasts, films, other podcasts):
[ ] Do I have permission, or does a recognised exception (such as fair dealing for criticism, review, or reporting current events, with sufficient acknowledgement) genuinely apply? Take advice if unsure.
[ ] Have I credited the source as required?

INTERVIEW AND FIELD RECORDINGS:
[ ] Do I have the contributor's consent (form or spoken) for every voice used?
[ ] For music captured incidentally in the field, is it truly incidental or does it need clearing?

If in doubt about any item, either clear it, replace it with licensed or original material, or cut it.

REMOTE-RECORDING TECH AND CONSENT CHECKLIST

Run through this before and at the start of every remote recording.

BEFORE THE CALL
[ ] Recording method chosen and tested (double-ender, platform recording, or a backup recorder running).
[ ] Guest briefed on kit: quiet room, headphones, wired connection if possible, mic position.
[ ] Consent route agreed: signed release received, or the spoken-consent script ready to read.
[ ] Backup recording armed (local recorder or second device) in case the main capture fails.

AT THE START OF THE RECORD
[ ] Confirm you are recording and that the guest can hear you clearly.
[ ] Capture spoken consent on the file (see the spoken-consent script) if no form is signed.
[ ] Confirm on-the-record status and any agreed anonymity or off-the-record areas.
[ ] Record a few seconds of room tone at each end.

DURING AND AFTER
[ ] Watch levels; note the timecodes of any drop-outs to re-record.
[ ] Save and back up the raw files immediately, with a clear filename.
[ ] Store the consent evidence with the project files.
[ ] Note any promises made on air (a correction, a follow-up, a link) so they are honoured.

AUDIO CORRECTION / RIGHT-OF-REPLY NOTE

Audio corrections need care: listeners may hear an episode long after release, and you cannot always re-cut a file that has already been widely downloaded. Use a written note and, where the error is material, an on-air correction too.

WRITTEN CORRECTION (episode page / show notes):
Correction - [EPISODE TITLE], published [DATE].
In this episode we said [WHAT WAS SAID]. That was [inaccurate / unclear] because [PLAIN EXPLANATION]. The correct position is [CORRECTION]. [Corrected on: DATE.]

ON-AIR CORRECTION (read near the top of the next episode where the error is material):
"Before we start, a correction to our last episode. We said [WHAT WAS SAID]. In fact, [CORRECTION]. We're sorry for the error." [Keep it plain and give it due prominence.]

RIGHT OF REPLY (where a person was criticised):
- Put the specific point to them and offer a fair opportunity to respond - in a follow-up episode, a recorded statement, or a note on the episode page.
- If they respond, reflect their response fairly. If they decline, you may record that they were approached and did not respond.

For broadcast output, follow your regulator's fairness and accuracy rules (in the UK, the Ofcom Broadcasting Code). Keep a log of the correction and any right-of-reply correspondence.