What Does a Podcast Contract Template Include?

Written by Wesley Henderson

December 29, 2022

picture of female podcaster

As someone on their way to record their podcast, you might wonder about the contents of your podcast contract template. After all, it’s important to have your legal documents in order before you start podcasting. This way, everyone involved is informed and understands all the details.

Your podcast is a business. As such, it needs legal protection from any unforeseen issues that may arise. Even if you run your podcast with friends or family members, you are likely to encounter some legal complications down the line.

When you outline everything in the beginning, you establish grounds on how to address those potential issues. Let’s take a look at the different documents that a podcast contract template includes and why you need them before recording.

Podcast Contract Template Bundle Content

Every successful podcast fulfills the legal requirements of podcasting. Like any responsible business owner, you need to venture into the industry confidently. All your legal documents help provide that confidence you need to run your show as you imagined.

At Drafted Legal, we understand the business side of running a podcast. We know what you need to fill out and prepare before you start yours. Our podcast contract template bundle includes everything you need to get started. Here’s a closer look at the content.

Guest Release Form

Your podcast’s guest release form addresses intellectual property rights, including privacy for everyone involved in your recording projects. With this document, you can establish the terms regarding how you can use your podcast recordings.

This document will serve as legal grounds in case someone uses your recordings in ways other than what you detailed in the form. Since this document outlines how you want to use your podcast recordings, it also permits you to publish, edit, or make show notes as you see fit.

Moreover, it grants you control over your content. If a guest ever comes to your show, they are likely to have legal protections of their own. With a guest release form, you can make sure both parties agree on the use of any part of the podcast recording.

Advertiser Agreement Form

As your podcast gets more attention and secures a loyal following, you are likely to attract advertisers. They may want you to promote their products or services, believing that what they offer suits your listeners.

Anyone who wants to do business with you must conform to your podcast’s terms of the agreement. This document allows you to detail the conditions your podcast may have for taking on advertisers. Examples include payment methods and ad placements. It may also include the business client’s advertising goals and strategies.

Advertiser agreement forms can be complex and need to outline how you handle various aspects of the podcast beyond the financial conditions. For instance, you might want to include a clause that states you can pull out of the agreement if the ad they submitted was inconsistent with your business.

And don’t forget to disclose this relationship.

Affiliate Agreement Form

Just as businesses want to use your platform to advertise their services, your successful podcast might open affiliate opportunities. You might want to take advantage of these openings to make additional income from your podcast.

Think of your podcast’s affiliate agreement form as the opposite of your advertiser agreement form. Instead of setting rules for someone else for advertising on your platform, you are setting the same rules for yourself as an affiliate.

An affiliate agreement form is necessary if you intend to partner with another business through their affiliate programs. With this document, you can detail the compensation methods, as well as what they can expect from you as a business partner.

Not all podcasts utilize this legal document. While it is true that not all podcasts will need an affiliate agreement form, you never know what recording will get your website a lot of traffic. Once you start making noise in your industry, you will need to be prepared for when the opportunity to make extra money presents itself.

Disclaimer Language Form

Although your podcast is likely to have a loyal following that has a common understanding of your show, individuals will still have unique attitudes toward your content. As such, you must clarify to every audience member that your show may discuss some themes that may not be appropriate for everyone.

Generally, these forms include language that informs podcast listeners of their responsibilities for anything they record or create. This document typically comes into play when a podcast host is giving advice. The podcast disclaimer language form ensures podcast listeners understand that podcast hosts are not offering professional advice.

Moreover, a podcast disclaimer language form helps you protect yourself from any legal ramifications in case someone misinterprets your podcast. You can tailor your disclaimer language form according to the unique needs of your specific industry. If you discuss any matters that could be considered sensitive or have legal implications, it is essential to have this document.

Independent Contractor Agreement Form

Running a successful podcast involves more than the host. You may involve social media managers to handle your online presence on social networking sites, a web designer to make your podcast look more presentable, or even a podcast editor to ensure that everything you record is of the highest quality.

At this point, you may want to consider signing a podcast independent contractor agreement form. With this document, you agree on the conditions that involve other people you hire. You will set clear terms of payment and deliverables as related to the final podcast recording. Plus, you will protect your podcast from a situation where someone misappropriates a part of your podcast.

Overall, having this document in place allows you to clearly define the relationship between the podcast host and any other individuals involved in the production. If you intend to get other people involved in creating your podcast, this legal document is critical.

Insider Tips

At Drafted Legal, we believe that understanding how podcasting works is key to running a successful show. That’s why we included a video discussing podcasting laws in our contract template bundle.

Wesley Henderson, Esq., explains the dos and don’ts of podcast law in the simplest terms. This way, you have a legal professional guiding you through the process, giving you the confidence to proceed with your podcast having all your legal documents in order.

Let us help you navigate your way through the world of podcasting. As lawyers, we approach it from a legal point of view. We’ve prepared everything you will need to get started correctly.

Why Do I Need To Prepare All of These Legal Documents?

No podcast should start without the proper legal documents in place. They provide essential legal protection for podcast hosts, podcast producers, and podcast teams. This way, all parties are aware of copyright issues, financial obligations, and other podcast-related concerns.

Plus, podcast hosts can leave a long-lasting impression on their audience by demonstrating their professionalism and having everything in order. You are telling business partners that you are running your show as a proper business.

In the podcasting industry, podcast legal documents are essential to success. If you take the time to prepare the necessary podcast legal documents, you can focus on podcast production and get your podcast up and running in no time.

At Drafted Legal, we take the hassle off your shoulders by preparing templated legal documents that you can easily customize according to your unique needs. Our podcast contract template bundle provides you with all the podcast legal documents you need to establish the standard legal protections that everyone involved needs.

Get Started: Use Our Podcast Contract Template Bundle To Get All Your Legal Documents in Order

Every podcaster needs legal documents to protect their rights and interests. Before you even think about podcasting, be sure to get your legal documents in order. These include a guest release form, advertiser agreement form, affiliate agreement form, disclaimer language form, and independent contractor agreement form.

At Drafted Legal, we prepared these agreement forms in our podcast contract template bundle. With all the legal documents that you need to confidently run your show, you can freely podcast without the fear of any legal issues arising in the future.

Simply tailor the template language according to your needs, and you can rest assured that licensed legal experts simplified the process for you. Download the Drafted Legal podcasting legal template bundle here.

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