Podcast SEO: make episode-page credits crawlable

What to take away

For podcast SEO, rights credits help listeners understand an episode and give search engines useful page text when the page is accessible and indexable.

A UK podcast using commercial music normally needs two licences: PRS for Music for the composition, and PPL for the sound recording.
One licence never covers the other, so a single music credit is often incomplete.
Copyright is automatic. IPO guidance and the GOV.UK copyright page explain who owns scripts, recordings and artwork.
A credit line is an acknowledgement, not permission, and it does not replace a licence.
Put licensing statements and credits in visible HTML text on the episode page, not only in audio, an image or a PDF. Search engines can crawl page text when the page is accessible and indexable, but that does not guarantee indexing.

Add rights credits as crawlable episode-page text

A commercial track can involve two separate rights, licensed by different bodies. Permission covering one right may not clear the other.

Clear both layers before publishing: the composition (the music and lyrics as written) and the sound recording. Permission for one does not clear the other.

PRS and PPL licences

What it covers

PRS for Music: The musical composition, meaning the song as written, lyrics included
PPL: The sound recording, meaning the specific performance you hear

Where it comes from

PRS for Music: A PRS for Music scheme, or a production music library
PPL: A PPL scheme, or a production music library

PRS for Music and PPL provide licensing arrangements for some online and podcast uses. The applicable terms, scheme names and fees can change; check each body's current information and whether it covers your use before publishing.

A show that uses a short theme may sit under a different scheme from one that plays whole songs. Describe your actual use when you apply.

Production music libraries usually clear both rights at source. Keep the certificate or invoice with the episode notes, because it is your evidence if a claim arrives.

Where UK copyright rules come from

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 is the main UK copyright statute. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is the UK body that publishes copyright guidance for creators and businesses. Its material covers ownership, licensing and permitted acts.

The IPO states that copyright arises automatically and needs no registration, so your recordings are protected from the moment they are fixed. Start with Intellectual property: Copyright on GOV.UK when you write a rights statement for your site.

Permitted acts such as quotation and criticism are narrow. They do not cover playing a full commercial track under a voiceover.

Ownership begins with the creator. A script, a theme tune and cover art can each belong to a different person. Commissioning contracts settle who holds what, and our guide to podcast commercial contracts in England covers the clauses that most often go missing in England.

Example wording for a rights credit on an episode page

Use this as a fill-in template, not proof of permission. Replace every bracketed field with accurate information, and include only rights you have actually cleared.

Music: [track title], written by [composer/songwriter] and performed by [artist]. Composition: licensed from [rights holder] under [PRS for Music licence name or reference]. Sound recording: licensed from [rights holder] under [PPL licence name or reference]. Artwork: [creator], used with permission from [rights holder].

A clear credit helps inform listeners and gives crawlers text to index, but it does not replace any required permission. See our guide to disclosing paid and licensed content on podcast pages for how paid and licensed content is labelled on each page.

For podcast SEO, make the episode title and summary accurately describe the content, and publish a transcript or detailed show notes as HTML in the page body. In the WordPress block editor, open the episode post or page, add a Paragraph block where the credits should appear, and type or paste the credit text before updating or publishing. In another CMS, add the credits in its page-body or rich-text editor. Keep the music and rights credits in the visible page text so search engines and listeners can understand them.

Do not bury credits in a screenshot or a PDF, because a crawler may not read either. Do not stuff the block with keywords.

Publish and test the episode page

Rights credits identify works and rights holders; keep them distinct from promotional claims. If the page also describes a paid offer, make that copy accurate: the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 gives the Competition and Markets Authority powers over unfair commercial practices.

Keep any advertising or sponsorship label separate from the rights-credit text. The ASA advertising codes govern how podcast ads and sponsorships are labelled for UK audiences.

A crawlable website page does not by itself ensure discovery inside listening apps. Apple Podcasts and Spotify apply their own requirements; for a platform-specific example, see our guide to Spotify podcast discovery.

Check that search engines can access the credits

Before publishing, check that the credits are present in the page and that search engines can access it.

Open the published episode URL in a private browser window and confirm it loads without a sign-in or password.
Check that the credits appear as selectable text in the page body, not only in an image or PDF.
Check that the page is not blocked by your site’s robots.txt file and does not carry a noindex directive.
In Google Search Console, use URL Inspection and select Test live URL. Check whether the page is available to Google and whether the rendered page includes the credits.
If the test finds an access or indexing problem, check the CMS visibility settings and the page’s crawl controls, fix the issue, and test again. A successful live test does not guarantee that Google will index or rank the page.

If the live test can access the page but the credits are missing from the rendered version, check that they were saved in the page body rather than in a separate image or document. Use the test result to investigate access problems; it cannot guarantee search visibility.

A removal can take an episode URL out of search results, affecting discoverability. Our guide to podcast SEO and compliance explains the relationship between compliance decisions and search visibility.

Common questions

Do I need a licence to use commercial music in a UK podcast?

Yes, if the music is protected by copyright. You need clearance for the composition and the recording, which normally means PRS for Music and PPL.

Does a credit line replace a music licence?

No. A credit records who owns the work, and it is not permission.

Can a copyright claim or takedown hurt my rankings?

Yes. A removed episode can drop out of search results, and rankings take time to rebuild.

Where do licensing statements and credits belong on an episode page?

Put a short licensing statement near the top of the visible show notes and detailed credits in the episode page’s HTML text. In WordPress, add them in a Paragraph block; then use Google Search Console’s URL Inspection live test to check that the page can be accessed and the credits appear in the rendered page.