Podcasting Hacks

Podcast at an Event

Find out what’s legal and ethical when recording at a live event, and how to record effectively so that your listeners get a sense of place and intensity.

Podcasting an event such as a concert, parade, sports event, or other activity with lots of excitement and a big crowd is a great experience to share with your listeners. Surprisingly enough, very often it’s legal as well as fun. For public events, such as parades, you can record as much as you want (unless taping is expressly forbidden).

For ticketed events, such as concerts, the policy is a combination of the performer’s taping policy and that of the venue. Phish and The Grateful Dead were well-known taper-friendly bands that even had taper sections at performances. This is called taper access. The tradition didn’t stop there, though, as other bands learned the value of the free publicity of taping. Taper-friendly bands include the Indigo Girls, the Dave Matthews Band, the Black Crowes, Little Feat, Blues Traveler, and many others. GWAR allows taping, but I’m not sure what you would get. A complete list of bands that support taping is available at http://btat.wagnerone.com/.

Other ticketed events, in particular professional sporting events, are very protective of their copyrights and are not amenable to taping.

With taper access you can bring recording equipment with you to the show. There is often a policy against “pro” equipment, with some specification as to what defines “pro.”

Particularly when bringing recording ...