01
What is worth keeping?
Four things, per recording. Who agreed, what they agreed to, when, and where the agreement itself is. A single line per recording pointing at the original message is enough, and it is the pointer rather than the archive that fails when people build elaborate systems.
02
Four fields, one line per recording
Almost every dispute is resolved by producing what was agreed, and almost every difficulty comes from not being able to find it.
| Field | Answers later | Where it usually lives |
|---|---|---|
| Who agreed | Whether you have permission at all | An email |
| What they agreed to | Whether clips were included | The same email |
| When | Whether terms have changed since | The email date |
| Where the agreement is | How to find it in two years | Your one line note |
| Any licence issued | Whether a claim can be resolved | With the material |
03
A simple spreadsheet layout
Create one row per recording with columns for date, title, people involved, what each person agreed to, how they agreed (email, message, form) and a link to the original message or file. Add a notes column for anything unusual, such as a topic a guest asked you to avoid.
Keep the spreadsheet in a shared location if others help with your content, so everyone can check permissions before clipping.
Sort the sheet by date so the newest recordings sit at the top, where you look first.
04
Storing the originals
Save the actual messages or documents in a folder that mirrors the spreadsheet, named by date and guest. Email threads can be exported as files. Screenshots of messages work too, as long as they show the date and sender.
Back up this folder along with your recordings. Losing the evidence is as bad as never having it.
05
Music and footage licences
Treat licences for music, stock footage and images the same way. Record what was licensed, where it can be used, for how long and the licence file itself. Some licences expire or limit platforms, so note those details.
When a licence expires, check which clips use the licensed material and decide whether to renew or remove them.
06
Making it a habit
The best system is one you actually use. Add a row the day you record, not weeks later. A two-minute habit at the end of each recording session keeps the record complete.
Review the spreadsheet every few months to fill gaps while memories are still fresh.
07
When records are missing
If you realise permissions for an old recording were never written down, reach out to the people involved and ask them to confirm by email. Most are happy to, and a confirmation now is far better than a dispute later.
Avoid clipping recordings where confirmation cannot be obtained.
08
One line, findable later
- Keep one line per recording. Anything more elaborate stops being maintained.
- Store licences with the material. Music licences especially, since claims arrive long afterwards.
- Note the date the permission was given. Terms change and dates matter.
Start the record with your next recording. Nothing to pay for the first.
Questions people ask
- How long should I keep them?
- As long as the clips are published, and longer where a licence has its own term.
- Does a spreadsheet count?
- It is usually the right level. The value is in being findable, not in being formal.
- What about music licences?
- Those are the most likely to be needed, because automated claims arrive months after posting.
- What if I never wrote anything down?
- Start now with current work rather than reconstructing the past. A partial record beats none.
- Is this legal advice?
- No. It is a description of practice that makes the legal questions easier to answer when they arise.