Downloadable prog music podcasts - legal?

I see at PE two  downloadable podcasts of prog music recently advertised. I'm curious to know how much those podcasters paid for their licences to use copyrighted music - or have they got written permission from all record labels and artists listed to do so? Here at LCR,  as a university student radio station we are treated as a "charity" by UK broadcast licensing authoriies but still required to pay just over £1000 per annum for the privielege of streaming  webcasts - it is the same cost but per month to FM broadcast and then they have to find us a slot- so we only do this one month a year. But for us a license for podcast copyrighted music etc., is prohibitively expensive. While we can podcast,, all copyrighted material has to be stripped from this form of downloadable material, therefore a podcast will only be speech generated in our studios. 

Originally posted by Pekka http://braindamage.libsyn.com/ I listen to this Pink Floyd podcaster from time to time, he features only live material or other very rare Floyd related stuff, and while I don't know the specifics, I'm under the impression that it's completely legal since it's all officially unreleased material.

I've used unreleased material myself but again I needed to get permission from the musician or band. Sometime it is impossible to get such permission.

Speaking of legality of distributing music, does PA ask the artists in question for permission when putting their work up for streaming? I was surprised to see Dream Theater's version of Larks' Tongues in Aspic part II available for streaming after all King Crimson material was forced to be removed. It's still a Fripp composition so I guess he wouldn't take it any more kindly.

I know a female podcaster who uses obscure bands' songs in her podcasts. 

She always asks for their written permission. Here's how it works.

1. She goes to the band's page on MySpace

2. She sends them a message asking if she could use their song on her show.

3. She gets a reply saying "yes you can use our song. Feel free to do so."

4. She uses the song on her show.

This way, no one would sue you. Don't make things overcomplicated.