The right way to create a Podcast intro
If you’re looking to incorporate a recorded voiceover and a music track in your Podcast, there’s a lot to consider! The truth is that a Podcast intro isn’t really necessary, but it can truly help listeners understand what your podcast is about, and improve the listening experience.
Have you ever heard a Podcast intro and thought “Oh boy, here we go, two full minutes of the intro that I’ve heard a million times!” or “The intro voice over sounded so happy, but this is a very morbid podcast! It makes no sense!” - these are just two of the many examples that can break a listener experience. In order to ensure that your listeners stay happy, you need to ensure that their listening experience is great, beginning to end!
So what are the things that you need to consider when putting together yours?
Pitfalls to avoid when creating your Podcast intro:
❌ Stay away from copyrighted music. Just stay away.
❌ Just because you LOVE a music track, it doesn’t mean that’s the perfect track to use.
❌ Music is all that you can hear (even though your voice over is there).
❌ Telling your life story in the intro, or boasting about your life achievements, making it a whole minute long.
❌ Mindlessly recording the voice over without thinking about the listening experience.
❌ Not refreshing your voice over once you get better equipment.
Guidelines for your Podcast intro:
✅ Look for websites that offer royalty free music. If you’re talented or know someone who is, use their track instead- and keep a written record of that agreement. Epidemic Sound is a phenomenal website to look for music and sound effects - it’s my favorite as it allows you to remove certain instruments or vocals from the audio file. Story Blocks and Free Music Archive are great options too.
✅ When choosing a music track ask yourself if the vibe is that you’re going for: old school music about a podcast all about being youthful may not work, and same goes for music that is very upbeat if your script is emotional.
✅ If you aren’t sure about the right audio volume between music and voice over, listen to the audio file with and without headphones as most people will listen to your Podcast without headphones so it needs to work with and without headphones. Each track is difference so make sure you try it with or without headphones and send it to 2-3 people before you move forward. Adjust accordingly.
✅ The sweet spot for the intro script is that it can be read under 35 seconds. More than that it can bore the listener. Keep it short - remember that you can always add information during the episode or incorporate additional information on the episode’s outro.
✅ A good rule of thumb is to redo your intro voiceover in two situations: if you’ve upgraded your Podcast audio equipment or if your Podcast has been airing for over a year.
BONUS TIP: Is your personality showing through the intro? Record it until it does.
Length, flow, energy, and more
A good intro isn’t just about throwing elements together: it’s a lovely dance between choosing the right words, speaking them with the right cadence, and combining it all with the right music track.
A good starting point is to start listening to other Podcasts to figure out what’s out there, what you like, and what you want to stay away from.
From that, you’d want to ponder on what you want to say:
What is your Podcast’s mission?
What type of language do you want to use? And what is the tone that you’ll be using?
How do you want to introduce yourself to the audience?
Will you have guests? Or is this a solo show?
How frequently are you releasing episodes?
Do you want to record it yourself or hire talent?
What type of music matches your show’s vibe?
I hope this best practices article for creating a good Podcast intro was helpful. If you feel that you’d want further guidance on this and more, please reach out to the team to book a consultation session.